Sports Star of the Year Award Winners (2000-2009)
Male Athlete
of the Year
2000
Kazuhiro Sasaki
Mariners’ All-Star Closer
In his first MLB season, Sasaki shattered the Mariners and league record for single-season saves with 37 in 2000, playing a key part in Seattle’s deep playoff push. He played pro baseball in Japan for over a decade, retiring as the country’s all-time saves leader.
2001
Ichiro Suzuki
Mariners All-Star and Fan Favorite
A Mariners baseball legend, Ichiro shifted from Japanese pro baseball to the MLB in 2001, becoming the first player in history to win a batting title, Rookie of the Year, and AL MVP in the same season. His list of awards would only grow, and he now has more hits between his careers in Japan and the U.S. than any other professional baseball player. At age 44, Ichiro signed with the Mariners to play the 2018 season in Seattle — he hopes to continue playing to age 50.
2002
Jamie Moyer
Mariners Veteran Ace
Moyer earned Sports Star of the Year after a 13-win season in 200 with the Seattle Mariners. The left-handed pitcher is the Mariners’ all-time leader in win percentage (98-48 record) and in 2012 he became the oldest MLB pitcher to win a game, at age 49. Playing a decade in Seattle, Moyer earned the 2003 Lou Gehrig Award for his extraordinary work off the field.
2003
Matt Hasselbeck
Seahawks Quarterback and Broadcaster
Hasselbeck quarterbacked the Seattle Seahawks for 10 seasons, leading the team to six playoff appearances and its first 10-win season in 17 years. A three-time Pro Bowler while with Seattle, he moved on to play in Indianapolis and Tennessee. He signed a one day contract with Seattle at the end of his career to retire as a Seahawk and is now a regular on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown.
2004
Ryan Moore
Decorated Collegiate and Pro Golfer
Moore earned Sports Star of the Year after winning the NCAA individual championship and the Ben Hogan Award for the best collegiate golfer in the country while with UNLV. The Puyallup native turned pro in 2005 and has since tallied PGA Tour wins.
2005
Shaun Alexander
Seahawks All-Time Leading Rusher
Alexander still sits atop most Seahawks all-time rushing marks — he holds both career and single season records for rushing touchdowns and rushing yards. His eight years in Seattle finished with 9,429 total yards as well as a positive impact on the local community. He earned Sports Star of the Year after his 2005 season (1,880 rushing yards, 27 rushing touchdowns) established him as a fantasy football favorite.
2006
Brandon Roy
Husky Basketball Star
A local basketball product from Garfield High School, Roy became UW’s first First-Team AP All-American in half a century. He led the Huskies to the Sweet Sixteen after earning conference player of the year. His NBA career ended after just six years due to a knee condition, and he is now head coach at his alma mater, Garfield.
2007
Bobby Engram
Seahawks Record-Breaking Receiver
After missing most of the 2006 NFL season due to being diagnosed with Graves’ disease, Engram broke the Seahawks franchise record with 94 receptions in 2007 — a mark that stands today. His off-field dedication to the local community includes fundraising for sickle-cell disease research and volunteer work for Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
2008
Jon Brockman
UW Basketball Forward
Brockman remains the all-time leading rebounder for Husky basketball, averaging nearly 10 per game over his four-year career. He averaged 17.8 points per game in his 2007-08 season, and later became the first Husky to surpass both 1,800 career points and 1,200 career rebounds. After playing three seasons in the NBA, Brockman returned to his hometown, Snohomish.
2009
Felix Hernandez
Mariners Pitching Ace
The long-time ace for the Seattle Mariners earned 2009 Sports Star of the Year after finishing 2nd in the Cy Young race with a 19-5 record and 2.49 ERA. Currently playing his 14th season in Seattle, he’s collected an AL Cy Young Award, six All-Star appearances, and the first perfect game in Mariners history.
Female Athlete
of the Year
2000
Megan Quann
Gold Medal Swimmer
A Washington native, Quann’s long swimming career ended after two Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver, 13 national championships, and four world records. At the 2000 Sydney Games at age 16, she became the second youngest Olympian to ever win a medal (only Michael Phelps was younger).
2001
Jan Harville
UW Rowing Coach
Harville led UW women’s crew to three national titles in five years, winning Pac-10 Coach of the Year for an eighth time. She retired in 2003 as the only coach to lead women’s crew to a national championship. A Seattle native, she graduated from Roosevelt High School before rowing at Washington in the early 1970’s.
2002
Sue Bird
Decorated Storm Guard
After a dominant collegiate career at women’s basketball powerhouse Connecticut, Bird helped the Seattle Storm to a pair of WNBA titles (2004 and 2010). She is recognized as one of the greatest women’s basketball pros of all time, and is one of only nine women with an NCAA championship, WNBA championship, and Olympic gold medal.
2003
Lauren Jackson
Decorated Storm Forward
In 2003, Jackson became the youngest MVP in WNBA history after leading the league in scoring (21.2 points per game). She played over a decade with the Seattle Storm, collecting three league MVP’s and two league championships to go with her four Olympic medals with the Australian women’s basketball team. Her No. 15 remains the only number to be retired by the Storm.
2004
Anne Donavan
Seattle Storm Championship Coach
Donovan became the first female head coach to lead a team to a WNBA championship, doing so with the Storm in 2004. Seattle’s three game sweep in the finals resulted in the city’s first pro title since 1979. She is the only woman to both play for a college national title and coached a team to a pro title. She also coached the U.S. to Olympic gold in 2008.
2005
Christal Morrison
All-American UW Volleyball Player
Morrison finished her senior season in 2007 as the most decorated volleyball player in UW history — the school’s all-time leader in kills (1,859) and points (2,188). A two-time First Team All-American, Morrison powered the 32-1 Huskies to the 2005 national championship. Prior to her collegiate dominance, Morrison was a star volleyball player atPuyallup High School.
2006
Courtney Thompson
UW Volleyball All-Time Great
Thompson was an integral part of Washington’s volleyball dynasty in the mid 2000’s, making it to three Final Fours as well as a national championship. The Bellevue native became the first three-time first team All-American in program history. She later earned a pair of Olympic medals and became the first female athlete to have her number retired by Washington athletics.
2007
Danielle Lawrie
UW Softball Pitcher
Perhaps the best pitcher in UW softball history, Lawrie owns career records in wins, strikeouts, shutouts, and innings. She led the Huskies to their first national championship in 2009, and won 2007 Sports Star of the Year after tossing a no-hitter in the College World Series that season. She later competed for Team Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
2008
Hope Solo
U.S. National Team Goalkeeper
The greatest soccer product to ever come out of UW, Solo held off Brazil in the 2008 Olympic gold medal game to earn national fame. She won another gold in 2012 and played professional soccer for the Seattle Reign from 2013 to 2016.
2009
UW Softball
Women’s College World Series Champs
The 2009 Sports Star of the Year went to the entire UW softball team that cruised to the first national championship in program history. Despite entered the College World Series as a three seed and playing every game away from home, Washington finished 5-1 in the CWS led by head coach Heather Tarr.
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