22nd Greater Cleveland Sports Awards: Digital Program by Greater Cleveland Sports Commission

22 YEARS

TONIGHT’S PROGRAM

insuring champions

Medical Mutual is proud to co-present the 22nd Greater Cleveland Sports Awards. We congratulate and celebrate all nominees and winners for their achievements.

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DEAR FRIENDS Sports have the power to create measurable change in a community. Whether it’s the impact our Youth Education through Sports program has on a child’s life, the boost a local business gets from visitors in town to cheer on their favorite athletes or the way a single event can change the narrative of a city, sports can bring a community back to life. Greater Cleveland Sports Commission’s mission has always been to have a positive impact on our community through the lens of sport. In fact, during the past 12 months, Cleveland has pulled off the unparalleled feat of hosting the 2021 NFL Draft and NBA All-Star 2022 and showcasing our wonderful community to the world. As we continue into 2022, we look forward to hosting 10 national events, providing $115.2 million in impact and continuing to emerge from the last few years even more resilient. As we have for the past 22 years, Greater Cleveland Sports Awards will showcase the outstanding impact the Sports Commission has had on our community, both by economically improving and internationally elevating our city. We’re here to recognize the accomplishments of some of those who make this community strong, our local athletes and teams, while celebrating their success both on and off the court. As the organization’s premier fundraiser, tonight’s celebration provides the necessary support to continue to compete and win on behalf of Cleveland. Tonight will feature a celebration of athletic achievements, a lifetime of community commitment and the courage to overcome any obstacle due to the power of sport. As we celebrate together, in a new venue, we’re in awe of your commitment to Greater Cleveland Sports Commission’s mission and we can’t wait to share this evening with you.

Doug Neary

David Gilbert

Chairman President & CEO

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

ABOUT

GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS COMMISSION Since 2000, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is responsible for attracting over 210 sporting events which provide nearly $790 million in economic activity to Northeast Ohio. 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 events. 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. CLEVELANDSPORTS.ORG

@CLESPORTS

@GREATERCLESPORTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT GCSC.......................................................... 3 BOARD OF TRUSTEES............................................. 8 ASSOCIATE BOARD................................................. 8 DINNER COMMITTEE.............................................. 9 PACKAGE PURCHASERS....................................... 11 THANK YOU......................................................14-15 AWARD VOTING PROCESS..................................... 20

HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR..............22-23 COLLEGIATE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR.................24-25 PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR................ 29 SPORTS DEVELOPMENT AWARD............................ 33 COURAGE AWARD................................................. 35 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.......................... 36 THANK YOU PARTNERS......................................... 42

22ND GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS AWARDS

Every day we admire, support, and protect hard work. Tonight, we

celebrate it.

Congratulations to tonight’s honorees, supporters, and the Cleveland sports community.

BORN HERE, RAISED HERE.

Play Here. Win Here.

YOUR SPORTS MEDICINE EXPERTS – FOR ATHLETES FROM PEE-WEE TO PRO To make an appointment close to home, call 216-983-PLAY or visit UHSports.org.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AS OF DEC. 31, 2021 DOUG NEARY, CHAIR, Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP CARL GRASSI, VICE CHAIR, McDonald Hopkins* ROBERT KLONK, VICE CHAIR, Oswald Companies 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 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 GIOVANNI DI CENSO, Deloitte ROBERT DIGERONIO, Independence Excavating FRED DISANTO, Ancora TRINA EVANS, KeyBank RICHARD FEDOROVICH, Bober Markey Fedorovich TERRY FERGUS, FSM Capital Management

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

JEFF FRIEDMAN, JIF Investment NOLAN GALLAGHER, Gravitas Ventures FRANK GALLUCCI, Plevin & Gallucci SCOTT GARRETT, Cleveland State University MICHAEL GIBBONS, Brown Gibbons Lang & Company 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. DAVE JENKINS, Cleveland Browns YAN JIN, Eaton Corporation PERNEL JONES JR., Cuyahoga County ANSIR JUNAID, Supply Side USA 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 TODD REA, Sherwin-Williams SANDEE REID, The Davey Tree Expert Company MONTE REPASKY, EY SEAN RICHARDSON, Huntington PETER ROME, Tucker Ellis DR. MARK SCHICKENDANTZ, Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine BRADLEY SELLERS, City of Warrensville Heights GREG SKODA, Marcum LLP JOHN SKORY, FirstEnergy BRIAN SLIFE, Aon DALITHIA SMITH, Oatey KEVIN STEIN, TransDigm MARK STEINBERG, Excel Sports Management DR. JON STEINBRECHER, Mid-American Conference RANDY STEPHENS, Bally Sports Ohio ROBERT VECCHIONE, NACDA PAUL VOINOVICH, Vocon CHAS WITHERS, Dix & Eaton ALAN ZANG, US Bank

LIFETIME TRUSTEES ROBERT KAIN

JARED CHANEY

MICHAEL J. CLEARY – in memoriam

ASSOCIATE BOARD MEMBERS 2021 ANGELA ALMASY, Dix & Eaton JOHN BANKS, The Shamrock Companies, Inc ELIZABETH BEARD, Topgolf ERICA CAMERON, Cerity Partners RAPHAEL COLLINS, Cleveland Guardians JOHN COUGHLIN, Gilbane Building Co. COURTNEY FALLON, Cleveland Guardians COURTNEY FOSTER, Clearsulting DORIYON GLASS, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP ROBERT GUY, WLS Stamping & Fabricating Company JAMES HOFBAUER, University Hospitals JAELEN HOLLINGER, Cleveland Foundation

BROOKE HRADISKY, Kaulig Capital LACRETTA INCORVAIA, Reliable Solutions Group TYLER JONES JOHN KANE, Ancora JENNIFER KELLY, Funguys Events, LLC BILLY LAWLESS, The Brewer-Garrett Company ARIEL MCNAIR, EY MATT MOOS MARTY MORDARSKI, Tech Elevator BETH ORR, Dover Home Remodelers, Inc. GREG PASIADIS, Marcum LLP BRIAN POE, IMG JASON ROTHMAN, Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP DR. MARIE SCHAEFER, Cleveland Clinic MATT SCHAEFER, Golden Reserve LLC

CASEY SCHRADER, Oswald Companies BRADY SHEETS, NFP CHRISSY SIBA, MGM Northfield Park MICHAEL SKOLARIS, W.F. Hann & Sons TIM SMITH, Citizens JEFF TOLMAN, Cleveland Metroparks CONSTANTINE TSATIRIS, Grant Thornton LLP PETER VAN EUWEN, BakerHostetler LLP RYAN VIRTUE, Positive Coaching Alliance MIKE VURAICH, BDO USA LLP TOM WELSH, Calfee JONATHON WHITTLESEY, Squire Patton Boggs

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

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

FRANK GALLUCCI, CHAIR Plevin & Gallucci

CINDY FLYNN, AUCTION Union Home Mortgage NOLAN GALLAGER, AUCTION Gravitas Ventures

DINNER COMMITTEE GEORGE ALLEN, iHeartMedia DOMINIC BRAULT, Kaulig Companies DAVID BROWNING, CBRE, Inc. MICHAEL CONWAY, Beverage Distributors, Inc. BILL COSGROVE, Union Home Mortgage CURTIS DANBURG, Cleveland Guardians JERRY DOYLE RICK FEDOROVICH, Bober Markey Fedorovich JERRY GRISKO JR., CBIZ

CHRIS KEIM, Frantz Ward BRIAN KELLY, PwC JOE KOHMANN, Westfield TOM LIBEG, Grant Thornton SCOTT LOKKE, JACK Entertainment SEAN RICHARDSON, Huntington RYAN RUHLMAN, Preformed Line Products DR. MARK SCHICKENDANTZ, Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine GREGORY SKODA, Marcum LLP BRIAN SLIFE, Aon

RANDY STEPHENS, Bally Sports Ohio JOSH STUDZINSKI, University Hospitals JENNER TEKANCIC, Cleveland Browns PETER VAN EUWEN, BakerHostetler PAUL VOINOVICH, Vocon

22ND GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS AWARDS

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THANK YOU

TO OUR PACKAGE PURCHASERS AS OF MARCH 16, 2022 INNER CIRCLE Calfee Cleveland Browns Cleveland Cavaliers

JIF Investments Kohrman, Jackson & Krantz McDonald Hopkins

Oswald Companies Taylor Oswald Union Home Mortgage

FSM Capital Independence Excavating Kaulig Giving KeyBank Meaden & Moore Medical Mutual NPi Audio Visual Solutions

Plevin & Gallucci Supply Side USA U.S. Bank Union Home Mortgage University Hospitals Sports Medicine Westfield

Dix & Eaton Eaton Corporation EOX Vantage ESPN Cleveland/Good Karma Brands EY Fifth Third Bank First National Bank Gardiner Gilbane Building Company Global Prairie Gravitas Ventures Huntington iHeart Media Insurance Board JACK Entertainment The J.M. Smucker’s Company Jones Day Kaulig Media

KeyBank KPMG Lincoln Electric Company Marcum LLP MCPc Medical Mutual Meritech Oatey Parker Hannifin Corporation Preformed Line Products PNC PwC The Shamrock Companies The Sherwin-Williams Company TransDigm USI Consulting Group Vocon Zin Technologies

Hilton Cleveland Downtown Mazzella Companies Mid-American Conference NACDA Newmark Knight Frank Plante Moran Radio One Cleveland

Roetzel RPM International TeamWork Online thunder::tech

PLATINUM LOUNGE Ancora Browns Gibbons Lang & Company Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine FirstEnergy Frantz Ward

GOLD CLUB Ancora Aon BakerHostetler Bally Sports Ohio BDO Benesch Beverage Distributors Bober Markey Fedorovich Brookfield Properties CBIZ CBRE, Inc. Citizens Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine Cleveland Guardians The Davey Tree Expert Company Deloitte Destination Cleveland

SILVER CLUB The BJCJ Group - Baird Cleveland State University Cohen & Company Grant Thornton Gymnastics World Harbor Bay Real Estate Advisors

22ND GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS AWARDS

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THANK YOU 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 22nd Greater Cleveland Sports Awards a huge success!

PRESENTING PARTNERS Medical Mutual

Ancora

EVENT PARTNERS Bally Sports Ohio Beverage Distributors Citizens Clear Choice Photo Booth Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine Cleveland Magazine Company Car & Limousine ESPN Cleveland H. Jack’s Plumbing & Heating Co. “The Super Plumber!”

HOP Valley Brewing Co. JACK Entertainment Kaulig Media Leinenkugel’s Meritech Miller Lite NPi Audio Visual Solutions Peroni Italia Physicians Ambulance PS Awards

Radio One Repros Tito’s Handmade Vodka Union Home Mortgage University Hospitals Sports Medicine 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

Jenner Tekancic

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

Carrie Samek

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS Curtis Danburg

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

ROCKET MORTGAGE FIELDHOUSE Matt Eck Morgan Ewert Nate Ferrall

Joe Frietchen Adam Hines Steven LaClair

Brooke Lowery Dominic Pavone

WKYC Denise Polverine

Jeffrey Yakawiak

TALENT Jim Donovan Kevin Clayton Jay Crawford

Ahmaad Crump Sam Duvall Heather Holmes

Gabriella Kreuz

Jessica Powell

John “Z” Zaccardelli

Maria Slovikovski

David Dietrich

Jenna Homrock

Melissa Mason

Keyshawn Jones Rob McBurnett Ronelle McGowan Dom Mittiga Zach Poudrier

Ron Pickney Sarah Sapolla Ryan Virtue

VIDEO PRODUCERS Kadeem Huggins

CONTRIBUTORS Dan Griffin Joe Ginley

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT Aleksandra Breault

VOLUNTEERS Bridgette Givand Juan Goodwin Jeremy Guy Reilly Haas Lauren Harris

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 Janet Kuiper Tiffany Skowronski Jayvontae Smith

Suzie Wray Zach Bush Chrstian Dolce Kendra Keene Matt Slepski

22ND GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS AWARDS

Proud Partners of

We keep athletes in the game. Trust Northeast Ohio’s most experienced sports medicine team and get a game plan for your best health.

Visit ClevelandClinic.org/SportsMedicine

Congratulations, Robbie Boyce.

2021 Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine Courage Award Recipient

Robbie Boyce Junior, St. Ignatius High School

Visit ClevelandClinic.org/SportsMedicine

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 Sports Medicine • FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR presented by University Hospitals Sports Medicine • 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 presented by Bally Sports Ohio 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 presented by Citizens The following is a sample of local media outlets asked to participate in the nomination process: Akron Beacon Journal Associated Press Cleveland.com Cleveland Magazine Crain’s Cleveland Business The News Herald The Plain Dealer

Bally Sports Ohio ESPN Cleveland 950 WCPN 90.3 WKRK 92.3 WTAM 1100

Radio One WEWS WJW WKYC WOIO

BEST MOMENT presented by JACK Entertainment was nominated by the general public who voted for Best Moment in Cleveland Sports during 2021. The winning moment was based on the number of submissions.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

THE CLEVEL AND BROWNS ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE

GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS COMMISSION AND CONGRATUL ATE ALL OF TONIGHT’S AWARD RECIPIENTS!

2021

MALE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

PRESENTED BY UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS SPORTS MEDICINE Male High School Athlete of the Year Award is presented to one male high school athlete who has most distinguished himself through athletic excellence during the past year or athletic season and is in good academic standing. DREW ALLAR Medina High School, Football 2021 “Ohio Mr. Football,” Drew Allar, finished the 2021-22 season with 4,444 passing yards and 48 touchdowns while rushing for over 300 yards and 9 TD’s, leading Medina to the OHSAA Regional Final and a 13-1 record. A five-star recruit, Allar is ranked as the #1 quarterback and #3 overall recruit in the country for the class of 2022 and is committed to Penn State University. He was named 2021-22 All-Northeast Inland District Offensive Player of the Year, Week 11 Sports Illustrated “Freak of the Week” and FOX 8 Friday Night Touchdown Player of the Year. TOMMY BEBIE Rocky River High School, Football First Team All-Ohio Linebacker, Tommy Bebie, was named Northeast Lakes District Player of the Year and received the Matt Wilhelm Award Winner presented to the Morning Journal’s Player of the Year. With 2,172 all-purpose yards and 1,954 rushing yards, Bebie averaged 10.9 yards per carry, 137 tackles and 26 touchdowns. He led the team in receptions (18), touchdowns (26), tackles (137), sacks (6.0) and tackles for loss (12) and holds school records for career touchdowns, season touchdowns, career rushing yards and season rushing yards. He helped Rocky River High School win the Great Lakes Conference championship game and earned Academic All-Ohio. Bebie has committed to Wake Forest University.. DANNY YOUNG JR. Shaker Heights High School, Basketball Lake Erie League Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021, Danny Young Jr., was named First Team All-District during his junior and senior seasons. Young was named to Cleveland.com’s “Best of the Best” in 2021 and 2022. Young averaged 25.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game. He currently averages 27 points per game, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 seals during the 2021-22 season, leading the #6 ranked Shaker Heights High School basketball team. Young has committed to Cleveland State University.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

2021

FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

PRESENTED BY UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS SPORTS MEDICINE Female High School Athlete of the Year Award is presented to one female high school athlete who has most distinguished herself through athletic excellence during the past year or athletic season and is in good academic standing. KATHRYN RANDORF Gilmour Academy, Volleyball 2020-21 and 2022 Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year, Kathryn Randorf, led Gilmour in back-to-back OHSAA DII State Volleyball Championships. She broke the school record for kills and blocks, ending her high school career with 1,408 kills, 389 blocks, 805 digs, 105 aces and 124 solo blocks. She was named AVCA High School All-American First Team, which is awarded to the top 50 volleyball athletes in the nation. She is a two-time First Team All-Ohio honoree, three-time First Team All-District Honoree, three-time District Player of the Year and three-time News Herald Volleyball Player of the Year. Randorf has committed to Northwestern University.

LANAE RILEY Archbishop Hoban, Basketball Earning First-Team OHSAA All-Ohio and All-Northeast Inland District honors, Lanae Riley was named Co-Player of the Year for Northeast Inland District in 2021. She averaged 22.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.5 assists per game during the 2020-21 season. During her senior year, Riley has averaged 22.4 points per game and 6.9 rebounds while leading Hoban to a number two ranking in OHSAA Division I state poll. Riley has committed to Middle Tennessee State University.

ALAYNA TESSENA Highland High School, Volleyball Finishing the 2021 season with 369 kills, a .371 hitting percentage and 50 aces, Alayna Tessena’s 1,032 kills ranks fifth in Medina County all-time. She was named Suburban League Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021, All Medina County Volleyball Player of the Year, All District First Team in 2020 and 2021 as well as Second-Team All-OHSAA DI. Tessena was also named the Medina Gazette MVP and Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021.

22ND GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS AWARDS

2021

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. DUSTIN CRUM Kent State University, Football (Midview High School) Mid-American Conference (MAC) “Player of the Year”, Dustin Crum, led the Golden Flashes to a 7-5 record, MAC East Division Championship and a berth in the MAC Championship Game. He received First Team All-MAC honors for the second straight season. As a dual-threat quarterback, he threw for 2,794 yards and 15 touchdowns against four interceptions while completing 65% of his passes for the number one ranked offense in the MAC. Crum also led MAC quarterbacks with 565 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns on the ground. MARREON JACKSON Arizona State University, Basketball (Garfield Heights High School) 2021 Mid-American Conference (MAC) “Player of the Year”, Marreon Jackson, was also named First-Team All-MAC as a junior at Toledo. He averaged 18.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists during the 2020-21 season Jackson played for the University of Toledo through his senior year before transferring to Arizona State University for his fifth year of eligibility, where he is currently averaging 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

ALEX PHILLIP John Carroll University, Cross Country (St. Vincent - St. Mary High School) 2021 NCAA Division III Men’s Cross-Country National Champion, Alex Phillip, is the first John Carroll Track & Field athlete to hold that title. He completed the 8,000 km course with a time of 23:27.6, beating the runner up by nearly three seconds. Named OAC and USTFCCCA Men’s Cross-Country Runner of the Week on Sept. 20, 2021, he won the All-Ohio Championships with a time of 24:52.1, besting the field, including DI, DII and DIII runners, by 4.6 seconds. Phillip won the OAC Championships by 46.5 seconds, with a time of 24:07.8, leading his team to the first conference win in program history. Additionally, he set the Wilmington course record, besting the previous record by 27 seconds. Phillip was also named USTFCCCA Men’s Cross-Country Runner of the Week on Nov. 1, 2021, and Oct. 4, 2021.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

2021

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. ADELAIDE AQUILLA The Ohio State University, Track & Field (Magnificat High School) Named Ohio State’s 2021 Female Athlete of the Year, Adelaide Aquilla, is a 2021 two-time NCAA champion and Big Ten Conference champion for indoor and outdoor Track & Field. She set The Ohio State University’s indoor and outdoor shotput records. Aquilla earned Big Ten’s Field Athlete of the Championships Award and Field Athlete of the Year honors for both the indoor and outdoor Track & Field seasons. She qualified for Team USA by finishing third in the shot put at the U.S. Olympics and represented Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. DAYNA DENNER University of Toledo, Softball (Cuyahoga Heights High School) 2021 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Softball Player of Year, Dayna Denner, became the first Toledo Rocket to earn NFCA All-Great Lakes Region First-Team honors since 1995 and first to earn NFCA Second Team All-Academic selection since 1992. She earned Academic All-MAC honors and ranked second in the MAC with .550 on-base percentage (15th nationally), 841 slugging percentage (17th nationally) and 20 doubles (tied for fifth nationally). Denner is ranked third in the MAC with .421 batting average and fourth with 13 home runs. She led her team with 16 multi-hit games and tied for first with eight multi-RBI contests. Additionally, Denner set three program individual season records with 20 doubles, 37 walks, .841 slugging percentage and is tied with 13 home runs. JULIA WALZ Bowling Green State University, Volleyball (Brooklyn High School) 2021 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Volleyball Defensive Player of the Year, Julia Walz, was named All-MAC First-Team. She led the MAC with 6.38 digs per set and led the team in total digs with 435, ranking seventh in the nation, including 10 matches with over 20 digs. Walz is a seven-time MAC East Defensive Player of the Week. She’s ranked seventh in the conference with 0.34 aces per set and tallied 20 or more digs in nine conference matches. Walz played in 91 of the Falcons’ 92 sets, appearing in all 24 matches.

22ND GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS AWARDS

Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. Andrew Carnegie

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2021

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY BALLY SPORTS OHIO

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. DARIUS GARLAND Cleveland Cavaliers, Guard 2022 NBA All-Star guard, Garland is averaging 20.7 points on .479 shooting, 8.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 34.7 minutes per game. He is sixth in the NBA in assists. During NBA All-Star Saturday Night, Garland participated in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge with teammates Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, winning the event. He also recorded 13 points, 2 assist and 2 steals while representing the Cavs in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. Garland was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Garland is the fastest player in Cavs history to make 300 career three-pointers in 147 games and ranks 13th in franchise for triples with 340, as of March 4, 2022. MYLES GARRETT Cleveland Browns, Defensive End The leader of the Cleveland Browns defense, Myles Garrett played in all 17 games and set the Browns single season sack record, recording 16 sacks in the 2021 NFL Season. His record setting 15th sack came in Week 13 when he stripped Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback, Tyler Huntely, recovered the fumble and returned it for his first career touchdown. Garrett’s 16 sacks ranked him 3rd in the NFL and he finished with 49 tackles; both career highs. He was named to the 2022 Pro Bowl, his second career selection, and received the Cleveland Pro Football Writers of America “Dino Lucarelli Good Guy Award.” JOSE RAMIREZ Cleveland Guardians, Third Baseman A 2021 American League All-Star, Jose Ramirez finished the 2021 MLB Season hitting .266 with an .893 OPS, 147 hits, 111 runs, 32 doubles, 5 triples, 36 homeruns, 107 RBIs and 27 stolen bases. He was named Cleveland Baseball Writers Association of America “Bob Feller Man of the Year”. Ramirez finished third in the American League in wins above replacement. His 2021 campaign marked the only time in Cleveland history that a player has recorded at least 100 runs, 100 RBIs, 35 homeruns and 25 steals in a season. Ramirez was an AL Silver Slugger Award finalist.

22ND GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS AWARDS

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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.

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SPORTS DEVELOPMENT AWARD PRESENTED BY CITIZENS

Topnotch Management, a Cleveland-based sports agency representing the top athletes in tennis and soccer, had a vision to showcase Cleveland to the international tennis world. As a result of this vision, Tennis in The Land, the inaugural Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) 250 tournament, became one of three stand-alone annual WTA Tour events in the nation. A week prior to the U.S. Open, this event featured some of the top stars of the game as they made their final preparations. From Aug. 22 – 28, a live crowd cheered on competitors including Lauren Davis, Northeast Ohio native, while over 60 million households tuned in worldwide. With players from over 20 countries, a packed house for the finals saw Anett Kontaveit win the first singles champion of the tournament with first team title championship going to Ena Shibs and Shuko Aoyama. Additionally, many Cleveland cultural groups such as the Romanian community turned out to show athlete support to those representing their native country. The week-long event boasted 54 matches consisting of 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams which took place over three courts. The main stadium court was one-of-a-kind, using over 10,000 cubic feet of Geofoam that had to be cut and laid strategically to provide a level playing surface for athletes. A specialized group installed 40,000 pounds of court over each custom cut foam block to provide a seamless competition surface. In addition to the estimated $2.1 million in economic impact, this event is scheduled to continue to appear in The Land for many years to come as part of the U.S. Open Series of summer tennis. With the winning 2021 inaugural event champion currently ranking fifth in the world, Tennis in The Land will return to Cleveland on Aug. 21 – 27, 2022. Cleveland’s elevation to the international tennis stage will once again boast views of the Cuyahoga River and Cleveland skyline as the best in pro women’s tennis compete on the stadium court at Jacob’s Pavilion at Nautica in Flats East Bank. Due to Topnotch Management’s dedication to go above and beyond to make the event successful and a positive impact on Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is honored to present them with the Sports Development Award presented by Citizens. Sports Development Award presented by Citizens recognizes someone who has made significant contributions to a new or created event in the city during the past year.

22ND GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS AWARDS

COURAGE AWARD

PRESENTED BY CLEVELAND CLINIC SPORTS MEDICINE Robbie Boyce, a senior at St. Ignatius High School, overcame major medical obstacles to return to playing competitive sports. In September 2020, Boyce was at the gym preparing for his upcoming junior baseball season when he suddenly had a seizure and collapsed. Boyce’s trainer quickly called emergency services and he was airlifted to Cleveland Clinic’s main campus. Boyce, who was 16 years old, had suffered severe bleeding in his brain caused by a very rare type of stroke called a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and underwent emergency brain surgery. During surgery, Mark Bain, M.D., neurosurgeon at the Cerebrovascular Center at Cleveland Clinic, and his team discovered an artery had ruptured inside Boyce’s brain that sustained significant damage forcing them to perform a procedure which involved inserting tiny coils into the pathway to ultimately seal the aneurysm and block blood flow. After surgery, Boyce spent five days in a medically induced coma, and when he initially woke up, the right side of his body was paralyzed. His road to recovery looked to be a long one, but Boyce began to show steady progress as his brain healed. For the next 30 days, Boyce remained in the Cleveland Clinic Neurological Intensive Care Unit followed by two months in rehabilitation therapy relearning basic functions, including walking and improving his short-term memory which were affected by the stroke. By January 2021, Boyce had returned to school. He was back on the junior varsity baseball team and even resumed playing piano just three-and-a-half months after his stroke. “In Robbie’s situation, because he’s so young and was in such critical condition, it takes a massive team, including surgeons, nurses, critical care specialists, physical and occupational therapists and many more, coming together to care for him every step of the way,” said Dr. Bain. “Looking back on how he came to us, and seeing him walking and talking, let alone playing sports and thriving, is really amazing.” Boyce believes his hard work, dedication and the support of family, friends and the medical team at Cleveland Clinic helped expedite his recovery. He now uses his story as a way to help others who are in similar situations remain positive and persevere.

“You’ll be able to get through it if you keep pushing as hard as you can and believing in yourself,” said Boyce. “There’s a lot of people out there rooting for you.” Boyce is currently in his junior year at St. Ignatius High School and lives with his parents. 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.

22ND GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS AWARDS

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PRESENTED BY UNION HOME MORTGAGE CC Sabathia spent eight seasons in Cleveland after being picked 20th in the first round of the 1998 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. In 2007, he went 106-71 with a 3.83 ERA, 19 complete games and led the American League with 241 innings pitched (IP). A three-time MLB All-Star, Sabathia was also named a 2007 CY Young Award Winner, a Central Division Champion in 2001 and 2007, Franchise Top 10 for pitchers with over 1,000 innings pitched and the 2001 Rookie of the Year Runner Up. The lefty spent 19 seasons in MLB featuring a short stint with the Milwaukee Brewers before landing with the New York Yankees. During his career, Sabathia ranked seventh in strikeouts (K) 1,265, strikeout rate (K%) 19.8%, strikeouts per nine innings pitched (SO/9) 7.45 and strikeout to walk ratio (SO/BB) with 12.0%. Sabathia ranks ninth in win-loss (W-L%) record with .599%. In addition to his impressive career, Sabathia was incredibly active in the local community off the mound. During his tenure with the Cleveland club, he was a big supporter of the Boys and Girls Clubs which continued during his trade to the New York Yankees. In June 2019, when the Yankees played a three-game series at Progressive Field, Sabathia was presented with a $5,200 retirement check to donate to Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland. Sabathia founded the PitCCh In Foundation, a non-profit enriching the lives of inner city youth by raising their self-esteem through education and athletic activities, in 2008 during his final season in Cleveland while pitching . His foundation is focused on All-Star Camps, School Backpack Program and Field Renovations. Cleveland Guardians Charities have partnered with PitCCh In and Get In The Game, a social equity initiative formed by Tom Walter, Wake Forest baseball coach, to pilot a school program at Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Garrett Morgan High School focused on racial justice and equity in our Cleveland community. In 2021, Sabathia had a baseball field at Luke Easter Park, previously built during 2019 MLB All-Star Week festivities, renamed in his honor to recognize his efforts on and off the field. 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.

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22nd Greater Cleveland Sports Awards: Digital Program

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