Track & Field News has been selecting a prep AOY on the boys side since 1947. Note: no AOY was chosen for the competition-shy 2020 season; instead, hammer thrower Trey Knight was named MVP.
The 75 AOY winners, with their prime event/events (* = junior; all others were seniors):
| 1940s | ||
| 1947 | Carl Joyce (Commerce, Boston, Massachusetts) | mile |
| 1948 | Bob Mathias (Tulare, California) | decathlon |
| 1949 | George Brown (Jordan, Los Angeles, California) | long jump |
| 1950s | ||
| 1950 | Steve Turner (Glendale, California) | hurdles/long jump |
| 1951 | *Leon Patterson (Taft, California) | shot/discus |
| 1952 | Milt Campbell (Plainfield, New Jersey) | hurdles/decathlon |
| 1953 | Don Vick (Chaffey, Ontario, California) | shot/discus |
| 1954 | Monte Upshaw (Piedmont, California) | hurdles/long jump |
| 1955 | Charley Dumas (Centennial, Compton, California) | high jump |
| 1956 | Jerry White (Corcoran, California) | 400 |
| 1957 | Jim Brewer (North, Phoenix, Arizona) | pole vault |
| 1958 | Dallas Long (North, Phoenix, Arizona) | shot/discus |
| 1959 | Rex Cawley (Farmington, Michigan) | hurdles |
| 1960s | ||
| 1960 | Mel Renfro (Jefferson, Portland, Oregon) | hurdles/long jump |
| 1961 | (tie) Tom Sullivan (St. George, Evanston, Illinois) | 800/mile |
| (tie) Ulis Williams (Compton, California) | 400 | |
| 1962 | Forrest Beaty (Hoover, Glendale, California) | sprints |
| 1963 | Randy Matson (Pampa, Texas) | shot/discus |
| 1964 | Gerry Lindgren (Rogers, Spokane, Washington) | distances |
| 1965 | Jim Ryun (East, Wichita, Kansas) | mile |
| 1966 | Tim Danielson (Chula Vista, California) | mile/2M |
| 1967 | Jerry Proctor (Muir, Pasadena, California) | hurdles/long jump |
| 1968 | *Reynaldo Brown (Compton, California) | high jump |
| 1969 | Casey Carrigan (Orting, Washington) | pole vault |
| 1970s | ||
| 1970 | *Dave Tucker (San Joaquin, Fresno, California) | triple jump |
| 1971 | Marshall Dill (Northern, Detroit, Michigan) | sprints |
| 1972 | Craig Brigham (South, Eugene, Oregon) | decathlon |
| 1973 | Craig Virgin (Lebanon, Illinois) | distances |
| 1974 | Willie Smith (Uniondale, New York) | sprints |
| 1975 | *Houston McTear (Baker, Florida) | sprints |
| 1976 | Dwayne Evans (South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona) | sprints |
| 1977 | Renaldo Nehemiah (SP-Fanwood, Scotch Plains, New Jersey) | hurdles |
| 1978 | Sanya Owalabi (Sleepy Hollow, N Tarrytown, New York) | triple jump |
| 1979 | Michael Carter (Jefferson, Dallas, Texas) | shot |
| 1980s | ||
| 1980 | Steve Stubblefield (Wyandotte, Kansas City, Kansas) | pole vault |
| 1981 | Joe Dial (Marlow, Oklahoma) | pole vault |
| 1982 | Darrell Robinson (Wilson, Tacoma, Washington) | 400 |
| 1983 | Clinton Davis (Steel Valley, Munhall, Pennsylvania) | sprints |
| 1984 | *Roy Martin (Roosevelt, Dallas, Texas) | sprints |
| 1985 | Roy Martin (Roosevelt, Dallas, Texas) | sprints |
| 1986 | Derrick Florence (Ball, Galveston, Texas) | sprints |
| 1987 | Kamy Keshmiri (Reno, Nevada) | discus |
| 1988 | Art Skipper (Sandy, Oregon) | javelin |
| 1989 | Dion Bentley (Penn Hills, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) | long jump |
| 1990s | ||
| 1990 | Chris Nelloms (Dunbar, Dayton, Ohio) | sprints/hurdles |
| 1991 | Bryan Bronson (Jasper, Texas) | hurdles |
| 1992 | Jeff Buckey (Bakersfield, California) | shot/discus |
| 1993 | Calvin Harrison (North, Salinas, California) | sprints |
| 1994 | Andre Scott (Seminole, Sanford, Florida) | triple jump |
| 1995 | Jerome Young (Prince Tech, Hartford, Connecticut) | sprints |
| 1996 | *Obea Moore (Muir, Pasadena, California) | sprints |
| 1997 | Terrence Trammell Southwest DeKalb, Decatur, Georgia) | hurdles |
| 1998 | Greg Yeldell (North Rowan, Spencer, North Carolina) | triple jump |
| 1999 | Jake Freeman (Hendricken, Warwick, Rhode Island) | hammer |
| 2000s | ||
| 2000 | Rickey Harris (Clifton, Centreville, Virginia) | hurdles |
| 2001 | Alan Webb (South Lakes, Reston, Virginia) | 800/mile |
| 2002 | Andra Manson (Brenham, Texas) | high jump |
| 2003 | Tommy Skipper (Sandy, Oregon) | pole vault |
| 2004 | Galen Rupp (Central Catholic, Portland, Oregon) | distances |
| 2005 | J-Mee Samuels (Mt. Tabor, Winston-Salem, North Carolina) | sprints |
| 2006 | *Walter Henning (St. Anthony’s, South Huntington, New York) | hammer |
| 2007 | Walter Henning (St. Anthony’s, South Huntington, New York) | hammer |
| 2008 | German Fernandez (Riverbank, California) | mile/2M |
| 2009 | Mason Finley (Buena Vista, Colorado) | shot/discus |
| 2010s | ||
| 2010 | Sam Crouser (Gresham, Oregon) | discus/javelin |
| 2011 | Ryan Crouser (Barlow, Gresham, Oregon) | shot/discus |
| 2012 | Tyreek Hill (Coffee County, Douglas, Georgia) | sprints |
| 2013 | Rudy Winkler (Averill Park, New York) | hammer |
| 2014 | Trentavis Friday (Cherryville, North Carolina) | sprints |
| 2015 | *Noah Lyles (Williams, Alexandria, Virginia) | sprints |
| 2016 | Noah Lyles (Williams, Alexandria, Virginia) | sprints |
| 2017 | *Mondo Duplantis (Lafayette, Louisiana) | pole vault |
| 2018 | Mondo Duplantis (Lafayette, Louisiana) | pole vault |
| 2019 | Matthew Boling (Strake, Houston, Texas) | sprints/long jump |
| 2020s | ||
| 2020 | no selection made | pandemic season |
| 2021 | Hobbs Kessler (Skyline, Ann Arbor, Michigan) | mile/2M |
| 2022 | Colin Sahlman (Newbury Park, California) | 800/mile/2M |
| 2023 | Simeon Birnbaum (Stevens, Rapid City, South Dakota) | 800/mile/2M |
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