INDIANAPOLIS -- 17-year-old race walk phenom Taylor Ewert and 70-year-old world record holder Charles Allie have been named the Youth and Masters Athletes of the Year, USA Track & Field announced Wednesday.

Both outstanding athletes will be honored during the USATF Night of Legends event on Saturday, December 1 in Columbus, Ohio. Other honorees will include the Jesse Owens, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Wing Award winners. In addition, USATF will induct the latest Hall of Fame class and honor the 50th anniversary of the 1968 U.S. Olympic Track & Field team.

2018 USATF Masters Athlete of the Year

Charles Allie (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is no stranger to accolades. Since entering a new age group this year, the 2013 WMA Masters Athlete of the Year has claimed multiple M70 age group world records, including five outdoor and the indoor 400m.

At the USATF Masters Indoor Championships in March, he set new American indoor records in the M70 200m (26.95) and 400m (1:00.52), as well as clinched the 60m title.

At the start of the outdoor season, Allie clocked in an age group world best sub-26 200m (25.75) at an exhibition race as part of the USATF Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

He went on to perform exceptionally well at the USATF Masters Outdoor Championships in Spokane, Washington. Allie won the M70 400m in a then-pending world record time, also championing in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.

The pinnacle of Allie’s 2018 season took place at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Malaga, Spain. The Houston Elite athlete represented Team USATF and won five gold medals, including smashing his own world record in the 70-74 age group 400m (57.26). He also won the 100m (13.22), 200m (26.06) and picked up two more relay golds.

“I am so elated on my selection as the USATF Masters Male Athlete of the year,” said Allie. “This is such a great honor for any track and field athlete. There are so many great athletes who are worthy for such recognition as well, and I am so grateful to be representing the Masters athlete in receiving this award. Thank you so much to those responsible for me to receive this award.”

Learn more about Allie in a USATF Communications profile here, and more about USATF Masters Track and Field here.

2018 USATF Youth Athlete of the Year

Though she is a stellar high school cross country runner, Taylor Ewert (Beavercreek, Ohio) made headlines for her race walking accomplishments. In July at the IAAF U20 World Championships in Tampere, Finland, Ewert shattered her own American junior record in the 10,000m race walk, taking more than three minutes off the previous mark with a time of 45:57.81 for 10th place. It was the best placing ever by a U.S. woman in the walk at the U20 Championships.

Ewert now ranks No. 6 in American history in 10,000-meter race walk performances on the track. Michelle Roll, Maria Michta-Coffey, Teresa Vaill, Debbi Lawrence and Miranda Melville are the only ones who have walked the distance faster, and all five have won a U.S. national title at some point in their careers.

Earlier in the summer, she had set the American junior record at the USATF Junior Championships with a 49:07.52.

Ewert was the winner of the USA vs. Canada Juniors dual meet which earned her USATF Athlete of the Week honors. She also broke the American junior record in the women’s 5,000m race walk with a 22:38.16 at the Penn Relays. The Ohio high schooler sliced more than 22 seconds off the existing record, set in 1994.

“I am so thankful to receive this award and grateful for the recognition,” Ewert said. “I’d like to thank my family and coaches for the support, and I’d like to thank USATF giving me this award.”

Click here for tickets to USATF Night of Legends.