The University of Mississippi Athletics
Track & Field’s Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan Named to Preseason Bowerman Award Watch List
1/9/2025 | Track and Field
NEW ORLEANS – Ole Miss track & field junior and reigning NCAA shot put champion Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan has landed a spot on the preseason watch list for The Bowerman Award for 2025.
The Bowerman – collegiate track & field's version of the Heisman Trophy – began in 2009 and is presented each year to the most outstanding male and female athletes in the nation. The trophy is named after famed Oregon head coach, Bill Bowerman.
This is the first watch list appearance for Robinson-O'Hagan, who was named a semifinalist for The Bowerman in 2024 following a spectacular sophomore campaign that saw him sweep the NCAA men's shot put titles. Robinson-O'Hagan is the first Ole Miss men's thrower to make the watch list, and only the fourth in Rebel men's history overall alongside Olympians Ricky Robertson (2012), Isiah Young (2013) and Sam Kendricks (2014).
Robinson-O'Hagan is the current world leader in the shot put indoors at his season-opening 20.30m/66-07.25 from Dec. 6 – the best throw by a collegian in the month of December in available records since at least 2008. Robinson-O'Hagan also ranks second in the NCAA at his weight throw opener of 22.88m/75-00.75.
Robinson-O'Hagan – a native of Woonsocket, Rhode Island – became only the 17th individual in NCAA Division I history to sweep the men's shot put indoors and outdoors last season, the youngest to do so since 1989 and the fourth-youngest to do so all-time. He won his outdoor title on what was then a school record 20.88m/68-6, and his indoor title on a career-best blast of 21.05m/69-00.75 to become the first underclassman to win indoors since world record holder Ryan Crouser did so as a redshirt sophomore at Texas in 2014.
Overall in 2024, Robinson-O'Hagan claimed those two NCAA titles, four First-Team All-America awards, 26 NCAA points, four SEC titles and 40 SEC points en route to sweeping the USTFCCCA South Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year and SEC Men's Field Athlete of the Year awards indoors and outdoors. He also claimed both the SEC Cliff Harper Trophy indoors and the SEC Commissioner's Trophy outdoors after scoring 20 points at each conference meet.
Robinson-O'Hagan is the only thrower in SEC history to sweep the men's weight throw and shot put indoors, one of only three in SEC history to sweep the men's shot put and hammer outdoors, one of two in SEC history to break 68 feet in the shot put in the same conference meet field series outdoors, one of only three collegians since 2015 to be at 20 meters in the shot put and 72 in the hammer and one of only four collegians ever at 77 feet in the weight throw and 69 feet in the shot put indoors.
He stands among rarefied air among men's indoor throwers all-time, currently ranking third in collegiate history at a combined indoor shot put (21.05m/69-0.75) and weight throw (23.62m/77-6) distance of 44.67m – trailing only North Dakota State's Payton Otterdahl (45.92m) and Ohio State's Dan Taylor (45.34m).
In just two seasons with the Rebels, Robinson-O'Hagan has laid waste to the Ole Miss record book, claiming top marks in the weight throw (23.62m/77-6) and shot put (21.05m/69-00.75) indoors, and the hammer (74.54m/244-7) and shot put (20.98m/68-10) outdoors. Overall, Robinson-O'Hagan already has those two national titles, eight NCAA qualifying berths, eight All-America awards (six First-Team), 33 NCAA points, five SEC titles, six SEC medals and 64 SEC points.
Robinson-O'Hagan also made a name for himself at the U.S. Olympic Trials last summer as the youngest competitor to make both finals in the men's shot put and hammer. He finished eighth in the shot put at an Ole Miss outdoor school record 20.98m/68-10, and demolished his own record in the hammer by five feet at 74.54m/244-7. Robinson-O'Hagan ended the season ranked top-10 in both events by Track & Field News, sitting seventh in the hammer and eighth in the shot put.
The next Watch List update is scheduled for Wed., Feb. 5 (women) and Thurs., Feb. 6 (men). Ole Miss track & field is split this weekend, first to Louisville for Kentucky's Rod McCravy Invitational (Jan. 10-11) and then to Vanderbilt's Commodore Challenge (Jan. 11).
The Bowerman 2025
Men's Watch List – Preseason, Jan. 9, 2025
Mykolas Alekna, California (Discus)
Johnny Brackins, Jr., Southern California (Hurdles/Jumps)
*Chinecherem Nnamdi, Baylor (Javelin)
*Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan, Ole Miss (Throws)
Tarsis Orogot, Alabama (Sprints)
Habtom Samuel, New Mexico (Distance)
*Ethan Strand, North Carolina (Mid-Distance/Distance)
Ja'Kobe Tharp, Auburn (Hurdles)
Sam Whitmarsh, Texas A&M (Sprints/Mid-Distance)
Parker Wolfe, North Carolina (Distance)
* Watch List career debuts
Also receiving votes:
Nathan Green, Washington (Mid-Distance)
Kenneth Ikeji, Harvard (Throws)
Eli Kosiba, Grand Valley State (Jumps)
Rivaldo Marshall, Arkansas (Mid-Distance)
Tinoda Matsatsa, Georgetown (Mid-Distance/Distance)
Nathan Mountain, Virginia (Mid-Distance)
Samuel Ogazi, Alabama (Sprints)
Godson Oghenebrume, LSU (Sprints)
Colin Sahlman, Northern Arizona (Mid-Distance)
ABOUT THE BOWERMAN
The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009 and is named after former University of Oregon coach Bill Bowerman, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female NCAA track & field athletes in the nation.
Bill Bowerman served the sport of track and field in numerous ways. His leadership as president of the USTFCCCA's predecessor organization, the National Collegiate Track Coaches Association, and his contributions to NCAA track and field and the running community as a whole are among his many lasting legacies.
For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the trophy and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org.
THE AWARD: The Bowerman is bestowed to collegiate track & field's top male and female athlete for the year. The Bowerman Advisory Board, and ultimately, The Bowerman Voters, are instructed to consider performances inclusively from the collegiate indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons only. Cross country results are not within this consideration. The current collective track & field season began on November 29, 2024 and will end on June 14, 2025.
HISTORY: The Bowerman was first awarded in 2009. The first official watch lists were announced in 2010. Last year's winners were Parker Valby of Florida and Leo Neugebauer of Texas.
ABOUT THE WATCH LIST CONSTRUCTION: Members of The Bowerman Advisory Board produce these watch lists by voting on their current top-10 "who's who" among collegiate track & field athletes. The "watch list" represents the group's consensus top 10 for that update. Those "receiving votes" are listed on at least one member's top 10 but did not garner enough votes to be listed in the consensus top 10. There are a total of eight watch lists during the season.
UP NEXT: The next update is scheduled to occur Wednesday, February 5 (women) and Thursday, February 6 (men).
The Bowerman – collegiate track & field's version of the Heisman Trophy – began in 2009 and is presented each year to the most outstanding male and female athletes in the nation. The trophy is named after famed Oregon head coach, Bill Bowerman.
This is the first watch list appearance for Robinson-O'Hagan, who was named a semifinalist for The Bowerman in 2024 following a spectacular sophomore campaign that saw him sweep the NCAA men's shot put titles. Robinson-O'Hagan is the first Ole Miss men's thrower to make the watch list, and only the fourth in Rebel men's history overall alongside Olympians Ricky Robertson (2012), Isiah Young (2013) and Sam Kendricks (2014).
Robinson-O'Hagan is the current world leader in the shot put indoors at his season-opening 20.30m/66-07.25 from Dec. 6 – the best throw by a collegian in the month of December in available records since at least 2008. Robinson-O'Hagan also ranks second in the NCAA at his weight throw opener of 22.88m/75-00.75.
Robinson-O'Hagan – a native of Woonsocket, Rhode Island – became only the 17th individual in NCAA Division I history to sweep the men's shot put indoors and outdoors last season, the youngest to do so since 1989 and the fourth-youngest to do so all-time. He won his outdoor title on what was then a school record 20.88m/68-6, and his indoor title on a career-best blast of 21.05m/69-00.75 to become the first underclassman to win indoors since world record holder Ryan Crouser did so as a redshirt sophomore at Texas in 2014.
Overall in 2024, Robinson-O'Hagan claimed those two NCAA titles, four First-Team All-America awards, 26 NCAA points, four SEC titles and 40 SEC points en route to sweeping the USTFCCCA South Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year and SEC Men's Field Athlete of the Year awards indoors and outdoors. He also claimed both the SEC Cliff Harper Trophy indoors and the SEC Commissioner's Trophy outdoors after scoring 20 points at each conference meet.
Robinson-O'Hagan is the only thrower in SEC history to sweep the men's weight throw and shot put indoors, one of only three in SEC history to sweep the men's shot put and hammer outdoors, one of two in SEC history to break 68 feet in the shot put in the same conference meet field series outdoors, one of only three collegians since 2015 to be at 20 meters in the shot put and 72 in the hammer and one of only four collegians ever at 77 feet in the weight throw and 69 feet in the shot put indoors.
He stands among rarefied air among men's indoor throwers all-time, currently ranking third in collegiate history at a combined indoor shot put (21.05m/69-0.75) and weight throw (23.62m/77-6) distance of 44.67m – trailing only North Dakota State's Payton Otterdahl (45.92m) and Ohio State's Dan Taylor (45.34m).
In just two seasons with the Rebels, Robinson-O'Hagan has laid waste to the Ole Miss record book, claiming top marks in the weight throw (23.62m/77-6) and shot put (21.05m/69-00.75) indoors, and the hammer (74.54m/244-7) and shot put (20.98m/68-10) outdoors. Overall, Robinson-O'Hagan already has those two national titles, eight NCAA qualifying berths, eight All-America awards (six First-Team), 33 NCAA points, five SEC titles, six SEC medals and 64 SEC points.
Robinson-O'Hagan also made a name for himself at the U.S. Olympic Trials last summer as the youngest competitor to make both finals in the men's shot put and hammer. He finished eighth in the shot put at an Ole Miss outdoor school record 20.98m/68-10, and demolished his own record in the hammer by five feet at 74.54m/244-7. Robinson-O'Hagan ended the season ranked top-10 in both events by Track & Field News, sitting seventh in the hammer and eighth in the shot put.
The next Watch List update is scheduled for Wed., Feb. 5 (women) and Thurs., Feb. 6 (men). Ole Miss track & field is split this weekend, first to Louisville for Kentucky's Rod McCravy Invitational (Jan. 10-11) and then to Vanderbilt's Commodore Challenge (Jan. 11).
The Bowerman 2025
Men's Watch List – Preseason, Jan. 9, 2025
Mykolas Alekna, California (Discus)
Johnny Brackins, Jr., Southern California (Hurdles/Jumps)
*Chinecherem Nnamdi, Baylor (Javelin)
*Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan, Ole Miss (Throws)
Tarsis Orogot, Alabama (Sprints)
Habtom Samuel, New Mexico (Distance)
*Ethan Strand, North Carolina (Mid-Distance/Distance)
Ja'Kobe Tharp, Auburn (Hurdles)
Sam Whitmarsh, Texas A&M (Sprints/Mid-Distance)
Parker Wolfe, North Carolina (Distance)
* Watch List career debuts
Also receiving votes:
Nathan Green, Washington (Mid-Distance)
Kenneth Ikeji, Harvard (Throws)
Eli Kosiba, Grand Valley State (Jumps)
Rivaldo Marshall, Arkansas (Mid-Distance)
Tinoda Matsatsa, Georgetown (Mid-Distance/Distance)
Nathan Mountain, Virginia (Mid-Distance)
Samuel Ogazi, Alabama (Sprints)
Godson Oghenebrume, LSU (Sprints)
Colin Sahlman, Northern Arizona (Mid-Distance)
ABOUT THE BOWERMAN
The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009 and is named after former University of Oregon coach Bill Bowerman, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female NCAA track & field athletes in the nation.
Bill Bowerman served the sport of track and field in numerous ways. His leadership as president of the USTFCCCA's predecessor organization, the National Collegiate Track Coaches Association, and his contributions to NCAA track and field and the running community as a whole are among his many lasting legacies.
For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the trophy and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org.
THE AWARD: The Bowerman is bestowed to collegiate track & field's top male and female athlete for the year. The Bowerman Advisory Board, and ultimately, The Bowerman Voters, are instructed to consider performances inclusively from the collegiate indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons only. Cross country results are not within this consideration. The current collective track & field season began on November 29, 2024 and will end on June 14, 2025.
HISTORY: The Bowerman was first awarded in 2009. The first official watch lists were announced in 2010. Last year's winners were Parker Valby of Florida and Leo Neugebauer of Texas.
ABOUT THE WATCH LIST CONSTRUCTION: Members of The Bowerman Advisory Board produce these watch lists by voting on their current top-10 "who's who" among collegiate track & field athletes. The "watch list" represents the group's consensus top 10 for that update. Those "receiving votes" are listed on at least one member's top 10 but did not garner enough votes to be listed in the consensus top 10. There are a total of eight watch lists during the season.
UP NEXT: The next update is scheduled to occur Wednesday, February 5 (women) and Thursday, February 6 (men).
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