2018 ESPYS Presented By Capital One: Nominees Revealed

Nominees for “The 2018 ESPYS Presented by Capital One” were revealed today and fan voting has begun. 

“The 2018 ESPYS Presented by Capital One” will be hosted by Danica Patrick and broadcast live on ABC, Wednesday, July 18 (8 – 11 p.m. EDT), from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Fans can cast their vote at ESPYS.com.

In Best Male Athlete, three-time nominee Tom Brady is joined by three newcomers to the category – Alexander Ovechkin, James Harden, and José Altuve. Brady was previously nominated for this award in 2004 and 2008.

BEST MALE ATHLETE

Jose Altuve, Houston Astros

• 2017 AL MVP
• Helped the Astros win their first World Series in franchise history
• Led the MLB with a .346 batting average and led the AL with 204 hits

James Harden, Houston Rockets

• Led the Rockets to 60 regular-season wins and a No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history
• Won his first scoring title, averaging 30.4 points per game
• Finalist for NBA MVP

Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

• Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP
• Helped the Washington Capitals win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history
• Led the NHL in goals for the seventh time in his career

Tom Brady, New England Patriots

• Named NFL MVP for the third time in his career
• Set a new NFL record with his 187th career regular-season win passing Peyton Manning and Brett Favre
• Set a Super Bowl record for most passing yards (505)

 

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE

Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota Lynx

• • Led the Lynx to their fourth WNBA title in seven years, which tied the record for most titles by a single franchise
  • Won both the regular season MVP and the Finals MVP
    • Mikaela Shiffrin, Ski

       

    • • Took home gold in giant slalom and silver in super combined at the Winter Olympics
      • Captured the women’s World Cup overall title for the second-straight year

Chloe Kim, Snowboard

• • • • At 17, she became was the youngest woman to ever win Olympic gold in the halfpipe after recording a near perfect score
      • Took home gold in superpipe at X Games Aspen 2018

Julie Ertz, Chicago Red Stars/United States Women’s National Soccer Team

• • • • Named 2017 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year
      • After shifting to defensive midfielder, Ertz proved impactful on both sides of the ball, finishing second in goals scored (6) in Team USA international play

 

BEST OLYMPIC MOMENT

Shaun White, Snowboard

• • • • After failing to medal at Sochi, Shaun White came to PyeongChang with redemption on his mind. After disappointing scores in his first two runs, White went into his third and final run needing a big performance. He did just that, hitting back-to-back 1440s — a feat he had never accomplished before in a live run — to take home gold.

Jessie Diggins & Kikkan Randall, U.S. Cross Country Ski

• • • • Women’s cross-country skiing debuted at the Olympic Winter Games in 1952. It would take nearly 70 years for Team USA to medal in the event. But when Jessie Diggins came from behind to cross the finish line just 0.19 seconds ahead of her Swedish opponent, Diggins and teammate Kikkan Randall celebrated more than the end of a drought. They celebrated a hard-earned gold.

U.S. Men’s Curling

• • • • After struggling through round-robin play, Team USA was 2-4 and eyeing an early exit. But with their backs against the wall, John Shuster’s squad proceeded to rattle off five-straight wins, culminating in a championship victory over Sweden that secured USA’s first-ever curling gold medal.

USA Women’s Hockey defeats Canada, 2018 Winter Olympics

• • • • USA defeated Canada 3-2 in a shootout to win gold for the first time in 20 years
      • After a scoreless overtime, Team USA triumphed in the shootout after a circus goal from Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and a win-clinching save from Maddie Rooney.
    • The game inverted the gold medal showdown of Sochi, which Canada won in OT

 

BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE

George Springer, Houston Astros – MLB World Series

• • • Named World Series MVP after leading the Astros to a franchise-first World Series title
    • Hit a record-tying five home runs in the World Series best
    • First player in history to homer in four-straight games during a single Fall Classic

Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles – Super Bowl LII

• • • Named Super Bowl LII MVP after leading the Philadelphia Eagles to their first Super Bowl title
    • Completed 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards and 3 passing touchdowns
    • Became the first player to both throw and catch a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl

Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors – NBA Finals

• • • Named NBA Finals MVP after the Warriors clinched their second-straight championship in a four-game sweep of the Cavaliers
    • Averaged 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists in the series
    • Scored 43 points on the road in game 3

Donte DiVincenzo, Villanova Men’s Basketball – CBB National Championship

• • • Named NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player after a 31-point outing in title game
    • His 31-point explosion was the most ever scored by a bench player in the title game

 

BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

• • • 2017 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
    • His 826 receiving yards led all running backs, and his 6.1 yards per carry led all running backs with at least 120 rushes
    • 14 total touchdowns

Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers

• • • Led all rookies in rebounding, assists, and steals
    • Finalist for NBA Rookie of the Year
    • Joined Oscar Robertson as the only other rookie in NBA history to average at least 15.0 points, 8.0 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game.

Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz

• • • Finalist for NBA Rookie of the Year
    • Set the NBA rookie record for three-pointers made (187)
    • Passed Michael Jordan for most points by a rookie guard in his first two playoff games (55) to lead Utah over Oklahoma City

Sloane Stephens, Tennis

• • • Won 2017 US Open, becoming only the fifth unseeded woman to win a Grand Slam in the Open Era
    • Won the 2018 Miami Open
    • 2018 French Open runner up

 

BEST GAME

Houston Astros defeat Los Angeles Dodgers, World Series Game 5

• • • Houston defeated Los Angeles 13-12 in 10 innings to take a 3-2 series lead
    • The Astros became only the second team to ever come back from two different three-run deficits in a single World Series game
    • At five hours and seventeen minutes, it was the second longest World Series game in history

Georgia Bulldogs defeat Oklahoma Sooners, Rose Bowl

• • • Georgia overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat the Oklahoma Sooners 54-48 in double overtime.
    • The largest comeback in Rose Bowl history
    • The first Rose Bowl to ever go into overtime

USA Women’s Hockey defeats Canada, 2018 Winter Olympics

• • • USA defeated Canada 3-2 in a shootout to win gold for the first time in 20 years
    • After a scoreless overtime, Team USA triumphed in the shootout after a circus goal from Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and a win-clinching save from Maddie Rooney.
    • The game inverted the gold medal showdown of Sochi, which Canada won in OT

 

BEST MOMENT

Minnesota Vikings defeat the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game

• • • “The Minnesota Miracle”: the trailing Minnesota Vikings stunned the New Orleans Saints with an inexplicable Stefon Diggs touchdown on the last play of the game Notre Dame defeats Mississippi State to win the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament
    • After coming back from a 15-point deficit, the largest overcome by any team in a title game, Notre Dame captured the championship with a second-straight game-winning shot from Arike Ogunbowale.

Las Vegas Golden Knights defeat Winnipeg Jets to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals

• • • The Knights’ 2-1 win over the Jets in game 5 of the Western Conference final was the culmination of this first-year expansion team’s unlikely playoff run
    • The Knights were the only team in 50 years to advance to a final in their first year

#16 University of Maryland-Baltimore County upsets No. 1 Virginia

• • • UMBC stunned No. 1 Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament becoming the first time in the history of the NCAA Men’s tournament to defeat a No. 1 seed
    • Previous 16 seeds were 0-135 against No. 1 seeds

 

BEST TEAM

Houston Astros, MLB

• • • Won the World Series for the first time in franchise history
    • Finished the regular season with a 101–61 record and a 21-game lead in their division

Philadelphia Eagles, NFL

• • • Defeated the New England Patriots for their first Super Bowl win in franchise history
    • Finished the regular season 13–3, tying their 2004 season for the highest winning percentage in franchise history
    • Considered an underdog through much of the playoffs due to the absence of their starting quarterback

USA Women’s Ice Hockey

• • • USA defeated Canada 3-2 in a shootout to win Gold for the first time in 20 years
    • Returned the favor to Canada, who had beaten them in overtime in 2014.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish, NCAA Women’s Basketball

• • • Won the national title in a comeback victory over Mississippi State
    • Weathered the loss of four players to capture their program’s second championship

Villanova Wildcats, NCAA Men’s Basketball

• • • Earned their third national championship in a decisive win over Michigan
    • The team finished the season with a 36–4 record and the most wins in Villanova history

Golden State Warriors, NBA

• • • Captured their third NBA title in four years
    • Defeated the Cavaliers in just four games — the first NBA Finals sweep since 2007

Washington Capitals, NHL

• • • Defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in five games to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history
    • Delivered Washington D.C. its first major sport title since 1992

 

BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE

Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma Football

• • • 2017 Heisman Trophy Winner
    • Threw for 4,340 yards, with 41 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions
    • Led the Sooners to a 12-1 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff

Jalen Brunson, Villanova Basketball

• • • 2018 Wooden Award Winner — the first Villanova player to earn the honor
    • Helped Villanova capture its third national championship
    • Averaged 19.1 points and 4.7 assists

Katie Ledecky, Stanford Swimming

• • • Won the 500 and 1650-yard freestyle events by record margins and anchored the winning 800-yard freestyle relay team
    • Helped Stanford to two consecutive NCAA titles

A’ja Wilson, South Carolina Basketball

• • • 2018 Wooden Award Winner
    • Wilson averaged 22.6 points and 11.8 rebounds, with 105 total blocked shots
    • Her Gamecocks went 29-7, winning the SEC tournament championship and advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament

 

BEST PLAY (Bracket-style voting)

• • 1. ND’s Arike Ogunbowale hits 2nd buzzer beater to win NCAA women’s national title
    2. Minnesota Miracle: Stefon Diggs makes last-second TD Catch to send Vikings to NFC championship
    3. Philly Special: Eagles fool Patriots with fourth-down TD toss to Foles
    4. Alabama wins national title on 41-yard OT TD pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Devonta Smith
    5. FSU’s Jessie Warren makes diving double play in WCWS
    6. LeBron James nails buzzer beater 3-pointer to beat the Pacers in Game 5 of Round 1
    7. Evanston Township High school freshman Blake Peters hits 80-foot buzzer beater
    8. Gareth Bale scores go-ahead bicycle kick goal in Champions League Final 1022
    9. Cristiano Ronaldo scores bicycle kick goal against Juventus
    10. Julian McGarvey makes last-second steal & heave to secure Ardsley High School’s 1st Section 1 title in 60 years
    11. LeBron floats a glass-kissing buzzer beater to beat Raptors in game 3 of round 2
    12. Team USA’s Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson scores the shootout winner to secure gold medal in women’s hockey
    13. Giannis Antetokounmpo leapfrog dunks on Tim Hardaway Jr
    14. Acrobatic volleyball play from Autumn Finney out of Decatur High School
    15. Golden Knights’ William Karlsson goes through legs for ‘goal of the year’ contender
    16. Jordan Poole hits buzzer-beater to send Michigan to the Sweet 16s

 

BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE

Roger Federer, Tennis

• • • Won his 8th Wimbledon title to pass Pete Sampras’ record of 7

Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

• • • Set new MLB rookie record with 52 HRs, surpassing Mark McGwire’s 50-HR rookie campaign

Tom Brady, New England Patriots

• • • Set new NFL record with his 187th regular-season win, passing Peyton Manning and Brett Favre for most career regular-season victory

Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury

• • • Became first WNBA player to hit 1,000 career 3-pointers

 

BEST INTERNATIONAL MEN’S SOCCER PLAYER

Lionel Messi, FC Barcelona/Argentina National Team

• • • Led FC Barcelona to the 2017-2018 Spanish league title
    • Scored 45 goals in 54 appearances for FC Barcelona this season
    • Secured Argentina’s World Cup qualification with a hat trick against Ecuador

Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid/Portuguese National Team

• • • Led Real Madrid to a historic 3-peat in the Champions League
    • Scored 44 goals in 44 appearance for Real Madrid in 2017-2018 season
    • Won his 5th Ballon d’Or in 2017

Mohamed Salah, Liverpool/Egyptian National Team

• • • Won English Premier League Golden Boot for 32-goal season
    • Scored 44 goals in 52 total games, leading Liverpool to Champions League Final
    • Helped Egypt qualify for their first World Cup since 1990

Neymar Jr., PSG/Brazilian National Team

• • • Ligue 1 2017-2018 Player of the Year
    • Led PSG to Ligue 1 2017-2018 title

 

BEST INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S SOCCER PLAYER

Lieke Martens, FC Barcelona/Netherlands National Team

• • • MVP of Euro 2017
    • Led Netherlands to their first-ever Euro title
    • Named Best FIFA Women’s Player of 2017

Sam Kerr, Chicago Red Stars/Australian National Team

• • • Became the all-time leading scorer in NWSL history
    • The top goalscorer in the inaugural Tournament of Nations

Pernille Harder, VfL Wolfsburg/Danish National Team

• • • Member of the 2017 UEFA Women’s Champions League Squad of the Season
    • Member of the UEFA Women’s European Championship All-Star Team
    • As a captain, led Denmark to their first-ever UEFA Women’s Euro final

Jodie Taylor, Seattle Reign/English National Team

• • • Won the “Golden Shoe” award as top goal scorer of Euro 2017 with 5 goals in 4 games
    • Became first Englishwoman to score a hattrick in a major soccer tournament

 

BEST NFL PLAYER

Tom Brady, New England Patriots

• • • Named NFL MVP for the third time in his career
    • Set a new NFL record with his 187th career regular-season win
    • Set a Super Bowl record for most passing yards (505)

Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

• • • 2017 NFL Offensive Player of the Year
    • Led the NFL with 19 rushing/receiving touchdowns and 2,093 yards from scrimmage

Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers

• • • Led the league in receiving yards (1,533) for the second time in his career
    • First Team All-Pro, named to his sixth Pro Bowl

Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams

• • • 2017 NFL Defensive Player of the Year
    • Donald was named to his fourth-straight Pro Bowl and third-straight All-Pro First Team
    • Finished the 2017 season with 41 tackles, 11 sacks, and five forced fumbles

 

BEST MLB PLAYER

Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

• • • 2017 AL Rookie of the Year and runner-up for AL MVP
    • Set an MLB rookie HR record (52)
    • Led the AL in runs scored (128), home runs (52), and walks (127)

Jose Altuve, Houston Astros

• • • 2017 AL MVP
    • Helped the Astros win their first World Series in franchise history
    • Led the MLB with a .346 batting average and led the AL with 204 hits

Mike Trout, LA Angels

• • • Led the AL in OBP (.442), SLG (.629), OPS (1.071)
    • Seventh player in history to reach 200 or more home runs before the end of his age-25 season

Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals

• • • Went 16-6 with a 2.51 ERA over 200 2/3 innings
    • Led the league in strikeouts (268), WHIP (0.90) and hits allowed per nine innings (5.7)
    • Won his third Cy Young Award, just tenth pitcher in history to win at least three

 

BEST NHL PLAYER

Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

• • • Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP (Conn Smythe)
    • Helped the Washington Capitals win their first championship in franchise history
    • Led the NHL in goals for the seventh time in his career

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

• • • Finished the season with 29 goals and 60 assists for 89 total points
    • Recorded his 400th goal and 700th assist in 2018

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

• • • Led the league in points (108) to win his second-consecutive Art Ross Trophy
    • Recorded the third-most assists (67) and scored the sixth-most goals (41)

Marc-Andre Fleury, Las Vegas Golden Knights

• • • Went 12-3 in the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, helping Vegas become the first expansion team since the 1967-68 St. Louis Blues to advance to the Cup Final
    • Delivered a league-best 4 shutouts during the Stanley Cup Playoffs

 

BEST DRIVER

Josef Newgarden, IndyCar

• • • Won 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series Championship in his first season with Team Penske
    • Won a career-best four races in 2017

Martin Truex Jr, NASCAR

• • • 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion
    • Won a commanding 8 races on his way to the title

Lewis Hamilton, Formula One

• • • Captured his fourth Formula One title in 2017
    • Most successful British driver in F1 history

Brittany Force, NHRA

• • • Won the 2017 NHRA Top Fuel Championship
    • Just the second woman to ever win the Top Fuel title
    • Raced to a career-best four victories

 

BEST NBA PLAYER

James Harden, Houston Rockets

• • • Led the Rockets to 60 regular-season wins and a No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history
    • Won his first scoring title, averaging 30.4 points per game
    • Finalist for NBA MVP

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

• • • Became the first player in NBA history to reach 30,000 points, 8,000 rebounds and 8,000 assists
    • Reached the NBA Finals for the eighth-straight year
    • Finalist for NBA MVP

Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans

• • • All-Defensive First Team and All-NBA First Team
    • Finalist for NBA MVP and NBA Defensive Player of the Year

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

• • • Fourth in the NBA in scoring (26.9)
    • Shot a career-high 52.9 percent from the field

 

BEST WNBA PLAYER

Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx

• • • 2017 All-WNBA First Team
    • Helped guide the Lynx to the #1 seed in the league with a 27–7 record
    • Averaged 18.3 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in the playoffs en route to fourth WNBA Championship title in seven years

Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks

• • • 2017 All-WNBA First Team
    • Led the Sparks to the No. 2 seed and a 26-8 record
    • Set the record for most steals in a finals game (5)

Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota Lynx

• • • Won both the regular season MVP and the Finals MVP
    • Led the Lynx to their fourth WNBA title in seven years

Skylar Diggins-Smith, Dallas Wings

• • • 2017 All-WNBA First Team
    • Averaged 18.5 ppg as well as a career-high in assists (5.8) and rebounds (3.5)

 

BEST FIGHTER

Terence Crawford, Boxing

• • • Became the undisputed champion at light welterweight after knocking out Julius Indongo
    • Became boxing’s latest three-division champion with a ninth-round TKO of Jeff Horn
    • ESPN’s 2017 Fighter of the Year

Vasiliy (Vasyl) Lomachenko, Boxing

• • • Defeated Jorge Linares (44-4) in the 10th round of a lightweight title bout
    • Fastest fighter ever to win titles in 3 different weight classes

Rose Namajunas, UFC

• • • Upset an undefeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the first round to win the Strawweight belt. Jedrzejczyk closed as a favorite of more than 8-1
    • Defeated Jedrzejczyk again in her first title defense

Georges St-Pierre, UFC

• • • Returned to the UFC in 2017 defeating Michael Bisping to win the middleweight title, fourth fighter in the history of the UFC to be a multi-division champion

 

BEST MALE GOLFER

Jordan Spieth

• • • Won his third major at the 2017 Open Championship

Justin Thomas

• • • Won 2017 PGA Championship
    • PGA Tour Player of the Year
    • Won the 2017 FedEx Cup Championship

Dustin Johnson

• • • Won the 2018 Sentry Tournament of Champions
    • Third player in Tour history to win a Tour title in each of his first 11 seasons

Patrick Reed

• • • Won the 2018 Masters
    • Tied for 2nd at the 2017 PGA Championship

 

BEST FEMALE GOLFER

Shanshan Feng

• • • Recorded her first three-win season in 2017, including a title defense at the TOTO Japan Classic and a win the next week at the Blue Bay LPGA
    • Became the first player from China, male or female, to become No. 1 in the world

Inbee Park

• • • Won the Bank of Hope Founders Cup, marking the third time a South Korean player has won the competition that was created in 2011
    • Park finished as a runner-up at the ANA Inspiration

Ariya Jutanugarn

• • • Won the 2018 US Women’s Open Championship

Sung-Hyun Park

• • • Named 2017 LPGA Player of the Year & Rookie of the Year
    • Won the 2017 US Women’s Open Championship

 

BEST MALE OLYMPIAN

Shaun White, Snowboarding

• • • Won his third Olympic gold medal for the men’s halfpipe event with a score of 97.75

Red Gerard, Snowboarding

• • • Won Gold in slopestyle

David Wise, Halfpipe Skiing

• • • Defended his Olympic gold in men’s halfpipe with a score of 97.20

John Shuster, Curling

• • • Led team USA to gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics, the first American team to ever win gold in curling
    • In the 8th end, Shuster executed a double takeout to secure victory

 

BEST FEMALE OLYMPIAN

Chloe Kim, Snowboarding

• • • At 17, she became was the youngest woman to ever win Olympic gold in the halfpipe after recording a near perfect score

Mikaela Shiffrin, Skiing

• • • gold in giant slalom
    • silver in the super combined

Jamie Anderson, Snowboarding

• • • Won her second Olympic gold medal in slopestyle, as well a silver in big air
    • First female snowboarder to win more than one Olympic gold medal

Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, US Women’s Hockey

• • • Helped secure a gold medal for Team USA with her stunning shootout goal

 

BEST MALE TENNIS PLAYER

Roger Federer

• • • Won his 8th Wimbledon title, surpassing Pete Sampras’ record of 7
    • Won 2018 Australian Open
    • Became the first man to win twenty Grand Slam titles

Rafael Nadal

• • • Won 2017 US Open
    • Won the 2018 French Open

Marin Cilic

• • • Runner-up at 2017 Wimbledon
    • Runner-up at the 2018 Australian Open

 

BEST FEMALE TENNIS PLAYER

Sloane Stephens

• • • Won the 2017 US Open
    • Won the 2018 Miami Open
    • 2018 French Open runner-up

Caroline Wozniacki

• • • Finished 2017 with two WTA titles at WTA Finals Singapore and the Pan Pacific Open
    • Won her first major title at the 2018 Australian Open

Simona Halep

• • • Won the 2018 French Open

Garbine Muguruza

• • • Won 2017 Wimbledon,
    • French Open semi-finalist
    • Ranked #4 in the world

 

BEST MALE ACTION SPORTS ATHLETE

Henrik Harlaut (SWE), Ski

• • • Took double gold at Aspen 2018, adding his first slopestyle title to his big air crown
    • Harlaut has the most XG Ski big air gold in history and the most gold of any male skier in a single discipline

Kelvin Hoefler (BRA), Skateboard

• • • Took home the gold medal at X Games Minneapolis 2017 and followed up with another gold medal at X Games Norway 2018

David Wise (USA), Ski

• • • Took home gold with a career-best score of 97.20 to defend his Olympic title in men’s halfpipe
    • Took home another gold in superpipe at X Games Aspen 2018

Marcus Kleveland (NOR), Snowboard

• • • First ever to complete a quad cork 1800 in competition
    • Won gold in slopestyle and silver in big air at his Winter X Games debut in 2017
    • Took home gold in slopestyle and silver in Big Air at X Games Aspen 2018

 

BEST FEMALE ACTION SPORTS ATHLETE

Chloe Kim (USA), Snowboard

• • • At 17, she became was the youngest woman to ever win Olympic gold in the halfpipe after recording a near perfect score
    • Took home gold in superpipe at X Games Aspen 2018

Jamie Anderson (USA), Snowboard

• • • Won her second Olympic gold medal and won a silver in the big air event
    • First female snowboarder to win more than one Olympic gold medal
    • Took home gold in slopestyle and bronze in Big Air at X Games Aspen 2018

Brighton Zeuner (USA), Skateboard

• • • Became the youngest (13) X Games gold medalist at X Games Minneapolis 2017
    • Came in 2nd at the Vans Park Series in 2017

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS). Surf

• • • Won her fifth Roxy Pro title on the WSL Championship Tour
    • Won the Maui Pro Women’s title

 

BEST JOCKEY

Mike Smith

• • • 13th Triple Crown Winner with wins at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes
    • 14th winner of the Laffit Pincay Jr. Award

Jose Ortiz

• • • Leading rider at Belmont Park’s spring-summer meet and at Saratoga Race Course
    • Voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey

Florent Geroux

• • • Won the Breeders’ Cup Classic and four other stakes race, plus a second-place finish in the Dubai World Cup
    • Started his 2018 season with a win aboard Gun Runner in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup

Flavien Prat

• • • Prat secured his second victory at the Breeder’s Cup World Championships when he guided Battle of Midway to a win in the Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile

 

BEST MALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY

Dan Cnossen, Nordic Skiing

• • • Medaled in every cross-country and biathlon event he entered.
    • Winning one gold, four silver and one bronze medals, Cnossen also made history as the first U.S. man to win biathlon gold in the Olympic or Paralympic Games.

Andrew Kurka, Alpine Skiing

• • • Won gold in the downhill and silver in the super-G in the men’s sitting classification
    • Finished seventh in the super combined.
    • First U.S. man to win a gold medal in alpine skiing since 2006

Declan Farmer, Sled Hockey

• • • Scored in the final minute and in overtime to lead Team USA to win gold in on overtime 2-1 victory over Canada to claim their third consecutive gold medal at the Paralympic Winter Games

Mike Schultz, Snowboarding

• • • Won gold in the men’s LL1 snowboard-cross.
    • Won silver in the banked slalom

 

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY

Oksana Masters, Nordic Skiing

• • • Won five medals (two gold, two silver and one bronze) in biathlon and crosscountry competition
    • Most decorated athlete on the team and in the history of the Para Nordic program

Brenna Huckaby, Snowboarding

• • • Swept the women’s LL1 snowboarding competition, taking gold in both snowboard-cross and banked slalom.
    • Only U.S. athlete to go undefeated in individual competition at the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018

Kendall Gretsch, Nordic Skiing

• • • Won gold in the women’s sitting biathlon sprint to become the first American to win a biathlon gold at the Olympic or Paralympic Games.
    • Claimed gold in the 12-kilometer cross-country competition and picked up four top-10 finishes

Tatyana McFadden, Track and Field

• • • Swept gold medals in all four of her events – including the T54 200-, 400-, 800- and 1,500-meter – to tie for the most medals of any athlete at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London
    • Improved her record to 22 world major marathon series victories with wins in Chicago in 2017 and Boston in 2018

 

BEST BOWLER

Jason Belmonte

• • • Belmonte won the PBA National Championship in Reno, NV for his 16th title and ninth career major.
    • First PBA player to ever win three major titles in a season
    • Belmonte won with his fourth PBA Player of the Year Award

Rhino Page

• • • Won the 2017 U.S. Open for his sixth title and first major championship

Tom Smallwood

• • • Won his third PBA title and second major at the Barbasol PBA Players Championship
    • Smallwood climbed from the #5 seed in the TV finals, eventually defeating top seed Jason Belmonte in the final match

Jesper Svensson

• • • Svensson won his seventh PBA Tour title in the PBA Cheetah Championship

 

BEST MLS PLAYER

Nemanja Nikolić, Chicago Fire

• • • Named the 2017 MLS Golden Boot Winner with goals (24) and assists (4)
    • Finalist for Newcomer of the Year and Landon Donovan MLS MVP

Diego Valeri, Portland Timbers

• • • 2017 Landon Donovan MLS MVP after recording goals (21) and assists (11) in league play

Ike Opara, Sporting Kansas City

• • • 2017 MLS Defender of the Year
    • Anchored a defense that conceded just 29 goals during the 2017 regular season
    • Set MLS career-highs with 30 starts and 2,700 minutes played, contributed to 11 shutouts and helped Sporting KC reach the MLS Cup Playoffs for the seventh straight year.

Tim Melia, Sporting Kansas City

• • • 2017 MLS Goalie of the Year; Melia posted MLS career-highs in wins (12), shutouts (10), saves (91), starts (31) and minutes (2,759)
    • Led MLS with a 0.78 goals against average, 78.4 save percentage and 69.2- percent passing accuracy

 

BEST NWSL PLAYER

Sam Kerr, Chicago Red Stars

• • • Set a new NWSL record when she scored 4 goals in a single game
    • Won the NWSL Golden Boot and MVP award after finishing the 2017 season with a record-breaking 17 goals

Megan Rapinoe, Seattle Reign

• • • Recorded 12 goals in 2017
    • Finalist for NWSL MVP

Sam Mewis

• • • Nominated for MVP in both the NWSL and US Soccer Player of the Year

Adrianna Franch, Portland Thorns

• • • Named NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year
    • Set a regular-season record in shutouts (11)
    • Helped the Thorns win the NWSL Championship in a 1-0 shutout over the North Carolina Courage