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Pershelle Rohrer
Sports Communications Graduate Assistant
University of Georgia Athletic Association
Bulldog sophomore sprinter Christopher Morales Williams has been named one of three finalists for The Bowerman, which is collegiate track and field’s version of the Heisman Trophy, according to an announcement from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Tuesday.
This marks the second straight year Georgia has had a finalist for The Bowerman. After setting the collegiate heptathlon record with this NCAA title in 2023, Kyle Garland was included as a finalist.
Morales Williams joins Texas Tech graduate transfer hurdler Caleb Dean and Texas senior decathlete Leo Neugebauer as this year’s three finalists.
The Bowerman, which is given annually to the most outstanding male and female NCAA track and field athletes in the nation, was first awarded in 2009. The first official watch lists and semifinalists were announced in 2010. The 2024 female finalists – Harvard’s Maia Ramsden, Oregon’s Jaida Ross and Florida’s Parker Valby – were announced Monday.
The only four-time Bowerman semifinalist on the women’s side in history is also the Bulldogs’ only Bowerman winner (2018) in Keturdah Orji. Morales Williams joins Garland as the only two Bulldog finalists in history. The duo joins three-time finalist Orji (2016-18) in the rare company.
Morales Williams has been named the USTFCCCA South Region Men’s Track Athlete of the Year indoors and outdoors. During his second collegiate indoor campaign, he won the NCAA 400m title with No. 5 collegiate time in history (44.67). Two weeks before Nationals, Morales Williams clocked the collegiate/Canadian record of 44.49 to win SEC 400m championship with world's best indoor time in history. He also registered a 32.47 in the 300m at the Clemson Invitational, making him the No. 6 all-time collegiate performer in the event. Additionally, the USTFCCCA National Men's Athlete of the Week won the 400m at the Tiger Paw Invitational and New Balance Collegiate Showdown during the regular season.
Outdoors, Morales Williams completed the sweep of being named the indoor-outdoor SEC Men’s Runner of the Year. He won Georgia's first NCAA 400m outdoor title with a 44.47 to help guide the Bulldogs to a ninth-place team finish. Morales Williams set Canadian/school/meet/facility records with a 44.05 to win SEC 400m championship, becoming No. 6 all-time collegiate performer. He is the current world leader in the 400m and also helped pace the 4x100m relay team that qualified out of the NCAA East Prelims (39.29) in May.
The Bowerman Advisory Board is a panel of track & field experts from around the nation who select finalists based on performances recorded during the 2024 indoor and outdoor track & field seasons. Only performances from December 1, 2023, through the conclusion of the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., were eligible for consideration. Voting for The Bowerman closes June 27.
Fan voting for The Bowerman begins Tuesday, June 25, on The Bowerman’s website and runs through June 27 at 2 p.m..
The men and women’s finalists will be honored on Thursday, Dec. 19, during the annual USTFCCCA Convention, which will be held at the JW Marriott Orlando. One of the finalists from each gender will take home collegiate track & field’s highest individual honor that same night following The Bowerman Presentation.
Up Next: While the collegiate season is now complete, a number of Bulldogs are expected to compete at a variety of summer meets. Morales Williams will represent Georgia at the Bell Track & Field Trials/Canadian Championships at the Centre Claude-Robillard in Montreal on June 26-30. A number of current and former Bulldogs will also compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., on June 21-30. Those who qualify out of their respective countries will compete in the Olympic Games in Paris on Aug. 1-11.