CLEVELAND — The Greater Cleveland Sports Awards turns 20 tonight and WKYC.com will be on hand to bring fans not able to attend the event a backstage look with interviews with the region’s best athletes and newsmakers.
The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission will hand out awards in several categories: Professional Athlete of the Year, Male and Female Collegiate Athletes of the Year, Male and Female High School Athletes of the Year, the Cleveland Clinic Sports Health Courage Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award.
From 7-9:30 p.m./ET, WKYC.com’s Dave “Dino” DeNatale and Ben Axelrod joined WKYC Sports anchor Nick Camino backstage to interview the winners, award presenters and other key participants in the event.
Here is a look at this year’s award winners:
Professional Athlete of the Year
Two-time UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic
Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year
Naz Hillmon (University of Michigan basketball standout/Gilmour Academy alum)
Male Collegiate Athlete of the Year
Jordin James (University of Mount Union wrestling champion/Bedford High School graduate)
Female High School Athlete of the Year
Kirsten Eppele (Strongsville High School softball standout)
Male High School Athlete of the Year
Kyle Cusimano (Bay Village soccer star)
In addition to the Athlete of the Year honors, the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards will recognize Skylar Scarnecchia, an eighth grader from Champion Township, Ohio, who overcame synovial sarcoma and a right lower leg amputation to become a three-sport athlete (soccer, track and volleyball).
Scarnecchia is 38 months in remission from the rare form of soft-tissue cancer.
Also, the Dolan family (Cleveland Indians owners) will be recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award and one event will be selected as the “Moment of the Year” at the end of the night.
