Carlie Makarawu Named Semifinalist for The Bowerman Award
NEW ORLEANS, La. – In yet another postseason honor, Kentucky’s Carlie Makarawu has reclaimed a spot in the running for NCAA track and field’s highest individual honor, The Bowerman award, per the release from the USTFCCCA office Thursday afternoon.
Makarawu, in just his first season with the Wildcats, won two national titles in the 200 meters at the NCAA DI Indoor and Outdoor Championships. He posted a collegiate-leading 19.84 time, which was the second fastest time in the world this season and ranks No. 8 in collegiate history. His 19.84 time in Eugene also broke the UK school record and the Zimbabwe national record for the 200m. Makarawu’s finish earned the Wildcats 10 points, helping lead the men’s squad to the best team finish in program history, placing eighth with 22 total points. Makarawu was also part of Kentucky’s 4x100m relay that broke a program record at the Texas Relays with its 38.43 mark.
The Kentucky sprinter also won the 200m NCAA Championship during the indoor season, becoming just the third athlete in UK track and field history to win the indoor and outdoor NCAA title in the same event in the same year. Prior to his finish in Virginia Beach, Makarawu placed second in the 200m final at the SEC Championships, earning the silver medal with a 20.26 time.
For his accolades in both the indoor and outdoor seasons, Makarawu was named the USTFCCCA Southeast Men’s Track Athlete of the Year. That honor featured as the first career NCAA Division I postseason award for the Wildcat junior.
Makarawu now enters the final checkpoint of voting for The Bowerman award prior to the finalists being announced on July eighth. The other male athletes featured as semifinalists are Mykolas Alekna of California, Jordan Athony of Arkansas, James Corrigan of BYU, Nathaniel Ezekiel of Baylor, Ishmael Kipkurui of New Mexico, Ralford Mullings of Oklahoma, Brian Musau of Oklahoma State, Ethan Strand of North Carolina and Ja’Kobe Tharp of Auburn.
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