The emerging star leapt into contention with a historic performance in the Long Jump last weekend.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Two Florida Gators Track and Field student athletes have been named to the 2025 The Bowerman watchlist in the first midseason update, the USTFCCCA announced Wednesday. Anthaya Charlton, who this past weekend recorded the world lead in the long jump with the second-best leap in collegiate history, joins Hilda Olemomoi who was named to the preseason watch list.
The Gators are the only program with two athletes on this edition of the watch list. This is the first time since 2023 that the Gators have seen two athletes on the women’s list since 2023 with Jasmine Moore and Talitha Diggs. Moore would go on to be a finalist for the award.
Anthaya Charlton – Junior, Jumps/Sprints
Charlton soared 6.98m (22’11”) in the long jump on her first attempt of the competition to move up to No. 2 in collegiate history behind Gator Great and 2023 The Bowerman finalist Jasmine Moore. That jump surpassed the former low-altitude collegiate best of 6.93m (22-9) set by Tara Davis-Woodhall in 2021. Both Moore and Davis-Woodhall registered their marks at the NCAA Championships.
In addition to the No.2 mark in NCAA History, the Nassau native’s leap would also become the Bahamian national record and take the crown as the current world lead.
Charlton was named both the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week and the SEC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week following her season-opening performance.
Hilda Olemomoi – Junior, Distance
Olemomoi is the 11th woman in Florida’s history to crack the preseason list, and the fifth in the past four seasons, joining Anna Hall (2022), Jasmine Moore (2022, 2023), Talitha Diggs (2023), and eventual winner of the Bowerman, Parker Valby (2024).
The Trans-Mara, Kenya native secured a Florida program No. 2 mark in the Indoor 5000m at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener, and became just the third woman in collegiate history to run a sub-15 minute 5000m, joining Valby and former Alabama teammate Doris Lemngole. Lemngole is also named on the Bowerman watch list.
In her action at this past weekend’s Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Olemomoi ran the anchor leg of Florida’s DMR squad that set the No. 2 time in program history for the event.
The Bowerman
The Bowerman is bestowed to collegiate track & field’s top male and female athlete for the year. The Bowerman Advisory Board, and ultimately, The Bowerman Voters, are instructed to consider performances inclusively from the collegiate indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons only. Cross country results are not within this consideration. The current collective track & field season began on November 29, 2024 and will end on June 14, 2025.
Should either Gator athlete win The Bowerman, Florida would become just the second program in the history of the award to boast repeat champions (Oregon women in 2014-2015, and Oregon Men in 2009-2010)
The Watch List
Members of The Bowerman Advisory Board produce these watch lists by voting on their current top-10 “who’s who” among collegiate track & field athletes. The “watch list” represents the group’s consensus top 10 for that update. Those “receiving votes” are listed on at least one member’s top 10 but did not garner enough votes to be listed in the consensus top 10. There is a total of eight watch lists during the season.
2025 The Bowerman Watch List – Midseason update #1
*Aaliyah Butler, Georgia (Sprints)
*Anthaya Charlton, Florida (Jumps)
JaMeesia Ford, South Carolina (Sprints)
Rachel Glenn, Arkansas (Hurdles/Jumps)
Doris Lemngole, Alabama (Distance)
Hilda Olemomoi, Florida (Distance)
*Laura Pellicoro, Portland (Mid-Distance)
Jaida Ross, Oregon (Throws)
*Chloe Timberg, Rutgers (Pole Vault)
Juliette Whittaker, Stanford (Mid-Distance)
* making watch list career debuts
Also receiving votes:
Axelina Johansson, Nebraska (Throws)
Pamela Kosgei, New Mexico (Distance)
Elena Kulichenko, Georgia (Jumps)
Mya Lesnar, Colorado State (Throws)
Indya Mayberry, TCU (Sprints)
Amanda Moll, Washington (Pole Vault)
Hana Moll, Washington (Pole Vault)
Wilma Nielsen, Oregon (Mid-Distance)
Jadin O’Brien, Notre Dame (Combined Events)
Michaela Rose, LSU (Mid-Distance)
Savannah Sutherland, Michigan (Sprints/Hurdles)
