The Department of the Air Force Athlete of the Year is a yearly award for the best male and female athlete of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force.[1] Many winners were part of the United States Air Force World Class Athlete Program. Until 2021 it was named United States Air Force Athlete of the Year.
| Year | Rank | Name | Sport(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | data-sort-value="O4" | Sergeant[2] | data-sort-value="Pecinovsky, Steven" | Steven Pecinovsky | Race walking | [3] | |
| 1990 | data-sort-value="E5-9" | Sergeant | data-sort-value="Stehman, Todd" | Todd Stehman | Indoor volleyball | [4] | |
| 1991 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Roy, William" | William Burton Roy | Shooting | [5] | |
| 1992 | |||||||
| 1993 | |||||||
| 1994 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Buonaugurio, Michael" | Michael Buonaugurio | Triathlon | [6] | |
| 1995 | data-sort-value="E5" | Staff sergeant | data-sort-value="Simms, Ronald" | Ronald Simms | Boxing | ||
| 1996 | data-sort-value="O2" | First Lieutenant | data-sort-value="DeGraaf, David" | David DeGraaf | Handball | [7] | |
| 1997 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Cucuzella, Mark T." | Mark T. Cucuzella | Marathon | [8] | |
| 1998 | |||||||
| 1999 | data-sort-value="O1" | Second Lieutenant | data-sort-value="Dickie, Robert L." | Robert L. Dickie III | Cross country running Track and Field | [9] | |
| 2000 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Goodman, Stephen" | Stephen Goodman | Triathlon | [10] | |
| 2001 | data-sort-value="E5-9" | Sergeant | data-sort-value="Woods, Steven B." | Steven B. Woods | Wrestling | [11] | |
| 2002 | data-sort-value="E5" | Staff sergeant | data-sort-value="Patrick, Anthony D." | Anthony D. Patrick | Softball | [12] [13] | |
| 2003 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Eastler, Kevin" | Kevin Eastler | Race walking | [14] [15] | |
| 2004 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Parker, James" | James Parker | Hammer throwing | [16] | |
| 2005 | data-sort-value="O4" | Major | data-sort-value="Sherman, Roger" | Roger Sherman | Shooting | [17] [18] | |
| 2006 | data-sort-value="E7a" | Master sergeant | data-sort-value="Bedford, Martin" | Martin Bedford | Bowling | [19] [20] | |
| 2007 | data-sort-value="O1" | Second Lieutenant | data-sort-value="Corigliano, Ken" | Ken Corigliano | Triathlon | [21] | |
| 2008 | data-sort-value="E6" | Technical sergeant | data-sort-value="Bergquist, Michael" | Michael Bergquist | Road cycling | [22] [23] | |
| 2009 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Holt, Ian" | Ian Holt | Road cycling | [24] | |
| 2010 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Bales, James" | James Bales | Triathlon | [25] | |
| 2011 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Kelsey, Weston " | Weston Kelsey | Fencing | [26] | |
| 2012 | data-sort-value="E5" | Staff sergeant | data-sort-value="Williams, Bradley T." | Bradley T. Williams | Triathlon | [27] | |
| 2013 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Bonitati, Ascenzo" | Ascenzo Bonitati II | Taekwondo | [28] | |
| 2014 | data-sort-value="O5" | Lieutenant colonel | data-sort-value="Boehm, Benjamin D." | Benjamin D. Boehm | Rowing | [29] | |
| 2015 | data-sort-value="E5" | Staff sergeant | data-sort-value="Allen, John H." | John H. Allen | Baseball | [30] [31] | |
| 2016 | data-sort-value="O2" | First Lieutenant | data-sort-value="Simmons, Cale" | Cale Simmons | Pole vault | [32] [33] | |
| 2017 | data-sort-value="O4" | Major | data-sort-value="Holt, Ian" | Ian Holt -2- | Road cycling | [34] [35] | |
| 2018 | data-sort-value="O1" | Second Lieutenant | data-sort-value="Jax, James" | James Jax | Baseball | [36] | |
| 2019 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Donlin, Andrew" | Andrew Donlin | Handball Beach handball | [37] | |
| 2020 | data-sort-value="E3" | Airman first class | data-sort-value="Mannozzi, Michael" | Michael Mannozzi | Racewalking | [38] | |
| 2021 | data-sort-value="E5" | Staff sergeant | data-sort-value="Southichack, Justin" | Justin Southichack | Jujutsu | [39] | |
| 2022 | data-sort-value="E7a" | Master sergeant | data-sort-value="Guinn, Kenneth" | Kenneth Guinn | Wheelchair rugby Wheelchair basketball Sitting volleyball | [40] | |
| 2023 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Donlin, Andrew" | Andrew Donlin -2- | Handball Beach handball | [41] |
| Year | Rank | Name | Sport(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Officer | data-sort-value="Liberty, Gail" | Gail Liberty | Shooting | [43] | ||
| 1983 to 1990 | |||||||
| 1991 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Faulkenberry, Barbara" | Barbara Faulkenberry | Racquetball | [44] | |
| 1992 | |||||||
| 1993 | |||||||
| 1994 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Lewis, Teresa" | Teresa R. Lewis | Modern pentathalon | ||
| 1995 | |||||||
| 1996 | data-sort-value="E4" | Senior airman | data-sort-value="Wigger, Deena" | Deena Wigger | Shooting | ||
| 1997 | data-sort-value="E5" | Staff sergeant | data-sort-value="Eppard, Lori M." | Lori M. Eppard | Marathon | ||
| 1998 | |||||||
| 1999 | data-sort-value="O4" | Major | data-sort-value="Markland, Kimberly J." | Kimberly J. Markland | Marathon Cross country running Track and Field | ||
| 2000 | data-sort-value="O1-2" | First or Second Lieutenant | data-sort-value="Mustilli, Nicole" | Nicole Mustilli | Fencing | ||
| 2001 | data-sort-value="O1" | Second Lieutenant | data-sort-value="Deaton, Summer A." | Summer A. Deaton | Volleyball | ||
| 2002 | data-sort-value="O1" | Second Lieutenant | data-sort-value="Kuhlman, Kristy L." | Kristy L. Kuhlman | Soccer | ||
| 2003 | data-sort-value="O2" | First Lieutenant | data-sort-value="McDonald, Laura" | Laura McDonald | Rugby union Rugby sevens | ||
| 2004 | |||||||
| 2005 | data-sort-value="E5" | Staff sergeant | data-sort-value="Sears, Twyla" | Twyla Sears | Softball | ||
| 2006 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Jeffery, Linda" | Linda Jeffery | Golf | ||
| 2007 | |||||||
| 2008 | data-sort-value="O1" | Second Lieutenant | data-sort-value="Pounds, Dana" | Dana Pounds | Javelin throwing | [45] | |
| 2009 | data-sort-value="E7a" | Master sergeant | data-sort-value="Warren, Karrie" | Karrie Warren | Softball | [46] | |
| 2010 | |||||||
| 2011 | data-sort-value="E3" | Airman first class | data-sort-value="Shertzer, Emily" | Emily Shertzer | Marathon | ||
| 2012 | data-sort-value="O4" | Major | data-sort-value="Ballas, Elissa" | Elissa Ballas | Marathon | [47] | |
| 2013 | data-sort-value="O1" | Second Lieutenant | data-sort-value="Morrison, Samantha B." | Samantha B. Morrison | Triathlon | ||
| 2014 | data-sort-value="O2" | First Lieutenant | data-sort-value="Holman, Sara E." | Sara E. Holman | Swimming | [48] | |
| 2015 | data-sort-value="O2" | First Lieutenant | data-sort-value="Day, Magin A." | Magin A. Day | Marathon Cross country running | ||
| 2016 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Blackburn, Paige" | Paige Blackburn | Discus throwing Javelin throwing | ||
| 2017 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Hall, Abby L." | Abby L. Hall | Indoor volleyball | ||
| 2018 | data-sort-value="O4" | Major | data-sort-value="Natalini, Amy" | Amy Natalini | Marathon | ||
| 2019 | data-sort-value="O4" | Major | data-sort-value="Matesick, Andrea" | Andrea Matesick | Equestrian | ||
| 2020 | data-sort-value="O3" | Captain | data-sort-value="Hansen, Amber" | Amber Hansen | Weightlifting | ||
| 2021 | data-sort-value="E3" | Airman first class | data-sort-value="Curtis, Kelly" | Kelly Curtis | Skeleton | ||
| 2022 | data-sort-value="E6" | Technical sergeant | data-sort-value="Pennington, Evon" | Evon Pennington | Bodybuilding | ||
| 2023 | data-sort-value="O2" | First Lieutenant | data-sort-value="Smith, Rose" | Rose Smith | Triathlon |