American sprinter Britton Wilson, a finalist for the prestigious Bowerman Award, sees the opportunity not only as a chance for personal recognition but also as a means to overcome the disappointment of not winning the 400m/400m hurdles double or either of the two events at the NCAA Outdoor National Championships in Texas last June.

The award that will be presented later today, Thursday, December 14 is named after legendary Oregon track and field coach Bill Bowerman and stands as the highest honor bestowed upon the year's best student-athlete in American collegiate track and field. 

Wilson, who is among the six finalists for the award, expressed her excitement about the possibility of a University of Arkansas sweep, particularly alongside her close friend and fellow athlete, Jaydon Hibbert.

"Yeah, I'm super excited and definitely even more excited that I'm there with Jayden. Me and Jayden have a really great relationship, so we become super close, so besties. So it's really exciting to get to be there with someone that's like one of my best friends and the fact that both the men's staff and the women's staff are all going to be there," Wilson remarked.

The American sprinter emphasized the camaraderie and positive attitude both she and Hibbert share, regardless of the final outcome. "So the environment's going to be really exciting...we're not going to be upset either way because we're both just like so happy and blessed to be there anyway and just to have this experience."

Reflecting on the setbacks she faced, Wilson discussed the impact of injuries on her mental state during the season. "The injury definitely was a little, a little bit of a bummer on like my attitude towards the future. It definitely made things a lot more mentally challenging, but other than that I think the season was really great and I have so many positive memories."

Detailing the severity of her injuries, Wilson explained, "It was both shins. My right one was a Grade 2 stress fracture, and my left one was a Grade 4 stress fracture."

Wilson who had been dominant in both 400m and 400m hurdles all season, attempted a feat no one had managed to accomplish before – win the 400m and 400m hurdles at an NCAA championship. Both events were 25 minutes apart.

Running with stress fractures in both shins, Wilson finished second in the 400m well behind fellow Bowerman finalist Rhasidat Adeleke, who ran 49.20, just missing Wilson’s NCAA record of 49.13. Wilson was well behind in second in 49.64. To add to the disappointment of not winning the flat-four, Wilson was a distant seventh in the 400m hurdles in 55.92, much slower than the 54.67 she ran in the preliminary round.

When asked if winning the Bowerman Award could make up for the disappointment of missing out on the historic double at the championships, Wilson shared her emotional journey.

"I actually was very, very, very heartbroken after the Nationals because I've done the double so many times. And doing that double has become really easy to me. And people think it sounds kind of crazy when I say that, but it feels really easy and I like enjoy doing it. So I was really just excited to do it at Nationals and get the chance to be the first person to do it," Wilson explained.

"But everything just kind of wasn't in my favor. The injury was worse. Mentally, I wasn't there. And so it was really heartbreaking because in my heart, I knew I could do it, but it just didn't happen that day," she continued.

Despite the setbacks, Wilson expressed gratitude for being a Bowerman finalist and believes winning the award could be a significant redemption. "Just being a finalist has meant a lot to me. And I think if I were to win it, it would definitely make up for all the little heartbreaks that I had from that Nationals race 'cause it was really hard on me."

Fayetteville State's revered Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach, Inez Turner, is set to embrace additional responsibilities within the Broncos' Department of Athletics. A 21-time Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Coach of the Year, Turner is now appointed as the women's sports administrator overseeing the Broncos' seven female programs.

In this new role, Turner will provide vital oversight, acting as a liaison between the programs and the Director of Athletics. Her responsibilities extend to offering championship-caliber guidance to foster excellence across the board.

"Inez Turner has done a tremendous job with her programs since the day I hired her," stated Director of Athletics Anthony Bennett. "It only makes sense to put her in a position where she can mentor our coaches and provide resources so all programs will be championship contenders and one day national contenders."

Turner's role will encompass motivational advising, scheduling, academic monitoring, professional development, and the cultivation of a winning atmosphere for each women's program.

  Expressing gratitude for the recognition of her value, Coach Turner remarked, "I am grateful that Fayetteville State and the athletics director, Mr. Bennett, recognize my value and provide me with additional opportunities to become a better version of myself. This role will undoubtedly allow me to invest everything I have towards the advancement of our young lives, coaches, and all our programs."

Since joining Fayetteville State in 2017, Turner has led the Broncos to an unprecedented 13 CIAA Championship titles, marking the most in FSU's athletic history by a single coach. Notable achievements include six consecutive crowns for the women's cross-country program, back-to-back titles for the men, and recent successes for the women's indoor and outdoor programs.

Reflecting on her winning record, Turner shared, "Being a winner brings me enormous joy. I become enthusiastic when striving to be the greatest, and I am ready to multiply the blessings. Being a successful force in the sporting world is an adventure that can help guide and lead others to greater heights."

In a coaching career spanning since 2004, Turner has left an indelible mark, with previous coaching roles at the New York Track Club and North Carolina A&T State University. Before her tenure at FSU, she served as the head coach at Winston-Salem State University for eight years, securing nine conference titles.

Turner, a 1998 graduate of Texas State University, represented her native Jamaica in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA. Her impressive athletic career includes medals from the '94 Commonwealth Games, the '97 World Championships, and the Caribbean Free Trade Association Games. Turner has been honored as a five-time Penn Relays Wall of Famer, a National Junior College Hall of Famer, and a Hall of Famer at Texas State.

With her new role as women's sports administrator, Inez Turner is poised to extend her influence and dedication to further elevate the success of Fayetteville State's female sports programs.

Clemson University’s Indoor Track Facility witnessed a spectacular showcase of Jamaican talent at the Clemson Opener on December 8, 2023.

Shantae Foreman, the former Excelsior High standout renowned for her prowess in the high jump, took on a new challenge making her triple jump debut a memorable one. She leaped an impressive 13.08m  securing the top spot in the women's triple jump event.

Ronasche Fluker of Georgia State University claimed the second spot with a leap of 12.00 m. Foreman's outstanding performance added a layer of excitement to an already spirited day of competition.

Jessica McLean, a sophomore at Clemson, carved her name in the annals of the Clemson Opener with an exceptional display in the women's 1000m event. Setting a personal best of 2:53.59, McLean showcased her speed and stamina, leading the pack.

Marie Forbes, a senior from Clemson, exhibited her strength in the women's weight throw, launching an impressive 21.86m to claim victory.

Daniel Cope, a senior from Clemson, dominated the men's weight throw finals with a mighty throw of 21.31m.

British Virgin Islands sprint sensation Adaejah Hodge has signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Georgia.

From Douglasville in Georgia, the 17-year-old student at Montverde Academy had several options of where to continue her academic career but eventually decided to return ‘home’.

Hodge has had an outstanding junior career during which she established a number of records for the BVI. At the 2022 Carifta Games in Jamaica, Hodge won the 100m, 200m and long jump and was awarded the prestigious Austin Sealy Award given to the most outstanding athlete of the meet.

In April 2023, she equaled Tahesia Harrigan’s national record for the 100 metres, running 11.12 seconds but later that month, made it all her own when she lowered it to 11.11 seconds in Lubbock, Texas.

She also owns the islands’ 200m record when she ran a time of 22.82 at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August 2023 when she qualified for the semi-finals becoming only the third ever female athlete from the British Virgin Islands to achieve this feat.

Running indoors in March, Hodge set a national record of 22.33 in the 200m. The time is also an Area U18 and U20 record.

Hodge is the latest Caribbean athlete to choose UGA in the coming academic year. US Virgin Islands athlete Michelle Smith and talented Trinidadian twins Sanaa and Sole Frederick have also chosen to attend the University of Georgia next fall

The US Virgin Islands’ multiple time Carifta gold medallist Michelle Smith has signed with the University of Georgia.

Smith, who attends Montverde Academy in Florida, is ranked as the number 3 recruit in the Class of 2023 in the United States, making her one of the most sought-after athletes in the USA.

The 17-year-old claimed a pair of gold medals at the 2022 Carifta Games in Kingston with 58.61 to win the U-17 Girls 400m hurdles and 2:10.78 to win the 800m. Smith returned a year later in Nassau to repeat her success, this time in the U-20 Girls section with times of 57.69 and 2:09.72.

Also in 2022, she came fifth in the 400m hurdles final at the IAAF World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia in 57.48.

In 2023, Smith won her first two national senior titles. At the St. Croix Educational Complex High School on July 9, Smith ran 11.83 to take the 100m title before running 57.44 to claim the 400m hurdles crown.

Later in July, Smith claimed the 400m hurdles and 800m double at the NACAC U-18 Championships in Costa Rica with times of 56.99 and 2:09.90, respectively.

She followed that up with a silver medal in the 400m hurdles at the Pan Am Under-20 Championships with 57.99 in August and 57.53 to finish fourth at the Pan Am Championships in November.

She ran a personal best and national record 56.66 at the Texas Tech Corky/Crofoot Shootout in Texas in April.

Talented Trinidad and Tobago sprint twins Sanaa and Sole Frederick are headed to the University of Georgia in the coming academic year, the Athens-based NCAA Division 1 university announced on Friday.

Though Trinidadian the girls live in the United States and attend the Druid Hills High School in Atlanta, Georgia.

Both 17-year-old girls run the 100m and 200m. Sanaa, who has a personal best of 11.33 in the 100m, finished third in the event at the 2023 Carifta Games in the Bahamas in April, running a time of 11.65. She went two places better in the 200m which she won in 23.60.

She and Sole were members of the T&T 4x100m relay team that won the silver medal at the Games.

She followed up that performance with a bronze medal run at the Youth Commonwealth Games in Trinidad and Tobago in August, clocking 11.48.

No slouch herself, Sole has personal best times of 11.60 for the 100m and 23.41 for the 200m.

In May, the sisters along with Southwest DeKalb High School twin brothers Isaiah Taylor and Xzaviah Taylor combined for 13 of the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) 46 medals at the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) State Track Championships.

Jamaica’s Tonyan Beckford will be attending the University of Kentucky next fall.

The talented Edwin Allen and Jamaica 400m hurdler, who boasts personal bests of 57.14 in the 400m hurdles and 52.88 over 400m, has signed a letter of intent to join the programme that already has former Hydel High star athlete Oneika McAnuff on its roster.

The NCAA Division 1 track and field powerhouse announced the signing on their Instagram account on Thursday.

Already a national representative at the junior level, Beckford is a 2023 Carifta Games 400m hurdles silver medalist and was also a member of Jamaica’s 4x400m relay team that won the silver medal at the U20 Pan Am Games in August.

The University of Kentucky has produced some of the world’s best athletes including two-time World Championship gold medalist Abby Steiner of the United States and Olympic and world champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico.

Jamaican 400m hurdler Jayden Brown has signed will be competing on the NCAA circuit next year for Clemson University after the school officially announced his signing on social media on Tuesday.

Brown attended Iowa Western Community College this season and finished second overall in the 400m hurdles with a personal best of 51.13 at the NJCAA Division 1 Outdoor Track & Field Championships in New Mexico from May 18-20.

He also took top spot in the event at the Drake Relays with a 51.18 effort on April 28.

The 20-year-old competed for both Kingston College and Jamaica College at the ISSA Boys and Girls Athletics Championships, winning the Class Two 400m hurdles title while competing for the former in 2019.

LSU freshman, Brianna Lyston, has been named as the Louisiana State Writers Association (LSWA) Women’s Freshman of the Year for 2023.

The 2022 World U20 200m gold medallist enjoyed an indifferent freshman campaign for the Tigers.

Her best results came as a member of LSU’s 4x100m relay team. She was a member of their victorious quartet at the SEC Outdoor Championships where they ran 42.92 in May. The Tigers were also on the podium in the 4x100m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June. They ran a season’s best 42.52 for third.

Individually, the 19-year-old advanced to the semi-finals of the 200m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June.

A month earlier, she ran a season’s best of 23.05 in the heats at the SEC Outdoor Championships. She also achieved wind-assisted times of 22.92 and 22.75 at the NCAA East Regional.

Jamaican Romaine Beckford, a double 2023 NCAA champion in the high jump with South Florida, has signed with Arkansas and will be part of the Razorback squad for the 2023-24 season.

Beckford recently won the high jump title at the 2023 Jamaica Championships with a mark of 7-3.75 (2.23). He will represent Jamaica at the NACAC U23 Championships this week in Costa Rica and currently is in position to qualify for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

A double 2023 NCAA champion in the high jump with marks of 7-5.25 (2.27) outdoors and 7-4.25 (2.24) indoors, Beckford set South Florida school records with his outdoor career best at the NCAA Championships as well as his indoor best of 7-5 (2.26) to win the 2023 American Athletic Conference meet.

In the 2023 American Athletic Conference outdoor meet, Beckford won the high jump (7-1.5 | 2.17) as well as the javelin with a career best throw of 194-10 (59.38). The 2023 outdoor season included a victory at Penn Relays (7-1.75 | 2.18) as well as finishing runner-up at Mt. SAC Relays (7-2.5 | 2.20) and winning the Florida Relays (7-4.25 | 2.24).

Beckford finished as runner-up in the 2022 Penn Relays high jump with a 7-3.75 (2.23) clearance prior to claiming the AAC Outdoor title (7-1.75 | 2.18). He won the 2022 AAC Indoor high jump with a 7-2.5 (2.20) clearance. Beckford represented Jamaica in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, placing eighth.

In junior college at South Plains, Beckford won the 2021 NJCAA Outdoor high jump while also competing in discus and javelin. At NJCAA Indoor, Beckford won the high jump and finished 10th in heptathlon (4,182 points). At the 2020 NJCAA Indoor, he finished second in the high jump.

Jamaican triple jump World Junior record holder, Jaydon Hibbert, has signed a NIL deal with Puma.

Short for Name, Image, and Likeness, an “NIL” refers to the way college athletes can receive compensation. “Using” an athlete’s NIL would involve a brand leveraging their name, image, and/or likeness through marketing and/or promotional endeavors.

The NCAA officially made it legal for athletes to profit off of their NILs on July 1, 2021. Since this initial passing, states have begun to pass their own laws detailing the rules for athletes that attend colleges in their state. Universities have also begun to produce rules and programs for their student-athletes.

Hibbert, still only 18-years-old, is currently a finalist for the 2023 Bowerman Award after a spectacular freshman season for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

He won the SEC Indoor and Outdoor titles as well as the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor crowns. To take the SEC Outdoor title, Hibbert produced a personal best, world leading and world Under-20 record 17.87m.

Jaydon Hibbert and Julien Alfred took a big step towards winning the 2023 Bowerman Award after coming out on top in the USTFCCCA Membership Vote as well as The Bowerman Fan Vote, respectively.

Hibbert and Alfred both get two first-place votes toward their overall tally.

More than 35,000 votes were tabulated in The Bowerman Fan Vote over the past 48 hours, marking the third consecutive year with such a turnout.

The order of the Men’s Fan Vote and the USTFCCCA Membership Vote were identical: Hibbert at the top, followed by Leo Neugebauer and Kyle Garland.

The Women’s Fan Vote and USTFCCCA Membership Vote both had Alfred at the top, while Jasmine Moore and Britton Wilson switched places between them.

Jamaica’s Jaydon Hibbert, a freshman at the University of Arkansas, is among the three male finalists for the 2023 Bowerman Award, collegiate track and field’s highest individual honor. The finalists that also include Kyle Garland of the University of Georgia and Leo Neugebauer of the University of Texas.

Hibbert, Garland and Neugebauer won a combined four NCAA titles, obliterated four collegiate records and notched 10 all-time top-10 performances in their respective events. This is just the second time in award history that all three men’s finalists broke at least one collegiate record (2017 was the first).

Eighteen-year-old Hibbert, formerly of Kingston College in Jamaica, is the undisputed King of the Triple Jump in collegiate history.

The Arkansas freshman completed the NCAA title sweep with a victory at the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships. Hibbert unified the indoor and outdoor collegiate records with a 17.54m effort indoors to win that NCAA crown, followed by a majestic, world-leading 17.87m outdoors at the SEC Championships.

Both marks are also U20 world records.

Prior to Hibbert taking the collegiate scene by storm, both of the collegiate records in the triple jump had stood for more than 35 years. Even more impressive might be the fact that Hibbert only needed 12 jumps all season to achieve all of those feats.

Hibbert is the third male athlete from Arkansas to be named a finalist for The Bowerman, joining 2016 award winner Jarrion Lawson and 2022 finalist Ayden Owens-Delerme. Hibbert is the fifth freshman man to be named a finalist and the youngest to be named a finalist in award history.

Garland, who hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, starred in the combined events this year. He won the heptathlon crown at the NCAA DI Indoor Championships with a near world-record 6639 points and demolished the collegiate record in the process. Outdoors, Garland amassed two of the top-4 decathlon scores in collegiate history: the first coming at the SEC Outdoor Championships where he tallied 8589 points for what is now the fourth-best; the second in a runner-up effort at the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships where he one-upped himself with 8630 points for the third-best.

Neugebauer, who hails from Germany, orchestrated a masterclass performance in the decathlon at the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships. It was on his home track in Austin, Texas, where Neugebauer amassed 8836 points to obliterate the collegiate record, set a German national record and climb all the way to No. 8 in world history.

Hibbert is one of two Caribbean athletes who are Bowerman finalists in 2023. On Monday, St Lucia’s Julien Alfred was among the three women finalists for the prestigious award.

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.

Texas senior, Julien Alfred, has been named among three finalists for the prestigious Women’s Bowerman Award alongside Florida’s Jasmine Moore and Arkansas’ Britton Wilson.

The St. Lucian dominated the sprints all year. It started during the indoor season when she entered the year with the 60m collegiate record, only to break her own record six times en route to the NCAA title. Alfred also added a collegiate record during the indoor 200 meters during an NCAA-title winning race, scoring 20 points to lead Texas to a second-place team finish.

During the outdoor season, the fireworks continued as the reigning Commonwealth Games silver medalist kicked off her season with three collegiate records in the relays as the leadoff runner in the 4x100, 4x200 and sprint medley relays. It wouldn't be the last time Alfred set a collegiate record in the relays, ultimately setting the standing record in the DI championship semifinals.

She might've set more collegiate records in the outdoor 100 and 200 meters at the DI championships too if not for a windy day during the finals.

Nonetheless, Alfred ran the fastest all-conditions times in NCAA history to win the outdoor 100 and 200m crowns. Alfred scored 22.5 total points at the DI championships to lead Texas to the team title on its home track, the first for the Longhorns in 18 years.

She becomes the fourth female Longhorn to be named a Bowerman finalist, hoping to become the second Longhorn to take home the award after Courtney Okolo did so in 2016.

The winner will be announced at the USTFCCCA Convention in Denver on December 14.

St Lucia’s Julien Alfred and Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent and Ackelia Smith are among the semi-finalists for the 2023 Bowerman Award.

The Bowerman is the premier award in collegiate track and field, highlighting the top athlete in the sport for both men and women. While the award isn't officially announced until December at the annual USTFCCCA convention, the Bowerman committee releases watch lists throughout the year before the award's final announcement.

Alfred, 22, has been on every watch list update, including the preseason watch list. It's the second time in her career she has been named a semi-finalist having made the list last season. Alfred dominated both the indoor and outdoor season, winning five NCAA titles, four being individual events.

The 14-time All-American completed the indoor double with wins in the 60m dash and the 200m dash where she broke the collegiate record. Her dominance continued outdoors where she defended her 100m title and went back-to-back seasons without losing a collegiate 100m race. She added an outdoor 200m title to her name with the fastest all-conditions time in NCAA history and helped the Longhorns defend their 4x100 relay title on her home track.

Alfred was also named both the Indoor and Outdoor National Women's Track Athlete of the Year honoree this season by USTFCCCA.

Nugent, a transfer from Baylor, arrived at Arkansas with lofty career best times of 7.27 (60), 7.89 (60H), 11.09 (100), 24.13 (200 indoor), 24.18 (200 outdoor), and 12.45 (100H) and proceeded to better her times in four of the five events.

Opening the season with an 8.00 victory in the 60m hurdles, Nugent bettered her career best with a 7.88 victory two weeks later.

In the SEC Indoor Championships, Nugent lowered her 60m hurdle best to 7.81 as silver medalist and her 60m best fell twice – 7.22 in the prelims and 7.20 as the bronze medalist.

Prepared to face the same elite hurdlers she raced in the conference meet during the NCAA Indoor Championships, Nugent broke the collegiate record in the semifinal with a 7.72 to top the previous record of 7.75 set by Kentucky’s Masai Russell earlier in the season.

Nugent also became the Jamaican national record holder, bettering the 7.74 by Michelle Freeman from 1998. On the world all-time list, Nugent ranks as the No. 6 performer with the No. 10 performance.

In the NCAA 60m hurdle final, a 7.73 for Nugent delivered her second gold in the event over a 7.78 for Russell. Nugent previously won the indoor title in 2021.

Outdoors, Nugent opened in the 100m hurdles with a windy 12.95 (3.9) in the Texas Relays prelims but didn’t contest the final. Russell won the final in a collegiate record of 12.36 (2.0) with LSU’s Alia Armstrong runner-up at 12.57.

Racing at the LSU Invitational, on the same venue hosting the SEC Championships two weeks later, Nugent edged out Armstrong for a 12.52 to 12.56 victory.

On the return visit to Baton Rouge for the conference meet, Nugent clocked a windy 12.49 (2.2) in the prelims and set a career best 12.43 to earn a silver medal in the final, moving to No. 6 on the all-time collegiate list.

Armstrong claimed the victory in 12.40 with Russell third at 12.47. Nugent added a fourth place in the 100 with an 11.13.

In the NCAA Outdoor final, Nugent flew down the track to earn the victory with a scintillating 12.25w (3.8), which became the collegiate all-conditions best time ever. A 12.32w for Russell claimed silver while Armstrong finished with bronze at 12.49w.

 Smith finished in the top-three spots in both the long jump and triple jump at both NCAA meets this season. She was the NCAA runner-up in the long jump and finished third in triple jump during the indoor season.

Smith dominated the long jump during the outdoor season, setting the No. 2 mark in NCAA history at the Big 12 Championships with a jump of 7.08m and went on to win the NCAA title at 6.88m. She finished as the runner-up in the triple jump at NCAA with a personal-best mark of 14.54m and became the only Longhorn, male or female, to finish in the top-two of both events at the same NCAA championships.

The Bowerman will announce the three finalists on Monday, June 26.