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Nabwe Named to Second Consecutive 'The Bowerman' Watch List
4/29/2026 2:55:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
The Bowerman is an annual award that is the highest accolade given to the best student-athlete in NCAA track and field.
MINNEAPOLIS -- University of Minnesota women's track and field redshirt junior Anthonett Nabwe has been recognized as one of 10 student-athletes on the Women's 2026 Update No. 4 Watch List for The Bowerman, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Wednesday. The appearance on The Bowerman Watch List is Nabwe's second straight after appearing on it for the first time on March 25.
The award considers athletes' performances during the NCAA indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons with the performance window running from December 1 of the preceding year through the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the year in which the award is given.
Nabwe is the first Gopher since 2010 (Alicia Rue) to be named to any 'The Bowerman' Watch List. Fresh off of her hammer throw of 77.64m (254-9) at the Drake Relays, Nabwe was also recently named the USTFCCCA's National Athlete of the Week. The 2026 NCAA Indoor Weight Throw champion came just three centimeters short of the NCAA all-time record in the women's hammer throw in Des Moines last week. Nabwe's Drake Relays throw makes her, as of April 27, the 12th-best performer in the women's hammer throw in world history (all levels), per the IAAF. Nabwe has set both the indoor weight throw Big Ten record and the outdoor hammer throw conference record this season. In March she made history at the NCAA Indoor Championships becoming the weight throw national champion with a toss of 25.13m (82-5 1/2) in Fayetteville, Ark., at Randal Tyson Track Center. The two-time Big Ten weight throw champion became the second Gopher to win an NCAA title in the weight throw, joining Kaitlyn Long in 2018. Nabwe's weight throw at NCAAs moved her to No. 3 all-time in the event, and was the best throw by a collegiate woman since 2022 (Shey Taiwo, Ole Miss). w
The full list of names on the Women's 2026 Update No. 3 Watch List can be found below. The next watch list for the women is scheduled to be released on April 29 (mid-outdoor).
THE BOWERMAN – WOMEN'S 2026 UPDATE NO. 4 WATCH LIST (April 29, 2026)
*Anthonett Nabwe, Minnesota (Throws)
Temitope Adeshinal, Texas Tech (High Jump)
Gladys Chepngetich, Clemson (Mid-Distance)
Jane Hedengren BYU (Distance)
Adaejah Hodge, Georgia (Sprints)
Axelina Johansson, Nebraska (Throws)
Pamela Kosgei, New Mexico (Distance)
Doris Lemngole, Alabama (Distance)
Hana Moll, Washington (Pole Vault)
Wilma Nielsen, Oregon (Mid-Distance)
* making watch list career debuts
Also receiving votes:
Salma Elbadra, South Carolina (Mid-Distance); JaMeesia Ford, South Carolina (Sprints); Alyssa Jones, Stanford (Jumps/Sprints); Rosemary Longisa, Washington State; Aaliyah McCormick, Oregon (Hurdles); Shenese Walker, Florida State (Sprints)
ABOUT THE BOWERMAN
The 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 athlete in NCAA and NAIA track & field.
The first two winners of the Bowerman were Jenny (Barringer) Simpson and Galen Rupp, whose careers combined for three Olympic and three World Championships medals, including a gold in the Worlds by Simpson.
Past winners also include six Olympic gold medalists in individual events: two-time decathlon gold medalist Ashton Eaton (2010), 2016 high jump gold medalist Derek Drouin (2013), 2016 100-meter hurdle gold medalist Brianna Rollins (2013), 2021 800-meter gold medalist Athing Mu (2021), 2024 110-meter hurdle gold medalist Grant Holloway (2019), and 2024 100-meter gold medalist Julien Alfred (2024).
As of November 2025, winners of The Bowerman have earned 22 Olympic medals – including 11 gold medals – 27 World Championship titles, 45 total World Championship medals, and three have set World Records.
Bill Bowerman served the sport of track & 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 & 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.
For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota cross country and track and field team on X.com (Twitter) and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the season.
The award considers athletes' performances during the NCAA indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons with the performance window running from December 1 of the preceding year through the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the year in which the award is given.
Nabwe is the first Gopher since 2010 (Alicia Rue) to be named to any 'The Bowerman' Watch List. Fresh off of her hammer throw of 77.64m (254-9) at the Drake Relays, Nabwe was also recently named the USTFCCCA's National Athlete of the Week. The 2026 NCAA Indoor Weight Throw champion came just three centimeters short of the NCAA all-time record in the women's hammer throw in Des Moines last week. Nabwe's Drake Relays throw makes her, as of April 27, the 12th-best performer in the women's hammer throw in world history (all levels), per the IAAF. Nabwe has set both the indoor weight throw Big Ten record and the outdoor hammer throw conference record this season. In March she made history at the NCAA Indoor Championships becoming the weight throw national champion with a toss of 25.13m (82-5 1/2) in Fayetteville, Ark., at Randal Tyson Track Center. The two-time Big Ten weight throw champion became the second Gopher to win an NCAA title in the weight throw, joining Kaitlyn Long in 2018. Nabwe's weight throw at NCAAs moved her to No. 3 all-time in the event, and was the best throw by a collegiate woman since 2022 (Shey Taiwo, Ole Miss). w
The full list of names on the Women's 2026 Update No. 3 Watch List can be found below. The next watch list for the women is scheduled to be released on April 29 (mid-outdoor).
THE BOWERMAN – WOMEN'S 2026 UPDATE NO. 4 WATCH LIST (April 29, 2026)
*Anthonett Nabwe, Minnesota (Throws)
Temitope Adeshinal, Texas Tech (High Jump)
Gladys Chepngetich, Clemson (Mid-Distance)
Jane Hedengren BYU (Distance)
Adaejah Hodge, Georgia (Sprints)
Axelina Johansson, Nebraska (Throws)
Pamela Kosgei, New Mexico (Distance)
Doris Lemngole, Alabama (Distance)
Hana Moll, Washington (Pole Vault)
Wilma Nielsen, Oregon (Mid-Distance)
* making watch list career debuts
Also receiving votes:
Salma Elbadra, South Carolina (Mid-Distance); JaMeesia Ford, South Carolina (Sprints); Alyssa Jones, Stanford (Jumps/Sprints); Rosemary Longisa, Washington State; Aaliyah McCormick, Oregon (Hurdles); Shenese Walker, Florida State (Sprints)
ABOUT THE BOWERMAN
The 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 athlete in NCAA and NAIA track & field.
The first two winners of the Bowerman were Jenny (Barringer) Simpson and Galen Rupp, whose careers combined for three Olympic and three World Championships medals, including a gold in the Worlds by Simpson.
Past winners also include six Olympic gold medalists in individual events: two-time decathlon gold medalist Ashton Eaton (2010), 2016 high jump gold medalist Derek Drouin (2013), 2016 100-meter hurdle gold medalist Brianna Rollins (2013), 2021 800-meter gold medalist Athing Mu (2021), 2024 110-meter hurdle gold medalist Grant Holloway (2019), and 2024 100-meter gold medalist Julien Alfred (2024).
As of November 2025, winners of The Bowerman have earned 22 Olympic medals – including 11 gold medals – 27 World Championship titles, 45 total World Championship medals, and three have set World Records.
Bill Bowerman served the sport of track & 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 & 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.
For more information on the Gophers, continue to check back with GopherSports.com. Keep up with the University of Minnesota cross country and track and field team on X.com (Twitter) and Instagram (@GopherCCTF) and on Facebook, so you do not miss any content during the season.
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