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The Bowerman: 2026 Men's & Women's Finalists Announced
- Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
- 13 minutes ago
- 4 min read
USTFCCCA has officially announced the men's and women's 2026 finalists for The Bowerman, the most prestigious individual award in collegiate track and field.
On the men's side, Habtom Samuel of New Mexico, Samuel Ogazi of Alabama and Ja'Kobe Tharp of Auburn were the three athletes to make the final cut. On the women's side, the finalists were Adaejah Hodge of Georgia, Axelina Johansson of Nebraska and Dejanea Oakley of Georgia.
Men's Finalists
Ja'Kobe Tharp, who was a finalist for The Bowerman in 2025, has returned as a finalist for the 2026 iteration of the award.
The Auburn product, who still has one year of collegiate eligibility remaining, further heightened his beyond-elite resume earlier this month at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. There, Tharp clocked an unreal time of 12.75 in the 110-meter hurdles (wind legal), setting a world record in the process. Tharp would go on to win the NCAA title in that event.
During the winter months, the Tiger phenom set a collegiate record of 7.32 in the 60-meter hurdles. He would go on to win the national title in that same event at the NCAA Indoor Championships back in March.
Alabama's Samuel Ogazi was brilliant in his own right. During the winter months, the Crimson Tide superstar clocked a 400-meter time of 44.57. That mark not only sits at NCAA #3 all-time (indoor track), but it also gave him a national title.
Then, on the outdoor oval, Ogazi posted an absurdly fast time of 43.38 for 400 meters. That mark broke the former collegiate record of 43.61 (previously held by Michael Norman) en route to the Alabama megastar winning an NCAA title. In total, Ogazi ran under the 44-second barrier for 400 meters three times this past spring.
Finally, there is Habtom Samuel. The Lobo standout was an aerobic beast on the indoor and outdoor ovals yet again in 2026. A collegiate two-mile record of 8:11 at the Millrose Games was complemented by an indoor national title over 5000 meters. Samuel initially won NCAA gold over 3000 meters as well, but was later disqualified.
On the outdoor oval, Samuel was arguably even better. The New Mexico phenom ran an NCAA outdoor 5000-meter record of 13:03 before breaking his own record one month later with a 12:57 mark. The Eritrean distance star capped an undefeated outdoor track season with dominant national title victories over 10,000 meters and 5000 meters.
Notable absences from the list of finalists were Northern Arizona's Colin Sahlman (NCAA indoor 800-meter record, NCAA indoor 3000-meter champion and NCAA outdoor 800-meter champion) and Auburn's Kayinsola Ajayi (tied the NCAA 60-meter record, NCAA #2 all-time over 100 meters, NCAA indoor 60-meter champion, NCAA outdoor 100-meter champion).
Women's Finalists
Georgia's Adaejah Hodge was simply remarkable throughout the winter and spring months of 2026. The redshirt freshman won the NCAA indoor 200-meter title, the NCAA outdoor 200-meter title, was the national meet runner-up in the 60-meter dash, the national meet runner-up in the 100-meter dash and was a bronze medalist with her teammates in the 4x100-meter relay.
Not only that, but Hodge's times and marks were historically elite. The first-year Georgia talent smashed the collegiate record over 100 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships (running 10.63) and comfortably surpassed the former collegiate record over 200 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships (running 21.68) as well. Hodge also sits at NCAA #4 all-time for the indoor 200 meters.
It should be noted that Hodge was originally given a two-year doping ban in 2024 by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). That sentence was later reduced to seven months following investigation cooperation and an agreement that the violations were deemed as non-intentional.
We then move to thrower, Axelina Johansson. The Nebraska product was historically great in 2026, thriving in nearly every setting she was placed in. The Cornhusker superstar was undefeated in the shot put, dating all the way back to December and earning nine-straight wins in the event. That includes national title victories at both the NCAA Indoor Championships and the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
During the winter months, Johansson broke the indoor shot put record twice, ultimately setting the bar at 64-9.5 at the World Indoor Championships. From there, the Swedish star posted a mark of 65-6.25 at the BIG 10 Outdoor Championships, putting herself at NCAA #2 all-time for the outdoor shot put and missing the collegiate record by a mere four centimeters.
The last finalist to mention is yet another Georgia athlete, Dejanea Oakley. The Longhorn-turned-Bulldog was masterful on the indoor and outdoor ovals this past winter and spring. At both of the 2026 NCAA Track & Field Championships, the Jamaica native won the indoor 400-meter national title as well as the outdoor 400-meter national title.
En route to that latter national title, Oakley also broke the NCAA outdoor 400-meter record with a monstrous mark of 48.79. The Georgia talent also ran 48.92 for 400 meters a month earlier at the SEC Outdoor Championships. Her indoor 400-meter best of 50.47 sits at NCAA #11 all-time.
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Fan voting is currently open and will close on July 2nd. Each online submission counts as one collective fan ballot toward the final tally, which also includes votes from media members, college administrators and past winners.
The men's and women's winners of The Bowerman will be announced on December 17th at the USTFCCCA Convention in Grapevine, Texas.