Yesterday Josh Hoey announced his decision to sign a professional contract with adidas forgoing his college eligibility. A 1:47 800m runner turning pro before his freshman year is not a typical move. Did Hoey make a wise decision? We break down 11 other U.S. high school athletes who went pro before college and rank their decisions from best to worst.

Editor’s Note: The decision to go pro is never a bad decision. Opportunities to make money in track and field are hard to come by and if you have the opportunity to get paid to run there is no shame in making that move. This ranking is purely based on how ready he or she was for the pro circuit.

1) Allyson Felix (Age 17)

Personal Best: 22.11 (200m)

2003 U.S. Rank: 1st

She was an Olympic silver medalist at 18 and a World Champion by age 19, so Allyson Felix clearly didn't miss anything by skipping the NCAA. Her success over the last 15 years since turning pro-- Felix has 25 global championship medals and counting--  is the gold standard for athletes who turn pro before college.

2) Vashti Cunningham (Age 18)

Personal Best: 1.99m (High Jump)

2016 U.S. Rank: 2nd

This was an easy decision, as Vashti Cunningham-- daughter of legendary NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham-- was already a World champion before she even graduated from high school. After she won gold at 2016 World Indoors, going pro was the only logical choice.

3) Mary Cain (Age 17)

Personal Best: 4:04.62 (1500m)

2013 U.S. Rank: 7th

While Cain has been largely absent from the track for the last few seasons, in 2013 she was a global superstar who made the 1,500m World Championship final at age 17. The former Nike Oregon Project member's time atop the women's distance running world was short-lived, but Cain's legacy as a record-smashing high school legend remains intact.

4) Ajee Wilson (Age 18)

Personal Best: 2:00.91 (800m)

2013 U.S. Rank: 13th

Wilson has been the undisputed top half-miler in America for several years now. Four years after turning professional, Wilson set the 800m American record of 1:55.61 in Monaco. She wasn't quite at Cain's level when she decided to skip college to go pro, but five years on, no one thinks Ajee Wilson should have waited to turn professional. 

5) Noah Lyles (Age 19)

Personal Best: 20.09 (200m)

2016 U.S. Rank: 4th

Not long after his 19th birthday, Lyles announced that he along with his younger brother Josephus had signed with adidas. Just days before turning pro, the precocious Lyles had finished fourth in the 200m at the Olympic Trials and won the World U20 title in the 100m. Skipping college was a good decision; Lyles just won his second consecutive Diamond League title in the 200m at age 21.

6) Alexa Efraimson (Age 17)

Personal Best: 4:07.05 (1500m)

2014 U.S. Rank: 14th

Efraimson was a mid-distance sensation by the time she turned pro back in 2014, as the Washington teen earned World Youth and Junior medals in the lead up to her signing with Nike. She has yet to fully ascend to the top of the U.S. 1,500m ranks, but Efraimson has shown flashes of brilliance, including the 1,500m American junior record in 2015.

7) Drew Hunter (Age 18)

Personal Best: 3:57.81 (Mile)

2016 U.S. Rank: 57th

Drew Hunter shocked many across U.S. distance circles in 2016 by backing out of his commitment to the University of Oregon to sign with adidas. But the decision is beginning to pay off for the 20-year-old-- his 3:35.90 1,500m this season is the second-fastest by an American in 2018.

8) Candace Hill (Age 16)

Personal Best: 10.98 (100m)

2015 U.S. Rank: 8th

Georgia 16-year-old Candace Hill established herself as the fastest high school girl in history as she became the first prep ever to break 11 seconds in the 100m in 2015. Hill has yet to match that 10.98 since turning pro, but she's still just 19. 

9) Josephus Lyles (Age 18)

Personal Best: 45.46 (400m)

2016 U.S. Rank: 22nd

The younger Lyles brother signed with adidas at the same as his brother Noah in 2016. Comparing Josephus to his older brother isn't completely fair given how meteoric Noah's rise has been, and doing so ignores that Josephus quietly had a nice season in the 400m in 2018.

10) Kaylin Whitney (Age 17)

Personal Best: 22.49 (200m)

2015 U.S. Rank: 12th

Whitney opted to strike the iron while it was hot back in 2015-- she won the 200m World Junior title in 2014-- when she signed with Nike mid-way through her junior year of high school. While the Florida teen set a World Youth record of 22.47 to place fourth in the 200m at the 2015 U.S. Outdoor Championships, there haven't been too many highlights since. And yet, she's still just 20 years old.

11) Josh Hoey (Age 18)

Personal Best: 1:47.67 (800m)

2018 U.S. Rank: 45th

Hoey smashed Robby Andrews' U.S. high school indoor 800m record back in February with his incredible 1:47.67 run at the BU Last Chance Meet in Boston. It will likely be many years before he's competitive with the best U.S. mid-distance runners, but his immense talent gives him a shot of eventually getting there. Like anyone who goes pro early, Hoey has opened himself up to criticism, and we'll get to see how he handles it soon.

12) Alana Hadley (Age 16)

Personal Best: 2:41:58 (Marathon)

2013 U.S. Rank: 49th

Alana Hadley took a lot of heat after turning professional as a 16-year-old marathoner back in 2013. Although she certainly impressed with her 2:41 marathon that year, focusing her attention on the 26.2 mile distance was never a good idea at such a young age. Hadley did lower her PR to 2:38 in 2014, but she struggled finishing races in the years that followed and no longer competes professionally.

U.S. Rank = Their personal best mark prior to signing ranked in the U.S. at the end of the year. Personal Best = Athlete's top mark at time of turning professional. For 1500/Mile marks rank includes 1500->Mile -or- Mile->1500 conversions. (Both indoor and outdoor marks are combined)