NEW ORLEANS – Three women joined The Bowerman Trophy Watch List in March, and the seven who they joined on the list did for more than just rest on their laurels the past month.

The Bowerman Watch List Committee unveiled the ten names on the list – which is the final edition prior to the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships March 13-14 in Fayetteville, Arkansas – on Thursday afternoon.

Next weekend’s NCAA Championships conclude the collegiate indoor season, which is taken into consideration for Bowerman hopefuls along with the collegiate outdoor season through the NCAA Championships in June. Cross country is not included.

The Bowerman Women’s Pre NCAAs Watch List (Click student-athletes’ names for biographies & notes)           NAME YEAR SCHOOL EVENTS HOMETOWN Remona Burchell SR Alabama Sprints Montego Bay, Jamaica Kendra Harrison SR Kentucky Hurdles Clayton, NC Kyra Jefferson JR Florida Sprints Detroit, Mich. Sandi Morris SR Arkansas Pole Vault Greenville, S.C. Courtney Okolo JR Texas Sprints Carrollton, Texas Keturah Orji FR Georgia Jumps Mount Olive, N.J. Demi Payne SR Stephen F. Austin Pole Vault New Braunfels, Texas Jenna Prandini RS JR Oregon Sprints/Jumps Clovis, Calif. Emily Sisson RS SR Providence Distance Chesterfield, Missouri Kendell Williams SO Georgia Combined Events Marietta, Ga. Also Receiving Votes: Tori Bliss, LSU; Natoya Goule, Clemson; Kearsten Peoples, Missouri; Colleen Quigley, Florida State; Jasmine Todd, Oregon   Next Women’s Watch List: Thursday, March 19

 

Joining the list this month were Emily Sisson of Providence, Kendra Harrison of Kentucky, and Kyra Jefferson of Florida. All are making their first appearance on the Watch List, though Sisson did twice receive votes in 2013.

Keeping their spots on the Watch List, in order of career appearances, were: Georgia’s Kendell Williams (8) 2014 FinalistCourtney Okolo of Texas (5), Alabama’s Remona Burchell (3), Oregon’s Jenna Prandini (2), Demi Payne of Stephen F. Austin (2), Sandi Morris of Arkansas (2), Keturah Orji of Georgia (2).

Meriting consideration but falling short of the cut were Prandini’s Oregon sprint running mate Jasmine Todd; shot putter Tori Bliss of LSU, and her former teammate Natoya Goule of Clemson; Missouri weight thrower Kearsten Peoples and Florida State’s miler Colleen Quigley, a Missouri native.

After the record mania of January, Payne’s vault standard survived the month of February. Morris did clear the second best height in college history and the best ever at sea level when she jumped 4.66m (15-3.5) to win the SEC title.

Sisson (15:12.22, BIG EAST 5000 meters) and Burchell (7.09, SEC 60 meters) set collegiate records in dominant conference championship efforts, though all ten athletes won at least one event at their respective conference meets

Payne’s conference meet was a week ahead of nearly every other conference in the country, which freed her up to compete in and win the USATF championship this weekend.

All but Morris and Prandini are the collegiate leaders in their respective events, though Prandini is the only male or female athlete in Division I to be in the top five in three different open events.

A quick review of those specialties: Harrison (60 hurdles), Burchell (60), Williams (pentathlon), Orji (triple jump), Jefferson (200), and Morris (pole vault) all won SEC titles, while Okolo won the Big 12 in the 600y and is the defending outdoor 400 champ, Prandini in is the MPSF 60m champ, Payne is the Southland pole vault champ, and Sisson is the Big East 5k champ.

Especially notable for Harrison was her 7.92 win in the 60-meter hurdle finals in just her second race of the season, moving her equal to No. 6 on the all-time college performers list with a share of the 10th-fastest time in collegiate history.

The men’s Watch List was released Wednesday; the next women’s watch list comes out Thursday, March 19, following the NCAA Indoor Championships.