Emma Coburn, Sam Kendricks capture USA Track and Field’s top awards

INDIANAPOLIS – World champions Emma Coburn and Sam Kendricks were voted USA Track and Field’s top athletes for 2017.

Coburn captured the steeplechase title at the London world championships in August. Kendricks finished the season undefeated in the pole vault, picking up a world title along the way.

The winners were determined by a media and fan vote. They will be honored at a banquet on Dec. 2 in Columbus, Ohio.

Coburn of Crested Butte, Colorado, led a 1-2 finish in London. She took over the lead on the final water jump and held off teammate Courtney Frerichs. It marked the first time Americans have finished 1-2 in a steeplechase at the worlds or the Olympics.

Kendricks of Oxford, Mississippi, finished 17-0. He also serves as a reserve in the U.S. Army.