The Bowerman: 2024 Men’s Pre-NCAA Outdoor Championships Watch List

NEW ORLEANS – This is it.

One last chance to impress The Bowerman Watch List Committee.

Here are the ten men who comprise the Pre-NCAA Outdoor Championships Watch List for The Bowerman in 2024: Romaine Backford of Arkansas, Christopher Morales Williams of Georgia, Leo Neugebauer of Texas, Wayne Pinnock of Arkansas, Chris Robinson of Alabama, Colin Sahlman of Northern Arizona, Habtom Samuel of New Mexico, Ja’Kobe Tharp of Auburn, Sam Whitmarsh of Texas A&M and Nico Young of Northern Arizona.

Beckford, Neugebauer and Pinnock have appeared on every Watch List this year. Arkansas is the first men’s program to have more than one athlete in a single year accomplish the feat. Neugebauer is the second male athlete from Texas to land on every Watch List in program history, joining Ryan Crouser.

The Bowerman will be awarded in December at the annual USTFCCCA Convention in Orlando, Florida.

Beckford, who hails from Portland, Jamaica, might enter the NCAA Championships with season’s fourth best mark in the high jump, but he’s a top contender. The Arkansas standout has won each of the past three high jump crowns offered at the NCAA Championships, counting both indoor and outdoor. During the indoor season, Beckford reigned in Boston, Massachusetts, with a PR clearance of 2.27m (7-5¼). Beckford scaled 2.25m (7-4½) on three different occasions under a roof.

Morales Williams, who hails from Vaughan, Ontario, owns the collegiate lead in the 400 meters ahead of the NCAA Championships at 44.05 – a mark he ran to win the SEC title and moved him up to No. 6 in collegiate history. During the indoor season, CMW registered an all-time world best in the 400 of 44.49 to win the SEC title and later won the NCAA crown in 44.67 for another all-time top-5 collegiate performance.

Neugebauer, who hails from Leinfeldene-Echterdingen, Germany, will compete in ten events in TrackTown USA. Well, it’s 11 – but we’re counting the discus throw twice. That’s because Neugebauer qualified for both the decathlon – an event in which he is ranked eighth in world history – and the discus throw. He earned the right to vie for back-to-back decathlon titles with his 8708-point score at the Texas Relays back in March and then whirled the platter 58.46m (191-9) to place seventh in the discus at the NCAA DI West Quarterfinal Round. Neugebauer also won the heptathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships back in March.

Pinnock, who hails from Kingston, Jamaica, is focused on ruling the runway come next week. The Arkansas standout won the indoor long jump crown and hopes to add the outdoor one to his haul in 2024. Pinnock is an odds-on favorite with his wind-aided, collegiate-leading 8.44m (27-8¼) leap from the LSU Invitational. Back in March, Pinnock won the NCAA title with a PR of 8.40m (27-6¾) that equaled both the Jamaican national record and the fifth-best performer on the all-time collegiate chart (Carey McCleod, a former teammate, shares those accolades).  

Robinson, who hails from Tallahassee, Florida, takes an undefeated season in the 400-meter hurdles into the NCAA Championships. The Alabama standout is the collegiate leader with his 47.95 clocking from back in April at the Tom Jones Memorial that made him the sixth-fastest man in collegiate history. He is also a member of the nation’s second fastest 4×400 relay. Indoors, Robinson finished third in the 400 meters at the SEC Championships and didn’t make it to the final of the ensuing NCAA Championships in Boston.

Sahlman, who hails from Camarillo, California, eyes an NCAA 1500-meter title to cap his historic season over the metric mile. The Northern Arizona standout left his mark on the collegiate record book several times this season, clocking two all-time top-5: 3:33.96 at the Bryan Clay Invitational for the second fastest; 3:34.64 at the Occidental Invitational for the fourth-fastest. Back in March, Sahlman was sixth in the final of the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Samuel, who hails from Keren, Eretria, will double in the 5000 and 10,000 meters next week. The New Mexico standout showcased his prowess in both of those events this season: first, he went 26:53.84 over 10,000 meters at The TEN to become the second-fastest performer in collegiate history; then he traversed 5000 meters in 13:13.34 at the Bryan Clay Invitational to make him the seventh-fastest performer in collegiate history. Samuel is the second athlete in program history to be named to the Watch List, joining two-time semifinalist Josh Kerr.

Tharp, who hails from Basking Ridge, New Jersey, is the collegiate leader – and American U20 record-holder – in the 110-meter hurdles with his 13.18 clocking at the SEC Outdoor Championships. That took down a 46-year-old record formerly held by the great Renaldo Nehemiah.

Whitmarsh, who hails from Lake Jackson, Texas, could put a bow on an undefeated season over 800 meters with a victory at the NCAA Championships. Just a few weeks ago, Whitmarsh rolled to the 800-meter title at the SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1:45.27. Two months before that, Whitmarsh clocked 1:44.46 over the same distance at the LSU Battle on the Bayou that made him the seventh-fastest performer in collegiate history. Whitmarsh has also added a 1500-meter PR this season and anchored Texas AM to victory in the College Men’s 4×800 Championship of America.

Young, who hails from Camarillo, California, hopes to add a third NCAA title to his war chest this year. The Northern Arizona standout will contest the 5000 meters, an event in which he is the outright collegiate record-holder with his 12:57.14 effort from the indoor season. Young also owns the CR in the 10,000 meters at 26:52.72, the third-fastest mark in collegiate history over 1500 meters at 3:34.56, and the fourth-fastest effort in collegiate history over 3000 meters at 7:37.73. Back in March, Young doubled up on distance titles at the NCAA Indoor Championships and set a meet record in the 3000 meters of 7:41.01.

Six athletes received votes from The Bowerman Watch List Committee, but not enough to land of the prestigious chart: Caleb Dean of Texas Tech, Luke Houser of Washington, Shaun Maswanganyi of Houston, Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi of Baylor, Tarsis Orogot of Alabama and Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan of Ole Miss.

Semifinalists for The Bowerman will be announced on June 20.