After a stunning 2026 season that saw him win three titles and go undefeated against collegiate opponents, New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel has been named as one of three finalists for The Bowerman, the USTFCCCA announced Tuesday.
Samuel becomes the first man from New Mexico to make it as a finalist for the award, presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female athlete in NCAA and NAIA track & field. It’s the second year in a row with a Lobo athlete doing so after Pamela Kosgei became the first UNM athlete to be named a finalist in 2025.
The Bowerman Advisory Board is a panel of track & field experts from around the nation who select finalists based on performances recorded during the 2026 indoor and outdoor track & field seasons. Only performances from December 1, 2025, through the conclusion of the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, were eligible for consideration.
Time is a flat oval.
— The Bowerman (@thebowerman) June 30, 2026
2016 The Bowerman winner Jarrion Lawson (@JarrionL) reveals the 2026 men's finalists.
Samuel Ogazi, @AlabamaTrack
Habtom Samuel, @UNMLoboXCTF
Ja'Kobe Tharp, @AuburnTFXC
Has it really been 10 years, Jarrion? Doesn't seem like it.https://t.co/QrTYdjlYAJ pic.twitter.com/tDYPxLyBw7
Samuel, who hails from Keren, Eritrea, crossed the finish line first in all 13 of his races against collegians this year. He punctuated his season by completing the distance double at the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships, winning both the 5000 and 10,000 meters. Along the way, Samuel lowered his own collegiate record in the 5000 to 12:57.22 and clocked 27:30.51 in the 10,000, the 12th-fastest time in collegiate history. He also won the 5000-meter title at the NCAA DI Indoor Championships and crossed the line first in the 3000 before being disqualified for impeding another athlete upon review. He is the first male finalist in New Mexico program history.
Fan voting for The Bowerman begins Tuesday, June 30, on The Bowerman’s website and runs through Thursday, July 2. Paper voting also begins on Tuesday, June 30 and closes in late July.
Ogazi, Samuel, and Tharp will be feted on Thursday, December 17, during the annual USTFCCCA Convention, which will be held at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. One of those three incredible athletes will take home collegiate track & field’s highest individual honor that same night following The Bowerman Presentation.
WINNER SELECTION PROCESS
The Bowerman Voters will receive ballots listing each of the finalists and must rank them by first, second and third choice. First-place votes will receive three points, second place will notch two, and third will receive one point. The finalist with the highest point total will be declared the winner.
The Bowerman Voters consist of:
- The Bowerman Advisory Board
- Select media personnel, statisticians, and collegiate administrators
- Past winners of The Bowerman
- Online voting by the public will constitute one collective vote (ranking of choices will be made by order of total single votes)
- Online voting by USTFCCCA members will constitute one collective vote (ranking of choices will be made by order of total single votes)