Jordan Anthony Wins the 2025 Bowerman Award

Jordan Anthony Wins the 2025 Bowerman Award
By Cathy Chance Harvey
Jordan Anthony, currently an Arkansas Razorback and former graduate of Tylertown High School, was awarded the 2025 Bowerman title on December 18, 2025. The Bowerman is an annual track and field award that is the highest accolade given to the year’s best student-athlete in American collegiate track and field.
As Tylertown High School Chiefs national track and field record holder, Jordan graduated as “the greatest high school sprinter the state of Mississippi has ever produced,” according to Erik Boat, an editor at DyeStat. He was named the Mississippi Gatorade boys track and field player of the year for 2021-2022 and for 2020-2021. The Gatorade award recognizes “not only outstanding athletic excellence but high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character” (The Tylertown Times, July 11, 2022).
It was Jordan’s high school coach, Myreon Sartin, who recognized Jordan’s potential. Sartin , a native of Jayess, MS, and a former USM track and field team member from 2007-2011 as a high jumper, served as head track and field coach for Tylertown High School from 2014-2023. In November 2023, he was hired to join the USM Track and Field staff.
Back in the day, Coach Sartin slotted Jordan as an alternate in a relay race when they didn’t have anybody else available. Sartin placed Anthony in the 100 meters. Jordan protested, “Bro, I’ve never got on block starts. You’re going to make me look like a fool. You’re a trickster.” Nevertheless, Jordan says he “went out there and did decent. I was running 11.2 my ninth grade year. He took me out of jumps. I just started becoming a straight sprinter.” Coach Sartin began accompanying Jordan to national meets. “Shout out to that man,” says Jordan, “I still talk to him to this day” (Arkansas Democrat Gazette, May 25, 2025).
In response to Jordan’s latest honor and his success over the years, Coach Sartin recently remarked, “I’m very proud of Jordan and all his accomplishments. It’s an honor to see him grow and navigate to this moment in his life! He deserves it and more!”
Indeed, the early promise of Jordan’s high school career has been brilliantly fulfilled. During his career at the University of Arkansas, Jordan has competed in track and field and in football as a wide receiver. In February 2025 he won the SEC Championship over 60 meters, and in March, the 60 meters 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships. On April 19, he broke the 10 second barrier for the 100 meters for the first time, running a tie of 9.98 seconds at the Mt. SAC Relays in California.
On May 17, 2025, he won both the 100 meters and 200 meters races at the SEC Championships, running 9.95 seconds for the 100m and 19.93 for the 200m. On May 30, he ran a 9.75 in the 100m quarterfinals of the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the second-fastest mark in collegiate history and the ninth-fastest in world history. He also excelled in Arkansas’ football program, recording “eight catches for 111 yards and a TD” before taking to the track in the spring. As reported in the Enterprise-Journal, “He may now have an Olympic future” (June 4, 2025). In June 2025 Anthony won the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships 100 meters title in Eugene, Oregon. Following the championships, Jordan announced on his social media platform that he would forego the rest of his collegiate availability to turn professional (see Flotrack, June 14, 2025).
In receiving the Bowerman Award, Jordan began his acceptance speech with the words, “First and foremost, I give all glory to God” and then recognized fellow finalists JaKobe Tharp and Nathaniel Ezekiel. In closing, Jordan acknowledged the leadership of Coach Chris Bucknam (retired this year) and Coach Doug Case, “Thank you for pushing me, challenging me, and demanding excellence. Your intensity on the field came from a place of belief and I will always respect that.”
Jordan ends this year as “one of the top sprinters in NCAA history,” and he has signed a professional contract with Adidas (Flotrack, Dec. 18, 2025; see complete story: https://www.flotrack.org/articles/14991107-jordan-anthony-wins-the-2025-bowerman-award).
Jordan’s mother, Carvah Magee, is immensely proud of her legendary son. In acknowledging the overwhelming local response to recent Facebook announcements of Jordan’s winning the Bowerman, she said, “It has been an outpour of love and congrats to him. I was shocked but also grateful.” Ms. Magee adds, “I am extremely proud of Jordan, and he amazes me every chance he gets. I’m happy that I’m here to witness all his achievements so far and can’t wait to see what’s up next.”