After a fantastic year of track and field, here are FloTrack's top five American male athletes of 2017.

5. Evan Jager

Jager has the luxury — and burden — of being graded against his own high standard. In 2015, he set his personal best of 8:00.45. In 2016, he finished second at the Rio Olympics, breaking up the Kenyan dominance in the event. This year, he earned bronze at the World Championships and posted the fastest time of the year: an 8:01.29 in Monaco. 

With that spectacular three-year run, it’s easy to forget how rare it is for an American to have this level of success in the steeplechase. It wasn't long ago that an American man being anywhere near the vicinity of the lead in a Diamond League race was a novelty. Jager’s 2017 season is a testament to just how consistent he’s become. 

He recorded another U.S. championship, the fastest time in the world, bronze in London, and third in the Diamond League finale. 

4. Justin Gatlin

Gatlin’s 2017 season was not without controversy, but before the sprint veteran was dealing with the fall out of a British newspaper’s undercover sting of his coach, he was still riding the wave of upsetting Usain Bolt and winning a global 100m title for the first time since 2005. 

Gatlin ran less frequently than in recent years — he dropped the 200m entirely — in order to stay fresh for the portion of the year when Bolt has traditionally had the upper hand. The plan worked. Gatlin ran his fastest when the pressure was at its highest, beating Bolt for just the second time in his career and scoring a historic upset. 

Usain Bolt of Jamaica with Justin Gatlin of the U.S. at the World Athletics Championships in London, Britain. (Phi… https://t.co/qnrCp0aVGt pic.twitter.com/QoC7a4e8uw

— محمود غزيّل (@ghazayel) August 12, 2017

3. Galen Rupp

Rupp transitioned to a full-fledged marathoner in 2017 and the decision was met with resounding success. He finished second at the Boston Marathon in April — staying in contention with eventual winner Geoffrey Kirui for 23 miles. After an abbreviated track season in the late spring, Rupp entered October’s Chicago Marathon with a legitimate shot at becoming the first American man to win the race since 2002. In his fourth attempt at the distance, Rupp left no doubt. He broke away from the pack after a slow first half. 

Rupp finished his second half in 63:31, leaving questions about just what he is capable of in an even-paced race. For now, Rupp will have to settle for a year in which he finished first and second in World Marathon Majors. 

Galen Rupp becomes first American man to win Chicago Marathon in 15 years https://t.co/p94UF10CDk pic.twitter.com/W9ExEk6Ifd

— New York Post (@nypost) October 9, 2017

2. Christian Taylor

It’s easy to forget that despite the huge medal haul from the 2017 World Championships, the American men were somewhat light on gold. Taylor’s victory in the triple jump was one of three victories in London for the United States. That gold medal — the fifth of his career — capped another stellar season for Taylor as he continues to flirt with the Jonathan Edwards’s world record while dominating global championships. 

Taylor’s best mark of 2017 was a 18.11 jump at the Prefontaine Classic — the second best of Taylor’s career and third best of all time. Of the 12 jumps over 18 meters in history, Taylor now has his name on five of them. He didn’t have a perfect season (he lost twice), but as usual Taylor won when it counted most — at the U.S. Championships in Sacramento and the World Championships in London. 

1. Sam Kendricks

There’s a very strong case that Kendricks had the best season of any track and field athlete in the world. The 25-year-old pole vaulter checked all the boxes: top marks, consistent dominance, and clutch performances. 

Kendricks went 17-17 in his competitions including a 7-0 record against world record holder Renaud Lavillenie. Kendricks had the three best marks of the year, highlighted by his 6.00 performance in at the U.S. Championships, a lifetime best. Beyond that vault, he had seven of the top 13 marks in the world — impressive consistency in an event that is known for its variability. At the World Championships in London, he third attempt clearance of 5.95m propelled him to victory. 

VIDEO: Oxford/Ole Miss alum Sam Kendricks wins pole vault world title. Here's how (SOURCE: NBCSN) https://t.co/Q3AA93t4zN #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/F2poVejfok

— Chris Hudgison (@ChrisHudgison) August 8, 2017