Press release from ESPN, June 24, 2015:
Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Serena Williams, American Pharoah, Aaron Rodgers, Ronda Rousey, JJ Watt, Mo’ne Davis, Tom Brady, Jordan Spieth, Maria Sharpova, Peyton Manning and Victor Espinoza are all nominees for The 2015 ESPYS on ABC, hosted by Joel McHale.
WHAT:
Initial list of nominees for The 2015 ESPYS presented by Capital One, are revealed today and voting has begun.
Pardon the Interruption’s Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon will host The ESPY Nomination Special on Wednesday, July 1, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
WHERE:
A current list of The 2015 ESPYS nominees is available to members of the media at http://es.pn/1J2hTnM and for voters at ESPYS.com. Additional nomination categories will be released before the show.
WHEN:
Voting is underway and all categories will close when the live show starts Wednesday, July 15, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
HOW:
Fans will determine the winners in most ESPYS categories by voting online at ESPYS.com up to the start of The 2015 ESPYS.
2015 ESPYS FACTS & FIGURES:
For the first time since 2000, none of the nominees for Best Male Athlete are returning from the previous year. 2015’s fresh slate includes NBA MVP Stephen Curry, NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, NFL Defensive Player of the Year JJ Watt, and two-time Best Male Athlete-winner LeBron James.
UFC-champion Ronda Rousey is in pursuit of a 2nd-straight “Best Female Athlete” honor. She faces stiff competition from 2-time winners Serena Williams and Lindsey Vonn, as well as returning nominee Breanna Stewart.
LeBron James is the only returning nominee for “Best NBA Player,” gracing the category for an 11th-straight year. He is joined by first-timers Stephen Curry, James Harden, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook.
Serena Williams is after her 7th “Best Female Tennis Player” award. She will have to top returning winner, Maria Sharapova, who is after her 6th.
Peyton Manning is in contention to repeat as “Best Record-Breaking Performance.” While the Denver signal caller was honored at the 2014 awards for single-season passing records, this year the attention is on a career accomplishment–the most passing touchdowns ever thrown by an NFL quarterback.
Rory McIlroy is chasing his second “Best Male Golfer” award. He faces stiff competition from Masters and U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth and FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel.
Little League standout Mo’ne Davis is looking to become the youngest athlete ever to win the “Best Breakthrough Athlete” Award.
The “Best Male College Athlete” nominees stretch the category’s age range in both directions. 18-year-old BU hockey star Jack Eichel would be the youngest player ever to win the award, while 24-year-old OSU wrestling champ Logan Stieber would be the oldest.
Fresh off winning the Triple Crown, American Pharoah is the first horse ever to be nominated in the “Best Championship Performance” category. He is up against MLB World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner, Women’s College World Series MVP Lauren Haeger, and NBA Finals leading-scorer LeBron James.
The ESPYS gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The 2015 ESPYS will recognize both sport-specific achievements, such as “Best MLB Player” and “Best WNBA Player,” and best-in-sport winners, such as “Best Team” or “Best Female Athlete” that pit nominees from different sports against each other. Inspiring human stories are showcased through three pillar awards – the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, the Jimmy V Perseverance Award and the Pat Tillman Award for Service. The ESPYS support ESPN’s ongoing commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, launched by ESPN with the late Jim Valvano in 1993.
Voting will be open June 24 through July 15 at 8 p.m. ET at ESPYS.com. Follow The 2015 ESPYS on Twitter @ESPYS.
Here’s the complete list of nominees, from ESPYS.com:
Best Male Athlete
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
2015 NBA MVP, led the Warriors to a league-best 67-15 record and their first NBA Championship in 40 years
Broke his own 3-point record with 286 treys
48.7 FG%, 44.3% beyond the arc, 91.4% from the free-throw line
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Led his team to 53 wins and the 2015 NBA Finals in his first season back in Cleveland
Led the NBA Finals in points (35.8), rebounds (13.3), and assists (8.8)
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
38 passing TDs & 5 interceptions (fewest int. for a full-season starter)
112.2 passer rating (2nd in the league among starters)
Undefeated at home, 133.2 passer rating with 25 TDs and 0 interceptions
NFL MVP
JJ Watt, Houston Texans
20.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 10 broken-up passes, 59 solo tackles, 2 defensive touchdowns, and 3 receiving touchdowns
First player to record a 2nd 20-sack season
First unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in NFL history
Best Female Athlete
Ronda Rousey, MMA
Defended the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Title with a 16-second KO of Alexis Davis and a 14-second armbar submission of Cat Zingano
Her 14-second victory over Cat Zingano was the fastest in UFC Championship history
Breanna Stewart, UConn Basketball
2015 AP Player of the year, 2015 Naismith Player of the Year
NCAA tournament MOP
Lindsey Vonn, Skiing
Set a new world record for Women’s World Cup wins (67)
Joined legend Ingemar Stenmark as the only other skier to capture 19 season titles
Serena Williams, WTA
Won the 2014 US Open, 2015 Australian Open, and 2015 French Open
Became 5th women’s tennis player to be world No. 1 for at least 200 weeks
Best Championship Performance
American Pharoah, Race Horse
Won the Triple Crown for the first time since 1978.
Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
2014 World Series MVP
Lowest ERA (.43) in a World Series since Sandy Kofax in 1965
First pitcher to record at least 2 wins, throw a shutout, and earn a save in a single World Series
Lauren Haeger, Florida Softball
MOP of the 2015 Women’s College World Series
Led in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, wins, and ERA
Pitched a complete game in the winner-take-all game 3 of the WS, in addition to driving in a run
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
First player in Finals history to lead both teams in points (35.8), rebounds (13.3), and assists (8.8)
Accounted for the 2nd-highest percentage of team points in Finals history (38.3%), just behind 1993 Jordan (38.4%)
Best Breakthrough Athlete
Odell Beckham Jr, New York Giants
2014 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
Set records for most receptions and receiving yards in the first 12 games of a career
Tied Michael Irvin’s NFL record of at least 90 receiving yards in 9-straight games
Mo’ne Davis, Little League Baseball
First girl to earn a win in the Little League World Series
First girl to pitch a shutout in the Little League World Series
Cardale Jones, Ohio State Buckeyes
Won the College Football National Championship in just his 3rd start as the Buckeyes quarterback
In his 3 starts, Cardale completed 46 of 75 passes for 742 yards and 5 TDs
Jordan Spieth, PGA
Won the 2015 Masters and 2015 US Open
2nd-youngest person to win the Masters; youngest US Open winner since 1923
Tied Tiger Wood’s 72-hole Master’s record; broke records for best 36-hole and 54-hole scores
Best Record-Breaking Performance
Lauren Chamberlain hits 91st home run in NCAA softball
The Oklahoma senior overtook a 13-year-old record to become college softball’s career leader in home runs
Chamberlain achieved the record in 52 fewer games than the previous record holder
Devin Hester takes punt in for 20th touchdown return
Devin Hester’s 62-yard punt return touchdown was his 20th, surpassing Deion Sanders’ record for most career return TDs
Peyton Manning throws record-509th touchdown pass
Manning’s 8-yard TD toss to Demaryius Thomas was the 509th TD pass of his career, breaking a league record held previously by Brett Favre
Klay Thompson scores 37 points in a single quarter
Thompson set a new NBA record for most points in a single quarter, scoring 37 in the 3rd quarter of a regular season game
Best Upset
Georgia State over Baylor, NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
14th-seeded Georgia State came back from a 12-point deficit to beat 3rd-seeded Baylor in the 1st round of March Madness
RJ Hunter hit a game-winning 3-pointer to send his team to the next round and their coach, his father, toppling to the ground
Kansas City Royals wins AL Pennant
In their first playoff appearance in 29 years, the wild card-winning Kansas City Royals made postseason history with 8-consecutive wins to start the playoffs, earning an unexpected World Series berth
Mississippi over Alabama, FBS
The No. 11 Rebels rallied from an 11-point deficit to beat their rivals, the No. 3 Crimson Tide, for the first time in over a decade
Best Game
A’s vs. Royals, MLB AL Wild Card
The Kansas City Royals began their cinderella postseason run with a dramatic extra-innings victory over the Oakland A’s
The nearly 5-hour, 12-inning game saw the Royals mount 2 late comebacks, ultimately winning out 9-8
Spurs vs. Clippers Game 7, NBA Western Conference Quarterfinals
The Clippers rallied around Chris Paul to win the deciding game of their highly competitive first-round series against the Spurs, 111-109
Paul, who overcame an early hamstring injury to return to the floor, made an improbable last-second bankshot to give his team the decisive 2 points
Patriots vs. Seahawks, Super Bowl
This hard-fought, thrilling contest culminated in a late comeback by New England, who battled back from a 10-point deficit to take a 4-point lead with just 2 minutes remaining
Seattle marched right back down the field, and after a bobbling circus catch by Jermaine Kearse, found themselves inches from the Patriots’ endzone, where they attempted a quick pass into the endzone but were intercepted by Patriots rookie CB Malcolm Butler
Best Play (bracket-style)
Odell Beckham catch vs. 16. Albany goalie lacrosse goal
Bahamas Bowl Hail Mary vs. 15. Dwayne Bravo cricket catch
Lionel Messi goal vs. 14. Jerian Grant dunk
Malcolm Butler INT vs. 13. Josh Sheehan triple back flip
Stephen Curry step back 3 vs. 12. Ameer Abdullah TD run
Ronda Rousey armbar vs. 11. Gerald Green dunk off the glass
Tyler Ennis goal vs. 10. Shoni Schimmel circus shot
Kevin Pillar catch vs. 9. Jeremy Menez goal
Best Coach/Manager
Geno Auriemma, UConn Huskies
Won his 10th NCAA Tournament title for UConn, and 3rd consecutive
Led the team to a 38-1 record
Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Won his 4th Super Bowl with the Patriots
Piloted the team through a rocky start to win 10 of their last 12
Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
Won the NBA Finals in his rookie year as a head coach
Led the Warriors to a league-best 67-15 regular season record
Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Blue Devils
Led Duke to their 5th national title
Became first D1 Men’s basketball coach to reach 1000 wins
Coached US National Team to FIBA World Cup Gold
Urban Meyer, Ohio State Buckeyes
Coached Ohio State to victory in the inaugural National Championship game, despite losing 2 QBs to injury over the course of the season
Best Comeback Athlete
Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
After his 2013 season was cut short by ACL and MCL tears, Gronkowski returned in 2014 to lead all tight ends in receiving yards (1,124) and share the lead for most receiving touchdowns (12)
Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Finally back with the Yankees, A-Rod has spent this season attempting to prove that he can still be a productive contributor to an MLB team.
Thus far, he is batting. 274 with 12 HRs and 33 RBIs (as of 6/18).
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
Rose’s appearance in the 2015 playoffs marked not just a return from his most recent knee injury, but a long-awaited return to the postseason. Rose delivered, averaging 21.5 points in the Bulls’ first series against the Bucks and hitting a game-winning buzzer-beater against the Cavs.
Lindsey Vonn, Skiing
After a partial ACL tear kept her out of the Sochi Olympics and necessitated 2 surgeries, Vonn returned to the podium in 2015.
She set a new world record for most Women’s World Cup wins (67) and joined legend Ingemar Stenmark as the only other skier to capture 19 season titles.
Best International Athlete
Novak Djokovic, ATP
Won the 2015 Australian Open, the 2014 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2014 ATP World Tour Finals
2014 ATP Player of the Year, finishing World #1
Lewis Hamilton, Formula One
2014 Formula One World Championship Champion
11 victories put him 67 points ahead of the closest competition
Lydia Ko, LPGA
Became the youngest golfer ever (17) to be ranked world #1
2014 LPGA Rookie of the Year
Tied Annika Sörenstam’s LPGA record for most consecutive rounds under par (29)
Lionel Messi, Barcelona/Argentina
Became career leading scorer in both La Liga and Champions League
2nd-highest scorer in La Liga ‘14-’15 (43); highest assister (18)
Helped Barcelona claim the Champions League title as the joint top scorer (10) and the top assister (6).
Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid/Portugal
2014 Ballon d’Or winner
Fastest player in La Liga history to score 200 goals
Leading scorer in LA Liga ‘14-’15 (48); 2nd-highest assister (16)
Best NFL Player
Tom Brady, New England Patriots
MVP of his 4th Super Bowl Championship
Led the Patriots to a 12-4 regular season record, winning 10 of their last 12 games
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
Led the league in receptions (129) and receiving yards (1,698)
DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys
The 2014 leading rusher (1,845 yards)
First NFL player to rush for 100 yards in each of the first 8 games of the season
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
38 passing TDs & 5 interceptions (fewest int. for a full-season starter)
112.2 passer rating (2nd in the league)
Undefeated at home, 133.2 passer rating with 25 TDs and interceptions.
NFL MVP
JJ Watt, Houston Texans
20.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 10 broken-up passes, 59 solo tackles, 2 defensive touchdowns, and 3 receiving touchdowns
First player to record a 2nd 20-sack season
First unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in NFL history
Best MLB Player
Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
2014 World Series MVP
Lowest ERA (.43) in a World Series since Sandy Kofax in 1965
Most innings pitched in postseason history (52.2)
Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
2014 NL MVP & Cy Young Award
MLB-leader in wins (21) and ERA (1.77)
Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians
2014 AL Cy Young Award
269 strikeouts (2nd most in the AL)
18 wins (tied for most in the AL)
Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
Led NL in HRs (37), slugging percentage (.555), and total bases (299)
2nd in NL in RBIs (105), on-base percentage (.395), on-base + slugging (.950), and walks (94)
Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
AL MVP & All-Star MVP
Posted AL-leading 111 RBIs and MLB-leading 115 runs scored
Best NHL Player
Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks
2015 Playoff MVP (Conn Smythe Trophy)
Recorded the most assists in the playoffs (18) and tied for 4th-most points (21)
Joined Bobby Orr as the only other defensemen to win the Conn Smythe Trophy and score the Stanley Cup-winning goal
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
League-leading 53 goals, 10 more than next best.
Tied for 4th-most points (81)
Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
As a goalkeeper, led the league in wins (44), goals against average (1.96) and save percentage (.933)
John Tavares, New York Islanders
2nd in the league in points (86)
4th in goals (38)
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
21 points in the playoffs (10 goals, 11 assists)
Helped lead the Blackhawks to their 3rd NHL title in 6 years
Best Driver
Erica Enders-Stevens, NHRA
Won the 2014 NHRA Pro Stock Championship
Named “Racer of the Year” by Racer Magazine
Lewis Hamilton, Formula One
2014 Formula One World Champion
Kevin Harvick, NASCAR
2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion
2014 Driver of the year
Juan Pablo Montoya, IndyCar
Won the 2015 Indy 500
Will Power, IndyCar
2014 IndyCar Series Champion
Best NBA Player
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
2015 NBA MVP, led the Warriors to a league-best 67-15 record and their first NBA Championship in 40 years
Broke his own 3-point record with 286 treys
48.7 FG%, 44.3% beyond the arc, 91.4% from the free-throw line
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Led the NBA in blocks (200, 2.94 blkpg)
League-leading player efficiency rating (30.89 PER)
James Harden, Houston Rockets
Ranked 2nd in scoring (27.4 ppg) and a far-away 1st in free-throws made (715).
Led Rockets to 2nd-place finish in the West, despite the team’s numerous injuries.
2nd in 2015 NBA MVP voting
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Led his team to 53 regular season wins and the 2015 NBA Finals in his first season back in Cleveland
Led the NBA Finals in points (35.8), rebounds (13.3), and assists (8.8)
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Led the NBA in scoring (28.1 ppg)
Put up 11 triple-double performances, 7 more than his closest competition
Best WNBA Player
Skylar Diggins, Tulsa Shock
2014 WNBA Most Improved Player
2nd in the league in scoring with 20.1 PPG; 4th in assists with 5 APG
Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
2014 Defensive Player of the year
Led the league in blocks (3.8 blocks per game)
Team won 2014 WNBA Finals
Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx
2014 WNBA MVP
Set WNBA record with 12 30+ point games
2014 FIBA World Championship MVP
Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks
3rd in the league in scoring with 19.4 PPG
5th in both assists (4.3) & blocks (1.4)
Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
Led Mercury to a 29-5 regular season and to victory in the 2014 WNBA Finals, their 3rd Championship
2014 WNBA Finals MVP
Best Fighter
Donald Cerrone, MMA
Undefeated in a busy 5-fight year
Current 8-fight UFC winning streak is the longest in the lightweight division and 3rd longest among active UFC fighters
Terence Crawford, Boxing
Named 2014 “Fighter of the Year” by The Boxing Writer’s Association of America and ESPN
Current WBO and IBA Light Welterweight champion
Gennady Golovkin (GGG), Boxing
Successfully defended his middleweight title in 4 separate bouts in the past year
Deemed a “super champion” in the middleweight category
Improved record to 33-0 with 30 KOs
Floyd Mayweather Jr, Boxing
Defeated Manny Pacquiao in a unanimous decision to bring his record to 48-0
Ronda Rousey, MMA
Defended the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Title with two record-speed wins
Beat her own 16-second record with a 14-second armbar submission
Best Male Golfer
Rory McIlroy
2014 PGA Player of the year, 2014 PGA Tour Player of the Year, and 2014 Arnold Palmer Award (PGA money leader)
Won the 2014 British Open and the 2014 PGA Championship
Jordan Spieth, Men’s Golf
Won the 2015 Masters and 2015 US Open
2nd-youngest person to win the Masters; youngest US Open winner since 1923
Tied Tiger Wood’s 72-hole Master’s record; broke records for best 36-hole and 54-hole scores
Billy Horschel
Won the 2014 FedEx Cup
Best Female Golfer
Lydia Ko
Became the youngest golfer ever (17) to be ranked world #1
2014 LPGA Rookie of the Year
Tied Annika Sörenstam’s LPGA record for most consecutive rounds under par (29)
Stacy Lewis
2014 LPGA money leader and Player of the Year on points
Runner up in 2015 Ana Inspiration
Inbee Park
Finished 2014 world #1
Won the 2014 LPGA Championship, the 2015 HSBC Women’s Champions, and the 2015 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (her 3rd consecutive)
Best Male Tennis Player
Marin Cilic
2014 US Open Champion
Became just the 2nd Croatian to ever capture a Grand Slam title
Novak Djokovic
Won the 2015 Australian Open, the 2014 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2014 ATP World Tour Finals
2014 ATP Player of the Year, finishing World #1
Roger Federer
Became the older player ever (33) to finish 2nd in ATP rankings
Joined Jimmy Connor and Ivan Lendl in the 1000-win club
Stan Wawrinka
2015 French Open Champion
In 2014, became the first player since Andre Agassi to win his first Grand Slam and first Davis Cup in the same year
Best Female Tennis Player
Simona Halep
Finished world #3 on 2014 WTA Tour
Runner-up in WTA Tour Final
Petra Kvitova
2014 Wimbledon Champion
Led the Czech team to their 3rd Fed Cup victory in 4 years
Maria Sharapova
Finished world #2 on 2014 WTA Tour
Reached her 4th Australian Open final in 2015
Serena Williams
Won the 2014 US Open, 2015 Australian Open, and 2015 French Open
Became 5th women’s tennis player to be world No. 1 for at least 200 weeks
Best Male College Athlete
Jack Eichel, Boston University Hockey
2015 Hobey Baker Award winner for best college hockey player
League leader in points (71), assists (45), and plus-minus (+51)
Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin Basketball
2015 Naismith Player of the Year
2015 Wooden Award
Led Wisconsin to NCAA finals
Marcus Mariota, Oregon Football
Heisman winner
Led Oregon to college football championship
Logan Stieber, Ohio State Wrestling
2015 NCAA tournament MOP
Captured 4th Individual National Championship Title (only the 4th wrestler in history to achieve that feat)
Led Ohio State to their first-ever team National Title
Dansby Swanson, Vanderbilt Baseball
Led SEC in hits (91), runs scored (75), total bases (171), and doubles (23)
Drafted 1st overall in the 2015 MLB Draft.
Best Female College Athlete
Taylor Cummings, Maryland Lacrosse
Won her 2nd-straight Tewaaraton Award as the best player in women’s college lacrosse.
Led the Terps to their 2nd-straight national championship
Won her 2nd-straight Honda Sports Award for lacrosse
Missy Franklin, Cal Swimming
NCAA Champion in 200 IM, 200 Freestyle, and 200 Backstroke
2015 NCAA Swimmer of the Year
Broke her own record in the 200 Free
Lauren Haeger, Florida Softball
2015 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year
Joined Babe Ruth as only other member of the 70/70 club — 70 pitching wins and 70 HRs
MOP of the WCWS
Micha Hancock, Penn State Volleyball
2014 AVCA DI National Player of the Year
Guided Penn State to their 2nd-straight national title
Breanna Stewart, Connecticut Basketball
2015 AP Player of the year, 2015 Naismith Player of the Year
NCAA tournament MOP
Best Male Action Sports Athlete
Ryan Dungey, Motocross
Won 8 of 17 rounds on the 2015 AMA Supercross series, claiming the overall title by a large margin
A very close second overall on the 2014 AMA Motocross series; podiums in all 8 post mid-June events, including 3 wins
Won 2 of the first 5 2015 AMA Motocross events
Tucker Hibbert, SnoCross
Won 8th-straight X Games SnoCross gold, now the longest active streak at X Games
Won 13 of 17 National series SnoCross races and took his 9th overall title
Earned his 100th National series pro-class win
Nyjah Huston, Skateboarding
Decisively won 2015 X Games Skateboard Street gold, his 11-point lead over the silver greater than the margin between 2nd and 6th
2014 Street League series winner; swept the season
Won all three post-XG Austin 2014 Street League stops, won the May 2015 Barcelona Street League comp, and took second at the April 2015 Tampa Pro
Mark McMorris, Snowboarding
Won 2015 X Games gold in both Slopestyle and Big Air
The only double gold medalist in the 2015 X Games
Josh Sheehan, Freestyle Motocross
Landed first-ever FMX triple backflip
Won 2014 X-Fighters series title, which included two victories and a second place after X Games Austin 2014
Best Female Action Sports Athlete
Paige Alms, Surfing
Won the Women’s Best Performance at the 2015 Big Wave Awards
Became the first woman to get barreled at Jaws, one of the biggest, most intimidating waves in the world
Kelly Clark, Snowboarding
Won 5 of the 6 major women’s halfpipe events in 2014/15, including silver at X Games Aspen 2015
Stephanie Gilmore, Surfing
Won another World Surf League title in 2014
Runner-up at the first two WSL events in 2015, before a knee injury at the third competition slowed her season
Laia Sanz, Enduro/motorbike
Claimed her 4th Enduro X gold at X Games Austin 2015
Finished 9th out of 168 in the January 2015 Dakar Rally, as one of only 2 female competitors
Won World Enduro Championship title in 2014
Best Jockey
Javier Castellano
Won 2014 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey of the year (his 2nd straight)
Finished #1 on the 2014 National Earning List at over $25 million
Victor Espinoza
Won the 2015 Triple Crown — Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont stakes
Joel Rosario
Finished #2 on the 2014 National Earning List at over $21.5 million
In April 2015 he surpassed 2,000 career wins
Best Male Athlete with a Disability
Joe Berenyi, Cycling
Earned two world titles at the 2015 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in men’s C3 3km individual pursuit and 1k time trial.
At the 2015 road nationals, he also won titles in the time trial and road race in the men’s C3 class.
Josh Pauls, Sled Hockey
Named Best Defenseman at the 2015 International Paralympic Committee Ice Sledge Hockey World Championship
Helped the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team win its third gold medal in the last four world championships.
Recorded 13 points in 13 games, including an overtime goal in the championship game of the 2015 World Sled Hockey Challenge, to lead Team USA to an undefeated season for the 2nd time in team history.
On the club level, Pauls tallied 25 points, including 22 goals
Krige Schabort, Triathlon
Won 3 major events in the men’s PT1 (wheelchair) class: the 2015 Yokohama ITU World Paratriathlon, the 2015 Monterrey CAMTRI Triathlon American Championships, and the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Edmonton event.
Mike Shea, Snowboarding
Ranked #1 in the world in all Paralympic Snowboard disciplines.
Earned the overall World Cup title in Paralympic boardercross; current
US national champion in boardercross.
Won 5 golds and a silver in the 2014-2015 World Cup season
Won gold in the banked slalom event at the 2015 IPC Para-Snowboard World Championships.
Andy Soule, Nordic Skiing
Earned the IPC World Cup Cross Country Overall title after winning five world championship medals.
Made U.S. history with the most medals of any U.S. Nordic skier during a world championships. During the 2014-2015 world cup season, he collected 10 total medals and had four wins.
Best Female Athlete with a Disability
Kendall Gretsch, Triathlon
Earned the title of world champion in the women’s PT1 (wheelchair) class at 2014 worlds in August.
Undefeated in every event she’s competed in, both domestic and international, since May 2014.
Oksana Masters, Nordic Skiing
Won the IPC World Cup Cross Country World Cup Overall title
Won two world championship medals and also earned 12 total medals during the 2014-2015 world cup season with a total of eight wins.
Tatyana McFadden, Track and Field
Set fours new world records in the women’s T54 400, 800, 1500m, and 5000m events in the 2014 season.
Won the women’s wheelchair division of the 2015 Boston, New York, Chicago, and London Marathons.
Her victory at the London Marathon–where she set a new course record–crowned her the world champion of the IPC Athletics Marathon World Championships.
Becca Meyers, Swimming
Set two world records (400m free and 200IM) and earned six medals (four gold, two silver) at the 2014 Pan Pacs.
Set four world records in non-Paralympic events (200m free, 800m free, 1500m free and 50m butterfly) in the 2014-2015 season.
Greta Neimanas, Cycling
Earned her first world champion title at the 2015 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in the women’s C4-5 scratch event.
Earned a third place finish in pursuit.
Best Bowler
Jason Belmonte
2014 Player of the Year
Won the 2015 USBC Masters
Won the 2015 Tournament of Champions
Parker Bohn III
Won the 2015 Players Championship
Tied Mark Roth for 5th on the all-time titles won list
Mike Fagan
Won the 2014 PBA World Championship
Best MLS Player
Robbie Keane, Los Angeles Galaxy
19 goals, 14 assists (2g, 3a in playoffs)
2014 MLS MVP
Scored game winning goal in 2014 MLS Cup Final
Obafemi Martins, Seattle Sounders
17 Goals, 13 assists (0g, 0a in playoffs)
Lee Nguyen, New England Revolution
18 goals, 5 assists (2g, 3a in playoffs)
Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls
27 goals, 2 assists (4g, 1a in playoffs)