ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
It’s Time to Vote for the Athlete of the Year!
Help us select the 2025 Athlete of the Year. The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is recognizing the best in High School, Collegiate, and Professional sports—and we need your vote!
Deadline: January 9, 2026
How to Help: Browse the finalists below and cast your vote.
Share the Hype: Don’t just vote—campaign for your athlete! Access the toolkit under each finalist to download ready-to-post graphics and share them with your network.
Winners will be announced live on Thursday, February 5, 2026, during the 26th Greater Cleveland Sports Awards at Rocket Arena. Join us for an unforgettable evening of recognition, entertainment, and hometown pride as we shine a spotlight on the individuals and teams that make our sports community great!
Male High School Athlete of the Year
presented by University Hospitals Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute
Shahn Alston
Harvey H.S.
Football
Alston capped his outstanding high school career in 2025 by rushing for 1,548 yards and scoring 29 touchdowns. He also recorded 489 receiving yards and 5 receiving touchdowns. His total of 34 touchdowns ranked second in Ohio and 42nd in the nation. Alston was a finalist for the FOX 8 Friday Night Touchdown Player of the Year. He is ranked No. 9 nationally in the Class of 2026 by ESPN and will continue his football career next season at the University of Southern California (USC).
Marcus Johnson
Garfield Heights H.S.
Basketball
Johnson’s stellar 2024-25 season resulted in him being named 2025 Ohio Mr. Basketball, Ohio MaxPreps Player of the Year, and Cleveland.com boys basketball Player of the Year after averaging 29.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. Johnson is a two-time First Team All-Ohio selection, ranked No. 28 nationally in the Class of 2026 by ESPN, and committed to playing basketball at the University of South Carolina.
Jack Ragon
Saint Ignatius H.S.
Volleyball
Ragon was named the 2025 Cleveland.com boys volleyball Player of the Year after a remarkable season. He totaled 365 kills, 103 service aces, and 54 blocks. Ragon was an eight-time “Player of the Match” and played a key role in delivering the 2025 Division I State Championship to St. Ignatius, the first in school history. He was selected for the Junior Volleyball Association Boys’ All-National Team Class of 2026 and has committed to continuing his volleyball career at Ohio State University.
FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
presented by University Hospitals Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute
Sydney Borowy
Magnificat H.S.
Volleyball
Borowy finished her career at Magnificat by leading the Blue Streaks to a regional championship and a berth in the OHSAA state semifinals. She was named Co-Player of the Year in Division II, District Two, and earned First Team All-Ohio honors for the second year in a row. She recorded 455 kills, averaging 5.2 per set, with a 45.7% kill rate and a .341 hitting percentage, while adding 233 digs. Borowy is set to continue her volleyball career at the University of Connecticut.
Saniyah Hall
SPIRE Academy
Basketball
During her junior season at Montverde Academy, Hall led the team in points (20.3 per game), rebounds (6.7), and steals (2.8), while also adding 3.6 assists per game. She set school records for single-season points (569) and blocks (38), while ranking second in rebounds (188). Internationally, she starred for Team USA at the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup, averaging 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2.9 steals per game. Hall helped lead the U.S. to the gold medal and earned All-Tournament Team and Most Valuable Player honors. She is committed to playing at the University of Southern California (USC).
Emily Morgan
Hathaway Brown School
Lacrosse
Morgan wrapped up her senior season at Hathaway Brown by earning Cleveland.com’s girls lacrosse Player of the Year, USA Lacrosse All-American, All-Ohio First Team, and Ohio Division II Midfielder of the Year honors. She led Ohio with 162 points, scored 108 goals, collected 54 assists, and picked up 73 ground balls. She also received the Hathaway Brown Blazer Award for athletic excellence and leadership. Morgan currently plays club lacrosse at Boston College.
MALE COLLEGIATE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
presented by H. Jack’s Plumbing & Heating Co. “The Super Plumber!”
Eric Colaco
Denison University (Revere H.S.)
Baseball
A star outfielder for the Big Red, Colaco capped off an incredible career by being named NCAC Player of the Year for the third consecutive year, as well as 2025 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III All-America Third Team while guiding Denison to its first-ever DIII College World Series appearance. Colaco finished with a .355 BA, 72 hits, 68 runs, 15 doubles, 9 HR, two triples, 47 RBIs, 118 total bases, and 31 stolen bases. Colaco broke the NCAA DIII career runs record and set 11 career Denison records and 5 NCAC career records.
Giovanni Kennedy
University of Mount Union (St. Edward H.S.)
Football
An exceptional leader on and off the field, Kennedy was named captain of the Mount Union football team and is ranked as the #1 offensive lineman in NCAA Division III by the National Scouting Combine and voted a Preseason DIII First-Team All-American. In 2025, he was nominated for the AFCA All-State Good Works Team for his volunteer efforts with the National Marrow Donor Program and Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, supporting causes for cancer awareness and the fight against sexual and domestic violence. The Purple Raiders are currently ranked #2 in Division 3 football by D3football.com and have advanced to the Division III NCAA Third Round.
Arvell Reese
The Ohio State University (Glenville H.S.)
Football
The leader of the Buckeyes' defense, Reese ranks second on the team in total tackles (61), second in sacks (6.5), and tackles for loss (10). Reese has also recorded 2 passes broken up and 2 quarterback hurries this season for the #1 ranked 12-0 Ohio State Buckeyes. Reese is currently a finalist for The Butkus Award and finished as a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award, which awards the most impactful linebacker in college football and honors college football’s top linemen and linebackers, respectively. Reese was also awarded the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and Chuck Bednarik National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Penn State.
FEMALE COLLEGIATE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Presented by H. Jack’s Plumbing & Heating Co. “The Super Plumber!”
Katie Clark
University of Mount Union (Walsh Jesuit)
Lacrosse
Clark completed her historic career at Mount Union by being named USA Lacrosse Honorable Mention All-American, the first in Mount Union history, and was named Great Lakes First Team All-Region and OAC Offensive Player of the Year for the third straight year. She led the team with 43 goals, 77 assists, and 120 points and finished as the career leader in points (459), assists (233), and goals (226), as well as holding the single-season and single-game assists records. Clark ranked second in Division III in assists per game (4.0) and was voted First Team All-OAC.
Grace Kelsheimer
Marshall University (Westlake H.S.)
Swimming & Diving
Kelsheimer earned First Team All-Sun Belt honors after claiming gold in the 1M Springboard Championship and finishing runner-up in the 3M at the Sun Belt Conference Championships. A seven-time Sun Belt Diver of the Week, she set school records on both the 1M (318 points) and 3M (346 points) boards and holds the second-highest platform score in Marshall history. Kelsheimer also captured titles at the West Virginia Games and the House of Champions Invitational, qualifying for the NCAA Zone Meet in both. A two-time team captain, she has been recognized as a CSCAA Scholar All-American and CSC Academic All-District honoree.
Shyanne Sellers
University of Maryland (Aurora H.S.)
Basketball
A three-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection and AP All-America Honorable Mention. Sellers finished her senior season at Maryland, averaging 14.4 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game, becoming the first player in program history to record 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists. She finished second all-time in school history with an 83% free-throw percentage and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. Shyanne was drafted 17th overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft and is currently playing in Israel’s Women’s Basketball League.
PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
presented by Physicians Ambulance
Myles Garrett
Cleveland Browns
The leader of the dominant Cleveland Browns defense, Garett leads the NFL with 19 sacks, making him the first player in NFL history with six consecutive seasons of at least 12 sacks. Myles has added 49 total tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and set the franchise record for most sacks in a game, recording 5 against New England on October 26th, while also surpassing Reggie White for the most sacks by an NFL player before turning 30. (Stats as of 12/1/2025)
Evan Mobley
Cleveland Cavaliers
The 2024-25 KIA NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Mobley finished the season averaging career highs with 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while also being named to his first NBA All-Star team as a reserve. Mobley was named to the All-NBA Second Team and won Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month in both December and February, while helping lead the Cavs to a 64-18 regular season and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Mobley is currently averaging 19.2 ppg, 9.2 rpg, and 4.1 apg. during the 2025-26 season (As of 12/1/2025).
Jose Ramirez
Cleveland Guardians
The heartbeat of the Cleveland Guardians, Ramirez finished 2025 hitting .283 with 30 HR, 85 RBI, 103 runs, 44 stolen bases, a .863 OPS, and a 6.3 WAR, which ranked 8th among all MLB position players while finishing 3rd in the American League MVP vote. Jose was named All-MLB First Team along with his sixth Silver Slugger award and his seventh All-Star game selection. He added a career-high 39-game on-base streak, which included a career-high 21-game hit streak and helped lead the Guardians from a 15-game deficit in the standings to their second consecutive AL Central Division Championship.
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