AUBURN, Alabama—Auburn national champion and world record hurdler Ja’Kobe Tharp has been named a finalist for The Bowerman Award for the second consecutive year, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced Tuesday. Presented annually to the nation’s top male and female track and field athlete, Tharp is one of three finalists.
The 2026 Bowerman Award winner will be announced at The Bowerman Presentation in Grapevine, Texas, on December 17.
Tharp had a historic 2026 sweeping the SEC and NCAA indoor and outdoor hurdles titles, while breaking the 110m hurdles world record during the semifinals of the NCAA Championships two weeks ago. It was the first time in 50 years that a world record had been eclipsed at the outdoor national meet.
The national title was Tharp’s fourth consecutive, as he won NCAA championships indoors and outdoors in 2025 as a sophomore, equaled the program record of Harvey Glance’s four individual sprint titles five decades ago.
Named the USTFCCCA Male Track Athlete of the Year last week, Tharp also broke the 60m hurdles indoor and 110m hurdles outdoor collegiate records this season.
Tharp is just the sixth male to ever be a two-time Bowerman finalist. Joining Tharp as finalists include Samuel Ogazi of Alabama and Habtom Samuel of New Mexico.
Online fan voting begins Tuesday and runs through Friday, July 2. Fans are encouraged to vote here: https://web4.ustfccca.org/iz/bowerman-vote/
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.
The Bowerman Voters consist of: The Bowerman Advisory Board, select media personnel, statisticians, and collegiate administrators and past winners of The Bowerman.