Photo by Melissa Majchrzak
The State of Sport celebrates Utah’s athletic excellence
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah | April 10, 2024 — Utah’s sports community gathered at the Delta Center on April 10th for the 12th annual Governor’s State of Sport Awards, presented by Intermountain Health and Zions Bank and hosted by Utah Sports Commission, to celebrate The State of Sport and its incredible athletes.
“Sport is the lifeblood of our communities,” said Governor Spencer J. Cox. “The State of Sport Awards showcase the athletes, teams, coaches, events, and icons who have contributed to the culture of sport in Utah, and I applaud this year’s honorees.”
Aside from welcoming Utah’s two new professional teams—Utah Archers and Utah Royals—and the relocated U.S. Biathlon, this year’s State of Sport Awards included a Q&A segment with the seven-time Grand Slam winner John McEnroe. Ranked No. 1 on the all-time ATP Tour win list with 155 combined singles and doubles titles, McEnroe’s name has become synonymous with world-class tennis.
“It has been another great year for sports in Utah,” said Utah Sports Commission President & CEO Jeff Robbins. “From hosting major global events to potential future announcements of the Olympics, Paralympics, NHL and MLB franchises, it’s easy to see why Utah is known as The State of Sport.”
2024 Governor’s State of Sport Awards Honorees
Legacy Award – Alan Ashton
As Utah Sports Commission has grown, it is only now that the full impact of the early support and vision from founding members like Alan Ashton can be truly appreciated… Full Story
Legacy Award – Kem Gardner
Kem Gardner’s name has become synonymous with the arts, education, healthcare, public policy, and real estate in Utah. However, as a Wyoming-raised boy, rodeo always had a special spot in Gardner’s heart… Full Story
Event of the Year – NBA All-Star
For one weekend, downtown Salt Lake City was buzzing as it was transformed into an NBA hub, bringing an estimated $294 million economic impact—all-time record for NBA All-Star Weekend… Full Story
Highlight of the Year – Red Bull Rampage Best Trick
For 22 years, Red Bull Rampage has revolutionized the world of freeride, bringing top riders to the toughest terrain, showcasing the biggest and baddest tricks, lines, and sends the sport has seen. This year was no different… Full Story
Team of the Year – BYU Women’s Soccer
BYU Women’s Soccer concluded its first year in the Big 12 with an overall 20-3-3 record, posting an undefeated season in the conference and on the home South Field while advancing to the NCAA College Cup for the second time in program history… Full Story
Coach of the Year – Isaac Wood
In 2022, Isaac Wood was tasked with creating a cross country program from scratch at Salt Lake Community College. Eighteen months later, the women’s half marathon and cross country teams each won an NJCAA National title… Full Story
*Wood is the first coach or athlete competing for Salt Lake Community College to receive a State of Sport award.
Professional Female Athlete of the Year – Grayson Murphy
A five-time All-American while at the University of Utah, Grayson Murphy found herself at the top of the podium as the world mountain running champion in 2019 and again 2023—making her the only two-time world champion in history… Full Story
Professional Male Athlete of the Year – Puka Nacua
Before putting on the blue and gold no. 17 jersey for the Rams, Utah’s Puka Nacua wore two different blue jerseys as a football standout at Orem High School and Brigham Young University… Full Story
*Nacua was previously honored as the High School Male Athlete of the Year at the 2019 Governor’s State of Sport Awards.
Olympic Female Athlete of the Year – Kristen Santos-Griswold
A crash in the women’s 1000m at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games left Kristen Santos-Griswold just off the podium in fourth place. Fast-forward through the last two seasons, Santos medaled at every World Cup… Full Story
Olympic Male Athlete of the Year – Casey Dawson
Casey Dawson won the overall World Cup title for men’s team pursuit three years in a row, setting a world record of 3:33.66 on home ice at Utah Olympic Oval and topping Norway’s previous time by .56 seconds… Full Story
Adaptive Female Athlete of the Year – Seneida Biendarra
Seneida Biendarra made her paraclimbing debut by placing first at the 2023 National Championships then followed that up with gold at IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup in Salt Lake City and silver at World Championships in Bern, Switzerland… Full Story
Adaptive Male Athlete of the Year – Zach Miller
Zach Miller is a para rider specializing in dual banked slalom, who won three medals in three disciplines at last year’s World Championships in addition to the other four World Cup medals in 2023… Full Story
Collegiate Female Athlete of the Year – Alissa Pili
A transfer from the University of Southern California, Alissa Pili helped Utah claim its first-ever share of the Pac-12 Regular Season title with a 27-5 overall record and make a run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament… Full Story
Collegiate Male Athlete of the Year – Branden Carlson
The most significant puzzle piece in the rebuild of Utah’s basketball team, Branden Carlson anchored the Runnin’ Utes to their first winning record since 2019-20… Full Story
High School Female Athlete of the Year – Avery Sapp
The three-time state tournament MVP Avery Sapp led Spanish Fork Dons to a third-straight Class 5A state championship by striking out 206 batters in 129 innings with a 2.22 ERA and posting a .464 batting average with 11 home runs and 50 RBI… Full Story
High School Male Athlete of the Year – Daniel Simmons
With back-to-back Player of the Year nods, Daniel Simmons is only the third two-time Gatorade National Boys Cross Country winner in program history. In 2023, Simmons set six course records while winning 10 races… Full Story