2019 INdoor AOY's

I both love & hate doing this post every year!
Reason--it marks the end of the INdoor season!
But with OUTdoors already upon us, it's time to wrap up INdoors!
(Another reason being the difficulty of naming my AOY's. and deciding what made the season so fascinating!)
I'll be presenting my choices for Athlete of the Year, Performance of the Year, and Personality of the Year in all four of my core groups--World, US, Collegiate, and High School!
In each category and group, Men are listed first, then Women!
BTW, "HM" stands for Honorable Mention!
All choices are mine, and mine alone!!

WORLD Athlete of the Year--MEN
Simple.
The Mile is the honorary Event of All-Time, and YOMIF KEJELCHA gets my AOY for taking out Hicham El Guerrouj's WR, aged 22 years!!
His near miss (by 0.01 of a second would NOT have gotten him this award, but when he smashed the WR by 1.44 seconds, my decision was made!
HM's---Sam Tefera, Grant Holloway, Donavan Brazier, Divine Oduduru, Tyrell Richard, Piotr Lisek, Ryan Crouser, and Michael Saruni

WORLD Athlete of the Year--WOMEN
No WR's were broken, which made my choice more difficult!
Not so shockingly, but Athing Mu came the closest to snaring the Golden Egg!
But her other marks, while good for a 16 year old HS'er, plus her loss at NBIN, killed her chances!
Overall, LAURA MUIR had the greatest collection of marks--and victories!
Katerina Johnson-Thompson lost out because of her poor LJ in the Euros Pentathlon!
HM's---Ms Mu, KJT, Marie Josee Ta Lou, Ajee Wilson, Mariya Lasitskene, Anzhelika Sidorova Gabrielle Stafford, Konstanze Klosterhalfen, Holly Bradshaw, Ivana Spanovic, and Ana Peleteiro

US Athlete of the Year--MEN
This one presented a problem,
Do I go with Grant Holloway's 7.35, the best 60H time in many years?
Or to DONAVAN BRAZIER, who got the WR in the often-run-INdoors 600, plus the American Record in the 800??
Obviously, because I put  Brazier's name in ALL CAPS, you know who I chose!!
HM's---Holloway gets the strongest HM here, with others going to Tyrell Richard, Daniel Roberts, John Gregorek, Ryan Crouser, and Andrew Irwin

US Athlete of the Year--WOMEN
ATHING MU, still a braces-wearing teenager, but one who ran the greatest 600 race ever--not just for the time (2nd A-T World there!), but for who she beat!!
A brilliant athlete NOW, and an even more thrilling PROSPECT!!
HM's---Ms Wilson gets my strongest vote here,  If she'd gotten the AR in the 1000 also, she'd have beaten Mu for my AOY!!
Add Colleen Quigley, Keturah Orji, Katie Nageotte, Janeah Stewart, and Michelle Atherley

COLLEGIATE Athlete of the Year--MEN
Guess!!
GRANT HOLLOWAY
His 60H time is a classic, but he added a 6.50 in the 60, a decent LJ, and fast Relay legs!
You might ask why Mondo Duplantis didn't win, since he nabbed the CR in the PV!
Not by enough!  Less than an inch PR!
Also, turning his back on the Euros hurt him, IMHO!!
HM's--Mondo, Payton Otterdahl, Richard, Roberts, Oduduru, Devin Dixon, Oliver Hoere, Shelby McEwen, and Harrison Williams

COLLEGIATE Athlete of the Year--WOMEN
Sad to say, but there were no really outstanding Female athletes in the Collegiate ranks in 2019!
But DANAE RIVERS had the sole sub-4:30 Mile, broke the CR in the 1000, and had a good 800 time!
HM's--Kaelin Roberts, Jessica Hull, Alicia Monson, Chanel Brissett, Lexi Jacobus, Ms Atherley, and Stamatia Scarvelis

HIGH SCHOOL Athlete of the year--MEN
Another easy choice!
Who else but TREY KNIGHT???
His HS-WT didn't get the Junior Class Record, but it was close!
And he came within 7 feet of a previously unimaginable matching or breaking of Conor McCullough's HSR!!
Plus, he showed great consistency--and oh yeah, he SHATTERED the HSR for the Professional WT!!
HM's--Lance Lang, Micah Williams, Matthew Payamps, Luis Peralta, Mario Heslop, Kurt Powdar, and Matt Rizzo

HIGH SCHOOL Athlete of the Year--WOMEN!!
Sit yourself in a corner with a Dunce cap on if you didn't think I'd choose ATHING MU as my HS AOY!!
While Katelyn Tuohy had another outstanding season, she "failed" in two ways--not getting the HSR in the Two Mile, and failing to break 9:00 in the 3000!
Mu's choice need not be explained, but for starters, the AR & HSR in the 600, fastest 400 and 800, plus the fastest 1000!
And one memorable loss!!
Ouch!!
HM's--Tamari Davis & Kayla Davis (NOT related!), Marlee Starliper, Katelynn Hart, Taryn Parks, Ms Tuohy, S Ballard, Anna Hall, Morgan Smalls Jasmine Moore, and Monique Hardy

Give a Special Mention to Roisin Willis, who got the Frosh Class 800 Record--while beating our AOY!!

WORLD Performance of the Year--MEN
Easy!
Kejelcha's Mile WR!!
HM's--Tefera's WR in the 1500, Brazier's 600 WR, Oduduru's 20.08, Crouser's
 big SP, Michael Saruni's 800, the Brooks Beasts team in the 4 X Mile Relay, and Holloway's 60H

WORLD Performance of the Year--WOMEN
This was a bit tough, but I finally went with KJT's 4983 in the Pentathlon!!
Not quite the WR, and 17 points shy of the magical 5000 barrier, she gets it mainly because no other mark quite matched her's!
HM's--Ta Lou's 7.02, Mu's 600, Muir's Mile, 3000 & 5000, Wilson't 800 and 1000, KK's Mile & 3000, Lasitskene's PR in the HJ, Peleteiro's TJ, Spanovic's LJ,, Nageotte's PV, Stewart's WT, and Orji's 47-8 in the TJ, and Sidorova's 16+ PV

US Performance of the Year--MEN
Another 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle!
I'm still intellectually undecided, but my GUT tells me it has to be Donavan Brazier's AR in the 800, breaking a 37 year old mark!!
Holloway's 7.35 was GREAT, but the AR he broke was a lot younger!!
John Gregorek's Mile, Crouser's SP, and Irwin's big PR in the PV!!

US Performance of the Year--WOMEN
Yes, that tall gangly TEENie gets this prize!!
You know, Athing Mu!!
Her 600 was that good!!
HM's--Wilson't pair, Quigley's Mile times, English Gardner's big return, Kaelin Roberts's 400, Nageotte's PV, Stewart's WT, and Orji's TJ

COLLEGIATE Performance of the Year--MEN
Grant Holloway's 60H time--no contest!!
HM's--Payton Otterdahl leads the way here!
Add Tyrell Richard's 400, McEwen's 7-7 HJ, Roberts's 7.41, Hoere's Mile, Morgan McDonald's series of good times (and all his wins!!), Dixon, and some kid called MONDO

COLLEGIATE Performance  of the Year--WOMEN
Hmmmm, interesting question!
In the end, this one goes to Alicia Monson's 3000 at Millrose, because of who she beat--a field of Pro's!
HM's--Weini Kelati & Ednah Kurgat (for their December 1st 5K's), Rivers's Mile & 1000, Roberts's 400, Atherley, Scarvelis, Brissett, Yanis David, and MRS Jacobus

HIGH SCHOOL Performance of the Year--MEN
Trey Knight easily gets this one, but I can't decide if he gets it more for his HS Weight Throw mark, or his WT, Professional weighted impliment!
Let's call it a tie!
HM's--Micah Williams and Lance Lang for their speedy 60's Matthew Payamps 2nd A-T 1000, Peralta's 600, and Heslop's fast 200

HIGH SCHOOL Performance of the Year--WOMEN
The young lady whose name is spelled MU, but pronounced as MO!
First name, Athing!
HM's--This list is LONG!!
Begin with Ms Tuohy, then add Starliper, Hart, K & T Davis, Taryn Parks, Moore, Ballard, Morgan Smalls, Anna Hall, and /Hardy

Once again, a Special Mention goes to Roisin Willis!

Just one award is given for Personality of the Year for each sex!
Call it my WORLD Personality of the Year award!
In other words, ANYone is eligible, whether a HS kid, or a grizzled Pro!!
This award does not necessarily go to the greatest athlete!
In fact, they don't even need to BE an athlete!!
He and She must have a certain flair, panache, chutzpah, and maybe has done something, or acted in a controversial headline-making manner!

WORLD Personality of the Year--MEN
Mondo Duplantis was TALKED about the most, if you go by the number of comments he got on the T&FN Message Board!
But that alone doesn't win this award!
Neither do you get it if you broke a World Record in the Mile!
So scratch off Yomif Kejelcha from the list!
Grant Holloway?
Charming & confident, and talented up the gazoo!
But nope, not him either!
That leaves my greatest candidate for the role of the Anti-Christ in our sport as the winner here!
Sebastian Coe??
Nah, not him, despite his recent edict that might DESTROY T&F as we know and love it!
Sooooo, I grant this prestigious award to the Man I DESPISE the most in T&F--ALBERTO SALAZAR, Coach of the Oregon Project (formerly NIKE OP)!
Why??
Because he had the guts--and the most insane chutzpah to even suggest that Mr Kejelcha--one of his athletes--WOULD attempt to break TWO WR's in ONE race--those WR's being the Mile and 1500!
And he came close!!
He got the WR, and came within 0.21 seconds of getting the 1500 mark also!
Give it to AlSal, he's got some pair of cajones!!

WORLD Personality of the Year--WOMEN
Ms Mu has a whale of a personality!
She's a real charmer, and will go far in whatever she chooses to do in life!
I love her!
BUT she doesn't get this award!!
Neither does Laura Muir, who became a certified Animal Doc in 2018, and ran herself into the ground (or flat out on the track!!) in all her races.
 I LOVE KK (aka KoKo, aka Konstanze Klosterhalfen!
Heck, I'd give it to her for her beauty, and her NAME!!
But no, she's out also!
That leaves my choice as ANA PELETEIRO, winner of the Euros TJ with a mark of 48-4!
But it wasn't for her vast talent!
She gets it for her STUNNING beauty (i.e sexiness!!)!
And her--yes, her PERSONALITY!!
If you watched her at the Euros, you know what I'm talking about!!
She razzed up the crowd with her HYPER energy, her rousing spirit--not to mention showing the most REAR END, which the cameras seemed to follow--from BEHIND her!!--as she walked away from the sand pit!
She's another who will rise to the top in whatever she does!
Hope to SEE a lot more of her!
Heh.

Well, I have a lot of numbers left to present, but this post is long enough!
So look for Part 2 later today!!

See you soon!