The Bowerman is an award given to the year’s best student-athlete in American collegiate track & field.
There was also a pre-NCAA Indoor Championships list revealed earlier in March that included Alfred and Distin.
St. Lucian Texas senior Alfred capped off a spectacular indoor season with a personal best and collegiate record 6.94 to defend her NCAA Indoor title. Her time made her the fastest Caribbean woman ever in the event and put her joint-second all-time behind Irina Privalova’s 6.92.
The 21-year-old also won gold in the 200m in 22.01, another collegiate record and the second fastest time ever behind Jamaican Merlene Ottey’s 21.87 done 30 years ago in Lille.
Arkansas sophomore Nugent, who was absent from the list released before the championships, earned her way on to the new one when she won gold in the 60m hurdles in 7.73.
On day one of the meet, Nugent, 20, set a new collegiate and Jamaican national record when she ran 7.72 in the prelims. That time puts her fourth on the all-time list for the event.
23-year-old Texas A&M senior Distin completed another unbeaten indoor season with a 1.91m clearance to win the high jump. In February, Distin cleared 1.97m to equal her own Jamaican record.
The other seven athletes on the watch list are Florida’s Jasmine Moore and Talitha Diggs, Kentucky’s Masai Russell, NC State’s Kaetlyn Tuohy, Oregon’s Jorinde Van Klinken, Stanford’s Roisin Willis and Arkansas’s Britton Wilson.
Compared to the top two finishers, Poland’s Ewa Swoboda and Italy’s Zaynab Dosso, Forbes got a poor start and never really recovered, eventually finishing a distant third in 7.13.
Swoboda’s winning time was a meet record and world-leading 7.01 while Dosso ran 7.02, a personal best, in second.
Forbes’ time was her third fastest in the event this season. In addition to her 7.11 to win in Germany on Sunday, the 27-year-old ran 7.03 to win at the Queens Grace Jackson Meet at the National Stadium in Kingston on January 27.
The primary matchup for the race will that between Fraser-Pryce, whose 6.98s is the fifth-fastest in history against Ivorian sprint queen Murielle Ahoure, whose 6.97s makes her the joint fourth fastest. Ahoure won the World Indoor title in 2018.
Regarded as arguably the best female sprinter in history, Fraser-Pryce is coming off a successful 2019 when she claimed her fourth 100m world title in a world-leading 10.71s in Doha, Qatar last September and is aiming to bow out with a third 100m gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
A five-time global sprint medallist and 2016 Olympian, Ahoure’s performance to win gold at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham two years ago will undoubtedly stand her out as the woman to beat indoors this year.
However, local eyes will fall on Amy Hunt, the 17-year-old who sizzled to a 22.42 world U18 best last year in Mannheim, Germany, before going on to win the European U20 title in the same event weeks later.
Meanwhile, Whyte a member of Jamaica’s gold-medal winning 4x100m team in Doha and seen as one of the emerging talents who will ultimately replace her more celebrated Jamaican counterpart will be aiming to build on her success.
Williams, the 2018 Commonwealth Games 100m silver medallist, recently relocated to the United States and will be looking for early signs that she made the right move when she broke ties with the MVP Track Club.
The Bahamian produced a world-leading 31.78 to win the men’s 300m ahead of American Matthew Boling (32.58) and British World Championship silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith (33.82).
The 28-year-old's time was also the second fastest ever indoors, only trailing his 31.56 done at the same venue in 2022.
Gardiner, who also took gold at the World Championships in Doha in 2019, was on his way to another undefeated season in the 400m before pulling up with an injury in the semi-finals at the World Championships in Budapest last August.
In the women’s equivalent in South Carolina, Jamaican Charokee Young ran 37.38 for second behind American Quanera Hayes who won in an excellent 36.36. Tierra Robinson-Jones was third in 38.44.
Two-time Jamaican national 200m champion Andrew Hudson ran 6.74 to take top spot in the men’s 60m ahead of Miles Stephens (6.89) and Doniven Jackson (6.92).
In the field, Guyanese Limestone College senior Lloyd McCurdy jumped 14.50m to win the men’s triple jump ahead of Wingate’s Dequan Thompson (14.44m) and Limestone’s Trevon Jenkins (14.18m).
Lloyd, an 18-year-old sprinter from Antigua, a sophomore, created a bit of school history while setting a personal best 7.15 to win the 60m dash in what was her first final and first medal at the indoor championships. Meanwhile, McLeod, 21, a junior, set a personal best and collegiate-leading 17.17m to win triple-jump gold.
Lloyd, who lowered her personal best twice leading up to the start of the championships last Thursday, lowered her time even further while winning the 60m dash on Saturday. The Antiguan powered through the field to snatch victory over Jayda Baylark of Arkansas, who also set a personal best time of 7.18.
Semira Killebrew of Florida was third in 7.21, also a season-best performance.
It is understandable that she was quite elated.
“It feels great to be an SEC 60m champion and a Vol right now,” said Lloyd, whose time was also a new national record.
“Throughout the season, I’ve been improving on my technique and reaction to the gun and there’s still more work to be done.”
Going into the final, her focus was on lowering her personal best of 7.20 set at the Tiger Claw Invitational in mid-February and which was Antigua’s previous national record.
“I didn’t have a specific time in mind to run for the 60 but my goals were to lower my PB and establish a new school record,” she said, explaining that the win was a singular one that will give her confidence for the remainder of the season.
“This win was special because I didn’t make it to the finals last year and I made it this time setting history as the First Lady Vol to win the 60m at the SECs. I’m confident that I will finish the indoor season strong at NCAA championships and make the Olympic standard this outdoor season.”
Meanwhile, McLeod, who won the silver medal in the long jump with a personal best of 8.25m on Friday night, followed up Saturday with his personal best jump to win the triple jump.
His 17.17m, was more than a half-metre better than second-place Christian Edwards of Alabama (16.64m) and Sean Dixon-Bodie of LSU 16.45m.
In a clash between the Tokyo Olympics 100m bronze medalist and the Swiss 60m champion, Mujinga Kambundji, the Jamaican proved to be no match for her European rival.
Jackson, who has a season-best 7.12, clocked 7.18 while finishing behind Finland’s Lotta Kemppinen, who ran a season-best 7.17 for second place and Swiss champion Mujinga Kambunji, who set a meet record 7.06.
Jamaica’s Shashalee Forbes ran 7.26 for fifth place.
Jackson, 27, had cruised into the final clocking 7.20 to win her preliminary heat. Forbes was second in that heat in 7.26. However, Kambundji, who won the Swiss 60m title on February 26, in a season-best 7.05, broke the meet record of 7.12 when she won her heat in 7.11.
Meanwhile, Mike Rodgers of the USA won the men’s dash in 6.61 over Frenchman Jeff Erius (6.72) and his compatriot Dylan Vermont, who ran a personal-best 6.73 for third.
In the women's triple jump, Dominica's Thea LaFond jumped 14.12m to finish second to Portugal's Patricia Mamona's 14.15m.
Senni Salminen of Finland finished third with 13.93m
Jackson, who finished as runner-up in Jamaica’s National Sportswoman of the Year awards last week, had a magnificent 2022 season which saw her 21.45 to become the fastest woman alive in the 200m on her way to winning gold in the event at the World Championships in Eugene.
She also ran a new personal best of 10.71 to finish second in the 100m behind Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce. Jackson, 28, has a 60m personal best of 7.04 which she ran to finish sixth at the World Indoor Championships in Serbia last year.
The USA’s McLaughlin-Levrone, 23, is also coming off a spectacular year which was crowned with her being named as the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year in December.
In July, she became the first woman in history to run a sub-51 second 400m hurdles when she ran a sensational 50.68 to win her maiden 400m world title. That was after she broke her own then-world record of 51.46, which she ran to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics, with a 51.41 effort at the US Championships in June. McLaughlin-Levrone has never run a 60m race.
World Championship 100m finalist Aleia Hobbs and World Indoor Championships 60m silver medallist Mikiah Briscoe will also be in the field in Boston.
Amidst the cheering crowds and vibrant displays of cultural festivities, Alfred embarked on a spirited motorcade that led to the Prime Minister's official residence, where she met with cabinet ministers amid an atmosphere of jubilation.
As the first-ever St Lucian to secure a global gold medal, Alfred's return symbolized a momentous occasion for her homeland. The scenes of dancers, stilt walkers, and exuberant supporters underscored the profound impact of her achievements on the island's youth, many of whom aspire to follow in her illustrious footsteps. (See video below)
Sports Minister Kenson Casimir noted that due to logistical considerations, only a limited number of individuals, a 1000, were permitted inside the Hewanorra International Airport to greet the superstar athlete, ensuring a safe and controlled environment for the festivities.
Supported by her generous sponsors, Puma and First National Bank, in addition to her personal contributions, the Julien Alfred Foundation aims to address critical needs within St Lucia's youth community, particularly focusing on the provision of essential school supplies and athletic equipment.
Reflecting on her own modest beginnings, Alfred expressed a heartfelt commitment to nurturing the potential of St Lucia's youth. "I just wanted to give back to the youth," she emphasized, "whether it's academically or in sports, I want to provide them with opportunities I wish I had at their age."
Alfred's return home and the imminent launch of her foundation represent a pivotal moment in her journey, signaling a deep-rooted commitment to uplifting her community and inspiring future generations of aspiring athletes and scholars.
The University of Texas sophomore set a Caribbean U20 record in the 200m and ran another fast time in winning the 60m dash in yet another outstanding outing this indoor season.
The 18-year-old St. Lucian sprint queen clocked 23.08s over 200m on Friday night that was good enough for second behind Thelma Davis of Louisiana State University who clocked a world-leading 22.96s for the win.
The St Lucian’s time broke her own national record of 23.50 set in January.
Alfred’s teammate at the University of Texas Simon Kennedy ran 23.44 for third.
On Saturday, Alfred went one better in the 60m dash, winning in 7.15s.
Briana Duncan of Oregon was second in 7.21 while Semira Killebrew of Florida was third in 7.29s.
“I’m pleased with my performance on the weekend,” she told Sportsmax.TV on Sunday.
“I wanted to go faster in both events but I’m satisfied nevertheless. What matters most right now is that I’m healthy.”
The young St. Lucian has also been experiencing a healthy boost in confidence.
“Setting records has definitely boosted my confidence,” she said. “I’m stronger than I was last season. Last year I started school in January and missed out on fall training, so I wasn’t as strong as I am now.”
Kambudji’s time was the fastest time run in 23 years since Katerina Thanou ran a similar time in March 1999. Prior to Friday’s final, Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast was the fastest indoors with her time of 6.97 she ran in March 2018. The time also ties Jamaica's Merlene Ottey as the fourth-fastest all-time and bumped Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson Herah's shared time of 6.98 to ninth-best.
In what was a thrilling race to conclude the opening day of competition, the USA’s Mikiah Brisco claimed the silver medal in a lifetime best of 6.99 while her compatriot Mary-Beth Sant Price got third with 7.04.
Mere thousandths of a second separated the next four places as the gold-medal favourite, Ewa Swoboda of Poland, was fourth while Briana Williams and Shericka Jackson ran identical personal best times for fifth and sixth, respectively.
Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago was seventh in a season-best 7.11 while Brazil's Vitoria Rosa ran 7.21 for eighth.
The former St Jago High sprinter, who now competes for the CPTC-Tracksmith club, clocked 6.61s to take the top spot on the podium after leaving more celebrated sprinters in his wake.
Club-mate Jeremy Bascom was second in 6.67 while third-place was secured by Jaylon Baycon in 6.69s.
Jereem Richards, who now trains in Lance Brauman in Florida was fourth in 6.78s.
Former Jamaican sprinter, Jakali Harvey, who now competes for Turkey was fifth in 6.75.
Speaking in an interview with Trinidadian legend Ato Boldon last week, Lyles says his next goal is to take home the 60m world title at the upcoming World Indoor Championships set for March 1-3 in Glasgow, Scotland.
“The goal is to win the World Championships indoor,” the 26-year-old told Boldon.
To win that crown, Lyles will likely have to beat countryman and current World indoor 60m record holder, Christian Coleman, who took gold at the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham. Coleman set the current world record 6.34 earlier that year. 2022 World 100m champion Fred Kerley will also compete indoors this season.
Lyles is coming off a phenomenal 2023 outdoor season. He won a trio of gold medals at the World Championships in Budapest in August, becoming the first man since Usain Bolt to achieve the feat.
At those World Championships, Lyles produced a new personal best of 9.83 to win his maiden World 100m title.
Lyles also had one of his best indoor seasons last year, including a personal best 6.51 to win the 60m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in New York last February.
He has never competed at the World Indoor Championships.
The 19-year-old, who recently signed a NIL deal with Adidas, produced 7.17 to win comfortably ahead of Kennedy Blackmon and Shannon Ray of Tiger Olympians who produced 7.39 and 7.41, respectively, in second and third.
Lyston is currently the collegiate leader in the event with her personal best 7.07 done at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville on January 27.
Elsewhere, LSU Sophomore Jahiem Stern produced 7.73 to win the men’s 60m hurdles ahead of teammate Matthew Sophia (7.74) and Haiti’s Yves Cherubin (7.91).
Trinidadian Hinds Community College Sophomore Rinaldo Moore ran 50.17 to win the men’s 400m ahead of teammate Braylin Demars (50.26) and Texas Lutheran’s Bryce Powell-Chimene (50.31).
Lyston lined up alongside Kaila Jackson and Jadyn Mays for the final of the 60 meters at the Razorback Invitational this past weekend.
Jackson and Mays were both tied at No. 4 on the all-time collegiate chart in the event with their 7.07 efforts from the NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships last year in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Well, Jackson and Mays have company at No. 4 after Lyston blew the doors off the competition.
Lyston ripped the straightaway in 7.07 for the second-fastest season debut in collegiate history behind 2023 The Bowerman winner Julien Alfred’s 7.02 one year ago. The LSU standout won the final by 0.13 seconds and lowered her PR by a whopping 0.22 seconds over the course of the day.
This is the second week in a row that a female athlete from LSU has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week. Michaela Rose previously earned national weekly honors after a collegiate record-setting jaunt over 600 yards.
Lyston, the 18-year-old Jamaican LSU freshman and 2022 World Under-20 200m Champion, followed up her personal best 7.29 performance at the Tyson Invitational on February 10 with a 7.30 effort for second.
The race was won by Lyston’s LSU teammate and Nigerian Commonwealth Games 200m silver medallist Favor Ofili who ran 7.18 while Symone Mason of Tiger Olympians was third in 7.39.
The British Virgin Islands’ Brathwaite, formerly of Indiana University and now representing the Garden State Track Club, ran 6.63 in the men’s equivalent. The race was won by LSU’s Godson Oghenebrume in 6.58 while his LSU teammate Da’Marcus Fleming was third in 6.70.
Brathwaite, 23, was a finalist at the NACAC Championships in Freeport last year, running 10.20 for fifth.
In the field, Bahamian Northwestern State sophomore Carnitra Mackey threw a personal best 14.06m to win the women’s shot out ahead of teammate Deanmonique Granville (13.15m) and McNeese State’s Jaslyn Russell (13.04m).
Brathwaite’s countryman, Northwestern State junior Djimon Gumbs, was second in the men’s equivalent with a best throw of 17.93m. LSU’s Chilean Olympian Claudio Romero threw 18.06m for the win while McNeese State’s Marcus Francis was well behind in third with 15.02m.
Nugent was able to get through three rounds of the women’s 60m on her way to victory.
First, she ran 7.38 to get through the first qualifying round before running 7.34 in the preliminaries to advance to the final. She was the fastest qualifier from both rounds.
The 2023 World Championship 100m hurdles finalist then produced 7.35 to narrowly outrun American Jada Baylark who was second in 7.36.
Arkansas senior Rosie Effiong ran 7.45 for third, the same time as a pair of Jamaicans, Louisiana Tech freshman Tonie-Ann Forbes and Arkansas junior Joanne Reid, in fourth and fifth.
Effiong and Reid were also the top two finishers in the 200m in 23.17 and 23.44, respectively. Their schoolmate Rachel Glenn ran 23.52 in third.
On the men’s side, Barbadian Louisiana Tech junior Julian Forde ran 6.74 to win ahead of Texas A&M-Commerce sophomore Ibrahim Fuseini (6.75) and Little Rock freshman Gabriel Torres (6.77).
Moving to the 800m where St. Vincent & the Grenadines’ Shafiqua Maloney ran 2:02.70 to win ahead of the USA’s Raevyn Rogers (2:03.73) and Arkansas senior Amber Anning (2:05.05).
Nugent, who holds the U20 60m world record of 7.92, stormed to a personal best 7.81 to win the silver medal behind NCAA record holder Masai Russell, who took gold in 7.77s.
The winning time was just outside Russell’s collegiate record of 7.75 run earlier in the season.
Russell, a senior at Kentucky, broke the previous meet record of 7.89 set by LSU’s Tonea Marshall in 2020 and facilities record of 7.79 that had been held by Clemson’s Briana Rollins since 2013.
Nugent, who was also under the previous meet record, eclipsed her previous best of 7.88 set in January.
Tennessee’s Charisma Taylor ran 8.03 for the bronze medal.
Nugent would have gone into the hurdles final with a boost in confidence after winning the bronze medal in the 60m dash in a personal best of 7.20, finishing just behind silver-medallist Georgia’s Kaila Jackson who clocked 7.17.
Tennessee’s Jacious Sears ran a personal best 7.11 to win the gold medal.
Arkansas’ women topped the table with 130.5 points. Florida was second with 84 while Tennessee finished third with 56.33 points.
Alabama and Ole Miss shared fourth place with 54 points each.
Meanwhile, Arkansas' men also wrapped up the men's title scoring 102.25 points, some of which were contributed by Clemson's Roje Stona.
The former St Jago thrower hit a brand new personal best of 19.96m that won him the bronze medal in the men's shot put.
The top three men all produced personal bests as silver-medallist Jordan West of Arkansas hit his best throw ever of 20.29m.
The winner, John Meyer of LSU, had the winning mark of 20.37m.
Florida finished second in the men's standings with 73 points while Alabama's 63 points put them third.
Georgia (59) and Tennessee (54) rounded out the top five.
The 23-year-old, who claimed World Championship silver in Budapest last year, won on Friday with a personal best and world leading 8.40m, equaling the Jamaican indoor record set by Carey McLeod last year.
Pinnock’s record-equaling jump came in the fourth round of the competition and was his last jump as he subsequently passed on his fifth and sixth round efforts.
His other distances in the first three rounds were 8.23m, 8.36m and 8.29m. His second-round jump was also a world-leading effort.
Florida State Senior Jeremiah Davis produced a season’s best 8.20m for second while Florida Junior Malcolm Clemons was third with 8.11m.
The former Kingston College standout also won NCAA Indoor gold in 2022.
On the track, Bahamian Texas Tech Junior Terrence Jones led all qualifiers to the final of the men’s 60m with a time of 6.56. Jamaican USC Junior Travis Williams (6.60) and Bahamian Florida Sophomore Wanya McCoy (6.60) also made it through to tomorrow’s final.
McCoy also led all qualifiers in the 200m with a facility record 20.34. Jones also made it through with the same time.
Florida Senior Jevaughn Powell and Texas Tech Sophomore Shaemar Uter both made it through to the final of the 400m with times of 46.05 and 46.09, respectively.
The qualifiers for the 800m final were led by Jamaican Iowa Junior Rivaldo Marshall with 1:47.21.
Vincentian Penn State Sophomore Handal Roban (1:47.55) and Jamaican Clemson Senior Tarees Rhoden (1:47.66) also made it through.
In a final where three Caribbean nations – Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada – were represented, Nelson stormed to victory, pulling away from the stacked field to produce a massive personal best that is both a meet and championship record, eclipsing the 7.07 held jointly by Oregon’s Hannah Cunliffe and LSU Aleia Hobbs.
The time, a school record, was also just 0.03 off the 7.02 facility record set by Tiana Madison (Bartoletta) in 2012.
It was also the second-fastest time in the world this year behind the 7.03 set by Switzerland’s AJla Del Ponte at the recent European Indoor Championships in Torun.
USC’s Twanisha Terry, the pre-race favourite, who went into the final with the fastest time, 7.09, won the silver medal in 7.14s.
It was a Jamaican 1-3 as former Jamaica national junior record holder Kiara Grant took third in 7.16.
Antigua’s Joella Lloyd, who two weeks ago set a new national record of 7.15 was sixth in 7.23 while Grenada’s Halle Hazzard, a senior at Virginia, was eighth on 7.27.
Nelson, 21, attended Mt Alvernia High School in Montego Bay, Jamaica and transferred to Oregon in October 2020, having spent her first three years of college at the University of Technology in Kingston.
In doing so, she became the first Jamaican-born female athlete to attend the University of Oregon, having expressed a desire to compete in NCAA-level athletics.
Having fulfilled her desire, she expressed her delight on Instagram afterwards saying, “What a way to close out the indoor season.”
Richards, who ran a personal best 45.00 to win the World title in Belgrade in 2022, ran a season’s best 45.74 for victory in the Men’s 400m ahead of the USA’s Vernon Norwood (45.92) and Ireland’s Jack Rafferty (46.66).
This was the Trinidadian’s second win in a row after. He ran 45.84 to win at the Millrose Games on February 11.
Elsewhere, 2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle jumped a season’s best 8.13m for second in the long jump, won by the USA’s Marquis Dendy with 8.28m. American William Williams was third with 8.03m.
2022 World 200m Champion Shericka Jackson ran 7.18 to finish fourth in the 60m behind the British pair of Dina Asher-Smith (7.05) and Darryl Neita (7.12). The USA’s Destiny Smith-Barnett finished third in 7.15. Asher-Smith’s time broke her own British record.
