Top 10 US Athletes of 2025 (10-6)

Cole’s stoolThe 2025 season unfolded as a long exercise in patience before reaching its defining moment. Inside, there were early signs that its range was expanding. In Boston, Hawker ran a personal best of 12:57.82 in the 5,000m, a performance that showed the power beyond the 1,500m that had brought him Olympic gold the previous summer.

Outside, however, results were more difficult to achieve. Hawker went through the Grand Slam track series without a win, a six-race effort but no wins. At the US Championships, she failed to secure the national title in the 1500m, leaving questions about form and timing as the season drew to a close.

Those doubts deepened in Tokyo. In the semi-finals of the 1500m at the World Championships, Hawker was disqualified after contact as he crossed the closing gap, ending his 1500m hopes. The decision left him with one option. 5000 m final.

On a wet Sunday night at the National Stadium, he waited. The pace remained controlled, the pack refused to break and the contenders stayed close. Hawker buried deep while running a lap. Over the final 400 meters, he unleashed a no-holds-barred charge, closing in 52.6 seconds to win in 12:58.30.

That race transformed his season and secured Hawker a No. 10 spot among America’s 2025 Track and Field Athletes, earned through timing, belief and execution when it mattered most.

9. Joe Kovacs (shooting)

Joe Kovacs entered 2025, knowing that the margin of error is small. The year started slowly. Early matches in Halle, Rabat, Rome and Estonia produced solid throws, but none lived up to his expectations. The distances were respectable, although it felt like something was missing. At this stage in his career, Kovacs is honest about his body and careful about his training.

The breakthrough moment came in May at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene. There, Kovac found his rhythm and threw 22.48m, the second longest in the world this year. It gave him his fourth Prefontaine title and reminded the field that he still had power to spare.

The USA didn’t go their way, costing them a spot at the World Championships, but Kovacs continued to compete. Victories in Budapest and Lausanne followed, and his season culminated in Zurich. In the Diamond League final, he threw 22.46m to win the title, making five legal throws over 21.60m.

He didn’t make it to Tokyo, but he finished 2025 with a little more success and is ranked 9th on our list.

8. Cooper Lutkenhaus (800 m)

8th place was a tie Cooper Lutkenhaus and: Josh Hoy. While both ran the 800m and Hoy had a fabulous indoor season, Lutkenhaus had an unprecedented season where he made it to the World Championships.

Lutkenhaus’ 2025 season unfolded faster than anyone expected, including those closest to him. The year began quietly, with Lutkenhaus still balancing high school life at Northwestern High School in Justin, Texas, and steady progress in the 800 meters. Then everything changed at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships.

Running against the deepest national field assembled all year, the 16-year-old finished second in the men’s 800m in 1:42.27. The time broke the under-18 world record and made him the fourth-fastest American ever, regardless of age. He defeated established stars including Bryce Hoeppel, Josh Hoe and Brandon Miller to set a mark that would have been the American record just a year ago.

This performance earned him the World Championships in Tokyo, where he progressed to a blistering seventh place in his race, gaining valuable experience on the world stage. Lutkenhaus soon turned professional, signing with Nike after discussions with his family.

For a high school junior to reach these heights in one season, Lutkenhaus is a solid No. 8 among America’s Best in 2025.

7. Jacory Patterson (400m).

Jacory PattersonThe 2025 season began without much focus on him. He trained while working night shifts loading UPS trucks, building his season the same way he lived, one rep at a time. Few expected the turn of events and how he went on to dominate the men’s 400m for most of the season.

At the Grand Slam in Miami, Patterson announced himself by winning the 400 meters in 43.98 seconds, a personal best and the fastest time in the world at that time of the year. The performance earned him $50,000 and confidence heading into the summer. At the U.S. Championships in Eugene, he backed it up, running 44.16 to win his first national title against a deep field. He followed it up with another convincing win in the Diamond League.

Despite being expected to make the podium in Tokyo, he finished seventh in 44.70 while helping the US men’s 4x400m relay to silver in 2:57.83, capping a season built on work and faith.

That journey earns Patterson the No. 7 spot among America’s Best in 2025, shaped by speed and tenacity.

6. Grant Fisher (5000 m)

Grant Fisher’s 2025 indoor season began with one of the most remarkable weeks in distance running history. In early February, he set the 3000m world record in 7:22.91 at the Millrose Games, beating Cole Hawker in a grueling sprint. Six days later in Boston, Fisher went even further, breaking the 5,000-meter world record in 12:44.09, erasing a mark that had stood for more than two decades.

Outside, results were strong, if occasionally disappointing. At the US Championships in Eugene, Fisher finished second in the 10,000m behind Nico Young after leading deep into the final lap. He followed up with another runner-up finish in the 5,000, this time behind Hawker, again running to the front and battling to the line.

At the World Championships in Tokyo, Fisher sought her first world medal on the track. He stayed involved in both the 10,000 and 5,000, but fell late and finished eighth in each. The season ranks him No. 6 among America’s Best, built on a record-breaking streak and top-level consistent presence.