AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn junior hurdler Ja’Kobe Tharp has been named to the initial 2026 Bowerman Watch List, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Thursday.
Tharp, who was Auburn’s first-ever finalist for The Bowerman this past season, won two national championships last season and was the USATF national champion in the 110m hurdles and represented the United States at the World Championships in Tokyo last fall.
A Murfreesboro, Tenn., native, Tharp is the first returning men’s finalist since Leo Neugebauer from Texas in 2024, who went on to win the award that year. It also mark’s the 10th time in Tharp’s career that he has appeared on The Bowerman Watch List.
The Bowerman, named after legendary coach Bill Bowerman, was established by the USTFCCCA in 2009 and recognizes the nation’s top male and female collegiate track & field athletes each year.
Auburn opens the 2026 indoor campaign on Friday at the UAB Blazer Invitational at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.