The Bowerman: 2024 Men’s Pre-NCAA Indoor Championships Watch List
NEW ORLEANS – The biggest stars shine brightest on the biggest stages.
At this point of the collegiate track & field season, no stage is bigger than the NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships. And next week, the best of the best will descend on the TRACK at New Balance in Boston from March 7-9 for that very meet.
This is also a perfect opportunity for athletes to take a huge step forward in their goals to win The Bowerman. Ten athletes caught the eye of The Bowerman Watch List Committee and were placed on the Men’s Pre-NCAA Indoor Championships Watch List: Mykolas Alekna of California, Romaine Beckford of Arkansas, Graham Blanks of Harvard, Johnny Brackins Jr. of Southern California, Terrence Jones of Texas Tech, Leo Neugebauer of Texas, Wayne Pinnock of Arkansas, Ky Robinson of Stanford, Christopher Morales Williams of Georgia, and Nico Young of Northern Arizona.
The Bowerman Men’s Watch List
2024 Update #2 — February 29
| Year | Team | Events | Hometown | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mykolas Alekna | JR | California | Discus | Vilnius, Lithuania |
| Romaine Beckford | SR | Arkansas | Jumps | Portland, Jamaica |
| Graham Blanks | JR | Harvard | Distance | Athens, Ga. |
| Johnny Brackins, Jr. | JR | Southern California | Hurdles/Jumps | Kansas City, Mo. |
| Terrence Jones | SR | Texas Tech | Sprints | Freeport, Bahamas |
| Leo Neugebauer | SR | Texas | Combined Events | Leinfeldene-Echterdingen, Germany |
| Wayne Pinnock | JR | Arkansas | Jumps | Kingston, Jamaica |
| Ky Robinson | JR | Stanford | Distance | Brisbane, Australia |
| Christopher Morales Williams | SO | Georgia | Sprints | Vaughan, Ontario |
| Nico Young | JR | Northern Arizona | Distance | Camarillo, Calif. |
ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: Yusuf Bizimana, Texas (Mid-Distance); Keaton Daniel, Kentucky (Pole Vault); Luke Houser, Washington (Distance); Kenneth Ikeji, Harvard (Throws); Parker Wolfe, North Carolina (Distance)
NEXT WATCH LIST: Thursday, March 21
Alekna, who hails from Vilnius, Lithuania, has yet to compete this season, but rewrote the record book just about every time he stepped inside the cage last year. Despite a third-place finish at the NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Alekna entered the meet as the prohibitive favorite after posting eight of the top-10 farthest marks in collegiate history, including the 71.00m (232-11) CR that he launched in late April at The Big Meet. Alekna added the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 marks two weeks later at the Pac-12 Outdoor Championships.
Beckford, who hails from Portland, Jamaica, carries an undefeated record into the NCAA Championships and hopes to defend a title that he won last year in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Arkansas standout most recently captured top NCAA honors when he cleared 2.25m (7-4½), which was the best winning mark since 2012. Earlier this season, Beckford matched his outright PR of 2.27m (7-5¼) and owns the national lead at that height.
Blanks, who hails from Athens, Georgia, hasn’t competed since his then-collegiate-record-setting jaunt over 5000 meters at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in December. The Harvard standout, who won the individual title at the NCAA DI Cross Country Championships, traversed 25 laps in 13:03.78 to shave more than three seconds off the previous best.
Brackins, who hails from Kansas City, Missouri, had quite a series of accomplishments in February. First, he won the long jump title at the USATF Indoor Championships with a PR of 8.23m (27-0). Then, the following week, Brackins secured the national collegiate lead in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.55 at the Ken Shannon Last Chance Invitational.
Jones, who hails from Freeport, Bahamas, enters the NCAA Championships as a two-event national leader in the 60 and 200 meters. At the Jarvis Scott Open earlier this month, Jones clocked his 6.47 SB in the 60; then he went 20.21 in the 200 to win the Big 12 title last weekend.
Neugebauer, who hails from Leinfeldene-Echterdingen, Germany, showcased his versatility throughout the season so far. The Texas standout most recently won the long jump crown at the Big 12 Indoor Championships with an all-conditions PR of 7.92m (25-11¾). That was the second time this season that Neugebauer soared 7.90m (25-11) or farther. Neugebauer will contest the heptathlon in Boston and enters the meet with a PR of 6219 from earlier this season that cemented his status as the No. 5 performer in collegiate history.
Pinnock, who hails from Kingston, Jamaica, has taken just five jumps this season, but you can do that when four of them are farther than 8.22m (26-11¾). The Arkansas standout enters the NCAA Championships fresh off an SEC title where he soared 8.28m (27-2), a mark that would headline the seasonal chart if he already hadn’t jumped 8.34m (27-4½) earlier this month.
Robinson, who hails from Brisbane, Australia, and Young, who hails from Camarillo, California, will duel at the upcoming NCAA Championships in both the 3000 and 5000 meters. Both men put up all-time marks throughout the season in each event: Robinson is No. 2 on the all-time, all-conditions chart in the 3000 at 7:36.69 and No. 3 on the record-legal chart in the 5000 at 13:06.42; Young is the absolute collegiate record holder in the 5000 at 12:57.14 and is No. 4 all-time in the 3000 at 7:37.73.
Williams, who hails from Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, made history this past weekend at the SEC Indoor Championships – world history. The Georgia standout won the 400-meter crown with an all-time world best of 44.49, shattering the previous best of 44.52 set by 2018 The Bowerman winner Michael Norman in his award-winning year.
Five men received votes from The Bowerman Watch List Committee, but not enough to land on the prestigious chart: Yusuf Bizimana of Texas, Keaton Daniel of Kentucky, Luke Houser of Washington, Kenneth Ikeji of Harvard, and Parker Wolfe of North Carolina.
The next Watch List will be released on March 21.
