Submitted by Experience Olympia & Beyond
The Olympia & Beyond Sports Commission, a division of Experience Olympia & Beyond, will host the fourth annual Thurston County Sports Awards on Wednesday, November 3 at 7 p.m. This event is free and will be held virtually. Attendees are asked to register online here. This event will recognize local athletes, coaches, sports enthusiasts and game changers in the community during a year of constant change.
“While it’s been exciting to see the return of sports this year, so many athletes and coaches have lost so much momentum during the pandemic. This event is about celebrating successes and recognizing those who have found a way to make it work and continue to improve,” said Jeff Bowe, Vice President of Sales and Development for Experience Olympia & Beyond.
All nominations were submitted from community members and were voted on by an advisory committee made up of community stakeholders.
This year’s keynote presenter is Dan Maloney, Director of Business Development for Premier Travel Media and the Sports Planning Guide. He will talk about the state of sports tourism and why it matters to travel destinations. While representing SPG, he has toured over 120 destinations in order to inform the SPG audience on where to plan their tournament schedules.
For more information on the 2021 Sports Awards, please visit the Experience Olympia & Beyond website.
Below is a complete list of the 2021 nominees:
Boy’s Sports Star of the Year and Girl’s Sports Star of the Year (High School)
Nominees must be a female or male athlete enrolled full-time in a Thurston County high school. Nominees must have participated for a minimum of one year in at least one high school sport, exemplify strong leadership, dedication and sportsmanship with good school behavior.
Boy’s Sports Star of the Year (High School)
- Ethan Coleman, Olympia High School, Cross Country, Track & Field
- Jackson Grant, Olympia High School, Basketball
- Treyton Moss, Timberline High School, Golf
- Jeremiah Nubbe, Rainier High School, Track & Field
Girl’s Sports Star of the Year (High School)
- Sarah Boatright, Olympia High School, Soccer
- Kendall Hooper, Capital High School, Soccer, Basketball, Softball
- Haley McCarthy, Timberline High School, Cheerleading
- Natalie Sumrok, Tumwater High School, Volleyball, Basketball, Track & Field
- Devyn Oestreich, Capital High School, Volleyball
- Ava Wolin, Olympia High School, Basketball, Track & Field
Men’s Sports Star of the Year and Women’s Sports Star of the Year (College)
Nominees must be a female or male athlete enrolled full-time at any time during the school year in a Thurston County college or a native to Thurston County. Nominees must also have participated for a minimum of one year in at least one collegiate sport, exemplify strong leadership, dedication and sportsmanship with good school behavior.
Men’s Sports Star of the Year (College)
- Tyler Fitchett, St. Martin’s University, Golf
- Cade Otton, University of Washington, Football (Tumwater High School)
- Michael Russell, St. Martin’s University, Track & Field
- Jaylen Taylor, University of Washington, Track & Field (Timberline High School)
Women’s Sports Star of the Year (College)
- Hallie Bergford, Seattle University, Soccer (Tumwater High School)
- Ally Choate, Seattle University, Softball (Yelm High School)
- Kathryn Crimp, St. Martin’s University, Golf
- Claire Dingus, St. Martin’s University, Basketball
- Regie Grady, Seattle University, Track & Field (Capital High School)
- Britney Patrick, St. Martin’s University, Basketball
Contributor of the Year
Nominees must be passionate about the growth and success of sports in Thurston County and may include coaches, nonprofit organizations providing access to sports for individuals, and/or large monetary donors to sports initiatives. Nominees must have demonstrated a commitment to sports for a minimum of one year.
- John Anderson, Puget Sound Disc Golf Association
- Kyle Dorsey
- Kelly Golob, South Sound Roots Academy
- Lyle Overbay, Tumwater High School Baseball
- Jeremy Richtmyre, Capital High School Soccer
- Qayi Steplight, TCE Elite
Sports Moment of the Year
Nominees can be a team or individual that has achieved national or local recognition for their sports moment during the 2020-2021 academic year. This moment should have taken place during a play in a single game or individual match or event for an individual or team. Nominees can include individuals with inspiring stories, remarkable sports moments and/or outstanding performances.
- Capital High School Dance Team
- Ethan Coleman, Track & Field
- Oly Town Artesians Women’s Semi-Pro Soccer
- Martin’s University Men’s Golf Team
- Tumwater High School Girl’s Basketball Team
Thurston County Sports Legend
Nominees must be an individual over the age of 18 who was born in Thurston County or resided here for a minimum of five years and must be passionate about the growth and success of sports in Thurston County. The nominee must have maintained and continue to maintain ties to Thurston County through philanthropic events and/or financial donations to support sports in the community. Ideally, nominees would have played either collegiate or professional sports or had a significant impact in the Thurston County sports community.
- Bob Grisham, St. Martin’s University
- Jack Kiley, Washington State Senior Games
- Donald Kruse (Deceased)
- Dwight Midles, Track & Field
