Hodge Wins Bowerman Fan Vote After Being
Adaejah T. Hodge, the Virgin Islands sprint phenom and University of Georgia freshman, was named a finalist for the 2026 Bowerman Award on June 29 and has since won the public fan vote, organisers and local media report. Hodge thanked supporters on social media; the final award will be decided by an official panel and announced December 17 at the USTFCCCA Convention in Grapevine, Texas (VINO).
Hodge, the rising sprint star from the Virgin Islands, was named one of three finalists for the 2026 Bowerman Award — widely regarded as collegiate track and field’s top individual honour — in an announcement by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on June 29.
Hodge earned the nod after what many observers call one of the greatest freshman sprint campaigns in NCAA history while competing for the University of Georgia. At the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships she ran a staggering 10.63 in the 100 metres semifinals before finishing second in the final, then captured the 200m title in a collegiate record 21.68.
Those marks make her the first woman since Dawn Sowell to hold both collegiate 100m and 200m records at the same time. Her season numbers underline that dominance: Hodge is the only collegian this year with multiple wind-legal sub-10.80s in the 100m (10.63 and 10.77) and produced three wind-legal sub-22 performances in the 200m (21.68, 21.92 and 21.96).
She also ran the backstretch on Georgia’s 4x100m relay that posted 41.89 — the fourth-fastest mark in program history. Hodge’s excellence began indoors, where she won the NCAA 200m title in 22.22 — making her the fourth-fastest collegiate performer ever at that distance — and placed second in the 60m after lowering her personal best to 7.12 in the prelims.
Georgia teammate Dejanea Oakley and Nebraska’s Axelina Johansson joined Hodge as the three women finalists, marking Georgia as only the second women’s programme ever to have two Bowerman finalists in the same year. Supporters were invited to take part in the selection process through a public fan vote on The Bowerman’s official site, with voting originally open through July 2 (USTFCCCA/VINO).
In an update reported by Virgin Islands News Online (VINO), Hodge won that fan vote and thanked everyone who supported her campaign in a social media post: "This wouldn’t have been possible without all of you guys!! I appreciate each and every one of you guys for your unwavering support!!
It is all in God’s hands now!!" With the fan voting phase concluded, VINO notes the next and decisive stage of the Bowerman selection will be handled solely by the official voting panel. The winners of the men’s and women’s Bowerman awards will be announced on December 17 during The Bowerman Presentation at the annual USTFCCCA Convention in Grapevine, Texas.
For residents of the Virgin Islands, Hodge’s rise and her success in the fan vote are a source of pride and an inspiration for young athletes and local programmes. Her achievements continue to raise the territory’s profile on the global athletics map and could help galvanise support for youth track initiatives at home.
Primary source: VINO