The Bowerman: 2025 Women’s Mid-Indoor Watch List

NEW ORLEANS – Change is clearly in order in the women’s race for The Bowerman as four athletes make their debut on the Mid-Indoor Watch List.

It’s the second year in a row for as many such first appearances following the preseason version. The current edition was released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Two of the four athletes to debut added additional significance to their initial appearance as Laura Pellicoro of Portland and Chloe Timberg of Rutgers are the first-ever from their respective program to be so recognized. They join Aaliyah Butler of Georgia and Anthaya Charlton of Florida as first-timers.

Returners to the list include one finalist – Jaida Ross of Oregon – and two semifinalists – Doris Lemngole of Alabama and Juliette Whittaker of Stanford – from last year. Also returning to the Watch List are JaMeesia Ford of South Carolina, Rachel Glenn of Arkansas and Hilda Olemomoi of Florida.

The Bowerman 2025 will be awarded in December at the USTFCCCA Convention in Grapevine, Texas.

Butler, who hails from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has posted top-4 times in a pair of sprints during a to-date undefeated season that saw her win 400 meters at Ted Nelson Invitational in 51.71 (No. 3 on the seasonal list) and the 200 at the Razorback Invitational in 22.83 (No. 4). She also clocked a 51.43 split on the opening leg of Georgia’s 3:27.95 4×400 team that is No. 2 this year. She is No. 9 all-time collegiately outdoors in the 400 with a best of 49.79 last year.

Charlton, who hails from Nassau, Bahamas, leapt all the way to No. 2 on the all-time collegiate long jump list with her 6.98m (22-11) in winning the Razorback Invitational. Trailing only the 7.03m (23-0¾) effort by 2023 The Bowerman finalist Jasmine Moore to win the 2023 NCAA DI Indoor Championships at Albuquerque, New Mexico, Charlton’s mark is the farthest-ever at low altitude indoors by a collegian.

Ford, who hails from Fayetteville, North Carolina, leads all collegian in two events – the 400 in 51.20 to win Texas Tech’s Corky Classic a week after speeding 36.48 to win the 300 at the Gamecock Opener. She is the reigning NCAA DI champion in the 200 indoors and rates No. 2 all-time collegiately in the indoor 300 at 35.83 from last year. She has run on two top relay teams for South Carolina – the 4×400 (which rates as the year’s No. 5 program at 3:32.18) and distance medley (No. 6 at 11:02.54). This is her ninth Watch List appearance.

Glenn, who hails from Long Beach, California, has competed just once this year in the high jump, winning with fewer misses over Georgia’s Elena Kulichenko at 1.91m (6-3¼) at the Razorback Invitational. That meeting matched the two co-champs from last year’s NCAA DI Outdoor Championships. Glenn is co-holder of the collegiate record indoors at 2.00m (6-6¾) from last year. She’s also run a near-PR 8.16 in the 60 hurdles and contributed a 52.78 opening leg on the national-leading 3:27.47. This is her seventh Watch List appearance.

Lemngole, who hails from West Pokot County, Kenya, is undefeated in four track races this season after starting with a CR to win the Sharon Colyear-Danville Opener 5000 in December at 14:52.57. Her next race was a PR 4:36.80 mile to win the Samford January Invitational before a pair of victories in Clemson’s Orange & Purple Invitational two weeks ago (4:43.96 mile before an 8:54.65 in the 3k a day later). She also owns the CR in the steeplechase in winning last year’s NCAA DI title in 9:15.24. This is her second Watch List appearance.

Olemomoi, who hails from Trans-Nzoia, Kenya, has raced just once since her 14:52.84 runner-up finish in the Sharon Colyear-Danville 5k to move to No. 3 collegian all-time. Her other race was in anchoring Florida’s distance medley relay with a 4:30.32 split in the 1600 – fastest of the meet – as the Gators clocked 10:52.08 for the year’s third-best mark. She also rates No. 3 on the collegiate outdoor 5000 list at 15:06.42 from last year. This is her second Watch List appearance.

Pellicoro, who hails from Milan, Italy, has fired off two amazing performances in the past three weeks, both coming at Washington’s Dempsey Indoor facility, which has an oversized flat track at 307 meters. The UW Preview meet saw her contest the seldom-run 1000 meters, finishing as the top collegian in 2:37.04 – fastest ever by a collegian including tracks of all sizes. Then in last week’s Washington Invitational she won the mile in 4:25.60 in becoming the No. 3 collegian indoors all-conditions. She kicked off the season with a 3k PR of 8:53.32 in December’s Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener.

Ross, who hails from Medford, Oregon, has started the year quietly compared to how she finished last year outdoors – tying or raising the CR three times to a final best of 20.01m (65-7¾). With only indoor eligibility remaining she is No. 5 on this season’s indoor list at 18.20m (59-8½) and aims to improve on both her indoor PR (18.84m/61-9¾) and finish at DI Indoor (runner-up last year). This is her sixth Watch List appearance.

Timberg, who hails from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, is undefeated against collegians this winter, with her most recent efforts being her first 15-foot indoor vaults. That’s plural – as those at the Scarlet Knight Open at The Armory saw her clear 4.59m (15-0¾) and 4.65m (15-3) before negotiating 4.72m (15-5¾) to become No. 2 on the all-time collegiate indoor list. The only mark above her was set in 2015 by Demi Payne of Stephen F. Austin at 4.75m (15-7), a height Timberg attempted three times unsuccessfully in a long day of vaulting (16 total attempts). Timberg is the reigning NCAA DI Outdoor champ after clearing 4.71m (15-5½) last June to rate No. =3 all-time outdoors collegiately.

Whittaker, who hails from Laurel, Maryland, has yet to display her mastery in the 800 meters that last year gave her a sweep of the NCAA DI Indoor and Outdoor titles. While her fastest this season is 2:02.39 (No. 7 on the yearly list), it’s comparable to her best at this time last year (2:02.67) before title-winning marks of 1:59.53 indoors (No. 3 all-time) and 1:59.61 outdoors (No. 8 all-time). This is her fourth Watch List appearance.

A record 21 athletes received votes from The Bowerman Watch List Committee, with 11 falling outside the Top 10: Axelina Johansson of Nebraska, Pamela Kosgei of New Mexico, Elena Kulichenko of Georgia, Mya Lesnar of Colorado State, Indya Mayberry of TCU, Amanda Moll of Washington, Hana Moll of Washington, Wilma Nielsen of Oregon, Jadin O’Brien of Notre Dame, Michaela Rose of LSU and Savannah Sutherland of Michigan.

The next women’s Watch List is scheduled for March 5.