Ashe, Ogazi, Ezekiel, Nnamdi get 2025 Bowerman Men’s Mid-Indoor Watch List mention
Four Nigerian student-athletes were among the record 22 that received votes for the 2025 Bowerman Men’s Mid-Indoor Watch List released Thursday.
The four Nigerian student-athletes are University of Oregon’s Favour Ashe, Samuel Ogazi of University of Alabama and the Baylor University duo of Nnamdi Chinecherem Prosper and Nathaniel Ezekiel.
The four did not receive enough votes to land them in the top 10 but were deemed good enough to be nominated to receive votes that will be used to determine the finalists and ultimately the winners of the award.
Receiving votes in the Bowerman Award means that an athlete is being considered for one of the top honors in collegiate track and field.
The Bowerman Award is given annually to the best male and female student-athletes in American collegiate track and field.
Athletes are nominated and then receive votes from an advisory board consisting of NCAA administrators, national and regional media personnel, and track and field statisticians.
No Nigerian stdent-athlete has won the award in the past albeit Blessing Okagbare and Divine Oduduru came close to winning in 2010 and 2019 respectively.