The Bowerman: 2024 Women’s Finalists

NEW ORLEANS – Women’s finalists for The Bowerman, collegiate track & field’s highest individual honor, were announced on Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Maia Ramsden of Harvard, Jaida Ross of Oregon and Parker Valby of Florida were chosen by The Bowerman Advisory Board as the most outstanding athletes in collegiate women’s track & field during the 2024 indoor and outdoor seasons. Ramsden, Ross and Valby combined for seven NCAA titles, four collegiate records and 24 all-time top-10 performances in the collegiate record books.

The Bowerman Advisory Board is a panel of track & field experts from around the nation who select finalists based on performances recorded during the 2024 indoor and outdoor track & field seasons. Only performances from December 1, 2023, through the conclusion of the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, were eligible for consideration.

THE BOWERMAN HISTORY: Past Winners of The Bowerman (2009-2023)
FINALIST FACT SHEETS: Maia Ramsden | Jaida Ross | Parker Valby

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Ramsden, who hails from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, won NCAA titles in the mile and 1500 meters, making her the first female athlete to do so since 2010. She moved to No. 2 all-time collegiately on both lists – the indoor mile at 4:24.83 and the outdoor 1500 at 4:02.58 – in addition to the indoor 1500 (4:06.51). Those weren’t her only fast marks as Ramsden added all-time performances Nos. 3 and 4 in the indoor 1500, No. 3 in the indoor mile and Nos. 4, 7 and 10 in the outdoor 1500. She anchored the Harvard distance medley relay team to a CR with a 4:21.47, the fastest ever for 1600 meters. Ramsden is the first Ivy League athlete, regardless of gender, to be named a finalist for The Bowerman.

Ross, who hails from Medford, Oregon, made three adjustments to the shot put CR this spring – first at the Triton Invite where she threw 19.71m (64-8) before tying it three weeks later at the Desert Heat Classic. The Oregon standout obliterated her PR at the NCAA DI West First Round, hitting 20.01m (65-7¾) to become the first collegian – and seventh American woman – over 20 meters and 65 feet. Ross completed an undefeated outdoor season winning the NCAA title by nearly three feet at 19.57m (64-2½), giving her four of the top-5 marks in collegiate history. In the winter Ross was second at the NCAA DI Indoor Championships after earlier becoming No. 9 collegian all-time at 18.84m (61-9¾). Ross is the first fifth Oregon female athlete to be named a finalist for The Bowerman, joining winners Laura Roesler (2014), Jenna Prandini (2015), Raevyn Rogers (2017) and finalist Brianne Theisen (2012).

Valby, who hails from Tampa, Florida, won a pair of NCAA doubles – the 3000-5000 indoors and the 5000-10,000 outdoors, all in meet records. In both cases, the 5000 also served as a new collegiate record (indoors breaking her own from earlier in the season). Valby added a CR of 30:50.43 in the 10,000 in her debut at the distance. She was undefeated in all eight of her finals, each with a performance ranking among the all-time top-10 as she now owns Nos. 3 and 6 in the indoor 3000 (best of 8:41.50), Nos. 1 and 2 in the indoor 5000 (best of 14:52.79), Nos. 1 and 5 in the outdoor 5000 (best of 14:52.18) and Nos. 1 and 7 in the 10,000. Valby’s smallest margin of victory was 5.21 seconds in the NCAA Indoor 3000. This is the fourth female athlete in Florida women’s program history to be named finalist for The Bowerman, joining Yanis David (2019), Anna Hall (2022) and Jasmine Moore (2023).

Fan voting for The Bowerman begins Tuesday, June 25 on The Bowerman’s website and runs through Thursday, June 27. Paper voting also begins on Tuesday, June 25 and closes on July 12.

Ramsden, Ross and Valby will be feted on Thursday, December 19, during the annual USTFCCCA Convention, which will be held at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida. One of those three incredible athletes will take home collegiate track & field’s highest individual honor that same night following The Bowerman Presentation.

WINNER SELECTION PROCESS

The Bowerman Voters will receive ballots listing each of the finalists and must rank them by first, second and third choice. First-place votes will receive three points, second place will notch two, and third will receive one point. The finalist with the highest point total will be declared the winner.

The Bowerman Voters consist of:

• The Bowerman Advisory Board
• Select media personnel, statisticians, and collegiate administrators
• Past winners of The Bowerman
• Online voting by the public will constitute one collective vote (ranking of choices will be made by order of total single votes)
• Online voting by USTFCCCA members will constitute one collective vote (ranking of choices will be made by order of total single votes)

The online fan vote opened on Tuesday, June 28 at 4 pm ET.

THE BOWERMAN PAST FINALISTS & AWARD HISTORY

MEN

2009
Winner: Galen Rupp, Oregon
Finalist: Ashton Eaton, Oregon
Finalist: German Fernandez, Oklahoma State

2010
Winner: Ashton Eaton, Oregon
Finalist: Andrew Wheating, Oregon
Finalist: Ryan Whiting, Arizona State

2011
Winner: Ngoni Makusha, Florida State
Finalist: Jeshua Anderson, Washington State
Finalist: Christian Taylor, Florida

2012
Winner: Cam Levins, Southern Utah
Finalist: Tony McQuay, Florida
Finalist: Andrew Riley, Illinois

2013
Winner: Derek Drouin, Indiana
Finalist: Lawi Lalang, Arizona
Finalist: Julian Wruck, UCLA

2014
Winner: Deon Lendore, Texas A&M
Finalist: Edward Cheserek, Oregon
Finalist: Lawi Lalang, Arizona

2015
Winner: Marquis Dendy, Florida
Finalist: Shawn Barber, Akron
Finalist: Edward Cheserek, Oregon

2016
Winner: Jarrion Lawson, Arkansas
Finalist: Donavan Brazier, Texas A&M
Finalist: Edward Cheserek, Oregon

2017
Winner: Christian Coleman, Tennessee
Finalist: Fred Kerley, Texas A&M
Finalist: Lindon Victor, Texas A&M

2018
Winner: Michael Norman, Southern California
Finalist: Rai Benjamin, Southern California
Finalist: Grant Holloway, Florida

2019
Winner: Grant Holloway, Florida
Finalist: Mondo Duplantis, LSU
Finalist: Divine Oduduru, Texas Tech

2021
Winner: JuVaughn Harrison, LSU
Finalist: Cole Hocker, Oregon
Finalist: Turner Washington, Arizona State

2022
Winner: Trey Cunningham, Florida State
Finalist: Ayden Owens-Delerme, Arkansas

2023
Winner: Jaydon Hibbert, Arkansas
Finalist: Kyle Garland, Georgia
Finalist: Leo Neugebauer, Texas

WOMEN

2009
Winner: Jenny Barringer, Colorado
Finalist: Destinee Hooker, Texas
Finalist: Porscha Lucas, Texas A&M

2010
Winner: Queen Harrison, Virginia Tech
Finalist: Lisa Koll, Iowa State
Finalist: Blessing Okagbare, UTEP

2011
Winner: Jessica Beard, Texas A&M
Finalist: Kimberlyn Duncan, LSU
Finalist: Tina Sutej, Arkansas

2012
Winner: Kimberlyn Duncan, LSU
Finalist: Brigetta Barrett, Arizona
Finalist: Brianne Theisen, Oregon

2013
Winner: Brianna Rollins, Clemson
Finalist: Brigetta Barrett, Arizona
Finalist: Kori Carter, Stanford

2014
Winner: Laura Roesler, Oregon
Finalist: Sharika Nelvis, Arkansas State
Finalist: Courtney Okolo, Texas

2015
Winner: Jenna Prandini, Oregon
Finalist: Kendra Harrison, Kentucky
Finalist: Demi Payne, Stephen F. Austin

2016
Winner: Courtney Okolo, Texas
Finalist: Keturah Orji, Georgia
Finalist: Raven Saunders, Ole Miss

2017
Winner: Raevyn Rogers, Oregon
Finalist: Maggie Ewen, Arizona State
Finalist: Keturah Orji, Georgia

2018
Winner: Keturah Orji, Georgia
Finalist: Maggie Ewen, Arizona State
Finalist: Sydney McLaughlin, Kentucky

2019
Winner: Sha’Carri Richardson, LSU
Finalist: Janeek Brown, Arkansas
Finalist: Yanis David, Florida

2021
Winner: Athing Mu, Texas A&M
Finalist: Tara Davis, Texas
Finalist: Tyra Gittens, Texas A&M

2022
Winner: Abby Steiner, Kentucky
Finalist: Anna Hall, Florida
Finalist: Camryn Rogers, California

2023
Winner: Julien Alfred, Texas
Finalist: Jasmine Moore, Florida
Finalist: Britton Wilson, Arkansas

ABOUT THE BOWERMAN

The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009 and is named after former University of Oregon coach Bill Bowerman, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female collegiate track & field athletes in the nation.

Bill Bowerman served the sport of track and field in numerous ways. His leadership as president of the USTFCCCA’s predecessor organization, the National Collegiate Track Coaches Association, and his contributions to NCAA track and field and the running community as a whole are among his many lasting legacies.

For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the trophy and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org.

ABOUT THE USTFCCCA

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a non-profit professional organization representing cross country and track & field coaches of all levels. The organization represents thousands of coaching members encompassing NCAA track & field programs (DI, DII, and DIII) and includes members representing the NAIA and NJCAA, as well as a number of state high school coaches associations. The USTFCCCA serves as an advocate for cross country and track & field coaches, providing a leadership structure to assist the needs of a diverse membership, serving as a lobbyist for coaches’ interests, and working as a liaison between the various stakeholders in the sports of cross country and track & field.