May is here and we are two months away from the Bowerman committee revealing their finalists for the 2025 award. While we still have plenty of championship-level action in track and field left to go, here's an early look at where I think things stand entering the month of May.

Disclaimer: This is not a reflection or indication of the actual Bowerman committee's view on any of the athletes or their voting process, nor how they will vote in the future.

Top men's Bowerman contenders

No. 1 contender — Ethan Strand | North Carolina

The top men's Bowerman contender is North Carolina's Ethan Stand. Strand has been on every watch list since the preseason and has backed it up consistently. Strand had a dominant indoor season with collegiate records in the 1500 meters, mile and 3000 meters. The Tar Heel star also won the NCAA title in the 3000 meters.

Strand recently made his outdoor debut at Penn Relays during the last weekend of April, running the No. 26 time this season in the 5000 meters. As Strand takes the track more with championships on the horizon, expect him to continue to build his Bowerman case.

No. 2 contender — Mykolas Alekna | California

Mykolas Alekna is the greatest discus thrower in collegiate history. Alekna resetting his previous discus world record re-established that this year for anyone that may have forgotten during his year off at the collegiate ranks.

Yet, "Alekna is the greatest discus thrower in collegiate history" isn't a new statement, as it has been the case since 2022 when he first set the collegiate record as a freshman. However, Alekna has never made it beyond being a Bowerman semifinalist, likely because he has never won the NCAA title.

That's why a world record holder ranks as only the No. 2 contender. Bowerman voters have shown that Alekna's regular season success won't be enough to win him the award.

No. 3 contender — Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan | Ole Miss

Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan won the indoor shot put NCAA title, his third straight in the event across the indoor and outdoor seasons. While the Bowerman is an award based on only 2025's results, the streak is still impressive. During the 2025 season, Robinson-O'Hagan has gone undefeated in the shot put in both the winter and spring. If he continues the undefeated streak through NCAA championships and it results in an outdoor title, he'll have a great case for the Bowerman.

Adding a fifth-place finish in the weight throw indoors and a potential top-10 finish in the hammer throw outdoors won't hurt his case, either.

Ones to watch

Top women's Bowerman contenders

No. 1 contender — Doris Lemngole | Alabama

Doris Lemngole is the top women's Bowerman contender. She has set collegiate records in both the indoor and outdoor seasons and won an indoor championship. No other woman can match Lemngole's accolades of the 5000 meter indoor record, the 3000 meter steeplechase record and the indoor 5000 meter champion.

No. 2 contender — Şilan Ayyildiz | Oregon

The Bowerman is named after Oregon coach Bill Bowerman, but a Duck hasn't won the award in the last six possible seasons. Oregon's Şilan Ayyildiz could end the drought as she's having a spectacular season thus far. Ayyildiz set the NCAA record in the indoor AND outdoor miles, a feat that hasn't been done in the history of the Bowerman award. She also ran the anchor leg of Oregon's collegiate record-setting distance medley relay with a 4:26.46 split.

That's three collegiate records if you're keeping count. I know the Bowerman committee is.

No. 3 contender — Indya Mayberry | TCU

TCU's Indya Mayberry is a top Bowerman contender as a freshman. She won the indoor 200 meters and finished fourth in the 60 meter final. In the outdoor season, she leads the nation (all conditions) with her 10.91 (+3.9) finish in the 100 meters. If Mayberry continues to grow as her freshman season progresses, potentially replicating her success at indoor championships, she could make the Bowerman stage.

Ones to watch