KINGSTON, Jamaica – Five Jamaicans, including the 2023 men’s winner Jaydon Hibbert of the University of Arkansas, have been included in the pre-season Bowerman Award watch list which was announced over Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Bowerman Award is presented to the best male and female track and field athletes in the US College circuit each year since it was inaugurated in 2009.

Just over a month ago, Hibbert,who was unbeaten through the indoor and outdoor season, became the youngest man to win the male trophy.

READ: Jamaica’s Jaydon Hibbert wins prestigious Bowerman Award

Hibbert and his teammates, high jumper Romaine Beckford and World Athletics Championships long jump silver medallist Wayne Pinnock, were named in the men’s list, while long jumper Ackelia Smith of the University of Texas and high jumper Lamara Distin of Texas A&M University were named on the women’s side.

Hibbert, if he wins again, would be the first person to repeat.

The Bowerman will be awarded in December at the annual USTFCCCA .

All three men won their respective events at last year’s JAAA National Senior Championships, while Distin also won the women’s high jump.

Four of the Jamaicans on the watch list, with the exception of Beckford, represented Jamaica at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

-Paul A Reid