Presenting the 2022 Mercanator Awards!
In 2022, our site covered meets at the University of Washington, as well as meets in Tacoma/University Place, Spokane, Tucson, Tempe, Portland, Eugene, Bellingham, and Madison, Wisconsin, with our one international trip to Edmonton, Alberta. We also covered the pre-world championships training camps in Seattle of the national teams from Australia, Greece & Poland.
With the world track and field championships in Eugene, there was no need for a significant overseas flight.
Before we go into the Mercanators, we'd like to thank the many sports information directors, media relations folks, coaches, agents, shoe/apparel company reps, photographers, and others who helped contribute material and information to the web site. Thank you for your help!
And now, the 2022 Mercanators!
Here are the disclaimers: Mercanator Awards are limited to athletes who have affiliations with the state of Washington—either they were born in this state, trained for a significant time, currently reside in the state or attend(ed) school in the state. Also, not all event categories from previous editions were awarded...publisher's decision.
With the World Athletics (formerly IAAF) rankings coming into play for qualification to this summer's world championships in Budapest, as well as next year's Olympics in Paris, the two numbers next to an athlete's name signifies their world event ranking in 2022, followed by the number of points accumulated.
The baseline for athletes to be considered for the top performer in their event category and the Mercanator Award is a world ranking in the top 100, AND a world ranking score of at least 1000 points.
For a thorough explanation on how the World Athletics event rankings work, here's a link. The World Athletics rankings used for the purposes of the Mercanators were released on December 27, 2022, the final Tuesday of the year.
World Athletics releases its world rankings every Tuesday.
WOMEN
Top Performer--MIDDLE DISTANCE (800-steeplechase)
Seven women were in the running for the top performer in 2022 in the middle distances: Nia Akins (26, 1236), and Laurie Barton (78, 1162) of the Brooks Beasts in the 800 meters; Washington alum Eleanor Fulton (34, 1216), along with Marta Pen Freitas (41, 1200), Julia Heymach (90, 1135)* of the Brooks Beasts in the 1500m; and Washington alum Katie Rainsberger (26, 1235), and current Notre Dame runner Olivia Markezich (78, 1146) in the steeplechase.
Heymach, who joined the Beasts after finishing fifth in the 1500 at the NCAA championships for Stanford, is the only newcomer to this list.
While their world rankings and point totals are nearly identical, Rainsberger gets the nod as the top performer in the middle distance category by the slimmest of margins, based on the fact that Akins was nosed out of the 800m finals by one place at the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships, while Rainsberger finished fifth in the steeple finals.
Pen Freitas was the only one of the group to compete at the world championships, but her overall body of work in 2022 wasn't as complete as either Akins or Rainsberger.
Top Performer--DISTANCE (5000-10000m)
Washington alums Amy-Eloise Markovc (16, 1269 in the 5000; 56, 1165 in the 10000) and Izzi Batt-Doyle (50, 1178 in the 5000; 56, 1165 in the 10000), along with Allie Buchalski of the Brooks Beasts (59, 1161 in the 5000), Lake Stevens native and newcomer Taylor Roe of Oklahoma State (60, 1160 in the 5000), and Washington alum Eleanor Fulton (68, 1157 in the 5000) were the five in the running for the top performer in this category.
Markovc, who moved back to Great Britain this summer from the United States, had two solid big meet performances in the 5000 last year, finishing fourth in the Commonwealth Games in a personal best 14:56.60, and followed it up with a fifth place finish in the European Championships in 15:08.75. Amy-Eloise is the top performer in the distance category.
Her mark from the Commonwealth Games gives her a qualifying mark for this summer's world championships in Budapest.
Top Performer--HURDLES (100-400)
Washington alum and world championships finalist at the 400 hurdles Gianna Woodruff (6, 1368) and Washington State's 100 meter hurdler Micaela De Mello (72, 1178) were the only ones in this category to make the cut.
In an event dominated by world record holder, Olympic, world champion and the 2022 women's athlete of the year according to both World Athletics and Track & Field News Sydney McLaughlin, Woodruff improved from her number 8 world ranking in the 2021 Olympic year to number 6.
Backing up her seventh place finish in the finals at the world championships in Eugene, Woodruff broke her own Panamanian national record in the semis, running 53.69, then finished second in the Wanda Diamond League finals in Zürich, running 53.72. Woodruff gets the top performer award in the women's hurdles.
Woodruff's mark at the Diamond League finals gives her a qualifying time for the world championships this summer.
Top Performer--VERTICAL JUMPS (Pole Vault)
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| World champ Katie Moon (Paul Merca photo) |
Katie Moon (4, 1354), Washington alum Olivia Gruver (19, 1198), and Capital HS/Olympia twins Hana (58, 1113), the reigning world U20 champ, and US junior champ Amanda Moll (60, 1112) were the four athletes considered for the top performer in the women's pole vault.
Who's Katie Moon?
She's actually former Pullman resident Katie Nageotte, who got married on New Year's Eve to former Washington State University assistant rowing coach Hugo Moon.
Despite having motivational struggles in 2022 after winning the Olympic title, Nageotte managed to come through in the two biggest meets of the season, finishing second at the world indoor championships to training partner and world number one Sandi Morris, then turned the tables on Morris at the world outdoor championships in Eugene, winning the title to go with her Olympic gold medal. Katie is the top performer in the vertical jumps category.
Her win in Eugene gets Moon a bye into Budapest as defending champion.
The Moll twins are the only under-20 athletes that made the final list on either the men's or women's sides.
Chloe Cunliffe (72, 1079), and Amanda Moll (91, 1060) were inadvertently omitted in the 2021 top performers list.
Top Performer--HORIZONTAL JUMPS (Triple Jump)
Tacoma native Lexi Ellis (86, 1069) gets the nod here (note we inadvertently left her off the original post).
Ellis' two best competitions in 2022 were at the Mt. SAC Relays, where she won with a personal best of 44-6.25 (13.57m), and at the Toyota USA championships in Eugene, where she finished fifth with a mark of 43-9.25 (13.34m).
Top Performer--MULTI EVENTS
University of Washington's Ida Eikeng (40, 1090) who we also inadvertently overlooked last year (85, 1046), is the top performer in this category, after winning the Mt SAC Relays heptathlon with 5916 points, and followed it up by finishing second at the NCAA championships with a personal best 5939 points.
Top Performer--THROWS (Javelin)
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| Kara Winger (Paul Merca photo) |
Vancouver native Kara Winger (1, 1378), Connell native and NCAA champ Ashton Riner from BYU (42, 1082), and former WSU standout and world U20 runner up Valentina Barrios Bornacelli (73, 1016) were the three women who were considered for the top performer in the throws.
In her final pro season, Winger had a magical campaign, winning the US national championship in Eugene, followed it up with the silver medal at the world championships, reclaimed the American record by throwing 225-5 (68.11m) at the Wanda Diamond League meet in Brussels, and capped it off by winning the Diamond League finals in Zürich. Winger gets another top performer award in the throws category.
That win in Zürich gives her a spot in the field for the world championships this summer should she decide to unretire.
Barrios Bornacelli has since transferred from WSU to Missouri, joining former Cougar javelin thrower Atina Kamasi.
MEN
Top Performer--MIDDLE DISTANCE (800-5000m)
Out of this crowded group, which included four world championships competitors: Kerr, Tanner, Gregorek and Trippas; and three world indoor championships participants in Harris, Prakel and Maggard, Kerr had the best season of all, topped off with a fifth place finish at the world championships in Eugene, where he ran a season best 3:30.60, and a sixth place finish at the Diamond League stop in Zürich, where he ran 3:31.85. Kerr gets the men's top performer award in the middle distance category.
Kerr and Tanner both have the qualifying standard for this summer's world championships in the 1500.
Top Performer--HURDLES (110/400)
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| Devon Allen (Paul Merca photo) |
Former Renton resident Devon Allen (5, 1394) and Washington State alum CJ Allen (7, 1354) were the duo considered for the top performer in the hurdles, with CJ having a breakthrough season in the 400 hurdles, which included a third place finish at both the NACAC championships in the Bahamas, and a third place finish at the Diamond League stop in Zürich, where he ran a personal best 48.21 to get his world championships qualifier.
Devon Allen won two Diamond League meets in Paris (13.16) and Oslo (13.22), and set a personal best of 12.84 in winning the New York Grand Prix meet.
Despite a questionable false start in the finals at the world championships, and cutting his season short to prepare for the NFL training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles, Devon's overall body of work was enough to earn him another top performer award.
Top Performer--THROWS (Hammer)
Washington State alum Brock Eager (66, 1113) gets the top performer in the throws, despite having a drop-off from the 2021 season, where he was ranked number 33 in the world.
His best mark came at the US nationals in Eugene, where he finished seventh with a throw of 242-11 (74.04m).
WHO GETS THE MERCANATOR AS THE STATE'S TOP TRACK & FIELD ATHLETES IN 2022?
Vancouver native, world championship silver medalist, Wanda Diamond League champion, and the world's number one javelin thrower Kara Winger gets her fifth career Mercanator Award and first since 2017 as the top women's track and field athlete from the state of Washington in 2022.
On the men's side, the Mercanator Award for the outstanding male track and field athlete from the state of Washington goes to former Renton resident Devon Allen, who earns his fifth career Mercanator.
Before ending the Mercanators, here's the all time list of Mercanator Award winners:
2022--Devon Allen, Kara Winger
2021--Devon Allen/Josh Kerr, Katie Nageotte
2020--(Top Box) Katie Nageotte
2019--Josh Kerr, Katie Nageotte
2018--Devon Allen, Katie Nageotte
2017--Devon Allen, Kara Winger
2016--Devon Allen, Andrea Geubelle/Kara Winger
2015--Garrett Heath, Kara Winger
2014--Bernard Lagat, Katie Mackey
2013--none (we forgot)
2012--Bernard Lagat, Ginnie Crawford
2011--Jeshua Anderson
2010--Kara Patterson
2009--by event category
2008--by event category
NOTE: World Athletics and Track & Field News provided statistical assistance for this report.
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