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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Jan. 9, 2025<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">Bowerman Preseason Watch List Includes Baylor TF Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Senior makes his career watch list debut and third Baylor man on Bowerman<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Josie Hutton; 254-709-7720,
</span><a href="mailto:josie_hutton@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">josie_hutton@baylor.edu</span></a><u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:blue"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">NEW ORLEANS –</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"> Baylor track & field javelin thrower Chinicherem Prosper Nnamdi, commonly known as
“Zaza,” is among 10 athletes named to The Bowerman 2025 men’s preseason watch list, announced by USTFCCCA on Thursday.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">The Bowerman is the highest honor bestowed to collegiate track and field’s most outstanding athletes of the year. Nnamdi makes his career watch list debut and is the third
Baylor man to do so, joining Trayvon Bromell (2014, 2015) and KC Lightfoot (2020, 2021).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">For the first time since 2017, three throwers (Mykolas Alekna, California; Nmandi; Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan, Ole Miss) are on the preseason watch list (Filip Mihaljevic, Curtis
Thompson, Rudy Winkler).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Nnamdi, the three-time All-American, competed for Team Nigeria this past summer at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he had a best throw of 254 feet, 4 inches. During the 2024
outdoor season, Nnamdi continued his conference title streak and won the title for the third-consecutive year in a row. At the Big 12 Championships, the Awka, Nigeria, native broke the meet-record with a throw of 262-6 on his final attempt after hyperextending
his knee the previous week.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Nnamdi took the 2024 African Games title with a 271-8 mark, breaking the program record in Ghana and earning a personal best. Additionally, Nnamdi broke the NCAA West Preliminary
meet record and punched his ticket to Eugune with a mark of 270-10. He went on and tabbed his third All-American honor at the NCAA Championships, placing in fourth. Nnamdi holds every top 10 mark in Baylor program history in the javelin.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Nnamdi is the only Big 12 representative on the preseason watch list, while there are four from the SEC, three from the ACC, one from the Big 10 and one from the Mountain West
conference.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Nnamdi will continue his offseason preparation for the outdoor season that is set to open on March 22 at the Clyde Hart Invite in Waco.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">For the latest news on the Baylor track & field team, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
accounts: @BaylorTrack.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">2025 Bowerman Preseason Watch List<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Mykolas Alekna, California (Discus)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Johnny Brackins, Jr., Southern California (Hurdles/Jumps)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">*Chinecherem Nnamdi, Baylor (Javelin)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">*Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan, Ole Miss (Throws)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Tarsis Orogot, Alabama (Sprints)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Habtom Samuel, New Mexico (Distance)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">*Ethan Strand, North Carolina (Mid-Distance/Distance)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Ja'Kobe Tharp, Auburn (Hurdles)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Sam Whitmarsh, Texas A&M (Sprints/Mid-Distance)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Parker Wolfe, North Carolina (Distance)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">* making watch list career debuts<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><a href="http://www.baylorbears/"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">- BaylorBears</span></i></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">.com</span></i></span><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">
-<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:#0F5C1A">Josie Hutton</span></b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (FB, T&F/XC, MTEN) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">C: (254) 709-7720<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:both"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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