The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

RHEMA Otabor, the newest national record holder for the women’s javelin event, made the semifinals cut for the prestigious Bowerman Award on Tuesday.

June has already shaped up to be an unforgettable month for the two-time NCAA javelin champion and she is now one of 10 athletes to remain in contention for the grand track and field distinction. 

The Bowerman Award, presented by the USTFCCCA, is the highest honour that can be obtained for top male and female student-athletes in American collegiate track and field.

Otabor, who recently erased Laverne Eve’s 24-year-old javelin throw national record, said she was honoured to have her tremendous collegiate season recognised in this way. “I think it’s great news. I am just very grateful to be recognised as one of the semifinalists for such a prestigious award. 

“I think it is definitely an honour and gives me a lot of pride to know that the work that I was able to produce this season was recgonised at such a level to the point of me being pointed out as one of the potential best competitors in this 2024 collegiate season. I am definitely happy about that,” the two-time NCAA javelin champion said.

It is no surprise that the 21-year-old is in contention for the Bowerman trophy, considering the accolades she has racked up this collegiate season for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. 

The national champion of the women’s javelin opened her season with a first-place finish at the Jim Click Shootout & Multis in Tucson, Arizona in early April. She pulled off a winning heave of 58.47m which was her third best throw of the season to date. The top javelin thrower had a strong season opener for Nebraska but that does not compare to her brilliant performance at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships which took place this month in Eugene, Oregon. 

Otabor turned in a massive personal best toss of 64.19m which was good for a new national, collegiate, meet and school record. Additionally, she retained her NCAA DI javelin crown and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Making it to the shortlist of semifinalists in the conversation for the Bowerman Award cements the javelin maestra as Nebraska’s first semifinalist in the history of the school’s track and field programme.

“I didn’t realize that I was the first semifinalist in Nebraska’s programme history so it makes the moment extra special. I am very appreciative and like I said before it’s a huge honour and I am glad I was able to represent Nebraska well,” the women’s javelin national record holder said.

The gifted javelin thrower, who is a product of the Blue Chip Athletics programme, has a long list of achievements including consecutive Big Ten Championships, 2024 Midwest Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year, 2023 Pan American Games silver medallist and three-time All American honours.

Next week Monday three women and men will be announced as the finalists for the Bowerman Award. The winners will be announced on December 19 at the USTFCCCA Convention in Orlando, Florida.

Otabor will look to defend her national javelin title at the BAAAs Kid Athletics, Junior and Senior Track and Field Nationals slated for June 26-28.