NEW ORLEANS—South Dakota junior Chris Nilsen has been voted to The Bowerman Mid-Indoor Season Watch List as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) on Thursday.
 
Nilsen was a semifinalist for The Bowerman in 2018 following a sophomore campaign where he broke the NCAA Championships meet record with a vault of 19 feet, 1 ½ inches, to win his second NCAA title.
 
The Bowerman, dubbed the Heisman of collegiate track and field, is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female athlete in the nation. The award debuted in 2009 and winners are announced at a ceremony in mid-December in conjunction with the USTFCCCA annual convention.
 
Six of the 10 men remain from the preseason watch list. Nilsen is one of three pole vaulters on the latest watch list, joining LSU's Mondo Duplantis and Akron's Matthew Ludwig. Nilsen has jumped 18-8 ¾ twice this season.
 
Nilsen and Ludwig will go head-to-head this weekend at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The men's pole vault is slated for Friday afternoon, but the meet will continue on into Saturday. The Coyotes will also send a contingent of athletes to the SDSU Classic in Brookings, South Dakota, this weekend.
 
The Bowerman Men's Watch List: 2019 Mid-Indoor
 
Name, School, Year, Events
Denzel Comenentia, Georgia, Sr., Throws
Devin Dixon, Texas A&M, Jr., Middle Distance
Mondo Duplantis, LSU, Fr., Pole Vault
Grant Holloway, Florida, Jr., Hurdles/Jumps
Matt Ludwig, Akron, Sr., Pole Vault
Shelby McEwen, Alabama, Jr., High Jump
Kahmari Montgomery, Houston, Sr., Sprints
Chris Nilsen, South Dakota, Jr., Pole Vault
Divine Oduduru, Texas Tech, Jr., Sprints
Payton Otterdahl, North Dakota State, Sr., Throws