Submitted by Olympia & Beyond Sports Commission
The Olympia & Beyond Sports Commission, a division of Experience Olympia & Beyond, hosted the fifth annual Thurston County Sports Awards at South Puget Sound Community College on Thursday, November 3, honoring local athletes, coaches, sports enthusiasts and game changers in the community. Seven award recipients were announced during the evening program, including longtime Olympia High School coach Laurie Creighton, who was presented with the Thurston County Sports Legend Award.
“It was unbelievable to be back to our live event after a two-year hiatus,” said Jeff Bowe, vice president of sales and development for Experience Olympia & Beyond. “I continue to be in awe of the sports accomplishments that happen right here in Thurston County. All the nominees should be very proud.”
All nominations were submitted from community members and were voted on by an advisory committee made up of community stakeholders.
For a complete list of nominees, please visit Sports Awards | Experience Olympia.
Below is a complete list of the 2022 winners:
Girls Sports Star of the Year (High School): Amanda and Hana Moll, Capital High School, Track & Field
Amanda and Hana Moll are Capital High School’s pole vaulting twins. Amanda broke the national record this past spring with a vault of 14 feet 9 ½ inches. Amanda and Hana are ranked number one and two respectively in the world in the 18 and under category. These twins have been vaulting since 7th grade and were co-captains of the track team as juniors.
Boys Sports Star of the Year (High School): Ethan Coleman, Olympia High School, Track & Field
Ethan won a state championship in the 1,600 meter with a time of 4:06 and the 3,200 meter with a time of 8:49, that being an all-time 4A state record. He also won the New Balance Indoor National 5,000 meter with a time of 14:31 and set a school record in the 800 meter with a time of 1:52.37 winning a league championship. He was a contributing member of the Olympia Boys 4A academic state championship team. He is currently attending Notre Dame running both cross country and track.
Womens Sports Star of the Year (College): Emma Duff, Western Washington University, Basketball
Emma led her team in many categories, finishing her senior season as the top scorer on the team and a top ten scorer in Western Washington University history. She led her team to the Division 2 National Championship where they were runner up. She was named the Womens Sports Athlete of the year in 2022. Emma attended Black Hills High School.
Mens Sports Star of the Year (College): Colton Smith, University of Arizona, Tennis
Colton finished 3rd in singles competition with a win over the 2021 Wimbledon junior champion at the National Junior Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan and was awarded the annual Sportsmanship Award at the same event. He also participated in the US Open junior championships in 2021, defeating England’s number one junior.
Colton was named the freshman male athlete of the year at University of Arizona, playing number 3 singles and 2nd and 3rd doubles. He had a 24-9 record in singles play and led the team to a Pac-12 Conference Title for the first time ever. He attended Tumwater High School.
Contributor of the Year: Michela Laverty, Unified Program
Michela has been instrumental in the success of the local Unified Program. Michela leads the South Sound League which includes teams from Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater and Yelm schools. The program introduces sports to more than 120 special needs kids, integrating them with other kids from their schools. Sports include soccer and basketball but have also expanded into other extracurricular activities such as a prom, movie night and shopping day. She has been instrumental in bringing the program back after the pandemic shut down sports activity.
Sports Moment of the Year: Tumwater High School Baseball, Fastpitch, Girls Track & Field
Tumwater High School attained the pinnacle of high school sports by winning three state championships on the same day in 2022!
Thurston County Sports Legend: Laurie Creighton, Olympia High School Volleyball Coach
Laurie is the gold standard for professionalism in educational-based athletics. In her 43 years of service to the community, she has demonstrated a dedication to the craft of coaching and an ability to teach life skills through volleyball, impacting nearly 1,000 student athletes. On the court, Coach Creighton took 24 Olympia High School teams to state, 16 of which brought home trophies including two WIAA state championships in 1998 and 2011. She was inducted into the Washington State Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2008. In the final game of the 2021 season, Olympia High School named the gymnasium floor “Creighton Court” in her honor for her retirement and successful career. She has been a wonderful example of the school’s value of pride, courage and tradition.
