Sprint Stars Earn 2018 College Performer of the Year Awards

Track and field fans voiced their choices in this week's DyeStat's Pro Performer of the Year poll, while DyeStat's editors made their own selection.

Readers’ Choice: Sydney McLaughlin

With 49.80 percent of the vote, Sydney McLaughlin won our Readers’ Choice vote, beating Michael Norman with his second-place tally of 29.92 percent.

It only took one year for McLaughlin to put her stamp on the NCAA. After a storied high school career in the hurdles, she took her talents to Kentucky where she joined an impressive group of college and professional athletes.

It was the outdoor season where McLaughlin really began to shine. She opened at the Florida Relays where she doubled in the 200 and 400 meters, running 22.39 and 50.07. Two weeks later at the Tennessee Relays, McLaughlin ran a wind-aided 11.07 in the 100 meters, showing the impressive range we see from the likes of Allyson Felix.

It was at the National Relay Championships that McLaughlin made her season debut in the 400-meter hurdles. She ran 53.60, a personal best and the fourth-best time ever run by a collegian. However, it turned out that was just the beginning.

Competing at the SEC Outdoor Championships, McLaughlin improved on that mark, running 52.75 to take nearly a half-second off the collegiate record. It also equaled the mark of the ninth-best performer of all-time, Shamier Little.

Entering the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships, it had not been clear which events McLaughlin was going to compete in. Her best event was the 400-meter hurdles, but she would have also been competitive in the 200 and 400 meters. In the end, she and her coaches decided to have her race the 400 hurdles. She won the NCAA title in the rain in 53.96.

McLaughlin turned pro following the NCAA season. She has now signed with New Balance and has moved to Los Angeles.

Editors’ Choice: Michael Norman

McLaughlin was a great choice by the DyeStat Readers. She had a great season. However, the DyeStat Editors wish to highlight another athlete, Michael Norman.

Norman took two years in the college ranks to make his big splash. As a freshman at USC, he finished fourth in the 400 meters at the 2017 NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships. This year, he made significant improvements.

It started indoors for Norman. He only competed in two meets indoors. He opened with a 45.00 clocking for 400 meters. Norman then broke the world indoor record at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships. He also anchored the USC 4x400 relay team to breaking that world record as well. Neither record has been ratified by the IAAF.

Outdoors, Norman ran a strong campaign throughout the spring, competing in the 200 and 400 meters and the 4x400 relay. Until the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships, Norman's best races came at the Pac-12 Outdoor Championships. He ran an impressive double of 44.40 for 400 meters and 19.84 for a wind-aided 200 meters.

When it came to the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships, the final meet at Hayward Field before the rebuild, Norman made his final statement. He won the 400 meters in a collegiate-record 43.61. He also anchored the winning 4x400 relay to a collegiate-record 2:59.00.

Norman has turned professional following his sophomore season and has signed with Nike. He is still attending classes at USC to complete his degree and continues to train with Trojans' coaches Caryl Smith Gilbert and Quincy Watts.