Kenyan distance runner Doris Lemngole has been named the 2025 recipient of The Bowerman, becoming the first athlete from the University of Alabama to win the award.

The announcement was made on 18 December 2025 during the annual convention of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Centre in Grapevine, Texas.
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Prestigious Collegiate Honor

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The Bowerman is regarded as the highest individual award in the United States collegiate track and field. It is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female athletes across all NCAA divisions. The award is named after legendary American coach Bill Bowerman.

Lemngole, 23, from West Pokot County, became the first Kenyan to receive the honour since the award was established in 2009.

                                                   DownsDoris Lemngole // Logan Hannigan

Record-Breaking 2025 Season

During the 2025 season, Lemngole defended her NCAA outdoor title in the 3,000-metre steeplechase. She set a collegiate record of 8:58.15, becoming the first woman in NCAA history to run under nine minutes in the event.
She also won:
  • The NCAA indoor 5,000 meters title
  • Multiple Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships across indoor and outdoor competitions
Her performances placed her among the leading collegiate athletes in the United States during the 2024–25 season.
“She became the first woman to run sub-nine minutes in the steeplechase at the collegiate level.”
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International Representation

Beyond collegiate competition, Lemngole represented Kenya at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, where she finished fifth in the women’s steeplechase final.

Academic Recognition

In the 2024–25 academic year, she was named the College Sports Communicators Division I Women’s Academic All-America Team Member of the Year. The award recognises student-athletes for excellence in both academic performance and athletics.
Doris Lemngole //  Logan Hannigan-Downs

SEC Trend Continues

Lemngole’s win marked the sixth time in seven years that a female athlete from the Southeastern Conference has claimed The Bowerman. Her victory adds to the conference’s recent record in the award’s history.
Her achievement places her among a select group of collegiate athletes recognised for both performance standards and season-long consistency at the NCAA level.