The Bowerman: 2025 Men’s Mid-Outdoor Watch List

NEW ORLEANS – Collegiate record-holders and NCAA champions dot the Men’s Mid-Outdoor Watch List for The Bowerman in 2025. Oh, so does a world record-holder, too.

Do we have your attention now? Good.

Here are the ten athletes who made the prestigious chart after a careful deliberation by The Bowerman Advisory Committee earlier this week: Mykolas Alekna of California, James Corrigan of BYU, Nathaniel Ezekiel of Baylor, Ishamel Kipkurui of New Mexico, Liam Murphy of Villanova, Auhmad Robinson of Texas A&M, Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan of Ole Miss, Habtom Samuel of New Mexico, Ethan Strand of North Carolina, and Ja’Kobe Tharp of Auburn.

The Bowerman will be awarded in December at the annual USTFCCCA Convention in Grapevine, Texas.

Alekna, who hails from Vilnius, Lithuania, opened his outdoor season in record-breaking fashion. The Cal standout obliterated his own world record – and became the first athlete in history to eclipse 75 meters in the disc – with his 75.56m (247-10) heave at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational on April 13. That came just a few attempts after he initially bettered his own world record to 74.89m (245-8). One week earlier, Alekna debuted at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational with two 70m+ throws, including a 70.09m (229-11) best. This is Alekna’s 20th career appearance on the Watch List, making him the fifth-most honored male athlete in Watch List history behind Edward Cheserek (29), Lawi Lalang (24), Chris Nielsen (21) and Ryan Crouser (21).

Corrigan, who hails from Los Angeles, California, recently set a 13:27.39 PR over 5000 meters at the Stanford Invitational. Two weeks earlier, Corrigan debuted in the steeplechase in 8:43.57 in what was a collegiate-leading mark at the time. Don’t forget that Corrigan ran 8:13.87 in the same event after the collegiate season last year to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Ezekiel, who hails from Delta State, Nigeria, has yet to debut this outdoor season. During the indoor season, the Baylor standout finished runner-up in the 400 meters by 0.01 seconds at the 2025 NCAA DI Indoor Championships. He turned two laps in 45.44, the same time that he ran in the preliminary round. Just a few weeks before that, Ezekiel PR’d in the 400 with his 44.74 winner at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. Ezekiel specializes in the 400-meter hurdles, an event in which he finished third at the 2024 NCAA DI Outdoor Championships.

Kipkurui, who hails from Baringo County, Kenya, turned the track & field world on its head when he shattered the collegiate record in the 10,000 meters at the Sound Running Ten. The New Mexico standout traversed 25 laps in 26:50.21 in his debut at the distance. During the indoor season, Kipkurui finished seventh in the final of the 5000 meters in PR 13:15.14 at the 2025 NCAA DI Indoor Championships and then placed 14th in the 3000 meters. Kipkurui is the third male athlete from New Mexico named to the Watch List, joining Samuel and Josh Kerr.

Murphy, who hails from Millstone, New Jersey, made quick work of 1500 meters at the Raleigh Relays several weeks ago. How quick? Try an absolute CR 3:33.02. We say absolute, because it is faster than both Eliud Kipsang’s outdoor CR as well as the marks Gary Martin of Virginia and Ethan Strand of North Carolina clocked during the indoor season. Murphy needed every single tenth of a second in the Tar Heel State, as teammate Marco Langon and Martin both went under the former outdoor CR at 3:33.38 and 3:33.71, respectively. During the indoor season, Murphy finished fourth in the 3000 meters at the 2025 NCAA DI Indoor Championships. Murphy also clocked PR 13:10.42 over 5000 meters at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener. This is the first time in program history that a male athlete from Villanova has been named to the Watch List.

Robinson, who hails from Spring, Texas, is the collegiate leader in the 400 meters with his PR 44.61 from the Florida Relays earlier this month. One week later, Robinson PR’d in the 200 meters with a wind-aided 20.21 for the sixth fastest mark on the Descending Order List. During the indoor season, Robinson won the 400-meter title – and led off the winning 4×400 relay – at the SEC Indoor Championships. He later finished fourth in the NCAA 400-meter final. Robinson is the 14th male athlete from Texas A&M to be named to the Watch List – second most among all programs.

Robinson-O’Hagan, who hails from Woonsocket, Rhode Island, has yet to make his outdoor debut this season. During the indoor season, Robinson-O’Hagan reigned supreme in the shot put at the 2025 NCAA DI Indoor Championships. The Ole Miss standout wouldn’t be denied as he launched the implement 20.49m (67-2¾) to win by just more than one inch. Robinson-O’Hagan ended the indoor season with PRs of 21.11m (69-3¼) and 24.35m (79-10¾) in the shot put and weight throw, respectively. He is the reigning NCAA outdoor champion in the shot put.

Samuel, who hails from Keren, Eritrea, once again showcased his prowess over 10,000 meters. The New Mexico standout went 26:51.06 at the Sound Running Ten, the same meet in which he clocked 26:53.84 last year. It should be noted that Samuel’s mark from this year does not count toward the collegiate record book as he wore a uniform that wasn’t representing the institution. During the indoor season, Samuel PR’d in a trio of events: mile at 3:57.09; 3000 meters at 7:39.39; and the 5000 meters at 13:04.92. He also finished runner-up in the NCAA 5000-meter final and ninth in the 3000-meter version.

Tharp, who hails from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has yet to debut in the 110-meter hurdles this outdoor season. During the indoor season, Tharp only got stronger in the 60-meter hurdles as the season progressed. He dropped his PR from 7.85 to 7.60 in his first meet, 7.60 to 7.53 in his second, 7.53 to 7.48 in his third to win the SEC title and then from 7.48 to 7.45 to win the NCAA title in Virginia Beach, Virginia. That is a great sign for Tharp as he heads outdoors as the odds-on favorite to win the 110-meter hurdle crown after a runner-up finish last year. Tharp could join elite company by completing the 60H-110H sweep: the past two athletes to accomplish that feat would later win The Bowerman – Trey Cunningham in 2022 and Grant Holloway in 2019.

Thirteen athletes received votes from The Bowerman Advisory Board, but not enough to land on the ten-man list: Jordan Anthony of Arkansas, Johnny Brackins Jr. of Southern California, Simen Guttormsen of Duke, Garrett Kaalund of Southern California, Trey Knight of CSUN, Carli Makarawu of Kentucky, Gary Martin of Virginia, Tinoda Mastasta of Georgetown, Chinecherem Nnamdi of Baylor, Daniel Reynolds of Wyoming, Kendrick Smallwood of Texas, Keyshawn Strachan of Nebraska, and Kostas Zaltos of Minnesota.