USATF announces 2023 Jesse Owens and Jackie Joyner-Kersee Awards, Coach of Year, Youth Athlete of Year, and Masters of Year awards

Double world champion and world bronze medalist Sha’Carri Richardson has been named the 2023 Jackie Joyner-Kersee Female Athlete of the Year, while triple world champion Noah Lyles will be honored as the Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row. Coach Dennis Mitchell has been named the 2023 USATF Nike Coach of the Year, young sprint sensation Shawnti Jackson is named Youth Athlete of the Year and Masters standouts Jenny Hitchings and Sue McDonald are named Masters Athletes of the Year.

The recipients will be honored at the 2023 USATF Night of Legends on Saturday, December 2 in Orlando, Florida as a part of the USATF Annual Meeting. All Annual Meeting attendees are invited to attend the event at no cost to celebrate alongside the winners.

2023 Jackie Joyner-Kersee Female Athlete of the Year Award: Sha’Carri Richardson

A dominant Sha’Carri Richardson took over the world stage in 2023 and gave a glimpse at what was to come later in the season with a windy 10.57 (+4.1) at the Miramar Invitational early in the season in April. 23-year-old Richardson had 12 wind-legal sub-11 clockings in the 100 through the 2023 season, capped off by a 10.65 to take gold at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest and move her to No. 5 on the world all-time performer list. Throughout the season Richardson took the 100 crown at three separate Diamond League meetings and won the USATF Nike Women’s 100 title in 10.82. With Budapest 200 bronze, Richardson became the first American woman to medal in both sprints since Carmelita Jeter took gold and silver in 2011. In one of the most memorable moments of Budapest 23, Richardson anchored the U.S. women’s 4×100 to gold in a world-leading 41.03 to pull off a glorious USA 4×100 sweep.

2023 Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year Award: Noah Lyles

For the second season in a row, Noah Lyles went undefeated in the 200, tallying six sub-20 clockings throughout the season including a world-leading 19.47 at the London Diamond League. His ability to excel from the 60 to the 200 proved to many that Lyles is not solely a 200 specialist. In a span of six days at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, Lyles added three world titles to his already-impressive resume to become a six-time world champion at the…