23rd Greater Cleveland Sports Awards presented by Medical Mutual and Ancora: Digital Program

The Official Health Insurer of

the Athletes You Love

Medical Mutual cares about Ohio’s athletes and encourages an active lifestyle through all stages of life. That’s why we’re proud to present the 5-Star Senior Athlete Award at the 23rd Greater Cleveland Sports Awards. Congratulations to all of tonight’s honorees!

DEAR FRIENDS

Over the last 22 years, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission has had the unique experience of hosting hundreds of sporting events that have provided hundreds of millions in impact to our community.

Not only have we aided in making Northeast Ohio a premier destination for sporting and competitive events, but we’ve made a major impact within our community through providing under resourced youth opportunities to experience their favorite sport, boosting local businesses with visitors and raising worldwide awareness of what makes Cleveland so special.

As we wrap up 22 years of impact, we’d like to celebrate another incredible year for our community. NBA All-Star 2022 made a slam dunk in The Land by welcoming over 120 thousand visitors as well as NBA Stars and Legends on Feb. 18-20 to celebrate basketball, culture, fashion and music as well as leave an impact through legacy projects in our community.

From professional basketball to events hosted for the first time, Stonewall Sports National Tournament and Summit saw nearly 1,500 athletes from 23 cities competing in various tournaments as part of Stonewall Sports, an LGBQTIA+ and Ally communitybased non-profit.

This past year, our community showed up in big ways to support our mission and welcome 10 national sports events. With over 4,300 volunteer hours and 165 youth who participated in programs, our hosted events were a major success thanks to you.

As we look forward to 2023, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is excited to welcome 9 national sporting events providing over $17.8 million in economic activity and continuing its mission to make an impact on our community through the lens of sports.

Tonight, we recognize the accomplishments of some of those who make this community strong and celebrate their success both on and off the court. The show will feature a celebration of athletic achievements, a lifetime of community commitment and the courage to overcome any obstacle through the power of sport.

Sports Awards, the organization’s premier fundraiser, provides the necessary support to continue to compete and win on behalf of Cleveland.

As we celebrate together, we’re appreciative of your support of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission’s mission and we can’t wait to share this evening with you.

Bob Klonk

David Gilbert Chairman President & CEO

Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (GCSC) serves to measurably improve the economy of Greater Cleveland and enrich the community by attracting, creating, managing and enhancing significant sporting and competitive

GCSC supports the local economy, utilizes sports as a vehicle to forward community agendas and maintains a goal of producing events that are more successful when held in Cleveland than in other cities.

Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

Because you believe in your gut-feeling. Because you believe that you can make a difference. Because you believe you are meant to do something more. We believe in you.

WestfieldInsurance.com ©2022 Westfield Insurance. All rights reserved.

At Union Home Mortgage, we are always rooting for Cleveland sports. We are inspired by our home teams' dedication to hard work, and we want to bring that same energy to our customers everyday to offer a world-class mortgage experience.

BORN HERE

RAISED HERE.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AS

OF DEC. 31, 2022

ANN ABER, JoAnn Stores

SUDHIR ACHAR, EOX Vantage

KRISTEN BAIRD-ADAMS, PNC

GEOFF ALLMAN, Lincoln Electric

KEN BABBY, Akron RubberDucks

NIC BARLAGE, Cleveland Cavaliers

BRIAN BARREN, Cleveland Guardians

ERIC BECK, University Hospitals

DOUGLAS BELL, Global Prairie

CHRIS BELLAMY, Cohen & Co.

KEITH BRANDT, CBRE

DOMINIC BRAULT, Kaulig Capital

SHONTEL BROWN, U.S. House of Representatives

TIM CONNOR, The Shamrock Companies, Inc.

MICHAEL CONWAY, Beverage Distributors, Inc.

BILL COSGROVE, Union Home Mortgage

TERRY COYNE, Newmark Knight Frank

MATTHEW CRAWFORD, Park Ohio Industries

BRADFORD DAVY, City of Cleveland

GIOVANNI DI CENSO, Deloitte

ROBERT DIGERONIO, Independence Excavating

FRED DISANTO, Ancora

TRACY DOWE, Fifth Third Bank

TRINA EVANS, KeyBank

RICHARD FEDOROVICH, Bober Markey Fedorovich

JEFF FRIEDMAN, JIF Investment

NOLAN GALLAGHER, Gravitas Ventures

FRANK GALLUCCI, Plevin & Gallucci

SCOTT GARRETT, Cleveland State University

MICHAEL GIBBONS, Brown Gibbons Lang & Company

KRISTEN GIBBS, Sotera Health Company

CELSO GONCALVES, Cleveland-Cliffs

BLAINE GRIFFIN, City of Cleveland

JERRY GRISKO, JR., CBIZ

CHARLES HARDIN, Jones Day

EDDIE HARRELL, JR., Radio One Cleveland

TIM HARRIS, Insurance Board

AMY HELD, The J.M. Smucker Co.

MICHELLE HEREFORD, University Hospitals

DAVE JENKINS, Cleveland Browns

YAN JIN, Eaton Corporation

PERNEL JONES JR., Cuyahoga County

ANSIR JUNAID, Supply Side USA

GINA KASHUK, Willis Towers Watson

CHRIS KEIM, Frantz Ward

BRIAN KELLY, PwC

JOE KOHMANN, Westfield

TOM LAIRD, Gilbane Building Company

DARYL LAISURE, ZIN Technologies

STEFFANY LARKINS, Medical Mutual

TOM LIBEG, Grant Thornton

BOB LITTMAN, BDO LLP

SCOTT LOKKE, JACK Entertainment

JOHN MACINTOSH, KPMG LLP

ROB MACKINLAY, Gardiner

CHARLES OBERT, Brookfield Properties

MICHAEL O’HARA, Parker Hannifin

BOYD PETHEL, First National Bank

SAM PINES, ESPN Cleveland/Good Karma Brands

NANCY POKORNY, USI Consulting Group

STEVE PUTT, Excite Health Partners

TODD REA, Sherwin-Williams

SANDEE REID, The Davey Tree Expert Company

MONTE REPASKY, EY

SEAN RICHARDSON, Huntington

PETER ROME, Tucker Ellis

GREG ROSKO, Deloitte

DR. MARK SCHICKENDANTZ, Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine

BRADLEY SELLERS, City of Warrensville Heights

GREG SKODA, Marcum LLP

JOHN SKORY, FirstEnergy

BRIAN SLIFE, Aon

KEVIN STEIN, TransDigm

MARK STEINBERG, Excel Sports Management

DR. JON STEINBRECHER, Mid-American Conference

RANDY STEPHENS, Bally Sports Ohio

JIM STIEF, McDonald Hopkins

ROBERT VECCHIONE, NACDA

PAUL VOINOVICH, Vocon

DAN WHALEN, Harbor Bay Real Estate Advisors

CHAS WITHERS, Dix & Eaton

ALAN ZANG, US Bank

DOUG NEARY, CHAIR, Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP

CARL GRASSI, VICE CHAIR, McDonald Hopkins*

ROBERT KLONK, VICE CHAIR, Oswald Companies

CINDY FLYNN, TREASURER, Union Home Mortgage EDDIE TAYLOR JR., SECRETARY, Taylor Oswald

ROBERT KAIN JARED CHANEY

MICHAEL J. CLEARY – in memoriam CARL GRASSI

BOARD MEMBERS 2022

TIM SMITH, Citizens Bank

JASON

MARIE SCHAEFER, Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine

MATT SCHAEFER, Golden Reserve

CASEY SCHRADER, Oswald Companies

BRADY SHEETS, NFP

CHRISSY SIBA, MGM Northfield Park

JEFF STAATS, Haley Marketing Group

JEFF TOLMAN, Cleveland Metroparks

CONSTANTINE TSATIRIS, Grant Thornton, LLP

MARK TUPA, Peppertree Capital Management, Inc.

PETER VAN EUWEN, Baker Hostetler, LLP

MIKE VURAICH, Mid-American Conference

LOGAN WEILAND, Ernst & Young

JONATHON WHITTLESEY, Squire Patton Boggs

SPORTS AWARDS HONORARY CO-CHAIRS

DEE & JIMMY HASLAM

Owners, Cleveland Browns and Haslam Sports Group

DAN GILBERT

Owner, Cleveland Cavaliers & Cleveland Monsters

PAUL DOLAN

Owner/Chairman & CEO, Cleveland Guardians

SPORTS AWARDS EVENT CHAIRS

NIC BARLAGE, CHAIR Cleveland Cavaliers, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

JOE KOHMANN, CHAIR Westfield

STEFFANY LARKINS, CHAIR Medical Mutual

NOLAN GALLAGER, AUCTION Gravitas Ventures

DINNER COMMITTEE

ANN ABER, JoAnn Stores

DR. LACHAKA ASKEW

KRISTEN BAIRD ADAMS, PNC

CHRIS BELLAMY, Cohen & Co.

DOMONIC BRAULT, Kaulig Companies

MICHAEL CONWAY, Beverage Distributors, Inc.

CURTIS DANBURG, Cleveland Guardians

TRACY DOWE, Fifth Third Bank

JERRY DOYLE

RICK FEDOROVICH, Bober Markey Fedorovich

CINDY FLYNN, Union Home Mortgage

THOMAS FREEMAN, Grant Thorton

FRANK GALLUCCI, Plevin & Gallucci

JERRY GRISKO JR., CBIZ

CHRIS KEIM, Frantz Ward

BRIAN KELLY, PWC

TOM LIBEG, Grant Thornton

SCOTT LOKKE, JACK Entertainment

SANDEE REID, Davey Expert Tree Company

RYAN RUHLMAN, Preformed Line Products

DR. MARK SCHICKENDANTZ, Cleveland Clinic Sports Health

GREG SKODA, Marcum LLP

BRIAN SLIFE, Aon

RANDY STEPHENS, Bally Sports Ohio

JOSH STUDZINSKI, University Hospitals

JENNER TEKANCIC, Cleveland Browns

PETER VAN EUWEN, Baker Hostetler

PAUL VOINOVICH, Vocon

BRIAN POE, IMG / WME

ROTHMAN, Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP

RYAN VIRTUE, Positive Coaching Alliance

AS OF JAN. 20, 2023

INNER CIRCLE LOUNGE

Calfee Cleveland Browns Cleveland Cavaliers JIF Investment

PLATINUM TABLE CLUB

Ancora

Brown Gibbons Lang & Company

CBIZ

Cleveland Browns Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine

Cleveland Guardians Cohen & Company ESPN Cleveland/Good Karma Brands EY

GOLD TABLE CLUB

Ancora

Aon

BakerHostetler Bally Sports Ohio BDO

Beverage Distributors, Inc. Bober Markey Fedorovich Brennan Industries Inc. Brookfield Properties Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation CBRE, Inc.

Chase Citizens

Cleveland Cliffs

Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine Cleveland State University Deloitte

SILVER CLUB

92.3 The Fan

Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP

Cavitch

Gymnastics World Harbor Bay Real Estate Advisors

Kohrman Jackson & Krantz McDonald Hopkins LLC Oswald Companies Supply Side USA

FirstEnergy

Frantz Ward Gardiner Gravitas Ventures Independence Excavating JACK Entertainment Kaulig Companies

KeyBank KPMG LLP Lincoln Electric Company Meaden & Moore Medical Mutual

Destination Cleveland DEXimaging

Dix & Eaton Dollar Bank Eaton Corporation EOX Vantage Excite Health Partners Fifth Third Bank First National Bank Frank Crea

Gilbane Building Company Global Prairie Grant Thornton Huntington Insurance Board JACK Entertainment JoAnn Stores Jones Day Kaulig Media

Hilton Cleveland Downtown Mazzella Companies NACDA

North Coast Event Services ParkOhio Plante Moran

Taylor Oswald LLC Union Home Mortgage Westfield

Plevin & Gallucci PNC

The Davey Tree Expert Company

The Shamrock Companies, Inc. The Sherwin-Williams Company

University Hospitals Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute Vocon

KeyBank

Marcum LLP Medical Mutual Mid-American Conference Newmark Knight Frank NPI

Parker Hannifin Corporation Preformed Line Products PwC

RPM International Sotera Health Swagelok

The J.M. Smucker Co. TransDigm

TriState Capital Bank US Bank Zin Technologies

Radio One Cleveland TeamWork Online

The BCJC Group - Baird Thunder::tech

WTAM

Greater Cleveland Sports Awards Committee and staff wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors and all the companies who have donated their resources and expertise as well as our valued volunteers who have donated their time, resources and energy to make the 23rd Greater Cleveland Sports Awards a huge success!

PRESENTING PARTNERS

Ancora Medical Mutual

EVENT PARTNERS

92.3 The Fan

Bally Sports Ohio Beverage Distributors

Circle K

Citizens Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine

Cleveland Magazine Company Car & Limousine DEXimaging

NPI AUDIO VISUAL SOLUTIONS

Jacob Auger

Steve Ball

Mike Carlton

Adam Ditzel

Marissa Forcina Glen Gahagan

Greg Grewell

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Rob Conroy

Jeff McDaniel

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Pam Frasco

ESPN Cleveland

H. Jack’s Plumbing & Heating Co. “The Super Plumber”

Hop Valley JACK Entertainment Kaulig Media Miller Lite

NPi Audio Visual Solutions Peroni Italia Physicians Ambulance

PS Awards Radio One

Tito’s Handmade Vodka Union Home Mortgage University Hospitals

Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute Westfield WKYC WTAM

Gary Heinrich Kristin Jones

Alex Kay Beau Kirkbride

Nate Nadolski

Mike Papa Drew Stutzman

Jacob Thompson Joshua Thompson

Joe Thompson Daniel Ward Mat Whipple

Keith Mollohan

Ricky Soinski

Carrie Samek

Jenner Tekancic

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS

Curtis Danburg

ROCKET MORTGAGE FIELDHOUSE

Aya Aziz

Matt Eck

Morgan Ewert

TALENT

Andre Knott

Gabriella Kreuz

VIDEO PRODUCERS

Glenn McManus

Nate Ferrall

Joe Frietchen

Adam Hines

Bridget Linton

Steven LaClair

Brooke Lowery

Dominic Pavone

John Telich

Jessica Powell

John “Z” Zaccardelli

CONTRIBUTORS

William Aiken

David Dietrich

Brigid Gallagher

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

Aleksandra Breault

Alyssa Brosious

VOLUNTEERS

Luis Castellano

Jeremy Guy

Anne Marie Colant

Dan Griffin

Joe Ginley

Celina Nunez

James Pesarchick

Maria Slovikovski

Gabe Wasylko

Melissa Mason

Grant Passell

Ryan Virtue

Erin Gardner

Juan Goodwin

GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS COMMISSION

David Gilbert

Mark Lembke

Mike Mulhall

Rachael Stentz-Baugher

Nick Volsko

Meredith Painter

Monica Gustin

Matt Sajna

Becky Griesmer

Rachel Kelley

Rachel Denz

Reilly Haas

Janet Kuiper

Tiffany Skowronski

Rob McBurnett

Dom Mittiga

Sarah Sapola

Jayvontae Smith

Suzie Wray

Stephen Dunn

Marie Scovron

Garrett Hooker

Brenna Lorek

Ellie Robertson

Jamison Shroeder

Tyvis Powell

Mike Polk Jr.

G.Bush

Adam The Bull

Jason Lloyd

Jay Crawford

Brad Sellers

Mikey McNuggets

Maya Austerman Junior, Avon Lake High School

AWARD VOTING PROCESS

Local sports and media outlets were invited to nominate athletes and select finalists from Northeast Ohio from the following nine counties: Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Stark and Summit.

Finalists were selected in each of the following Greater Cleveland Sports Awards Categories:

• MALE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR presented by University Hospitals Druskinksy Sports Medicine Institute

• FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR presented by University Hospitals Druskinksy Sports Medicine Institute

• MALE COLLEGIATE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR presented by H. Jack’s Plumbing & Heating Co. “The Super Plumber!”

• FEMALE COLLEGIATE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR presented by H. Jack’s Plumbing & Heating Co. “The Super Plumber!”

• PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

A special awards committee was formed to select recipients for the following awards:

• Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine COURAGE AWARD

• LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD presented by Union Home Mortgage

• SPORTS DEVELOPMENT AWARD

• 5-STAR SENIOR ATHLETE AWARD presnted by Medical Mutual

BEST MOMENT presented by JACK Entertainment was nominated by the general public who voted for Best Moment in Cleveland Sports during 2022. The winning moment was based on the number of submissions.

2022

MALE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

PRESENTED BY UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS DRUSINSKY SPORTS MEDICINE INSTITUTE

Male High School Athlete of the Year Award is presented to one male high school athlete who has most distinguished himself/itself through athletic excellence during the past year or athletic season and is in good academic standing.

DYLAN FISHBACK

Aurora High School, Wrestling

2022 OHSAA Division II State Champion at 190lbs, Dylan Fishback, was the only wrestler in Ohio to have an undefeated record (39-0) during the 2021-2022 season. He was Cleveland.com’s 2022 Wrestler of the Year and currently wrestles at North Carolina State University.

SENCIRE HARRIS

St. Vincent - St. Mary High School, Basketball Cleveland.com’s 2022 Basketball Player of the Year, Sencire Harris, helped lead top-ranked St. Vincent – St. Mary High School to its second straight OHSAA Division II State Championship with a 23-4 record. He averaged 20.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.8 steals per game in his final season and is now a combo guard on the University of Illinois Men’s Basketball Team.

TYLER LENCEWICZ

Shaker Heights High School, Hockey Cleveland.com’s 2022 Hockey Player of the Year, Tyler Lencewicz, led all goal scorers during the 2021-22 season with 39 goals and 23 assists, totaling 62 total points. Named All-Ohio First Team, he also recorded 12 multi-point games which included four hat tricks during the past season for Shaker Heights High School.

FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

PRESENTED BY UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS DRUSINSKY SPORTS MEDICINE INSTITUTE

Female High School Athlete of the Year Award is presented to one female high school athlete who has most distinguished herself/itself through athletic excellence during the past year or athletic season and is in good academic standing.

KATIE CLUTE

Olmsted Falls High School, Cross Country and Track & Field

A four-time Southwest Conference Champion, Katie Clute, set the state championship cross country record to become the 2022 OHSAA Division I State Champion. Additionally, Clute finished undefeated in OHSAA Cross Country as well as Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field. This three-time Morning Journal Runner of the Year and Cleveland.com’s Runner of the Year will continue her athletic and academic career at the University of Oregon.

CAROLINE JUREVICIUS

Notre Dame Cathedral Latin High School, Volleyball 2022 Crown Conference Player of the Year, Caroline Jurevicius, finished her final season with 445 kills, 41 aces and led NDCL High School to an OHSSA Division II State Championship. She was the 2022 News-Herald Player of the Year, Cleveland.com’s Volleyball Player of the Year and the 2022 District Player of the Year. Jurevicius has committed to the University of Nebraska.

TESSA KNAPP

Bay Village High School, Soccer Earning First Team All-Ohio, Tessa Knapp helped lead Bay High School to the State Semi-Finals with a school single season record of 50 goals. She was named the United Soccer Coaches 2022 High School All-American Team and All-Regional Team, Morning Journal Soccer Player of the Year and Greater Cleveland Soccer Coaches Association’s Division II Player of the Year.

MALE COLLEGIATE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

PRESENTED BY H. JACK’S PLUMBING & HEATING CO. “THE SUPER PLUMBER!”

Male Collegiate Athlete of the Year Award is presented to one collegiate male athlete that has most distinguished himself/itself through athletic excellence during the past year or athletic season and is in good academic standing.

SINCERE CARRY

Kent State University, Basketball (Solon High School)

2022 MAC Player of the Year, Sincere Carry, led his team averaging 17.9 points, 4.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He set Kent State’s program record for most three pointers in a game with 10 and played the most minutes in a single season with 1,245. His season ended with him being All-MAC First Team and All-MAC Defensive team adding to an impressive resume.

JACOB DECATUR

Baldwin Wallace University, Wrestling (Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy)

All-American wrestler, Jacob Decatur, was the 2022 NCAA Division III National Champion at 125lbs. An All-OAC First Team selection, he finished the season with just one loss going 35-1 and never surrender a takedown in any of his 36 matches. In addition to earning the title of national champion, he became the NCAA DIII Central Regional champion, receiving All-Central region honors.

SAM WIGLUSZ

Ohio University, Football (Brecksville-Broadview Hts. High School) Named to the 2022 All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) First-Team, Sam Wiglusz, led the way for the top ranked offense in the MAC to a MAC East Division title and earn a spot in the MAC Football Championship game. He ranked in the top five nationally in touchdowns and leads the MAC in touchdowns with 11. On top of this, he ranked top five in the MAC with 814 receiving yards. A former The Ohio State University walk on; he has had quite the breakout season after transferring to Ohio University.

FEMALE COLLEGIATE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

PRESENTED BY H. JACK’S PLUMBING & HEATING CO. “THE

SUPER PLUMBER!”

Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year Award is presented to one female athlete that has most distinguished herself/itself through athletic excellence during the past year or athletic season and is in good academic standing.

SOPHIE CALABRESE

University of Texas, Rowing (Shaker Heights High School)

Sophie Calabrese is a 2022 NCAA National Champion and won the Collegiate Varsity Jessop Whittier Cup Invitational with the University of Texas Rowing Crew. She has earned Big 12 Boat of the Week honors three times and is a two-time Big 12 Champion and Big 12 All-Academic. Calabrese represented the United States at the 2022 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Italy.

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM

The 2022 NCAA DIII National Runner-ups, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) Women’s Soccer Team matched the best finish by any CWRU team in school history by setting a program record for wins in a season and the longest winning streak with 13 wins. Winning its first University Athletic Association conference championship in team history with a 6-0-1 record, the team finished 20-1-1 overall with their only loss coming in the National Championship game. The team scored 23 goals in the Division III tournament, setting a new NCAA record for most team goals in an NCAA DIII tournament.

OLIVIA NAGY

John Carroll University, Basketball (Lakewood High School)

Five-time OAC Player of the Week during the 2021-22 season, Olivia Nagy led all NCAA Division III players in blocked shots per game (4.54) and double doubles (21). Averaging 15.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, she was named First Team All-OAC, the Helen Ludwig OAC Player of the Year and OAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Andrew Carnegie

2022

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Professional Athlete of the Year Award is presented to the professional athlete who has most distinguished him or herself through athletic excellence during the past year or athletic season.

JARRETT ALLEN

Cleveland Cavaliers, Center 2022 NBA All-Star center, Jarrett Allen had an incredible year with the Cleveland Cavaliers during his first full season with the team. During the 2021-22 season, he averaged career highs with 16.1 points, a .677 field goal percentage, 10.8 rebounds, .79 steals and 32 double doubles. He had his first career All-Star selection in 2022 where he scored 10 points and recorded 9 rebounds. Through the first 17 games of the 2022-23 season, he is averaging 13.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.24 blocks.

NICK CHUBB

Cleveland Browns, Running Back

2022 Cleveland Browns Team Captain, Nick Chubb finished third in the NFL in rushing with 1,525 yards and fifth in rushing touchdowns with 12 while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He was named to his fourth straight NFL Pro Bowl and leads the league in carries of 10+ yards (33) and 20+ yards (10). Chubb has become the first Browns running back since Jim Brown to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in four consecutive seasons. He is also the third NFL player of all-time to record at least 950 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in each of their first five seasons.

JOSÉ RAMÍREZ

Cleveland Guardians, Third Baseman

A 2022 American League All-Star, José Ramírez recorded another star-studded season with the Cleveland Guardians, earning a Silver Slugger Award. In 2022, Ramírez hit .280 with .809 OPS, leading the American League in doubles with 44 and go-ahead RBIs with 31. He finished in the top four of American League MVP voting and had the most RBIs for a Cleveland hitter since 2001 with 126 which was ranks 3rd most in the MLB. Ramírez showed out in the postseason hitting .333 with two doubles, one home run and four RBIs in seven games including the go-ahead home run in the first game of the 2022 AL Wild Card Series.

UP

with

Circle K congratulates all athletes for their hard work and dedication to their sport and is proud to support the Cleveland sports community.

READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Citizens is proud to support the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and recognize the Sports Awards recipients for their sportsmanship, resilience, athletic achievements, and commitment to the community.

SPORTS DEVELOPMENT AWARD

Downtown Cleveland Alliance, a non-profit that improves Downtown Cleveland from the sidewalk to the skyline and everything in between, held true to its mission during NBA All-Star 2022.

A key partner in helping our community prepare for the star-studded event, along with countless other major events, Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA) was instrumental in last February’s success.

Its dedicated clean, safe and welcoming ambassadors played a key role in ensuring the care and cleanliness of our entire downtown for all our residents, businesses and visitors to have an unforgettable experience.

When the community needed to look it’s best the DCA team helped lead the signage and décor efforts for all to be immersed into the world of basketball no matter where you looked during NBA All-Star. Additionally, DCA’s beautification efforts throughout downtown, ensured Cleveland was ready to welcome guests from across the globe.

All-Star extended across the majority of our downtown, so it was imperative that guests be able to navigate our sidewalks from venue to venue during a busy schedule of events. DCA’s team played a critical role working with the City of Cleveland to remove snow and ice on our streets and sidewalks to ensure our guests had the best experience navigating to and from all weekend activities.

Due to Downtown Cleveland Alliance’s dedication to go above and beyond to make every event successful and create a positive impact on Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is honored to present them with the Sports Development Award.

We look forward to a continued partnership with DCA on future major events including 2024 NCAA Women’s Final Four and beyond.

Sports Development Award recognizes a person or organization that has made significant contributions to a new or created event in the city during the past year.

COURAGE AWARD

PRESENTED BY CLEVELAND CLINIC SPORTS MEDICINE

Maya Austerman, overcame a major medical obstacle to continue playing competitive sports.

In 2019, Austerman was playing in a summer basketball league when she began to experience chest and throat tightness, shortness of breath and wheezing during periods of intense play, leading to an increase in anxiety while exercising. Her pediatrician recommended she undergo spirometry testing, which is used to diagnose and monitor certain lung conditions by measuring how much air you can breathe out in one forced breath. The results suggested she had a component of exercise-induced asthma and other possible issues in her upper airway that could be causing her shortness of breath.

Shortly after receiving these results, Austerman was referred to Dr. Claudio Milstein, Ph.D., a voice and upper airway specialist at the Head and Neck Institute at the Cleveland Clinic.

Over the next year, Austerman tried using inhalers to help with her breathing, but her physical struggles and anxiety persisted on the basketball court. In early 2021, Austerman’s mother read an article about another athletes’ similar struggles with breathing and made an appointment with Dr. Milstein.

During his assessment in May 2021, Dr. Milstein examined Austerman’s vocal cords while simulating her breathing problems, revealing that her vocal cords close rather than open during intense exercise. He diagnosed Austerman with exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction, or EILO, a condition often mistaken for asthma.

Over the next several months, Austerman attended sessions with Dr. Milstein focused on a variety of breathing techniques to help retrain her vocal cords to remain open during strenuous activities. Even with practicing these techniques several times a day, she initially found herself becoming stressed and anxious when trying to apply these strategies in practice or during a game when her focus was on the competition at hand.

Austerman realized learning to maintain control of her vocal cords during activity in addition to her mental aspect was critical to returning to her game.

Today, Austerman continues to experience symptoms of EILO, which she may always have, but now feels confident using the breathing techniques to help her manage the condition.

“I feel lucky to have been able to figure out why I was struggling to breathe and when I finally received my diagnosis, I used it as validation to jump right into my recovery,” said Austerman. “At times, I feared I may never be able to play basketball or any sport again, but I’m grateful to have had the support from my family and the team at the Cleveland Clinic to help me return to playing the sport I love.”

Austerman is currently a junior at Avon Lake High School and lives at home with her parents, siblings and their two dogs. She plays varsity basketball, is a member of the National Honor Society, is the sports editor for her school newspaper and hopes to pursue a degree in the medical field in college.

Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine Courage Award is given to an athlete who has displayed courage beyond the boundaries of the playing field to inspire those around them.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

PRESENTED BY UNION HOME MORTGAGE

Ted Ginn, Sr. has served as head football coach of the Glenville Tarblooders since 1997. His nationally recognized coaching program, Winning and Building a Team Against All Odds, led the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) team to its first state title during Ohio State Athletic Association’s (OHSAA) Division IV championship game against Cincinnati Wyoming on Dec. 3, 2022 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

Prior to securing the Tarblooder’s first football state title in school history, Ginn helped establish the Ginn Academy, an all-boys high school for urban youth in the greater Cleveland area, in 2007.

His coaching and mentorship programs have assisted over 300 student-athletes in attending college post-high school graduation, including providing more than 100 scholarships for Division I schools. This effort secured the Tarblooder’s program a third-place national ranking for student-athlete recipients of Division I scholarships.

Ginn has a record for mentoring former successful high school football players including 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith along with Donte Whitner, Cardale Jones, Marshawn Latimore, Justin Hardee, Shane Wynn and Pierre Woods.

Additionally, Ginn coached Ted Ginn, Jr., his son and former wide receiver, who played in the NFL for 14 seasons with the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears. As of 2022, 22 National Football League (NFL) players from Glenville have gone through Ginn’s coaching and mentorship program.

Ginn has led the Tarblooders to eight consecutive Senate Athletic League wins between 1997 and 2009. Additionally, Glenville became the first CMSD school to reach the state playoffs, making 10 subsequent appearances from 2000 to 2010.

In 2002, Ginn was named head coach of the Glenville High School Boys’ Track team leading them to five state championship titles between 2004-2007, 2014 and most recently in 2022, where they gained their first Division II win.

Ginn was named head coach for the 2006 All-American Bowl where he secured a win for the East. That year he was also awarded Man of the Year from the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc., High School Football Coach of the Year by the National Black Coaches’ Association and was inducted into the Glenville High School Hall of Fame.

Ginn and his wife, Jeanette, live in Cleveland and are proud parents of two children, Tiffany and Ted, Jr. and three grandchildren, Theodore III, Kyrsten and Kendall.

Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Union Home Mortgage is given to a person who has dedicated their lives to the advancement of sports in Cleveland. Past recipients have ranged from former Guardians franchise greats and Browns legends to high school football coaches in the region.

THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS CONGRATULATE JOSÉ RAMÍREZ ON

HIS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINATION

OPERATING BRANDS ACROSS A

DIVERSE SPECTRUM OF BUSINESSES

Managed by Founder and Executive Chairman Matt Kaulig and President and CEO Tim Clepper, Kaulig Companies is a growing single member family office that operates successful verticals inside of multiple industries across the country.

5-STAR SENIOR ATHLETE AWARD

PRESENTED BY MEDICAL MUTUAL

Luise Easton, a multisport athlete from Northeast Ohio, continues to inspire us by her relentless pursuit of leading an active lifestyle and continues to compete at 84 years young.

Easton is a world champion who sees age as a challenge. She has competed in multiple National Senior Games, U.S. Master’s Swimming competitions and countless triathlon events.

As a world champion and someone who has completed the Alcatraz Sharkfest 1.5-mile swim in San Francisco Bay when she turned 70 and again at 75, Easton took a break from the action before revisiting the lifestyle she credits to her longevity.

She started jogging to lose weight in the 1980s and wanted the challenge of adding cycling and running into her active repertoire. As a former swimmer and swim coach, a triathlon seemed like the next step.

Since beginning this journey, the retired high school physical education teacher has competed at multiple National Senior Games which have earned her medals in swimming and triathlon. As of 2015, her combined time of 1:43:55 for the women’s triathlon was the fourth best in the history of The Games and led her to capture a gold medal in the 75-79 age group.

As of 2018, Easton held the U.S. Master’s National Open Water 2-mile championship title for multiple years in her age group. She has competed in events such as the International Triathlon Union Multisport World Championships Festival and USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship Sprint distance held in Cleveland.

“I do like to win. But my motto now is ‘There’s gratitude in my attitude’ because at my age, to be able to do what I’m doing physically and financially, I have nothing but gratitude,” says Easton. “Making friends through the games is another reason for doing it.”

Luise is constantly encouraging others to stay active at any age. “Show up and put one foot in front of the other. Anytime you get up and do something you’re ahead of all the other people who don’t even get out. It’s never too late to start doing something.”

5-Star Senior Athlete Award presented by Medical Mutual is awarded to a senior athlete, over the age of 65, who has gone above and beyond to achieve their athletic goals through leading an active lifestyle.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE NOMINEES AND RECIPIENTS FROM