And now, the 2025 Mercanator Awards...
Maybe you're watching the Seattle Kraken or your favorite college basketball team, or paying attention to who might make it to the College Football Playoff championship game.
Whatever you're doing, it's time to put a bow on the 2025 season, and time to hand out the Mercanator Awards for the top performers and performances of the year.
The Mercanators honor the top collegiate and professional track and field athletes in the state of Washington for their achievements and performances in the past season.
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.
With some advice from folks who've run sites similar to mine (most notably Brett Lerner of japanrunningnews.blogspot.com), we added a "Buy Me A Coffee" link at the bottom of each post so that individuals who like our work can make financial contributions to the site and help us continue to produce the quality work you've come to expect.
As an added benefit, those of you who provided financial support to the website via the "Buy Me A Coffee" site received an advance copy of the Mercanator Awards, as well as other exclusive "Members Only" benefits.
In addition to a Mercanator Top Performer in their event category, at the end of the post, we announce one male and one female athlete as the 2025 Mercanator Award winner as the state's top track and field athlete.
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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 now a standard part of the qualifying process to the world championships in September in Tokyo, the two numbers next to an athlete's name signifies their world event ranking in 2024, 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 1100 points. This is a minor change from previous seasons, where the consideration was top 100 and a world ranking score of 1000 points.
Once the baseline of world top-100 and world ranking score of 1100 is established, then the criteria (which is subjective) of head-to-head competition, sequence of marks, and honors won (not necessarily in that order) is used.
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 30, 2025, the final Tuesday of the year. For those who received advance copies of this post, the rankings we used were released on December 23rd. There were some minor changes, particularly in the women's road events, the women's heptathlon, and the men's 5000.
The two numbers we reference throughout this article (eg., 95, 1140) refer to the athlete's world rank, and their world ranking score.
World Athletics releases its world rankings every Tuesday.
MEN:
Top Performer--MIDDLE DISTANCE (800-1500)
To the surprise of absolutely no one, the majority of those considered in this category came from either Danny Mackey's Brooks Beasts group or Andy Powell's University of Washington and his pro group.
The only three not from either Powell's or Mackey's group were Washington alums Luke Houser and Kieran Lumb, who left Powell for new coaches in Atlanta, and Norway, respectively. After leaving the University of Washington after the 2021 Olympics, Sam Tanner went home to New Zealand.
In the 800, four athletes received consideration: Brandon Miller (11, 1339) and Isaiah Harris (63, 1220) of the Brooks Beasts; University of Washington grad student Justin O'Toole (82, 1203); and John Rivera (86, 1200) of the Beasts.
The 1500 group consists of Josh Kerr (18, 1310) of the Brooks Beasts; Washington alum Luke Houser (43, 1251); Sam Prakel (49, 1242) and Kieran Lumb (55, 1235) of Andy Powell's pro group; former Husky Sam Tanner (59, 1228); UW senior Nathan Green (61, 1227); and Husky alums Joe Waskom (96, 1192) and Sam Ellis (98, 1189).
Of those in contention, Miller was second at the US indoor championships, and fifth at the world indoor championships in Nanjing. He was fifth at the US outdoor championships in perhaps the greatest national championship race, and was second at the NACAC championships.
Rivera, Houser, and Prakel all competed at the world indoors, with Houser scoring an unlooked for bronze medal in the 1500 in Nanjing.
Kerr, who was one of the faces of the ill-fated Grand Slam Track circuit, won the Miami stop and was second in Philadelphia in the two race (800/1500) format, and made the finals of the 1500 at the world championships, where the defending world champion essentially limped the last 500 meters after aggravating a calf injury sustained in the semifinals.
O'Toole, Tanner and Lumb all competed at the world outdoors in Tokyo, while Green won his second NCAA outdoor 1500 title.
Brandon Miller receives his first Mercanator in this category, taking over the mantle from his Brooks Beast teammate.
Top Performer--DISTANCE (3000 steeple-marathon)
Eight men received consideration in this category: steeplechasers Kenneth Rooks from College Place (24, 1242), Washington alums Aaron Ahl (27, 1232) and Ed Trippas (52, 1197); Parker Stokes (76, 1165) of the Brooks Beasts; and Cashmere native Rob McManus (93, 1142).
Washington alums Brian Fay (44, 1227) and Kieran Lumb (96, 1157), along with Washington State's Evans Kurui (90, 1162) were the other three considered in the distance category.
Rooks won yet another US national steeple title, and was third at the NACAC championships, essentially pacing both winner and training partner Daniel Michalski, along with Ahl, who were both looking to get under the world championship standard of 8:15.00.
The Olympic silver medalist unfortunately had a slight injury going into Tokyo, and did not make the finals.
Fay and Trippas both competed at the world championships in Tokyo, with Trippas setting an Australian national record in the steeple of 8:13.15.
Rooks earns his third straight Mercanator in the category.
TOP PERFORMER--OTHER EVENTS
Washington State alum CJ Allen (10,1327) earns yet another top performer award in the 400 hurdles. The Paris Olympian finished fourth at the USA championships, and was fourth at the Zürich Weltklasse Diamond League finals, where he was in a winner-take-all situation in order to compete at the world championships.
Ridgefield native Trey Knight (14, 1238) gets the nod for another top performer in the hammer. Knight uncorked a personal best 258-5 (78.76m) to finish second at the USA championships, and get the world championships standard. He parlayed that to a tenth place finish in Tokyo.
Despite an up and down season, Walla Walla native Dash Sirmon (57,1111), who finished third at the Big Ten championships and 14th at the NCAA championships for the University of Nebraska, was second at the USA championships at 253-6 (77.28m). He also finished second at the NACAC championships in a last-chance effort to either throw the world championships standard of 280-6 (85.50m) or get inside the quota of 36 throwers to go to Tokyo.
University of Washington grad student Scott Toney (70, 1177) gets the top performer award in the pole vault. Toney won the Big Ten indoor championships, and was fourth at the Big Ten outdoor meet. After the NCAA outdoor meet where he finished eleventh, he set two straight personal bests in two meets in Chula Vista, going 18-9.5 (5.73m) on July 12th. He finished 11th at the USA championships, then made his pro debut in Beijing on September 7th, where he was seventh.
WOMEN:
Top Performer--MIDDLE DISTANCE (800-1500)
With the departure of Nia Akins of the Brooks Beasts to a new training group in the East Coast, Valery Tobias (54, 1215) of the Beasts and Washington alum Carley Thomas (71, 1199) were considered from the predominantly 800 meter group, while the 1500 group consisted of Washington's Sophie O'Sullivan (66, 1192), Amina Maatoug (81, 1179) and Chloe Foerster (94, 1165), and UW alum Eleanor Fulton (73, 1185).
From this list, a compelling argument could be made for either Tobias or O'Sullivan for the top performer.
Tobias finished second at the USA indoor championships, and was eighth in her semifinal at the world indoors. She was eighth at the USA outdoor championships and set a personal best of 1:59.49 at the Sound Running Track Fest.
O'Sullivan, who competed at both the world indoors and world outdoors, got on a roll in May and June, winning both the Big Ten and NCAA 1500 titles. Unfortunately, an injury suffered after the NCAAs caused her to miss a significant portion of training in the lead up to the Tokyo world championships.
O'Sullivan used a dive at the finish to advance to the semifinals in Tokyo, but the effects of missing training time exposed her in the semis.
O'Sullivan gets the top performer in the 800-1500 category.
Top Performer--STEEPLECHASE
For the third year in a row, the steeplechase group's been moved from the middle distance category in 2023, and the distance category last year.
Former Seattle Pacific standout Kaylee Mitchell (17, 1294), Woodinville native Olivia Markezich (19, 1292) and Washington's Maggie Liebich (94, 1132) were the three considered in the category.
Two significant performers from 2024 missing from the list were Pasco native and Paris Olympian Marisa Howard, who took maternity leave this year, and Washington alum Kayley DeLay of the Brooks Beasts, who had surgery after breaking her arm, and only raced one steeple this season. The majority of DeLay's racing in 2025 came over flat distances.
While Mitchell and Markezich were fairly close in the world rankings, the nod goes to Mitchell based on two head-to-head races: the Nike Prefontaine race where Mitchell was eighth in 9:08.66 to Markezich's 13th in 9:17.95; and the USA championships.
In the latter race, Mitchell was third in 9:11.36, while Markezich was fifth in 9:14.26.
Mitchell made the finals of the world championships in Tokyo, where she finished tenth. She gets the top performer award in the steeple.
TOP PERFORMER--DISTANCE (5000-10000-roads-Marathon)
While it may look like there's a lot of people under consideration, many of them are ranked in several events.
The 5000 group consists of: Lake Stevens native Taylor Roe (58, 1192); Allie Buchalski (62, 1187) of the Brooks Beasts; Washington alums Izzi Batt-Doyle (71, 1180) and Eleanor Fulton (88, 1165); and current Husky Chloe Thomas (83, 1170).
The 10000 group consists of: Roe (22, 1233); Batt-Doyle (29, 1221); and former Beast Jessica McClain (45, 1194).
Roe (28, 1215), Batt-Doyle (35, 1204), McClain (84, 1170) and Washington alum Amy-Eloise Neale (86, 1169) make up the road 10k-half marathon group, while Batt-Doyle (60, 1248) and McClain (70, 1242) earned world rankings in the marathon group.
The distance category came down to two people: Roe and Batt-Doyle. Taylor and Izzi only ran against each other once, at the Tokyo world championships 10000m, where Batt-Doyle was 17th and Roe one place behind.
Batt-Doyle ran two Australian national road records--a 1:07:17 in the half marathon in Marugame, Japan in February, and a 30:44 in May in Tokyo. Roe on the other hand, ran a 49:53 10 mile American record at the national championship race in Washington DC in April, and was fourth at the MasterCard women's 10k in New York in 30:58.
Roe gets the top performer in the distance category,
TOP PERFORMER--POLE VAULT
Five women with ties to the state received consideration in the pole vault: former Pullman resident and WSU volunteer coach Katie Moon (1, 1452); Washington's Hana (10, 1305) and Amanda (13, 1279) Moll; Washington alum Nastassja Campbell (51, 1122); and Washington State's Tatum Moku (65, 1104).
Despite the accomplishments of the Moll twins: each winning an NCAA indoor (Amanda) and outdoor (Hana) title; Amanda becoming the first collegian to clear 16 feet at the Big Ten indoor championships; and both tying for sixth at the world championships in Tokyo, Katie winning the world championships, the Wanda Diamond League finals and three Diamond League meets was too much for anyone to overcome.
Katie gets the top performer award in the pole vault.
TOP PERFORMER--OTHER EVENTS
In the 100 hurdles, two athletes were considered: former Washington State standout Charisma Taylor (35, 1242), and Cougar alum Maribel Caicedo (94, 1180).
Caicedo, making the transition from collegiate athlete to post-collegian, ran in the Miami stop of the Grand Slam Track circuit, then ran a season best 12.70 at the Music City Track Carnival in late May.
Though she was qualified for the world championships, she never made it to Tokyo due to a travel dispute with the Ecuadorian federation.
Taylor, who competed at the world championships for the Bahamas, gets the nod, though she would probably admit that her 2025 season wasn't as good as 2024, where she ran 12.63 in the semis at the Olympics.
In the 400 hurdles, Washington alum Gianna Woodruff (6, 1392) strung together one of the best seasons of her career, cumulating with a Panamanian national record in the semifinals of the world championships, running 52.65, then followed it up with a fifth place finish in the finals two days later, in 53.34.
Woodruff's highest placing on the Wanda Diamond League circuit in 2025 was a second place finish in Brussels in 53.89.
Washington freshman Sofia Cosculluela (61, 1101) gets the nod in the heptathlon after finishing second in the Spanish national championships, just missing her personal best of 6017 by 17 points. Cosculluela's clutch sixth place finish at the NCAA championships where she scored 5856 points were the final the Huskies needed to finish fourth to earn a podium finish for the first time in school history.
In the 35K race walk category, I was torn on this, as I'm not sure whether the world ranking points are stacked against the walkers, or the depth world wide isn't that good relative to the other events.
The event only has 30 athletes with a world ranking score of 1100 or better, while Maria Perez of Spain, who won the world championships in Tokyo, has the top world rankings score in the event at 1421, with Antonella Palmisano of Italy second at 1372.
Olympia resident Katie Burnett is clearly the top American (45, 1047) in the world rankings, but doesn't have a world ranking above 1100 points. Burnett competed in six races at the distance, clocking a best of 3:04:17.75 on the track in May.
Burnett competed at the world championships in Tokyo, finishing 32nd in 3:14:13, and was the third American.
Burnett gets the nod in this category.
AND, THE 2025 MEN'S AND WOMEN'S MERCANATORS GO TO...
MEN
If you thought that the 2024 men's Mercanator was close between Josh Kerr and Kenneth Rooks, the 2025 Mercanator was closer, with Kerr, CJ Allen and Brandon Miller the final three.
There were just as many arguments as to why the trio shouldn't get the Mercanator as the state's top male track and field athlete of the 2025 season.
In the case of both Allen and Miller, neither one competed at the one major championship that mattered--the World Athletics outdoor championships in Tokyo, as both Miller (5th) and Allen (4th) in the 800 and 400 hurdles, respectively, at the Toyota USA Championships in Eugene in August.
Kerr, who was the 2023 world champion in the 1500, had a bye into the meet, but had the misfortune of getting injured at the finish of the semifinals, then aggravated it in the finals and finished last.
Even with the injury, Kerr quite honestly didn't race as much, putting most of the emphasis on the Grand Slam Track series meets in Kingston, Miami, and Philadelphia, where he was one of the faces of the upstart league.
His only non-GST races before the world championships were a 1500 at the London Diamond League meet, where he finished second in 3:29.37, and the British championships, where he cruised to victory in the 5000m, where he ran 13:44.73.
Allen ran the Kingston and Philadelphia stops of the Grand Slam Track circuit, then ran five Diamond League meets: two in China, plus Doha, Eugene and the Diamond League finals in Zürich, with his highest placing in Zürich where he finished fourth.
After finishing fourth at the USA championships, Allen had to win out in Zürich to run at the world championships as a wild card.
Allen won the NACAC championships.
Miller finished second in the 800 at the USA indoor championships and fifth at the world indoors in Nanjing. He finished fourth at the Diamond League meet in Rabat, Morocco, and was fifth in perhaps the greatest 800 meter race contested in USA championship meet history.
At the nationals, Miller was in prime position for a spot on the world championship team, but the top three all went under 1:43, with Miller towed to a new personal best of 1:43.14, the 18th fastest time in the world in 2025.
The 2025 men's Mercanator for the top track and field athlete will go to CJ Allen and Brandon Miller.
Here's Allen's season stats, and here's Miller's season stats.
Both Allen and Miller are first time recipients of the Mercanator.
WOMEN
The 2025 women's Mercanator as the top track and field athlete goes to former Pullman resident and world champion Katie Moon.
In addition to winning her third career world outdoor championship in Tokyo in the pole vault, she won the Diamond League finals in Zürich, for the second time in her career.
Moon, a former volunteer coach at Washington State, also won the US indoor championship, and won Diamond League meets in Rabat, Paris, and Brussels. Her only losses in Diamond League competition came in Doha and London, where she finished second.
Moon receives her sixth career Mercanator, winning the award in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2024 along with a Top Box award from the COVID truncated 2020 season.
She breaks the tie with Kara Winger by winning her sixth career Mercanator Award.
Before ending the Mercanators, here's the all time list of Mercanator Award winners:
2025--Brandon Miller/CJ Allen, Katie Moon
2024--Josh Kerr, Katie Moon
2023--Josh Kerr, Katie Moon
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
The 2026 season is already underway with notable marks set indoors by Seattle resident Sam Prakel in the 3000 and Washington's Chloe Thomas in the 5000 in Boston.
The field events also have some early season fireworks, with the Huskies' Jimmy Rhoads and Eli Gault-Crabb showing out in the pole vault.
The world cross country championships happens on January 10th in Tallahassee, Florida, with Thomas (Canada), along with UW alums Brian Fay (Ireland) and India Weir (Great Britain) ready to roll.
2026 will also see major meets within driving range, led by the NCAA outdoor championships, the Nike Prefontaine Classic, and the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, all in Eugene.
The 2026 track and field season ends with the first ever World Athletics Ultimate Championships September 11-13th in Budapest, Hungary featuring world and Olympic champions, and Diamond League winners, with the rest of the field filled based on the current world rankings with no country quotas in place.
With that, we look forward to following and chronicling this season for you both on paulmerca.blogspot.com and on our Buy Me A Coffee premium site.
NOTE: World Athletics, USA Track & Field, Track & Field News, and TFRRS contributed to this report.
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All photos by Paul Merca, except as noted.
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