The Bowerman: 2024 Women’s Mid-Indoor Watch List

NEW ORLEANS – A record number of freshmen highlights The Bowerman Women’s Mid-Indoor Watch list that was announced Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Those freshmen – the trio of Temitope Adeshina of Texas Tech, JaMeesia Ford of South Carolina and Hana Moll of Washington – make history as the first time that more than two freshmen have debuted on the same Women’s Watch List.

A fourth athlete to debut on the Women’s Watch List stakes another piece of history – LSU’s Brianna Lyston joins teammates Alia Armstrong and Michaela Rose in making the Tigers the eighth program to place at least three athletes on the same Women’s Watch List. LSU has now had at least three women named to at least one Watch List in each of the last three years – the first time that feat has yet to be accomplished.

Also returning to the Watch List are Lamara Distin of Texas A&M, Olivia Markezich of Notre Dame, Ackelia Smith of Texas and Parker Valby of Florida.

The Bowerman 2024 will be awarded in December at the USTFCCCA Convention in Orlando, Florida.

Adeshina, who hails from Offa Town, Nigeria, leads this year’s high jump list, clearing 1.96m (6-5) at the Texas Tech Corky Classic to tie for No. 8 all-time collegiately. She is undefeated in all three of her January competitions, adding heights of 1.90m (6-2¾) and 1.83m (6-0).

Armstrong, who hails from New Orleans, Louisiana, is undefeated in four 60-meter hurdle finals, and her 7.90 at the Texas Tech Corky Classic leads all collegians this year. Her PR of 7.81 from 2022 rates her No. 5 collegian all-time. Armstrong, the 2022 NCAA DI Outdoor 100 hurdles champ, has also clocked 7.29 in the 60 dash this year. This is her ninth career Watch List appearance.

Distin, who hails from Hanover, Jamaica, has high jumped just once so far this year, but that was a 1.94m (6-4¼) clearance to win the Ted Nelson Invitational for No. 2 collegiately this season. She has a PR of 1.97m (6-5½) indoors that puts her No. =3 all-time and is seeking a third-straight NCAA DI Indoor crown (she also owns an outdoor title). This is her eighth career Watch List appearance.

Ford, who hails from Fayetteville, North Carolina, is undefeated in four races this year. She opened up with a pair of wins in the 300 meters with times of 35.83 and 36.00 – two of the five fastest in collegiate history. She rates No. 2 this year in the 200 at 22.58 as well as No. 5 in the 400 at 51.60. Ford anchored the nation’s No. 2 4×400 relay team (3:27.09) with a 50.62 split. She is the first female athlete from South Carolina to make the Watch List since 2015.

Lyston, who hails from Portmore, Jamaica, won the 60 meters at the Razorback Invitational in 7.07 in becoming No. =4 all-time on the collegiate list. She has also run 7.14 in a 60 prelim as well as 23.16 in the 200. Lyston is the 12th athlete in LSU women’s history to be named to the Watch List.

Markezich, who hails from Woodinville, Washington, is this season’s fastest in two events – the mile (4:27.76) and 3000 (8:40.42). Her 3k time is No. 2 all-time collegiately, while her mile best (on an oversized track while winning by 9+ seconds) is No. 7 all-time under all conditions. Her achievements include the NCAA DI steeple title last year (9:25.03 as No. 3 all time, plus an all-dates best of 9:17.93) in addition to a third-place finish in last fall’s NCAA DI Cross Country Championships. This is her second career Watch List appearance.

Moll, who hails from Olympia, Washington, is undefeated against collegians in three competitions this season and her collegiate best of 4.64m (15-2¾) at the Washington Invitational rates her No. 5 all-time collegiately. As a prep last year she scaled 4.65m (15-3) in making the World Championships final, where she tied for ninth.

Rose, who hails from Suffolk, Virginia, broke a 41-year-old collegiate (and world) best in the 600 yards, running 1:16.76 to win the Texas Tech Corky Classic by 4+ seconds. She has yet this year to run her signature 800, in which she won last year’s NCAA DI Outdoor title and owns the most sub-2 times in collegiate history (fastest 1:59.08, not including a 1:58.40 relay split). This is her third career Watch List appearance.

Smith, who hails from Clarendon, Jamaica, has this year’s six best collegiate long jumps, topped by a 6.85m (22-5¾) leap to win the New Mexico Collegiate Classic. Last year’s NCAA DI Outdoor long jump champion is No. 2 all-time collegiately at 7.08m (23-2¾) and also has chops in the triple jump – an event she hasn’t contested this year but rates No. 3 all-time outdoors (14.54m/47-8½) and No. 5 indoors (14.29m/46-10¾). This is her fourth career Watch List appearance.

Valby, who hails from Tampa, Florida, has been silent competitively since she crashed the collegiate indoor record in the 5000 meters in December, chopping a whopping 16.11 seconds off the previous CR with a time of 14:56.11, the first sub-15 performance (including outdoors) in collegiate history. She won last year’s NCAA DI Outdoor 5k by 9.00 seconds as well as last fall’s NCAA Cross Country Championships by 12.5 seconds. This is her second career Watch List appearance.

Five athletes received votes from The Bowerman Watch List Committee but fell outside the Top 10: Amber Anning of Arkansas, Axelina Johansson of Nebraska, Maia Ramsden of Harvard, Jacious Sears of Tennessee, and Roisin Willis of Stanford.

The next women’s Watch List is scheduled for February 28.