THE KEY TO EARNING the top spots here was performing well in your category’s climactic competition. For a history of past Indoor AOY voting, go here: https://trackandfieldnews.com/compilations/.
Our 2025 awards:
World Women: Gudaf Tsegay (Ethiopia)
With no WRs set and the WC being generally devoid of big-name talent, there were no blue ribbon candidates. The best, though, Nanjing gold medalist Tsegay, did produce the Nos. 2 & 4 performances on the all-time list. (The WR was set by Tsegay in her previous AOY year of ’21.)
Honorable mention to Tsegay’s teammate Freweyni Hailu, who won WC 3000 gold after having earlier in the season moved to No. 3 on the all-time list.
The 5 most recent winners: ’24 — Femke Bol (Netherlands); ’23 — Bol; ’22 — Yulimar Rojas (Venezuela); ’21 — Tsegay; ’20 — Rojas.
U.S. Women: Chase Jackson (Nike)
WC bronze medalist Jackson totally dominated the U.S. shot, producing the 5 farthest American meets of the year. The best of her performances, 66-5 (20.64), rated as a new indoor AR and she added the No. 4 U.S. mark ever in winning the WC bronze. She was undefeated by Americans and became the first shot putter ever to earn the indoor AOY title.
There were plenty of worthy choices for Honorable Mention: WC long jump gold medalist Claire Bryant; 1500 AR setter Heather Maclean; 2-time 16-foot vaulter Amanda Moll; 400 AR-setter Isabella Whittaker.
The 5 most recent winners: ’24 — Elle St. Pierre (New Balance); ’23 — Jasmine Moore (Florida); ’22 — Ajee’ Wilson (adidas); ’21 — Athing Mu (Texas A&M); ’20 — Wilson.
Collegiate Women: Amanda Moll (Washington)
There were only two logical candidates here, the pair who earned HM status at the American level, vaulter Moll and quartermiler Whittaker.
Choosing between them was very difficult. Moll won 4 of her 5 meets (losing only to twin sister Hana), twice setting CRs and becoming the first collegiate 16-footer ever. Arkansas’s Whittaker set an AR and CR in the same race, but won only 2 of her 4 competitions in the 400.
The 5 most recent winners: ’24 — Parker Valby (Florida); ’23 — Moore; ’22 — Moore; ’21 — Tyra Gittens (Texas A&M); ’20 — Olivia Gruver (Washington).
HS Girls: Jane Hedengren (Timpview, Provo, Utah)
Claiming no fewer than 3 all-time bests, Hedengren was a record-machine, claiming HSRs in the 1500 (4:07.68), mile (4:26.14) & 5000 (15:13.26) in a dominant season-ender at the Nike Indoor. For good measure she moved to No. 2 all-time with her 9:40.88+ for 2M run at altitude.
For much of the season, the presumptive favorite was Californian Sadie Engelhardt, who set the records of 4:09.84 and 4:27.97 which Hedengren broke. Unfortunately the pair never went head-to-head.
HM also to national-record setting sprinters Lisa Raye (West Warwick, Rhode Island) and Elise Cooper (McDonogh, Owings Mills, Maryland). Cooper covered 55m in 6.63 and 60m in 7.13; Cooper timed 36.30 in the 300.
The 5 most recent winners: ’24 — Beth Leachman (Champion, Boerne, Texas); ’23 — Shawnti Jackson (South Granville, Creedmoor, North Carolina); ’22 — Roisin Willis (Stevens Point, Wisconsin); ’21 — Sophia Gorriaran (Brown, Providence, Rhode Island); ’20 — Athing Mu (Central, Trenton, New Jersey).
