Posted February 06, 2019 in Press Releases
CLEVELAND – 19th Greater Cleveland Sports Awards presented by Medical Mutual and Huntington Bank honored the best of Cleveland sports on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel Grand Ballroom in Downtown Cleveland. Hannah Storm, ESPN anchor and award-winning journalist, led an iconic night in Cleveland sports to a sold-out crowd of over 1,200 guests.
Highlights from tonight’s show include Larry Nance Jr. and Larry Nance Sr., Cleveland Cavaliers father and son duo who jointly presented The University of Akron Men’s Soccer Team and Rachel Bender, Male & Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year Award.
Following an appearance from former Cleveland Indians, Mike Hargrove and Carlos Baerga, the 1990s legends reunited to present Sandy Alomar Jr. with the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Cuyahoga Community College. A video honoring Alomar’s achievement can be seen here.
Additionally, Storm conducted a heartfelt interview on stage with Sophia Pecjak, Cleveland Clinic Sports Health Courage Award recipient. To see her full story, click here.
Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns quarterback, received Professional Athlete of the Year presented by FOX Sports Ohio where honors were given by former NFL quarterbacks Bernie Kosar and Paul McDonald.
The culmination of the night was highlighted with the 2018 Best Moment in Cleveland Sports presented by JACK Cleveland Casino was awarded to John Dorsey, Cleveland Browns general manager, for A Browns Breakthrough, which was presented by Jim Donovan, the voice of the Browns.
Winners from each category were announced live at the event. Each award recipient is listed under their respective category.
Male High School Athlete of the Year presented by University Hospitals Sports Medicine
- Malvin Gblah, Soccer, Lakewood High School, Lakewood
Female High School Athlete of the Year presented by University Hospitals Sports Medicine
- Olivia Howell, Track & Field/Cross Country, Solon High School, Solon
Male Collegiate Athlete of the Year
- University of Akron Men’s Soccer Team, Soccer, University of Akron, Akron
Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year
- Rachel Bender, Soccer, Baldwin-Wallace University, Jackson
Professional Athlete of the Year presented by FOX Sports Ohio
- Baker Mayfield, NFL, quarterback, Cleveland Browns
Greater Cleveland Sports Awards is the premier annual fundraiser that supports Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and celebrates a year of athletic achievements in Northeast Ohio. This event features appearances from current and former national sports celebrities along with a formal dinner, and awards ceremony honoring the top high school, collegiate and professional sports accomplishments in 2018.
To watch the full 19th Greater Cleveland Sports Awards production courtesy of NPi Audio Visual Solutions, visit clevelandsportsawards.com.