The seventh edition of the Bowerman men's and women's watch lists for 2024 were released on May 29 and 30, with 10 athletes per gender making the cut. It's the final watch list before the NCAA DI outdoor track and field championships, and I've taken a look at both lists and ranked the athletes 1-10 to show who's in the lead for the Bowerman at this point in the season.
CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATES:Â Live updates of the 2024 NCAA DI outdoor track and field championships
Keep in mind that these are my rankings of the already announced Bowerman candidates listed on the watch list, based on past performances and future projections. This is not an indication of how the Bowerman committee voted or will vote in the future. I am using evaluations from the ranking I did after the sixth watchlist update as a reference for this article.
That said, here's my ranking of the athletes on the sixth Bowerman watch list update.
Women
This week's women's Bowerman watch list didn't have any new entries. For the most part, the order stays the same after all of the athletes advanced to Eugene after the East and West First Round meets. The only major movement came from Oregon's Jaida Ross (more on that below).
Here are my women's Bowerman rankings entering NCAA outdoor championships:
1. Parker Valby, Florida (Distance) | Prev: 1
2. Maia Ramsden, Harvard (Mid-Distance/Distance) | Prev: 2
3. Brianna Lyston, LSU (Sprints) | Prev: 3
4. Rachel Glenn, Arkansas (Hurdles/Jumps) | Prev: 4
5. Jaida Ross, Oregon (Throws) | Prev: 7
6. Jasmine Jones, Southern California (Sprints/Hurdles) | Prev: 5
7. JaMeesia Ford, South Carolina (Sprints) | Prev: 6
8. Michaela Rose, LSU (Mid-Distance) | Prev: 8
9. Nickisha Pryce, Arkansas (Sprints) | Prev: 9
10. McKenzie Long, Ole Miss (Sprints) | Prev: 10
Past watch list rankings: Watch list 4 | Watch list 5 | Watch list 6
As you can see the only major change is Jaida Ross entering the top five. Ross set the shot put collegiate record for the third time this year, becoming the first woman to surpass 20 meters.Â
I moved Ross up because recent history shows that a dominant outdoor season — like the one Ross is having — can lead to a Bowerman finalist appearance, even while others may have had better indoor success. Ross' path to a potential Bowerman finalist reminds me of another thrower out of the Pac-12, Cal's Camryn Rogers. If Ross breaks the collegiate record on her home track in Eugene to win a title, don't be surprised if that gives her the final push in a tight competition for the finalist spots.
RECORDS:Â Every collegiate track and field record broken in 2024
Men
This week's men's Bowerman watch list had one new entry, New Mexico's Habtom Samuel. While the order for the previous watch list candidates remains the same, Samuel's entry is worth noting.
Here are my men's Bowerman rankings entering NCAA outdoor championships:
1. Nico Young, Northern Arizona (Distance) | Prev: 1
2. Christopher Morales Williams, Georgia (Sprints) | Prev: 2
3. Leo Neugebauer, Texas (Combined Events) | Prev: 3
4. Wayne Pinnock, Arkansas (Jumps) | Prev: 4
5. Romaine Beckford, Arkansas (Jumps) | Prev: 5
6. Habtom Samuel, New Mexico (Distance) | Prev: NR
7. Colin Sahlman, Northern Arizona (Mid-Distance) | Prev: 6
8. Chris Robinson, Alabama (Sprints/Hurdles) | Prev: 7
9. Sam Whitmarsh, Texas A&M (Sprints/Mid-Distance) | Prev: 8
10. Ja'Kobe Tharp, Auburn (Hurdles) | Prev: 10
AWARDS:Â The 2024 Bowerman Watch List for men's and women's NCAA track and field
As you can see, Samuel entered the rankings at No. 6. That's a lofty entrance point for the true freshman distance star, but it's deserved. Samuel already has run the No. 2 all-time time in the 10,000 meters, and he's my favorite to win the 10K entering championships. Samuel also has the potential to double his medal count with a 5000 meter race at championships too. It's Samuel's potential to win in Eugene that's led to him surpassing others in his watch list debut.
  : Arkansas, Texas Tech win 2024 indoor titles | Florida, Texas win 2023 outdoor titles | How the outdoor championships work
💥HISTORY: Programs with the most titles | Men's champ history | Women's champ history | Bowerman history
🧠WHAT TO KNOW: Wind and scoring explained | Greatest venues | Best uniforms | The difference between indoor and outdoor seasons
🥇 Tokyo Olympians: Karel Tiga |  JuVaughn Harrison | Cole Hocker | Camryn Rogers | Ruth Usoro | Athing Mu | Tara Davis | Tyra Gittens
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.
