90th Annual Sports Star of the Year

Ringing in the New Year with a Spotlight on Seattle

On New Year’s Day 2024, Seattle hosted the NHL’s Winter Classic, an outdoor hockey game at T-Mobile Park. That same day, the Washington Huskies won the Sugar Bowl and a ticket to the college football national championship.

The Winter Classic featured an ice rink on a baseball field, a crowd of 47,313, flying fish, and lots of Seattle stars. The Kraken beat the Las Vegas Knights 3-0 with goalie Joey Daccord recording the Winter Classic’s first-ever shutout.

On the football side, the Pac-12 champion Huskies, led by quarterback Michael Penix Jr., beat No.3.Texas to reach the title game. Droves of Husky fans and all-star alum traveled to New Orleans for the match up. Washington’s historic season ended with a 34-14 loss to Michigan, but a record 14 wins.

Seawolves Dominate Western Conference

The Seawolves once again gave Seattle rugby fans plenty to cheer about. Coach Allen Clarke’s 2024 team overcame a plague of injuries to make it to the Major League Rugby championship game. They finished with an 11-5 regular-season record, securing the second seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. 

Their resilience and depth of roster led to a thrilling playoff run and the Western Conference Championship Title. Though they lost the title game to the defending champions, the Seawolves ended the season as the MLR Western Conference Champions and led the league in media mentions, bringing national attention to our great city. The Seattle Seawolves were voted "Seattle’s Best Sports Team" in The Seattle Times 2024 "Best of the PNW People’s Choice Awards".

UW Crew Reigns

The Husky men’s crew reasserted itself in a big way in 2024. Washington rowers dominated the collegiate championship regatta and won an array of medals at the Paris Olympics.

UW Men’s Crew won its 20^th national title, the same year the “Boys in the Boat” movie was in theaters. The Huskies won four events, including varsity eight, to capture the overall points trophy.

Collectively, UW rowers both past and present won 11 medals in rowing across the Paris Olympics. If UW Rowing were a country, they would have tied as 14^th-most in total medals count (with Sweden and Kenya).

Kraken’s Jessica Campbell Makes NHL History

No National Hockey League team ever had a woman behind its bench until the Seattle Kraken added Jessica Campbell as an assistant coach. She made the leap from Coachella Valley Firebirds of the American Hockey League.

An accomplished hockey player, Campbell retired from the Canadian National Team in 2017 and began coaching. She was on the Coachella Valley staff alongside new Kraken coach Dan Bylsma, coaching the Firebirds to win division and conference titles and reach the Calder Cup finals. As a member of the Seattle Kraken coaching staff, she’s made it a point to engage next generation fans and make hockey more accessible.

Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm | WNBA All-Defensive Second Team Posting Big Stats

Ogwumike is a WNBA record-setting forward who excels both offensively and defensively. In her first season with the Storm, she was an All-Star for the ninth time in her 13-year career.

·      Became one of only 15 WNBA players to top 6,000 career points.

·      Ranked #10 on the all-time WNBA scoring list.

·      Averaged 16.7 points and 7.6 rebounds and was third in the league in steals.

·      Made second-team All-WNBA and second-team All-Defense.

·      Led the league off-court as WNBA Players Association President.

Hana Moll, UW track and field | American U20 Record Holder and NCAA Champion

This Husky pole vaulter from Olympia already was the American Junior record holder. Then she became the first freshman ever to win the pole vault at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

·      Earned first-team All-America honors, indoors and outdoors.

·      Won the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships for pole vault, the first freshman to ever do so.

·      Won the 2024 Pac-12 pole vault championship (outdoors).

·      Placed third at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

·      Cleared 15 feet, 2-1/4 inches to place sixth at the 2024 Olympic Trials.

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Sarah Lessig,Garfield High School | Competitive Multi-Sport Star

Sarah Lessig is a multi-sport athlete and straight-A student with offers from more than 30 Division I coaches to play college basketball. At 6-foot-3, Lessig also touts impressive stats across baseball, softball, flag football, and skateboarding.

·      Basketball: Named 2024 First Team All-Metro and helped Garfield win 3 of their last 4 consecutive 3A State Championships

·      Softball/Baseball: Selected to compete in the 2024 All-American Women’s Baseball Classic and invited to several elite, invite-only events, including US National Team tryouts

·      Pitches for the Garfield HS boys’ team, with an 81mph fastball

·      Skateboarding: Sponsored by multiple brands and filmed a promo with Nike

·      Flag Football: Quarterback for Garfield High School

Jordan Chiles, Team USA Gymnastics | Two-Time Olympian and Gold Medalist

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Jordan Chiles from Vancouver, Washington, is one of the nation’s most accomplished gymnasts. She added to her resume at the Paris Olympics, winning gold and competing at an elite level.

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·      Helped Team USA win gold in the artistic all-around team event in Paris by delivering high scores in vault, uneven bars, and balance beam.

·      One of the first gymnasts to win Olympic gold while on a college team (UCLA).

·      Co-winner of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s 2024 Jack Kelly Fair Play Award (with Simone Biles) – the first time any gymnast has won the award in its 40-year history

·      Partnered with iconic sportswear giant as a Nike athlete

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Known for her show-stopping floor routines, Chiles was part of the national team that won gold at the 2022 World Championships and won two NCAA individual titles in 2023 competing with UCLA.

Katie Holloway Bridge, Team USA Paralympics | Best Blocker and Paralympics Gold

Katie Holloway’s lower right leg was amputated when she was 20 months old. That didn’t stop the Lake Stevens athlete from becoming one of the best in sitting volleyball and winningParalympic gold.

·      Won a gold medal in sitting volleyball at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

·      Helped Team USA win gold at 2024 ParaVolley Super 6.

·      Named “Best Blocker” at 2024 ParaVolley Super 6.

Holloway Bridge has competed in five consecutive Paralympics, winning three gold and two silver medals in sitting volleyball. The two-time World Championships silver medalist was the first Division I basketball player to compete with a prosthetic limb at her alma mater (Cal State Northridge).

Football | Seattle Seahawks

Driving Force Making League History

Leonard Williams was the heart and soul of the Seahawks defense, finishing the season with 64 tackles, 11.0 sacks, 28 QB hits, one interception, and one touchdown.

• Finished the year ranked first among NFL interior linemen in both sacks (11.0, second-most in career) and tackles for loss (career-high 16).
• Led NFC and tied for third in the NFL with 28 QB hits.
• Named the NFCDefensive Player of the Month – December/January, the first Seahawks defensive player to be named Player of the Month since Cliff Avril in 2016.
• Named theWeek 13 NFC Player of the Week after becoming the first player since 1982 with multiple sacks, an interception return for a TD and a blocked kick in the same game. The 92-yard pick six vs. the Jets was the longest by a defensive lineman in league history.
• One of only two players in the NFL with two-plus sacks and three-plus tackles for loss in three games this season.

Joe Waskom, UW trackand field | National Champion and Athlete of the Year

The Washington senior from Snoqualmie won the men’s NCAA 1500-meter championship for the second time in three years. He also helped the Huskies repeat as Pac-12 champions.

·      Named the West Region Men’s Track Athlete of the Year (his second win)

·      Finished first in the NCAA 1500 meters in 2022, second in 2023 and first in 2024.

·      Won the 2024 steeplechase at the Pac-12 outdoor championships.  

·      Ran a personal best time in the finals of the 1500 meters at the Olympic Trials.

Albert Rusnák, Sounders FC | Club Record and MLS Top 10 Rankings

The Sounders’ attacking midfielder was voted Most Valuable Player by his teammates. In his third season since signing as a free agent, he set a club record for assists in all competitions.

·      Had 19 assists and scored 11 goals while pacing the Sounders attack.

·      Ranked third in Major League Soccer with 16 regular-season assists.

·      Was in the league’s top 10 in key passes, corner kicks and game-winning assists.

·      Recorded a hat trick on September 7, earning Player of the Matchday honors.

Rusnák joined the team in 2022 in an historic signing after scoring 11 goals for Real Salt Lake that season.

Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners | Platinum and Gold Glove Winner

Raleigh was the best and most durable catcher in Major League Baseball. He brought out the best in his pitchers, becoming the franchise’s first-ever catcher to win the GoldGlove. He also was the Mariners’ best hitter in the clutch.

·       Won the Gold Glove award as the best defensive catcher in the American League.

·      Won the Platinum Glove award as the league’s top Gold Glove winner.

·      Led the majors in games caught, innings caught, and runners caught stealing.

·      Led the Mariners with 34 home runs and 100 RBI.

John Mateer, WSU football | Finalist for the Manning Award and Led Nation in Touchdowns

The Cougar quarterback was a nation-leading dual threat playmaker. He powered Washington State to an Apple Cup win and an 8-1 season start.

·      Tied in leading all of college football with 44 total TDs – 29passing and 15 running.

·      Set a school record with 6 total touchdowns in his first careerstart at WSU.

·      Broke a long-standing QB school record 197 yards rushing againstTexas Tech.

·      Rushed for 111 yards and a TD and passed for 390 yards and 4 TDsvs. San Diego State.

·      Named 2024 Pac-12 Top Offensive Performer

Josh Kerr, Brooks Beasts | Olympic Medalist and World Record Breaker

One of the world’s top middle-distance runners, Kerr won a silver medal in the 1500 meters at theParis Olympics. He is a member of Seattle-based Brooks Beasts Track Club.

·      Won silver in Men’s 1500m at 2024 Paris Olympics

·      Set a personal best and British national record in winning Olympicsilver.

·      Broke the world record in indoor 2-mile.

·      2024 World Champion in the indoor 3000m.

From Edinburgh,Scotland, Kerr came to the U.S. for college where he won three NCAA titles while competing for the University of New Mexico. He turned pro in 2018 to joinBrooks Beasts and train part-time in Seattle. Won bronze in 2021 Tokyo Olympics and was a 2023 World Champion.