INdoor AOY's (World, US, Collegiate, HS)

This blog honors Records & Marks, not Awards & Medals!
So I decided to do ALL of my Awards in ONE post--however long!
As always, I'll do my Athlete of the Year, Performance of the Year, Personality of the Year, and Event of the Year (the event with the most marks dated 2018 on my DDD's).
As with any Award, these are MY opinions and my opinions ONLY!!
I'm a Committee of One!
For the Personality Awards, these can go to someone who was either a positive OR negative model for the sport!
Onward!

World Athlete of the Year--MEN
CHRISTIAN COLEMAN
He wasn't the only Record breaker, but he broke the 60 mark THREE times!!
(Yes, I count the one rejected for ratification by the IAAF!!)
The fact he won USATF and World's didn't hurt!

Honorable Mentions
So many!!
Michael Norman, Elijah Hall, Ed Cheserek, Mutaz Barshim, Luvo Manyonga, and Renaud Lavillenie!

World Athlete of the Year--WOMEN
MARIYA LASITSKENE
In a year that saw NO "major" WR's broken (the 300 and 4 X 800 Relay WR's were tied or broken), I went with "perfection"!
Lasitskene never lost, competed often, and always at the highest level, rarely falling below 2 meters!!
And yes, I honor her as a RUSSIAN winner!!

Honorable Mentions
All those NCAA speedsters get HM's--Gabrielle Thomas, Ashley Henderson, Lynna Irby, and Sydney McLaughlin!
Add Murielle Ahoure, Genzebe Dibaba, Sharika Nelvis and Kendra Harrison, Sandi Morris and Anzhelika Sidorova, another RUSSIAN!!

US Athlete of the Year--MEN
CHRISTIAN COLEMAN
Whenever an American wins the World Award, he or she also gets the American Award!

Honorable Mentions
Norman and Hall also repeat here!
Add Grant Holloway, Trey Culver & Vernon Turner, Sam Kendricks, and Jordan Geist!

US Athlete of the Year--WOMEN
This was my toughest choice--and probably arguable for years!!
But SYDNEY McLAUGHLIN was a Triple-threat!
She began with that fast (36.12) 300 in December, then PR'ed at least twice each in the 200 and 400, as well as provided speedy (if mostly non-winning) Relay legs!!

Honorable Mentions
As in any close contest, there are VERY strong and CLOSE contenders for the Top Award!
Thus, give BEASTLY HM's to Kendell Ellis, Gabrielle Thomas, Lynna Irby, Karissa Schweizer, Sharika Nelvis & Kendra Harrison, Sandi Morris & Katie Nageotte, Maggie Ewen, Keturah Orji, Emma Coburn, Ajee Wilson, and Annette Echikunwoke!

Collegiate Athlete of the Year--MEN
MICHAEL NORMAN!
He broke an "unbreakable" WR with a time of 44.52.  He matched that on a "World Best" Relay team's anchor leg!

Honorable Mentions
Eli Hall here again!
Add Akeem Bloomfield, Culver & Turner, Geist, Michael Saruni, Tim Duckworth, and Mr Holloway!!

Collegiate Athlete of the Year--WOMEN
SYDNEY McLAUGHLIN
For the same reasons listed above!!

Honorable Mentions
Ellis, Irby, Henderson, Thomas, Lexi Jacobus & Olivia Gruver, Keturah Orji, Kate Hall, Aleia Hobbs, Eleanor Purrier, Schweizer, Taliyah Brooks, Maggie Ewen, and Ms Echikunwoke!

High School Athlete of the Year--MEN
Josh Hoey DESTROYED the HSR in the 800!!
But MONDO DUPLANTIS is my AOY for twice breaking his own HSR, but also for his competitions on the World stage!!
His "worst" was probably at least half a foot above any other HS'er!!

Honorable Mentions
Trey Knight for his great marks in the WT, but also for his consistency over 80 feet!
Anthony Schwartz, Brodey Hasty, Kyle Garland, Zach Bradford & Sondre Guttormsen, and Mr Hoey!!

High School Athlete of the Year--WOMEN
KATELYN TUOHY
Watch her SMASH the HSR in the 5000 with her 15:37.12--then tell me she doesn't deserve this Award!!
But when you add her 9:05.26, and her several fast runs at NBIN, well......!!!

Honorable Mentions
The several 60H'ers---Tia & Jasmine Jones, Grace Stark & Emily Sloan for starters!
Add Tamari Davis, Arria Minor, Kelsey Chmiel, Jacqueline Gaughan, Jasmine Moore, Lanae Tava-Thomas, and Anna Hall!!

World Performance of the Year--MEN
MICHAEL NORMAN's 44.52!!
While Coleman's 60 WR's (plural!) were GREAT, Norman broke a VERY tough WR!!
And except for his 45.00 a few weeks earlier, he'd shown no sign of being able to do that!!
Coleman's WR's were more predictable!!

Honorable Mentions
Rai Benjamin's 20.34 and 44.35 Relay leg, Hall's 20.02,  Coleman's 60's, Cheserek's 3:49 Mile, and Kevin Mayer's big Heptathlon score!

World Performance of the Year--WOMEN
SHARIKA NELVIS & KENDRA HARRISON
They each ran the 60H in 7.70--not a WR, but closer than in many a year!!

Honorable Mentions
Morris, Nageotte, and Ekaterina Stefanidi all clearing 16 feet or higher!
Murielle Ahoure's 6.97, Thomas's 22.38, Ellis's 50.34, Dibaba's fast 1500, several of Lasitskene's marks, and Katarina Johnson-Thompson's Pentathlon!

US Performance of the Year--MEN
MICHAEL NORMAN---again!

Honorable Mentions
Coleman, Hall, Holloway's 7.42 in the 60H, Culver's & Turner's 7-7.75 HJ's!

US Performance of the Year--WOMEN
SHARIKA NELVIS & KENDRA HARRISON
They didn't get the WR, but they DID nail the AR of Lolo Jones!!
(About time--as they say!!  LOL)

Honorable Mentions
McLaughlin's 36.12, 22.66, and 50.36!
Thomas's 22.38 & Henderson's 22.41!
Ellis's 50.34!!
Wilson's sub-1:59, Coburn's & Schweizer's fast 3000's, Morris's & Nageotte's 16-footers, Ewen's surprising SP's, and Echikunwoke's long WT!!
Add Erica Bougard's attack on the American Pentathlon Record!!

Collegiate Performance of the Year--MEN
MICHAEL NORMAN's 44.52!
Sorry for being a broken record here--pun sort of intended!  LOL

Honorable Mentions
Again, these are VERY strong contenders for the above Top Award!!
Hall's 20.02, Bloomfield's 44.86, Saruni's 1:45.15 (& earlier 1:45.19!), Holloway's 7.42, Turner's & Culver's HJ's, Chris Nilsen's 19 footer, and Geists's Frosh Class Record in the SP!

Collegiate Performance of the Year--WOMEN
Sooooo CLOSE!!
But I must go with KENDELL ELLIS for her 50.34 CR, which was also an American Record!
I ALMOST gave it to Gabrielle Thomas for her 22.38 CR, but also for its shock value!!
Yet the same could be said for Ellis beating McLaughlin, or Henderson coming so close in the 200!!
YIKES!!
Add Hobbs's 7.07 & Mikiah Brisco's 7.08 60's, Syd's 50.36, Irby's 22.55 and 50.62, Purrier's fast Mile, the CR in the 3K by Schweizer (which EASILY would have won this Award in ANY other year--but she was greatly assisted by being in a race with seasoned Professionals!!)), her 15:17.31 5000, Kate Hall's 22-1 LJ, Orji's 46-9 MR at NCAA's, Gruver's & Jacobus's good PV battles, Ewen's 63 footer in the SP, and Echikunwoke's massive WT!!

High School Performance of the Year--MEN
Mondo or Hoey?
Neither!!
I'm going to go the controversial route, and give this Award to TREY KNIGHT!
Only a Soph, and in an event where the HSR is beyond humongous--and considered unapproachable (by me!) for maybe decades!!--Knight SHATTERED the Class Record, and was consistently over 80 feet--especially at NBIN, where 4 of his 6 throws were over that barrier!

Honorable Mentions
EXTREMELY STRONG HM's to Mr's Hoey & Duplantis!!
But add Hasty's attempts to break 4:00 in the Mile, Brian Herron's 46.31 at NBIN, Schwartz's speedy 60's, Bradford's & Guttormsen's 18 footers, and Garland's good 4169 Pentathlon score!

World Personality of the Year--MEN
In a Bolt-less year (though he was rarely, if ever, seen INdoors!!), I'm giving this one to a newcomer!
In fact, this guy didn't even perform on the WORLD stage--as he is still a Collegiate!
But in a year of drug talk, Records confusion, Nation-transferring freezes, and a World Championships FILLED with senseless DQ's--this beautiful sport NEEDS someone--like Usain Bolt--who FILLS a room--makes interviewers & crowds LAUGH, and is just a bundle of pure ENERGY!!!
(Not to mention having the humongous TALENT to back this all up!!)
So I give this Award to---
GRANT HOLLOWAY!!
Watch his NCAA interviews!!
You'll LOVE this dude!!

World Personality of the Year--WOMEN
If this is too maudlin for you, so be it!
If you're ready to argue that she never even competed this year, so what!!
But you can NOT deny the Spirit & Inspirational energy given out from the fierce heart and soul of GABRIELLE GRUNEWALD!!
Read Twitter to see how MANY athletes--PEOPLE--Men & Women--were inspired by this beautiful Woman!!
Her cancer battles are never-ending--yet she's training hard to be able to race OUTdoors!!
Next time you ache, or are sad, or feel tired, look to Gabe for comfort and a hand to hold--while she needs YOURS!!

US Personality's of the Year--MEN & WOMEN
GRANT HOLLOWAY & GABE GRUNEWALD
Enough said!

Collegiate Personality of the Year--MEN
GRANT HOLLOWAY

Collegiate Personality of the Year--WOMEN
TARA DAVIS
Okay, so she's NOT the best athlete--even though progressing in the 60H, and performing well in the Horizontals!
But if you watch videos of her interviews, or see her MANY Tweets--which often include brief videos--you'll not only know of, but FEEL the FORCE that is Ms Davis!!
Sydney McLaughlin also has a personality to die for, but her higher stature in the sport inspires a more serious demeanor from her!
(Tell me that after seeing her JUGGLE!!)
I hope these "personalities" don't lose the FUN aspect of our sport!
That would be sad.

High School Personality of the Year--MEN
MONDO DUPLANTIS
His camaraderie with the World's best PV'ers--Renaud Lavillenie and Sam Kendricks in particular!--gave him the edge for this Award!
He Vaults like a MAN--but he presents himself as the TEENAGE BOY he is!!
And that is a compliment!!

High School Personality of the Year--WOMEN
I may be a bit biased here, being a fan of the distances, but I have to go with KATELYN TUOHY!!
Her demeanor on the track (Watch her stoic expression throughout that 5000!!) is matched by her personality during interviews!
While Mary Cain was the Energizer Bunny in interviews--talking faster than she ran, ever smiling!--Tuohy is dead-pan serious--despite being a 15 year old Sophomore in HS!!
She responds to questions with the intelligence and confidence of one 10 years older!!
Is that good??
Shouldn't she just be a KID??
Sure, but she just knocked me over with her forceful performance--and her ability to explain it!!

The Event of the Year--for all the major categories--comes down to how many Marks have "2018" listed next to them on my Top 24 All-Time Performers Lists---or DDD's!
I'm going to do one more post about the INdoor season--and will go into more detail there!
So, below, find just the Top numbers for each group!!

Event of the Year--MEN
World (The 400 has 7 marks dated 2018!)
US  (It's a tie--at 5 apiece-- for the 400 and 800!)
Collegiate  (The 4 X 400 Relay leads with 7.  Individual events lead goes to the 400, with 6 marks!)
HS  (The Pole Vault and Shot Put have 4 marks each!!)

Event of the Year--WOMEN
World  (The Weight Throw has 7 marks dated 2018!!)
US  (The 3000 has NINE 2018 marks, proving that SOME people like to run distance races FAST!!)
Collegiate  (It's a SIX-way TIE at 5 apiece for the--400, 1500, 60H, TJ, PV, and the DMR!!)
HS  ("Only" 3 events are tied here--each with 5 marks--the 400, 60H, and the TJ!)

I'll be back in a day or so with my INdoor season Review!

See you soon!