NCAA Champion Added to Bowerman Watch List
EUGENE, Ore. – Powered by a collegiate-record performance at the NCAA Indoor Championships, Kemba Nelson has earned a spot on The Bowerman Post-Indoor Watch List released Wednesday afternoon.
Nelson posted a blazing time of 7.05 to win the 60 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships (March 13). With the performance, she surpassed the previous collegiate record of 7.07 shared by Aleia Hobbs of LSU and former Ducks' standout Hannah Cunliffe. Nelson is the third Oregon woman to win the NCAA title at 60 meters, joining the exclusive list featuring Cunliffe and English Gardner.
In the NCAA preliminary round, Nelson ran a then-PR of 7.13 to advance to the final as the third-fastest qualifier. Her winning margin of 0.09 tied the third largest in NCAA Indoor meet history.
The Montego Bay, Jamaica, native entered the NCAA Indoor Championships as the No. 5 national qualifier with a season best of 7.19, first run in winning the Razorback Invitational (Jan. 30). Nelson also won the 60 meters at the Tyson Invitational (Feb. 13). She later matched her then-season best of 7.19 at the Championships at the Peak meet at Air Force.
Nelson is the 16th UO woman to be named to a watch list, and the first Ducks sprinter since Ariana Washington to be recognized. Overall, Oregon women have made an all-time leading 117 appearances on The Bowerman Watch List.
Named for legendary Oregon head coach Bill Bowerman and first awarded in 2009, The Bowerman is presented annually to the year's most outstanding male and female performers in collegiate track and field.
Five past Oregon standouts have won The Bowerman, a list that features Galen Rupp (2009), Ashton Eaton (2010), Laura Roesler (2010), Jenna Prandini (2015) and Raevyn Rogers (2017). Bowerman, Eaton and Rogers are three of the five UO icons depicted on the tower at Hayward Field.
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