Masai Russell Named Semifinalist For The Bowerman

LEXINGTON, Ky. — University of Kentucky track & field hurdler Masai Russell has been named a 2023 semifinalist for The Bowerman, collegiate track & field’s highest individual honor presented by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The Bowerman takes into consideration both the indoor and outdoor seasons to determine the best men’s and women’s collegiate track & field athlete of the year.

The graduate student from Potomac, Maryland, set collegiate records indoors and outdoors in hurdles events. The 100-meter hurdles CR holder seemed to be everywhere at the NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships, running in seven races (not counting First Round regionals). She clocked an all-conditions best 12.32w as runner-up in the 100 hurdles (No. 3 all-time all-conditions collegiately, just faster than her wind-legal 12.36 CR in winning the Texas Relays). She followed with a PR of 54.66 as runner-up in the 400 hurdles. During the winter, she set a CR 7.75 in the 60 hurdles that remains as the low-altitude collegiate best and clocked four of the top-8 times in collegiate history.

Russell is the eighth UK female athlete to make a watchlist since the award began in 2009 and the first semifinalist since Abby Steiner won the award last year.

The finalists for The Bowerman will be announced on June 26th.

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