Sanu Jallow-Lockhart Joins Bowerman Watch List After Record-Breaking Start to 2026 Season
FAYETTEVILLE - It didn’t take long for Sanu Jallow-Lockhart to make her mark this indoor season. In her very first race of the year, the Arkansas senior shattered the collegiate record in the 600 meters - and now she’s earned a spot on the prestigious Bowerman watch list for the first time in her career.
For those unfamiliar, the Bowerman is college track and field’s highest individual honor - think of it as the Heisman Trophy of the sport. Introduced in 2009, the award recognizes the most outstanding collegiate track and field athletes each year.
Throughout the season, the Bowerman Advisory Board releases a series of watch lists highlighting the top 10 contenders in the country. Jallow-Lockhart now finds herself in that elite company.
And she didn’t get there by accident.
At the Arkansas Invitational in January, Jallow-Lockhart clocked a blistering 1:24.19 in the 600m, setting a new collegiate record and posting what remains - two weeks later - the fastest time in the world for 2026. To put that into perspective, her nearest competition so far has been Jamaican standout Kelly-Ann Beckford, who ran a 1:24.44 at Penn State over the weekend. That’s a razor-thin margin, but Jallow-Lockhart still holds the edge.
Her dominance hasn’t been limited to just one event, either. At the Razorback Invitational, she stepped up to the 800 meters and delivered another statement win, clocking 2:01.55 - the fourth-fastest collegiate time this season and the top mark in the SEC. That kind of versatility across mid-distance events is exactly what makes her such a compelling candidate for the Bowerman.
Jallow-Lockhart already owns the University of Arkansas records in the 800 meters, both indoors (1:59.77) and outdoors (1:59.29). She’s not just chasing fast times - she’s setting the standard in one of the deepest programs in the nation.
Joining Jallow-Lockhart on the 2026 Bowerman watch list are some of the biggest names in collegiate track and field across a variety of disciplines. The list includes South Carolina sprinter JaMeesia Ford, BYU distance runner Jane Hedengren, Nebraska thrower Axeline Johansson, and the Moll twins from Washington, Amanda and Hana, who continue to push the envelope in the pole vault.
Also featured are distance standouts Pamela Kosgei (New Mexico), Doris Lemngole (Alabama), Wilma Nielsen (Oregon), and Juliette Whittaker (Stanford) - all of whom have put together impressive early-season performances.
But right now, it’s Jallow-Lockhart’s record-breaking run that’s turning heads. She’s not just keeping pace with the best in the nation - she’s leading the charge. And if her early-season form is any indication, this could be just the beginning of a special year for the Razorback senior.