Thirteen of the 16 names on this list of nominees for DyeStat College Track and Field Athlete of the Year advanced all the way to the Olympic Games

By Adam Schneider of DyeStat

Vote for the DyeStat College Performer of the Year below after reviewing this year's nominees

It was another sparkling year for college track and field and cross country. Thirteen of the 16 names on this list of nominees for DyeStat College Track and Field Athlete of the Year advanced all the way to the Olympic Games. Please vote for your favorite.

Devon Allen (Oregon)

He returned from an ACL surgery to win his second NCAA Championship in the 110-meter hurdles and then won the Olympic Trials title in a personal-best 13.03 on the way to Rio de Janeiro, where he placed fifth in the final.

Donavan Brazier (Texas A&M)

A stunning freshman year saw him run a collegiate (and American Junior) record in the 800 meters when he clocked 1:43.55 on June 10 in the NCAA final. Although he did not make the Olympic team, he finished the year ranked 10th in the world.

Edward Cheserek (Oregon)

The Ducks' distance running star won the NCAA outdoor 5,000/10,000 double for the second straight year in 2016 and concluded his junior season with 15 national titles. He also won three races at NCAA Indoors – the 3,000, 5,000 and the Distance Medley Relay. He also became the first runner in Pac-12 history to win four conference cross country titles.

Ryan Crouser (Texas)

He concluded his college eligibility in the winter with an NCAA Indoor title in the shot put, but that didn't portend what was to come later. After graduating with a Master's degree in May, he turned his attention to full-time training and made rapid progress toward an Olympic Trials victory and his first berth on a U.S. senior team. In Rio, he broke the Olympic record with his 73-10.75 on the way to a gold medal. 

Courtney Frerichs (New Mexico)

She broke the college record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with her 9:24.41 in the NCAA final and then ran even faster to place second at the Olympic Trials (9:20.92). In Rio, she finished 11th in the final.

Akela Jones (Kansas State)

The Olympian from Barbados logged the sixth-best heptathlon score in NCAA history at the Mt. SAC Relays in April (6,307 points). She also won the NCAA Indoor title in the high jump by clearing 6-1.50 after setting the collegiate pentathlon high jump record with a 6-6 clearance. In Rio, she placed 20th in the Olympic heptathlon and also competed in the high jump.

Jarrion Lawson (Arkansas)

The Bowerman Award winner became the first athlete since Jesse Owens in 1935-36 to sweep the men's NCAA titles in the 100 meters, 200 meters and long jump. He made the Olympic team in the long jump and went on to place fourth in Rio, but did finish the year with the best wind-legal mark in the world at 28-1.75.

Maggie Malone (Texas A&M)

She became the first woman to win javelin titles at the NCAA Championships and the Olympic Trials in the same year. With her winning throw at NCAAs (204 feet), Malone set the American collegiate record and moved to No. 4 on the all-time U.S. list. In Rio, she placed 25th.   

Clayton Murphy (Akron)

In two years since 2014, he lowered his 800-meter PR by an astonishing seven seconds and chased down the bronze medal in Rio with 1:42.93 – fifth fastest ever by an American. It had taken a lifetime best 1:44.76 to win the Olympic Trials two months prior. Before that, he flashed his speed to win an epic NCAA 1,500 meters in 3:36.38. His first NCAA title came at the indoor championships in March when he won the 800 in 1:46.68. 

Courtney Okolo (Texas)

She won the Bowerman Award on the heels of winning NCAA titles indoors and outdoors in the 400 meters. She ran four of the top 10 times in college history in the 400 meters (outdoors), including the record 49.71 seconds, making her No. 3 in the world for the year. She won gold medals on the U.S. women's 4x400 relay team at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland and the Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero. 

Keturah Orji (Georgia)

The sophomore broke the American triple jump record on the way to fourth place in the Olympic Games at 48-3.25. She owns five of the seven longest jumps in U.S. history and has won two straight NCAA triple jump crowns. She also placed fourth at the IAAF World Indoor Championships. 

Raven Saunders (Ole Miss)

In two years of college, she has won back-to-back NCAA shot put titles for different schools (Southern Illinois in 2015). She made her first Olympic team and threw 63-6 for fifth place in Rio. Just 20 years old, she is already No. 8 on the all-time U.S. list. 

Karissa Schweizer (Missouri)

With a well-timed kick, she passed four runners in the final 400 meters to claim the NCAA women's cross country championship in 19:41.6. She also won SEC and NCAA Midwest Regional titles.

Dominique Scott (Arkansas)

One year after finishing second in both races, the senior swept the NCAA 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters to help the Razorbacks secure the national team title. The South African also qualified to compete at the Olympic Games and was 21st in the 10,000 meters in Rio. 

Patrick Tiernan (Villanova)

He denied Edward Cheserek's bid for a fourth straight NCAA cross country championship by running to victory in 29:22, improving one spot from 2015. 

Ariana Washington (Oregon)

She upset the form chart to sweep the 100- and 200-meter titles at the NCAA Championships, becoming the first woman to win both races since 1998. Her bid to make the Olympic team came up a bit short as she finished fifth in the 200 and sixth in the 100 at the Trials, but she was named to the Olympic relay pool for the 4x100.