Below are FloTrack's top five men's collegiate athletes of the year. While The Bowerman Award only takes into consideration NCAA track performances, our 2016 year-end rankings account for NCAA track, cross country, U.S. championships, and the Olympic Games.

5. Patrick Tiernan (Villanova)

Patrick Tiernan sure left his mark on the NCAA. In his final race in a Villanova singlet, the Aussie defeated Edward Cheserek and Justyn Knight to capture the 2016 NCAA cross country title. For that feat, in addition to his outdoor accomplishments, Tiernan is our No. 5 college athlete of 2016.

Championship Performances:
3rd NCAA Outdoor Championships (5K)
1st NCAA Cross Country Championships
4th Australian Outdoor National Championships (5K)
13th in Prelims, Olympic Games (5K)

Indoor Season Best:
7:48.55 3K 

Outdoor Season Best:
13:20.88 5K
27:59.74 10K

Watch the exclusive FULL REPLAY of the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championships:

4. Ryan Crouser (Texas)

Though he only had an indoor season of eligibility left in 2016, Ryan Crouser enjoyed a flawless campaign. Crouser won four NCAA shot put titles scattered throughout his five seasons at Texas, and at the 2016 Big 12 Championships, he threw 21.73m to tie the collegiate record (previously set by Ryan Whiting in 2008). He set two PBs while competing unattached in the outdoor season, including 22.11m and 22.52m marks to win the U.S. Olympic Trials and Olympic gold medal. 

Championship Performances:
1st NCAA Indoor Championships (shot put)
1st U.S. Olympic Team Trials (shot put)
1st Olympic Games (shot put)

Indoor Season Best:
21.73m shot put (Collegiate record, #2 in the world for 2016)

Outdoor Season Best:
22.52m shot put (#1 in the world for 2016, #10 in the world all-time)

Watch Ryan Crouser tie the collegiate record at the 2016 Big 12 Championships:

3. Edward Cheserek (Oregon)

Edward Cheserek did just about all he could do in 2016 when you think about what The Bowerman Award takes into consideration. The Oregon junior won five NCAA titles--including a crazy three over two days at the indoor championships--and recorded two NCAA all-time marks. But alas, Cheserek wasn't the Bowerman winner for the third straight year. Still, his time at Oregon is coming to an end, and he's done just about everything and anything an athlete could do except break NCAA records. A goal for 2017, perhaps?

Championship Performances:
1st NCAA Indoor Championships (DMR, 3K, 5K)
1st NCAA Outdoor Championships (5K, 10K)
3rd NCAA Cross Country Championships

Indoor Season Best:
3:57.38 mile
7:40.51 3K (#2 NCAA mark all-time)
13:35.86 5K
9:27.27 DMR (#5 NCAA mark all-time)

Outdoor Season Best:
13:25.59 5K
28:58.57 10K

Watch Edward Cheserek anchor the winning DMR just minutes after winning the 5K:

2. Jarrion Lawson (Arkansas)

The 2016 Bowerman Award winner was the talk of the spring and summer in 2016. Lawson was an all-around athlete, competing in sprints, jumps, and relays in nearly every meet. He won three events at the NCAA Outdoor championships, an accomplishment only the legendary Jesse Owens had done before. Even at the U.S. Olympic Trials, where he placed second in the long jump with the farthest mark in the world this year (winner Jeff Henderson's jump wasn't wind-legal), Lawson competed in the 100m and 200m, earning a spot in the 4x100m relay pool. Lawson's efforts nearly carried him to an Olympic medal in Rio, where he missed bronze by four centimeters.

Championship Performances:
1st NCAA Indoor Championships (long jump)
1st NCAA Outdoor Championships (100m, 200m, long jump)
5th NCAA Indoor Championships (60m)
3rd NCAA Outdoor Championships (4x100m relay)
2nd U.S. Olympic Team Trials (long jump)
7th U.S. Olympic Team Trials (100m)
4th Olympic Games (long jump)

Indoor Season Best:
6.62 60m 
8.17m long jump

Outdoor Season Best:
10.07 100m
20.17 200m
8.58m long jump (#1 in the world for 2016)

Watch Jarrion Lawson win the NCAA outdoor 200m, his third title of the weekend!

1. Clayton Murphy (Akron)

Clayton Murphy made a splash in 2015 when he finished fourth at the U.S. Championships and earned a spot in Beijing when Nick Symmonds refused to sign USATF's statement of conditions. In 2016, however, Murphy became a star. He captured the NCAA indoor 800m title, broke the four-minute mile for the first time, won the NCAA outdoor 1500m title with the eighth-fastest mark in NCAA history, captured the U.S. Olympic Trials title, AND won the bronze medal in the 800m in Rio. Need we say more? 

Championship Performances:
1st NCAA Indoor Championships (800m)
1st NCAA Outdoor Championships (1500m)
1st U.S. Olympic Team Trials (800m)
3rd Olympic Games (800m)

Indoor Season Best:
1:46.13 800m
3:57.11 mile
8:18.44 3K

Outdoor Season Best:
1:42.93 800m (#4 in the world for 2016)
2:20.12 1000m
3:36.23 1500m (#8 NCAA all-time)

Watch Clayton Murphy win the NCAA 1500m title with a killer kick: