Who will be next?
Congratulations to the 2009 Sports Stars of the Year!
On January 19, 2010 over 1,000 athletes, coaches, media, fans and others in the community came out to Benaroya Hall for the biggest night in Washington sports. A Washington sports tradition, the 75th Annual Sports Star of the Year, Presented by MTR Western was packed with sports luminaries from the past and present.
Special guests inlcuded Steve Largent, Danielle Lawrie, Marv Harshman, Lenny Wilkens, Lorenzo Romar, Ed Viesturs, Warren Moon, Jamie Moyer, and many more!
This year, winners were chosen through an online vote from December 1, 2009 through January 15, 2010. With over 30,000 votes cast, here are your 2009 Sports Stars of the Year!
At the 75th Annual Sports Star of the Year, presented by MTR Western, new awards were given to individuals who have had a significant impact in our community. Recipients are chosen by the Sports Star Commitee.
| Keith Jackson Award |  | Keith Jackson - Sports Broadcasting Legend After 40 years of excellence in broadcasting Keith Jackson received the first annual “Keith Jackson Award”, honoring an individual working in sports print, radio, broadcasting or any other form of media who has positively transformed how we understand sports. |
| Sports Executive of the Year |  | Tod Leiweke - Seattle Seahawks & Sounders FC The 2009 “Sports Executive of the Year” was awarded to Seattle Seahawks and Sounders FC CEO Tod Leiweke. In the Sounders 2009 inaugural season, the team made the playoffs and set attendance records for the league. This award is given to an individual in an executive or leadership position who has demonstrated excellence, innovation, creativity, outstanding leadership and vision in the sports community during the past year. |
| Sports Citizen of the Year |  | Jamie Moyer - The Moyer Foundation The “Sports Citizen of the Year” went baseball pitcher Jamie Moyer for his outstanding commitment to community service and charitable donations. The recipient of the award must exemplify what it means to be a true citizen of sport and has made a significant or compelling humanitarian contribution in transcendence of sports. |
| Royal Brougham Legend Award |  | Marv Harshman - Basketball Coaching Legend Marv Harshman is highly regarded in the coaching ranks of college basketball for his long and successful career, especially in the state of Washington. This is why he won the “Royal Brougham Legend Award”, named after the legendary sports editor and Sports Star of the Year founder, which is given to one outstanding individual who has displayed a lifetime of achievement in the sports industry, whether as a player, coach, executive, media and/or other area and exemplifies the spirit of the Pacific Northwest. |
Seattle Children's Hospital Inspirational Youth Award |  | Shawn Berg - Wrestling All-Star The “Seattle Children’s Hospital Inspirational Youth Award” went to wrestler Shawn Berg. Shawn overcame surgeries and blindness on his way to winning multiple amateur state championships. |
2009 FSN/DIRECTV Play of the Year
| The University of Washington Women's Softball team took the night over by storm by winning both the Female Sports Star of the Year and the FSN/DIRECTV Play of the Year for their 2009 NCAA Division I National Championship win on June 2, 2009 voted by you, the public. |
Safeco Insurance Presents the Top Sports Story of the Past 75 Years
 | The public has spoken. Through an online vote the 1958 UW Men's Varsity Eight Crew victory over the infamous Leningrad Trud crew in Russia and one of the greatest updsets in rowing history, took number one as the top sports story of the past 75 years. |