Nigerian hurdler Nathaniel Ezekiel has been named one of three finalists for the 2025 Bowerman Award, the highest individual honour in U.S. collegiate track and field, Newsbison Sports reports.
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced the shortlist on Tuesday evening, confirming Nathaniel’s place alongside Arkansas sprinter Jordan Anthony and Auburn hurdler Ja’Kobe Tharp.
All three athletes stood out this season with exceptional performances across both the indoor and outdoor circuits.
Nathaniel, who hails from Delta State and competes for Baylor University, capped a remarkable year by winning the NCAA title in the 400m hurdles in Eugene, Oregon. The 22-year-old clocked a stunning 47.49 seconds in the final—just two days after setting a then-personal best of 47.86 in the semi-final.
His winning time ranks him third on the all-time collegiate list for the event, trailing only Rai Benjamin and Caleb Dean, both of whom were former Bowerman finalists. Over the season, Nathaniel posted four of the ten fastest times ever recorded in NCAA 400m hurdles history—a feat unmatched by any other collegiate athlete.
He also excelled indoors, finishing second in the 400m at the NCAA Indoor Championships by just one-hundredth of a second with a time of 45.44. Earlier, he ran 44.74 at the Big 12 Indoor Championships—the seventh-fastest indoor 400m time in collegiate history—which ranked as the fifth-fastest time overall for the year when both indoor and outdoor performances are combined.
Nathaniel’s overall 2025 record in event finals against collegiate competitors was an impressive 8–1, including an unbeaten run in the 400m hurdles and two wins in the outdoor 400m.
He is the first Baylor athlete ever to reach the final three for The Bowerman, marking a historic milestone for the university’s track and field programme.
Presented annually since 2009 and named after legendary Oregon coach Bill Bowerman, The Bowerman honours the most outstanding male and female collegiate track and field athletes each season. It is widely regarded as track and field’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
The winner will be determined through a weighted voting process involving coaches, media, past recipients, and fans. Public voting opened on Tuesday and will run until Thursday, July 10.
Nathaniel and the other finalists will be celebrated at an award ceremony on December 18 during the USTFCCCA Convention at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas, where the 2025 Bowerman winner will be revealed.