U.S. Women’s AOY Top 10 Voting

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden follows in the footsteps of training partner Sha’Carri Richardson in winning U.S. Women’s Athlete Of The Year in her first time on the ballot. Richardson managed the same in 2023. (KIRK MECHE/IMAGE OF SPORT)

ON THE STRENGTH of No. 1 Rankings in the 100 and 200, with Worlds golds in both events, 24-year-old Melissa Jefferson-Wooden has shot straight to U.S. Women’s Athlete Of The Year status in her turnout among the Top 10. She received 17 of 29 first-place votes. A trio not far behind in the scoring all also garnered votes for No. 1: 3-time World (and U.S.) No. 1 Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (5 No. 1 votes), Valarie Allman (6) and Anna Hall (1).

The 4-woman list of repeaters from ’24: McLaughlin-Levrone, Allman, Tara Davis-Woodhall (No. 5) and Katie Moon (6). Moon has now made 5 straight Top 10 appearances.

The charting of this year’s voting (points are awarded in inverse order of place: 10-9-8… etc):

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total %
1. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden 17 7 3 2 271 93.4%
2. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone 5 10 7 7 245 84.5%
3. Valarie Allman 6 8 7 8 244 84.1%
4. Anna Hall 1 4 12 9 3 223 76.9%
5. Tara Davis-Woodhall 3 21 4 1 171 59.0%
6. Katie Moon 5 18 6 144 49.7%
7. Chase Jackson 7 18 2 1 115 39.7%
8. Grace Stark 1 10 6 7 53 18.3%
9. Sandi Morris 9 7 6 47 16.2%
10. Jasmine Jones 3 4 5 8 42 14.5%
11. Masai Russell 20; 12. Jasmine Moore 9; 13. Taliyah Brooks 8; 14. Deanna Price 3.
View All The U.S. Women’s AOYs, 1959–2024 Jump To The U.S. Men’s Voting