Samuel Ogazi Named Semifinalist for The Bowerman
6/25/2026 3:02:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
Ogazi becomes the Crimson Tide's third male student-athlete in program history to earn the distinction, and the first since Robert Dunning in 2021
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama track and field standout Samuel Ogazi was named a semifinalist for The Bowerman, the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced Thursday.
The announcement marks the fourth time in Alabama men's history that a student-athlete has been named a semifinalist for the prestigious award – Kirani James in 2010 and 2011, Robert Dunning in 2021 and Ogazi in 2026. It also marks the first time Alabama has produced semifinalists in back-to-back years, with Doris Lemngole becoming the program's first-ever winner of The Bowerman in 2025.
Members of The Bowerman Advisory Board, who compile watch lists throughout the season, selected the semifinalists by submitting ranked lists of the 10 athletes they believed had the most outstanding seasons. The Advisory Board will reconvene to select the finalists, which will be made public on Monday, June 29 (women) and Tuesday, June 30 (men).
Samuel Ogazi – The Bowerman Semifinalist
- Three-time All-American for the 2026 indoor and outdoor seasons
- Defended his outdoor 400-meter national title by setting the NCAA collegiate record, Nigerian national record and Alabama school record with a 43.38 that ranks fourth all-time in world history
- Won the indoor 400-meter national title (44.57)
- Won 400-meter gold at both the SEC Indoor and Outdoor Championships
- Helped Alabama's indoor 4x400-meter relay team to a national runner-up finish and an outdoor NCAA Championships berth
- Never lost a race in the 2026 championship season, from prelims to quarterfinals to finals
- Holds four of the 10 fastest times ever run in collegiate history
- The only collegiate athlete to run under 44 seconds more than once in a season – accomplishing the feat three times:
- NCAA Outdoor Championships – 43.38
- NCAA East First Round – 43.82
- SEC Outdoor Championships – 43.95
- 2026 SEC Men's Indoor Scholar-Athlete of the Year
The Bowerman – 2026 Men's Semifinalists
- Kayinsola Ajayi – Auburn – sprints
- Simeon Birnbaum – Oregon – middle distance
- Tah Chikomba – Kansas State – jumps
- Geoffrey Kirwa – Louisville – steeplechase/distance
- Zaza Nnamdi – Texas A&M – javelin
- Samuel Ogazi – Alabama – sprints
- Jaiden Reid – LSU – sprints
- Colin Sahlman – Northern Arizona – middle distance/distance
- Habtom Samuel – New Mexico – distance
- Ja'Kobe Tharp – Auburn – hurdles
