A PAIR OF NEW SCHOOLS etched their names on the lists as our Collegiate Outdoor Athlete Of The Year awards went to Ishmael Kipkurui of New Mexico and Savannah Sutherland of Michigan.
Kipkurui, a 20-year-old Kenyan, set a new Collegiate Record in the 10,000 at the end of March, and as of the end of June the mark still had him atop the yearly world list. He also moved to No. 8 on the all-time collegiate list in the 5000 and wrapped up his collegiate season with the national 10K crown.
Honorable mention to a pair of NCAA hurdling champions who moved high on the all-time lists: Ja’Kobe Tharp of Auburn and Nathaniel Ezekiel of Baylor. Cal’s Mykolas Alekna had unique credential for the top spot, setting a pair of World Records in the discus, but his shocking NCAA loss restricted him to HM status. HM to Alekna’s conqueror, Ralford Mullings of Oklahoma.
In a year in which women’s CR-setters were rare, new claimants 400 hurdler Sutherland and Alabama steepler Doris Lemngole waged a tough war. Lemngole had a pair of CRs to Sutherland’s single, but the 21-year-old Canadian was given the edge for moving to No. 9 on the all-time world list compared to the Kenyan’s No. 11.
HMs to Lemngole, a pair of national champs who claimed high places on the all-time collegiate list — Aaliyah Butler (Georgia) in the 400, Roisin Willis (Stanford) in the 800 — and national 5/10 doubler Pamela Kosgei (New Mexico).
The all-time winners, since we began this award in ’95 (women are listed with the last name they were using at the time):
| Year | Men’s AOY | Women’s AOY |
| 2025 | Ishmael Kipkurui (New Mexico) | Savannah Sutherland (Michigan) |
| 2024 | Leo Neugebauer (Texas) | Parker Valby (Florida) |
| 2023 | Jaydon Hibbert (Arkansas) | Julien Alfred (Texas) |
| 2022 | Trey Cunningham (Florida State) | Abby Steiner (Kentucky) |
| 2021 | JuVaughn Harrison (LSU) | Athing Mu (Texas A&M) |
| 2020 (none) | ||
| 2019 | Grant Holloway (Florida) | Sha’Carri Richardson (LSU) |
| 2018 | Michael Norman (USC) | Maggie Ewen (Arizona State) |
| 2017 | Fred Kerley (Texas A&M) | Raevyn Rogers (Oregon) |
| 2016 | Jarrion Lawson (Arkansas) | Courtney Okolo (Texas) |
| 2015 | Shawn Barber (Akron) | Jenna Prandini (Oregon) |
| 2014 | Trayvon Bromell (Baylor) | Courtney Okolo (Texas) |
| 2013 | Derek Drouin (Indiana) | Brianna Rollins (Clemson) |
| 2012 | Cam Levins (Southern Utah) | Brianne Theisen (Oregon) |
| 2011 | Ngoni Makusha (Florida State) | Sheila Reid (Villanova) |
| 2010 | Ryan Whiting (Arizona State) | Queen Harrison (Virginia Tech) |
| 2009 | Galen Rupp (Oregon) | Jenny Barringer (Colorado) |
| 2008 | Richard Thompson (LSU) | Sally Kipyego (Texas Tech) |
| 2007 | Walter Dix (Florida State) | Natasha Hastings (South Carolina) |
| 2006 | Xavier Carter (LSU) | Ginnie Powell (USC) |
| 2005 | Kerron Clement (Florida) | Monique Henderson (UCLA) |
| 2004 | Alistair Cragg (Arkansas) | Sheena Johnson (UCLA) |
| 2003 | Daniel Lincoln (Arkansas) | Sanya Richards (Texas) |
| 2002 | Justin Gatlin (Tennessee) | Lashinda Demus (South Carolina) |
| 2001 | Janus Robberts (SMU) | Brianna Glenn (Arizona) |
| 2000 | Gábor Máté (Auburn) | Seilala Sua (UCLA) |
| 1999 | Terrence Trammell (South Carolina) | Suziann Reid (Texas) |
| 1998 | Angelo Taylor (Georgia Tech) | Amy Skieresz (Arizona) |
| 1997 | Robert Howard (Arkansas) | Tiffany Lott-Hogan (BYU) |
| 1996 | Ato Boldon (UCLA) | Tonya Williams (Illinois) |
| 1995 | John Godina (UCLA) | Diane Guthrie-Gresham (George Mason) |
