Simon Rosselli, Kaahliyah Lacy Named High School On SI National Track and Field Athletes of the Year

Washington throwing star and California hurdling phenom separate themselves from a national field loaded with elite performers.

Few athletes controlled their events like Simon Rosselli this spring. The Mead senior finished as the nation's No. 1 discus thrower and No. 3 shot putter, capping a season that ranks among the best ever by a U.S. high school thrower. | Simon Rosselli

Track and field rarely produces athletes who can separate themselves from a national field loaded with elite talent. In 2026, two athletes did exactly that.

Mead High School senior Simon Rosselli and San Jacinto Valley Academy sophomore Kaahliyah Lacy have been voted the High School On SI National Track and Field Athletes of the Year after delivering seasons that ranked among the most impressive in the United States.

Rosselli Dominates the Throws

For Rosselli, the award recognizes one of the most complete throwing seasons of the 2026 high school season.

The Washington standout finished the year ranked No. 1 nationally in the discus and No. 3 nationally in the shot put.

Rosselli's personal bests of 225 feet, 6 inches in the discus and 68 feet, 9 inches in the shot put place him fourth on the all-time high school combined performance list. Throughout the spring, he consistently won major invitationals and excelled against the nation's top throwers in both events.

His discus mark stood among the premier throws in prep history, while his shot put series demonstrated the kind of week-to-week consistency that separates great throwers from historic ones. Rosselli will continue his career at Oregon, where he projects as an immediate contributor in the throws.

In a year filled with elite sprinters, distance runners and jumpers, Rosselli's ability to perform at a national-title level in two separate events made him one of the most versatile field-event athletes in the country.

Lacy Emerges as a National Star

On the girls side, Lacy emerged as one of the nation's most electrifying hurdlers despite being only a sophomore.

The San Jacinto Valley Academy standout put together a season that showcased both elite speed and remarkable versatility. She finished the year ranked No. 1 nationally in the 300-meter hurdles with a blazing 39.93, one of the fastest performances in the event by any high school athlete this decade.

Lacy was equally dangerous in the sprint hurdles, running 13.32 in the 100-meter hurdles to rank No. 7 nationally and No. 2 in California. Those performances established her as one of the rare athletes capable of excelling in both hurdle disciplines at the highest level.

What makes Lacy's season even more impressive is the range of events in which she contributed. Beyond her hurdle dominance, she posted marks of 11.55 in the 100 meters, 25.20 in the 200 and 58.58 in the 400, demonstrating her versatility across multiple sprint events.

While many national contenders built their resumes around one signature performance, Lacy spent the season proving she could win virtually every time she stepped on the track. Lacy also moved to No. 2 all-time in California history in the event, surpassing the prep best of future Olympic medalist Lashinda Demus' personal best in the event now No. 2 all-time in California history with two more years to go.

A Season Worth Remembering

The fan vote ultimately reflected what the rankings already suggested: Rosselli and Lacy were not simply among the nation's best athletes. Their accomplishments stood apart even in a year filled with elite performances.

Rosselli leaves high school as one of the greatest dual-event throwers the sport has seen, while Lacy appears poised to become one of the next stars of American hurdling.

Together, they represent the 2026 High School On SI National Track and Field Athletes of the Year.