NEW ORLEANS – Jane Hedengren was named a semifinalist for The Bowerman, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) announced Wednesday afternoon.
First awarded in 2009, The Bowerman is bestowed upon collegiate track and field's top male and female athletes each year. The Bowerman advisory board, and ultimately The Bowerman voters, are instructed to consider performances from the collegiate indoor track and field and outdoor track and field seasons only. Cross country results are not included in this consideration. The 2026 track and field season began Nov. 28, 2025, and ended June 13, 2026.
The Provo, Utah product earns this distinction after a historic freshman season. In her first collegiate race, Hedengren clocked a 14:44.79 in the 5000-meter at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener, an all-conditions NCAA record. Additionally, it currently stands as the 11th-fastest performance of all time by an American.
Hedengren later crossed in 8:34.98 in her 3000m debut at the Millrose Games, the second-fastest performance ever by an NCAA athlete and the 14th-fastest by an American.
The freshman capped her indoor season by completing the distance sweep at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, winning the 3000m by more than seven seconds and the 5000m by more than three seconds. She became the first BYU woman to win two different events at the same national championship meet.
Hedengren opened her outdoor season with another NCAA record in the 10,000m, dethroning Florida's Parker Valby's previous record from 2024 by nearly four seconds. Her 30:46.80 also ranked as the seventh-fastest performance by a U.S. woman.
At the Bryan Clay Invitational, Hedengren set a third collegiate record in the outdoor 5000m. She defeated a field of professionals and fellow collegians by more than eight seconds.
Hedengren won her second Big 12 track title in the 5000m and later earned First Team All-American honors in the 10,000m and Second Team All-American honors in the 5000m at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The Bowerman Semifinalists
| Athlete | School | Event | Year |
| Temitope Adeshina | Texas Tech | High Jump | Junior |
| Jane Hedengren | BYU | Distance | Freshman |
| Adaejah Hodge | Georgia | Sprints | Freshman |
| Sanu Jallow-Lockhart | Arkansas | Mid-Distance | Senior |
| Axelina Johansson | Nebraska | Throws | Senior |
| Alyssa Jones | Stanford | Jumps | Senior |
| Aaliyah McCormick | Oregon | Hurdles | Senior |
| Hana Moll | Washington | Sprints | Senior |
| Dejanea Oakley | Georgia | Sprints | Senior |
| Shenese Walker | Florida State | Sprints | Senior |
Out of the field of semifinalists, five women set nine collegiate records in 2026, with Hedengren leading the group with three. Notably, Hedengren is the field's only true freshman.
Hedengren becomes the second BYU woman to be named a semifinalist, joining The Bowerman winner Courtney Wayment in 2022.
The same advisory board will assemble to determine the finalists. Those selections will be announced Monday, June 29. The Bowerman voters consist of regional and national media members, track and field statisticians, NCAA administrators, past winners and presidents of affiliated organizations.