Florida Distance Star, Texas Multi Standout Join The Ranks Of Bowerman Winners

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

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ORLANDO - On college track and field's grandest and most glamorous night, Parker Valby and Leo Neugebauer were named winners of the Bowerman Award at a ceremony at the JW Marriott at Grande Lakes. 

Host Jon Anderson, aided by Queen Harrison, presided over the two-hour event that honored this year's six finalists against a backdrop of former winners. 

Neugebauer, who was a finalist in 2023 as well, gave a long-awaited 10-minute speech to cap an evening full of special moments for the athletes. The Olympic decathlon silver medalist thanked everyone, from his coaches and best friends to his parents for having him despite trying circumstances. 

"I wrote the speech about 40 minutes before I came up here," Neugebauer explained. "It was more like a freestyle. It went a little bit longer but I got off everything I wanted to say."

For an athlete who trains and competes in 10 events, it was a speech that went at least 10 different directions. The 500-plus in the room enjoyed all of it. 

Neugebauer is he second decathlete to win the award, joining Ashton Eaton in 2010. 

He is the second consecutive Texas athlete to win, joining 2023 recipient Julien Alfred, who won the Olympic Games women's 100 meters after winning the Bowerman last year. 

Neugebauer showed his love for Austin by going with a full cowboy-themed get-up with a hat, boots and fringed buckskin suede jacket. 

Valby, who dominated women's distance running and went 4-for-4 in NCAA track finals indoors and out with new meet records on top of collegiate records in the 5,000 (indoors and out) and the 10,000, gave a shorter speech that she joked had been written by Chat GPT. 

And perhaps some of it was, but Valby thanked Gator Nation and her parents, who sold their house and followed her season by driving an RV to all of her meets. 

"I'm super grateful to have won it and been named alongside all these amazing finalists," she said.  

Valby posed on the stage with former Bowerman finalist and teammate Anna Hall after the ceremony. The Tampa native is the third Florida athlete to win the award, joining Marquis Dendy and Grant Holloway. 

Valby and Neugebauer were selected by a panel of voters. The women's finalists included Oregon thrower Jaida Ross and Harvard miler Maia Ramsden. The men's finalists were Texas Tech hurdler Caleb Dean and Georgia's breakout 400 meters star Christopher Morales Williams.