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Leland Barrow
Senior Associate Sports Communications Director – XC, T&F, FB
University of Georgia Athletic Association
For the fourth consecutive year, a Bulldog is a semifinalist for The Bowerman as sophomore Christopher Morales Williams was included as one of the 10 selected, according to an announcement from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Thursday.
The Bowerman, which is collegiate track and field’s Heisman Trophy given to the most outstanding male and female NCAA athletes in the nation, was first awarded in 2009. The first official watch lists and semifinalists were announced in 2010. This year’s finalists will be announced on June 24 (women) and June 25 (men).
Morales Williams, a native of Vaughn, Ontario, joins Kyle Garland (2022-23) and Karel Tilga (2021) as the last Bulldog semifinalists. The only four-time Bowerman semifinalist on the women’s side in history is also the Bulldogs’ only Bowerman winner. Keturah Orji was named a semifinalist from 2015-18, earned a spot as a finalist in 2016-17 and won the 2018 honor. In addition, Garland is now a two-time semifinalist, Kendell Williams (2014, 2016-17) was a three-time semifinalist and the following Bulldogs were named a semifinalist once: Maicel Uibo (2015), Denzel Comenentia (2018), Tilga (2021). The Georgia women had two semifinalists in 2016-17 (Orji, Williams) and 2018 (Orji, Lynna Irby).
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.
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.