World champions Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Rai Benjamin were named USA Track and Field Female and Male Athletes of the Year for 2025.
Jefferson-Wooden won the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Award after becoming the first American woman to sweep the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at a single World Championships.
She won over fellow nominees and world champions Valarie Allman (discus), Tara Davis-Woodhall (long jump), Anna Hall (heptathlon), Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (400m, 4x400m) and Katie Moon (pole vault). McLaughlin-Levrone won the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year for 2025.
Benjamin won the Jesse Owens Award after claiming his first world 400m hurdles title and anchoring the U.S. to silver in the men’s 4x400m relay. The other nominees were world champions Ryan Crouser (shot put), Cole Hocker (5000m), Noah Lyles (200m, 4x100m) and Cordell Tinch (110m hurdles).
The first USATF Para Athletes of the Year are world champions Annie Carey (T44 200m) and Jaydin Blackwell (T38 100m, 400m).
USATF added Para Athlete of the Year awards after the U.S. Paralympic track and field program became part of USATF this year — including combining both national outdoor championships — in the latest move to unify the Olympic and Paralympic Movements.
The award winners were decided by fan and media voting and announced at the USATF Annual Meeting on Friday in Orlando.
The 2024 athlete award winners were Gabby Thomas, who won 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m gold at the Paris Games, and Grant Holloway, the Olympic 110m hurdles gold medalist.
