Nathaniel Ezekiel named 2025 Big 12 Outdoor Performer of the Year, still in contention for 2025 Bowerman award
Baylor University senior, Nathaniel Ezekiel has won the Big 12 Outdoor Performer of the Year. The Nigerian, having already won the honor in the indoor season has now become the first Baylor University student-athlete to earn Performer of the Year for the outdoor season since Trayvon Bromell in 2015.
He is also the first male athlete since 2019 to earn Performer of the Year in both the indoor and outdoor season.
The Nigerian record holder in the 400m indoors and 400m hurdles has had tremendous outdoor seasons. He ran a 47.90 time in the preliminary round of the 400mH, breaking his own meet record set in the previous year, the BU program record, the Nigeria national record and became the seventh fastest Division 1 athlete in NCAA history.
Two days later in the final round, Ezekiel did it all over again, improving his time to 47.89. Ezekiel leads the NCAA in the event by nearly a full second.
The Nigerian made his outdoor season-debut in the 400m and put up one of the nation-leading marks at 44.75, a new personal best.
Ezekiel is also still in contention for the Bowerman award, collegiate track and field’s highest honor as he was one of the athletes who impressed The Bowerman Advisory Board over Conference Championships Weekend and now must do so in the NCAA postseason, which begins next week at the East and West First Round sites in Jacksonville, Florida, and College Station, Texas, respectively.
