NEW ORLEANS – “Records are meant to be broken,” so the old adage goes, and the members of the post-NCAA Indoor Championships edition of The Bowerman Women’s Watch List announced Thursday certainly obliged.

Among the all-time marks that fell to the latest contenders for collegiate track & field’s highest individual honor were an American record, a World Junior record, and four collegiate records – not to mention others who climbed near the top of the all-time top 10 performers list and accomplished unique NCAA Championships feats.

Chief among that group was Oregon’s Phyllis Francis Absent from the prior Watch List for the first time this season after a quiet stretch in late February, she made her presence known with American and collegiate records at 400 meters in 50.46 and as the anchor of the collegiate-record, NCAA-team-championship-winning 4×400 relay in one of the most spectacular finishes in collegiate history.

With Oregon’s fifth consecutive national team title hanging ever-so-delicately in the balance, she chased down two-time defending outdoor 400 meters champion Ashley Spencer of Texas – herself a two-time The Bowerman Semifinalist – and leaned past her for a .02 victory in 3:27.40.

Also running a leg of that relay was teammate and fellow Watch List member Laura Roesler, who added the relay title to her individual 800 meters crown.

Frosh Kendell Williams of Georgia also snared a pair of records with her pentathlon national title, scoring 4635 to topple the World Junior and collegiate records in the events. All while having to take down defending NCAA champion Erica Bougard of Mississippi State – who also surpassed the previous collegiate record – to make it happen.

Kicking off the assault on the record books Friday night was Texas’ Kaitlin Petrillose, who vaulted into rarified air – literally and figuratively – as the only woman in Division I indoor history to clear 15 feet with a collegiate record 15-1 (4.60m) winning height.

Joining Francis in returning to the Watch List was San Diego State’s champion triple jumper Shanieka Thomas.

Williams and Petrillose were joined as new additions to the Watch List by Alabama’s Remona Burchell, who claimed the 60 meters title over rival Watch List member Dezerea Bryant of Kentucky – who went on to claim the title at 200 meters.

Though she didn’t set any collegiate records, Dartmouth’s Abbey D’Agostino, who leads all active women with nine career Watch List appearances, nevertheless made history as the first woman in Division I indoor history to sweep both the 3000 and 5000 meters titles in two consecutive seasons.

Rounding out the Watch List were world-leading 200 meters sprinter Kamaria Brown of Texas A&M and Arizona State’s Anna Jelmini, who is still awaiting her outdoor debut in her signature discus event.

Brown’s championships were disappointingly cut short with an injury in the 200 meters final.

Others who received votes but did not ultimately make the top 10 were 60-meter hurdles champion Shakira Nelvis of Arkansas State, long jump champion Lorraine Ugen of TCU, Omaha’s Sami Spenner and the collegiate-leading Division II high jump champion Barbara Szabo of Western State.

The SEC led the way with four representatives, followed by the Pac-12 with three.

Biographies on each of the members of the Watch List can be found here.