Georgia senior Maicel Uibo (Michael Wee-BO) is one of 10 student-athletes nationwide who have been included on the 2016 Preseason Men’s Bowerman Award Watch List, according to an announcement from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Uibo is one of five from the Southeastern Conference included on the list that features seven seniors.  The Bowerman is awarded each year to the top male and female collegiate athletes in the sport of NCAA track and field.  Student-athletes’ performances during the NCAA indoor and outdoor seasons shall be considered.  An student-athlete need not have competed in both seasons to be eligible for the award.

Uibo, a native of Polva, Estonia, won his second consecutive NCAA decathlon championship and his third SEC decathlon title in a row during the 2015 season.  Last year’s SEC Indoor Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year tallied the third and fourth-best scores in the decathlon (8,356; 8,326) in collegiate track and field history to win last year’s NCAA and SEC crowns, respectively.  His meet and school record score at the SEC Championships included a meet record high jump mark of 7 feet, 1 3Ž4 inches during his 10 events.

Uibo has racked up four SEC individual championships, two NCAA titles and five First Team All-America certificates to complement his 2015 Academic All-America Second Team selection during his time in Athens.

Georgia sophomore Keturah Orji was included on the Women’s Watch List, which was released on January 6.

While a pair of throwers opened their year at the IceBreaker meet in Birmingham, Ala., in early December 2015, many of the other team members start their indoor season in Birmingham at the Blazer Invitational on January 15-16.  The CrossPlex facility in Birmingham will house the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships for the first time on March 11-12.