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The Bowerman: 2023 Women's FinalistsPublished by
By USTFCCCA Communications, USTFCCCA June 26, 2023
The Bowerman: 2023 Women’s FinalistsNEW 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). Julien Alfred of Texas, Jasmine Moore of Florida and Britton Wilson of Arkansas were chosen by The Bowerman Advisory Board as the most outstanding athletes in collegiate women’s track & field during the 2023 indoor and outdoor seasons. Alfred, Moore and Wilson combined for ten NCAA titles (eight individual, two relay), a share of 12 collegiate records and 33 all-time top-10 performances in the collegiate record books. THE BOWERMAN HISTORY: Past Winners of The Bowerman (2009-2022) The Bowerman Advisory Board is a panel of track & field experts from around the nation who select finalists based on performances recorded during the 2023 indoor and outdoor track & field seasons. Only performances from December 1, 2022, through the conclusion of the 2023 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas, were eligible for consideration. Voting for The Bowerman closes July 14.  Alfred, who hails from Castries, St. Lucia, went four-for-four in national titles, sweeping the 100 and 200 at the NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships after taking the 60 and 200 at the NCAA DI Indoor Championships. She lowered the CR in the indoor 60 five different times (ultimately to 6.94), producing eight of the top-11 marks in collegiate history. In the indoor 200, her CR 22.01 is second-fastest in world history. Her outdoor season started with four relay wins on her home track at the Texas Relays – three as the leadoff leg in CRs (4×100, 4×200 and sprint medley). Her kickstart led the Longhorn 4×100 squad in lowering the CR three times with a best of 41.55 in prelim duty before winning the NCAA title. In individual events outdoors she registered the fastest all-conditions 100 and 200 marks by a collegian in the 100 (10.72w, twice) and 200 (21.73w), while also clocking wind-legal times of 10.83 and 21.91 in becoming No. 4 and No. 2 all-time, respectively, by a collegian. Alfred is the fourth female athlete from Texas to be named a finalist for The Bowerman, joining 2016 winner Courtney Okolo who was a two-time finalist, 2021 finalist Tara Davis, and 2009 finalist Destinee Hooker.  Moore, who hails from Grand Prairie, Texas, won three national titles – all with collegiate records. Her sweep of the long jump and triple jump at the NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships made her the first woman in meet history to sweep the horizontal jumps twice. She started with the long jump at 7.03m (23-0¾), then finished in dominating fashion in the triple jump as she obliterated her own CR of 14.57m (47-9¾) by almost two feet as her five measured efforts – all surpassing the CR – were topped by a 15.12m (49-7¼) that was also an absolute American record. She also became the first woman in world history to surpass 7 meters in the long jump and 15 meters in triple jump indoors in the same meet. Outdoors she completed a second-straight SEC Championships jump quad (winning LJ & TJ both indoors and out) in moving to =No. 10 collegian all-time in the long jump at 6.88m (22-7). She bounded a CR 14.78m (48-6) to win a second-straight triple jump crown at the NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Moore is the third female athlete to be named a finalist for The Bowerman, joining 2022 finalist Anna Hall and 2019 finalist Yanis David .  Wilson, who hails from Henrico, Virginia, kept fans dizzy with record performances. She set multiple collegiate records in the 400 meters – once indoors and three times outdoors. Her presence in spring included a total revision of the outdoor collegiate all-time list with five of the top-6 performances. She racked up six sub-50 times – the most-ever by a collegian, and that doesn’t include her indoor CR 49.48 (the only collegiate sub-50 time in history). Wilson added rare double skills in the 400 hurdles, and displayed them sometimes with little rest after the 400. Her 53.23 seasonal best in the 400 hurdles – No. 3 all-time collegiately – was the fastest of the year’s five best times, three of which rate among the all-time top-10 collegiate performances. After winning the 400 in a CR 49.48 at the NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships, she anchored Arkansas to an all-time world best 3:21.75 with a 49.19 split, the fastest ever by a woman. In January she set a CR 1:25.16 indoors in the 600. Wilson is the third female athlete from Arkansas to be named a finalist for The Bowerman, joining 2019 finalist Janeek Brown and 2011 finalist Tina Sutej. Fan voting for The Bowerman begins Tuesday, June 27 on The Bowerman’s website and runs through Thursday, June 29. Paper voting also begins on Tuesday, June 27 and closes on July 14. Alfred, Moore and Wilson will be feted on Thursday, December 14, during the annual USTFCCCA Convention, which will be held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center outside of Denver, Colorado. 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 PROCESSThe 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 online fan vote opened on Tuesday, June 28 at 4 pm ET. THE BOWERMAN PAST FINALISTS & AWARD HISTORYMEN 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 WOMEN 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 ABOUT THE BOWERMANThe 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 USTFCCCAThe 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. |
