Soccer
UW Athletic Communications
Seattle – The annual Seattle Sports Star of the Year awards are in February, and Washington Athletics will once again be well represented with four individuals or teams nominated for honors. Husky Football’s Sugar Victory and Husky Men’s Rowing Banner Set for Sports Story of the Year; Current Sophomore Pole Vaulter Hana Moll is up for Women’s Star of the Year and 2024 Athletic Alumni Joe Waskom is nominated for Male Star of the Year.
Fan voting is now open on SeattleSports.org through January 29 and fans can vote once per day.
Founded in 1935 by legendary sportswriter Royal Brougham and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Sports Star of the Year (SSY), has celebrated the achievements of Washington Sports for nine decades.
Washington’s Biggest Night for Sports features a live pre-show reception and awards show.
Featuring the athletes, coaches and community members behind sports’ most memorable stories, past winners and special guests include Sue Bird, Gary Payton, Steve Largent, Doris Brown Heritage, Ken Griffey Jr., Apolo Ohno, Paul G. Allen, Kelsey Plum, Stefan Frei and more.
The Sugar Bowl football victory is part of a Sports Story of the Year nomination that includes the Kraken hosting the NHL Winter Classic, as part of “Ringing in the New Year with a Spotlight on Seattle.” The Huskies beat Texas in an instant classic that sent UW to the College Football Playoff national championship game.
Men’s rowing had an incredible convergence of highlights in 2024. The Huskies won their 20th national title at the IRA Regatta on June 2, sweeping all titles including the Varsity 8. Then at the Paris Olympics, the UW rowers won past and present to win 11 medals. All of this came on the heels of “The Boys in the Boat” starting the year in theaters, depicting the legendary Washington Gold Medal crew of 1936.
Hana Moll Burst onto the collegiate scene by becoming the first freshman to win the NCAA indoor title in the pole vault. The American U20 Record-Holder won the Pac-12 title, placed third at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, then finished sixth at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Joe Waskom finished his Husky career with a second NCAA championship away at 1,500 meters, coming from behind down the stretch to win by less than a tenth of a second in 3:39.48. It capped off a phenomenal run for the Snoqualmie, Washington, native, who also won the 2022 NCAA title at the same distance, and earned a runner-up finish in 2023. Waskom would also help the Huskies earn a second team back-to-back Pac-12 athletics. Title with a victory in the steeplechase. He began his professional career with Adidas and placed seventh in the US Olympic Trials final in a best time of 3:33.74.