Jesse Owens Award

The award bears Jesse Owens' name.
This article is about the annual track and field award. For Big Ten Conference Athlete of the Year, see Big Ten Athlete of the Year.

The Jesse Owens Award is an annual track and field award that is the highest accolade given out by USA Track and Field (USATF).[1] As the country's highest award for the sport, it bears Jesse Owens' name in recognition of his significant career, which included four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games.[2] First awarded in 1981 to hurdler Edwin Moses, it was created to recognize the season's top American performer in track and field competitions. In 1996, the award was divided into two categories, with both a male and female winner. The 1996 winners, Michael Johnson and Gail Devers, each won two gold medals at that year's Olympics in Atlanta.[3] Up to 2008, the award was voted on by members of the United States athletics media only, but in 2009 fans were able to vote via the USA Track and Field website, with their opinions contributing 10% of the overall result.[4]

The winners of the award are typically announced in late November or early December after the end of the outdoor track and field season. A number of athletes have received the award on more than one occasion: Jackie Joyner-Kersee was the first to do so with back-to-back wins in 1986 and 1987, while Carl Lewis won his second award in 1991. Michael Johnson was the first to receive the award three times (winning consecutively from 1994–1996) and Marion Jones became the first woman to collect three awards after wins in 1997, 1998 and 2002. In 2010, Allyson Felix won the award for the third time. The most recent winners are Jesse Williams and Carmelita Jeter. Winners receive a replica of the award while the original remains on permanent display at the USATF Headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana.[5]

Starting in 2013, the female version of the award began being called the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Athlete of the Year Award.

List of recipients

the Jesse Owens Award banquet, 2011
Joan Benoit won in 1984 after becoming the first female Olympic champion in the marathon.[6]
Michael Johnson won the award three years running.
Allyson Felix received the award in 2005, 2007 and 2010.
Year Male winner Female winner Ref.
1981 Moses, EdwinEdwin Moses — [7]
1982 Lewis, CarlCarl Lewis — [8]
1983 — Decker, MaryMary Decker [9]
1984 — Benoit, JoanJoan Benoit [10]
1985 Banks, WillieWillie Banks — [11]
1986 — Joyner-Kersee, JackieJackie Joyner-Kersee [12]
1987 — Joyner-Kersee, JackieJackie Joyner-Kersee [12]
1988 — Griffith Joyner, FlorenceFlorence Griffith Joyner [13]
1989 Kingdom, RogerRoger Kingdom — [14]
1990 — Jennings, LynnLynn Jennings [15]
1991 Lewis, CarlCarl Lewis — [8]
1992 Young, KevinKevin Young — [16]
1993 — Devers, GailGail Devers [17]
1994 Johnson, MichaelMichael Johnson — [18]
1995 Johnson, MichaelMichael Johnson — [18]
1996 Johnson, MichaelMichael Johnson Devers, GailGail Devers [18]
1997 Johnson, AllenAllen Johnson Jones, MarionMarion Jones [19]
1998 Godina, JohnJohn Godina Jones, MarionMarion Jones [20]
1999 Greene, MauriceMaurice Greene Miller, IngerInger Miller [21]
2000 Taylor, AngeloAngelo Taylor Dragila, StacyStacy Dragila [22]
2001 Godina, JohnJohn Godina Dragila, StacyStacy Dragila [23]
2002 Montgomery, TimTim Montgomery Jones, MarionMarion Jones [24]
2003 Pappas, TomTom Pappas Kastor, DeenaDeena Kastor [25]
2004 Gatlin, JustinJustin Gatlin Hayes, JoannaJoanna Hayes [26]
2005 Gatlin, JustinJustin Gatlin Felix, AllysonAllyson Felix [27]
2006 Wariner, JeremyJeremy Wariner Richards, SanyaSanya Richards [28]
2007 Gay, TysonTyson Gay Felix, AllysonAllyson Felix [29]
2008 Clay, BryanBryan Clay Brown Trafton, StephanieStephanie Brown Trafton [30]
2009 Gay, TysonTyson Gay Richards, SanyaSanya Richards [4]
2010 Oliver, DavidDavid Oliver Felix, AllysonAllyson Felix [5]
2011 Williams, JesseJesse Williams Jeter, CarmelitaCarmelita Jeter [31]
2012 Eaton, AshtonAshton Eaton Felix, AllysonAllyson Felix [32]
Year Jesse Owens Award Jackie Joyner-Kersee Award Ref.
2013 Merritt, LaShawnLaShawn Merritt Rollins, BriannaBrianna Rollins [33]
2014 Keflezighi, MebrahtomMebrahtom Keflezighi Simpson, JenniferJennifer Simpson [34]

References

General

Specific

  1. ↑ "Jesse Owens Award". USA Track and Field. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Gay, Richards win 2009 Jesse Owens Awards". USA Track and Field. November 19, 2009. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Gay, Richards selected USA Athletes of the Year". International Association of Athletics Federations. November 20, 2009. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Gay, Richards earn 2009 Owens awards". Sydney Morning Herald. November 20, 2009. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Felix, Oliver win 2010 Jesse Owens Awards". USA Track and Field. November 16, 2010. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
  6. ↑ Stewart, Megan (November 3, 2010). "Athletes honoured for their role in women's sports". Vancouver Courier. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  7. ↑ "First Jesse Owens Award voted to unbeaten hurdler". Baltimore Afro-American. December 15, 1981. p. 14. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Sports People; Track & Field; Carl Lewis Wins Jesse Owens Award". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. December 8, 1991. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  9. ↑ Woolum, p. 221.
  10. ↑ "Benoit wins Owens Award". Anchorage Daily News. December 2, 1984. p. C9. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Sports People; A Triple for Banks". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. December 8, 1985. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Joyner-Kersee wins Owens Award again". Gainesville Sun. December 13, 1987. p. 5E. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Track and Field; Griffith Joyner Is Honored". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. February 22, 1989. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Kingdom wins Owens award". Pittsburgh Press. December 1, 1989. p. C2. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  15. ↑ Woolum, p. 154.
  16. ↑ "Plus: Track and Field; Hurdler Wins Award". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. December 6, 1992. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Johnson, Devers win Jesse Owens awards". Lodi News-Sentinel. December 7, 1996. p. 11. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 "Johnson, Devers win track awards". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. December 6, 1996. p. 2C.
  19. ↑ "Plus: Roundup – Track and Field; Owens Winners Are Chosen". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. December 3, 1997. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Plus: Track; Jones and Godina Are Honored". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. December 2, 1998. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Plus: Track and Field; Jesse Owens Awards – Greene and Miller Winners for 1999". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. December 2, 1999. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  22. ↑ Elliott, Helene (December 1, 2000). "Dragila, Taylor Earn Owens Award". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  23. ↑ "Plus: Track and Field; Dragila and Godina Win Owens Award". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. November 30, 2001. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  24. ↑ "Plus: Track and Field; Training Partners Win Owens Awards". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. December 4, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  25. ↑ "Track Awards Go to Pappas, Drossin Kastor". Los Angeles Times. December 2, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  26. ↑ "Gatlin, Hayes capture national awards". Chicago Tribune. November 30, 2004. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  27. ↑ "Sports Briefing". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. November 29, 2005. Retrieved November 3, 2009.
  28. ↑ "Jesse Owens Awards go to Richards and Wariner". International Association of Athletics Federations. November 28, 2006. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  29. ↑ "Briefs". The Seattle Times. November 20, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  30. ↑ "Beijing champions Clay and Brown Trafton, winners of 2008 Jesse Owens Awards". International Association of Athletics Federations. November 19, 2008. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  31. ↑ Williams and Jeter win 2011 Jesse Owens Awards. IAAF/USATF (November 8, 2011). Retrieved on November 8, 2011.
  32. ↑ Felix and Eaton win 2012 Jesse Owens Award. IAAF (November 13, 2012). Retrieved on November 28, 2012.
  33. ↑ Rollins and Merritt win 2013 USATF athlete of the year awards. IAAF (December 2, 2013). Retrieved on February 13, 2014.
  34. ↑ http://www.usatf.org/News/Keflezighi,-Simpson-Named-2014-USATF-Jesse-Owens-a.aspx

External links