Below are three stellar candidates looking for your votes. These candidates all put up amazing performances at the State Meet and rank among the best in CA regardless of class. 

MileSplitCA Athletes of the Year candidates are selected based off criteria to include performances at the State Meet, section championships, and rankings within the class in CA and nationally. 

This poll is open until Thursday at 3 p.m. 

ANDREAS DYBDAHL

Santa Barbara (SS)

For as surprising as this may be, there was only one non-senior to win a boys individual event title at the 2023 CIF-State Championships. Andreas was that guy, dropping a 4:08.64 PR to win the 1600m title at the State Meet. He needed a 56.89 final-lap split to hold off a pack where three guys ran sub-4:09 and eight guys went sub 4:11. Dybdahl's time ranks CA No. 3 in the class, No. 6 overall, and U.S. No. 18 in the class.

XAI RICKS

Long Beach Poly (SS)

Xai emerged as a versatile elite long sprinter during the unofficial winter season and carried that all the way through his final 46.94 anchor leg to carry Poly to the 4x400m title at State, a 3:12.99 time that ranks U.S. No. 9. Ricks did that only short minutes after running on the Jackrabbits' 4x800m relay team that placed fourth in 7:40.57. Individually, he placed second in the 400m at 46.06. That time ranks U.S. No. 9 overall and No. 2 in the class. His 800m best of 1:49.19 to win at APU ranks CA No. 2 overall and U.S. No. 3 in the class. 

JORDAN WASHINGTON

Long Beach Jordan (SS)

Jordan has emerged the past two seasons as one of the fastest combination sprinters in CA state history. He's also been chasing arguably the fastest in senior Rodrick Pleasant of Serra (SS). Washington has held his own, earning State Meet medals in both sprints each of the last two years. This spring, he twice blistered 10.24 PRs, the first to defend his SS Division 2 title, and the second as runner-up to Pleasant at SS Masters. That time slots him as the No. 2 wind-legal 100m sprinter in state history. He went on to place second at State for the second consecutive year, running 10.30, which would have equaled the meet record had Pleasant not run 10.20 for the title. In the 200m, Jordan ran 20.76 (2.4) to win the Southern Section Division 2 title, and 20.81 (1.5) for second at SS Masters. Both times rank second in CA to Pleasant. At State, Jordan ran 21.06 for a second consecutive fourth-place medal.