The Bowerman: 2025 Men’s Post-Outdoor Conference Championships Watch List

NEW ORLEANS – Survive. Advance. Win.

That’s how The Bowerman will be decided over the next month.

Athletes in contention for collegiate track & field’s highest honor impressed The Bowerman Advisory Board over Conference Championships Weekend and now must do so in the NCAA postseason, which begins next week at the East and West First Round sites in Jacksonville, Florida, and College Station, Texas, respectively. Then, it’s off to Eugene.

Here are the ten athletes on the Men’s Post-Outdoor Conference Championships Watch List: Mykolas Alekna of California, Jordan Anthony of Arkansas, James Corrigan of BYU, Nathaniel Ezekiel of Baylor, Ishmael Kipkurui of New Mexico, Liam Murphy of Villanova, Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan of Ole Miss, Habtom Samuel of New Mexico, Ethan Strand of North Carolina, and Parker Wolfe of North Carolina.

Alekna, who hails from Vilnius, Lithuania, continues to add to the record book with each competition. The Cal standout captured the discus title at the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a 69.86m (229-3) throw that is the ninth-best performance in collegiate history. Alekna also threw 69.72m (228-9) for the tenth-best mark. The Lithuanian has registered eight all-time top-ten efforts this season alone, including a world record of 75.56m (247-10) that he threw at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational back in April. This is Alekna’s 22nd career appearance on the Watch List, tying him for the fifth most all-time and it’s the most ever among throwers.

Anthony, who hails from Tylertown, Mississippi, has been on an absolute heater after redshirting the 2024 outdoor season. The Arkansas standout won 60-meter gold at both the SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships and the ensuing NCAA DI Indoor Championships. It was at the latter where Anthony PR’d in the event with his 6.47 clocking in the prelims. Fast forward to this past weekend and Anthony doubled up on sprint titles at the SEC Outdoor Championships, winning both the 100 meters and 200 meters with PRs in each: 9.95 in the 100 for a wind-legal collegiate-leading mark; 19.93 in the 200 to sit No. 2 on the seasonal chart.

Corrigan, who hails from Los Angeles, California, returns to the Watch List after a short hiatus. The BYU standout showed off at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships with a pair of victories – and meet records – in the steeplechase and 5000 meters. Corrigan went an in-season PR 8:22.20 in the former and then PR 13:25.46 in the latter. He sits third on the seasonal list in his signature steeplechase and is on a collision course with Geoffrey Kirwa of Louisville and Matthew Kosgei of New Mexico, who rank first and second.

Ezekiel, who hails from Delta State, Nigeria, notched a pair of all-time top-ten performances in the 400-meter hurdles at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships. He went 47.90 in the prelims for what was the seventh fastest performance in collegiate history and then squeaked under that mark in the final at PR 47.89. Ezekiel has yet to lose this outdoor season, winning two victories in both the 400H and open 400. During the indoor season, Ezekiel finished runner-up in the 400 meters at the NCAA DI Indoor Championships by 0.01 seconds.

Kipkurui, who hails from Baringo County, Kenya, etched his name into the record book in both the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters this outdoor season. The New Mexico standout set a CR of 26:50.21 in the latter at the Sound Running Ten and went 13:09.24 in the former at the Bryan Clay Invitational to become the fourth fastest man in collegiate history. He most recently won the 5000-meter final at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships. During the indoor season, Kipkurui finished seventh in the 5000 meters and 14^th in the 3000 meters.

Murphy, who hails from Millstone, New Jersey, prepared for the NCAA postseason with a routine victory over 1500 meters at the Big East Outdoor Championships. Back in March, Murphy set the CR in that event with his 3:33.02 clocking at the Raleigh Relays. That is one of three PRs for Murphy this year, including a 3000-meter best of 7:35.47 and a 5000-meter best of 13:10.42. During the indoor season, Murphy took fourth place in the 3000 and 11^th in the 5000 at the NCAA DI Indoor Championships.

Robinson-O’Hagan, who hails from Woonsocket, Rhode Island, completed his version of the double-double at the SEC Championships. The Ole Miss standout swept the shot put and hammer, which paired nicely with his shot put and weight titles from the indoor season. His winning mark in the hammer of 75.72m (248-5) this past weekend established a new PR. During the indoor season, Robinson-O’Hagan captured NCAA titles in both the shot and weight, and hit PRs in each in the lead-up: 21.11m (69-3¼) in the shot at the Music City Challenge; 24.35m (79-10¾) in the weight at the SEC Indoor Championships.   

Samuel, who hails from Keren, Eritrea, finished runner-up twice at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships, but has eyes on bigger prizes. The New Mexico standout enters the NCAA postseason as one of the fastest men in collegiate history in both the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters. It’s in the 5000 meters, where he holds the CR with his 13:05.87 effort at the Bryan Clay Invitational. That came just a few weeks after Samuel once again showcased his prowess over 10,000 meters at the Sound Running Ten. He went PR 26:51.06, but that mark doesn’t count toward the collegiate record book since he wore a uniform that wasn’t representing the institution. During the indoor season, Samuel set PRs in a trio of events, namely the 5000 meters at 13:04.92. Samuel finished runner-up in the 5000 meters at the NCAA DI Indoor Championships and was seventh in the 3000 meters.

Strand, who hails from Vestavia, Alabama, rolls into the NCAA postseason with a win and a runner-up finish under his belt at the ACC Outdoor Championships in the 1500 meters and 5000 meters, respectively. The North Carolina standout has been virtually unstoppable this year, setting indoor CRs in the mile (3:48.32) and 3000 (7:30.15), and moving up to No. 2 on the all-time chart in the outdoor 1500 (3:33.22). Strand is the only man in collegiate history to hold CRs in both the mile and 3000 meters indoors. He capped his indoor season with an NCAA title over 3000 meters.

Wolfe, who hails from Denver, Colorado, returns to the Watch List after a brief hiatus. The North Carolina standout recently completed the distance double at the ACC Outdoor Championships with meet-record victories in both the 5000 and 10,000. Wolfe also set PRs in each event: 13:13.49 in the former to become the 11^th fastest man in collegiate history outdoors; and 28:51.09 in the latter. Earlier in the outdoor season, Wolfe moved up to No. 8 on the all-time chart over 1500 meters at PR 3:34.24. During the indoor season, Wolfe clocked the second fastest performance in collegiate history in the 3000 at 7:30.23. He ended the indoor campaign with a sixth place finish in the 3000 and helped UNC take runner-up honors in the DMR.

Eight athletes received votes from The Bowerman Advisory Board, but not enough to land on this prestigious chart: Micahi Danzy of Florida State, Geoffrey Kirwa of Louisville, Angelos Mantzouranis of Minnesota, Jamar Marshall of Houston, Tinoda Matsatsa of Georgetown, Kendrick Smallwood of Texas, Ja’Kobe Tharp of Auburn, and Kostas Zaltos of Minnesota.

The next Watch List will be released on Thursday, June 5.