The award was based 50 percent on public voting and 50 percent on the vote of the Sports Star Committee, which includes local sports historians, media, and others active in the sports industry. Also nominated in the Female Sports Star of the Year category were Kelsey Plum (UW women’s basketball), Kim Little (Seattle Reign), SooBin Kim (UW women’s golf), Tia Presley (WSU women’s basketball), and Lianna Sybeldon (UW volleyball).
Honored with other awards throughout the night was the Seahawks’ Super Bowl win (Sports Story of the Year), Earl Thomas (Male Sports Star of the Year), Steve Raible (Keith Jackson Award), Milton Wright (Wayne Gittinger Inspirational Award presented by Seattle Children’s Hospital), Steve Gleason (Paul Allen Award), and Seattle U legend Elgin Baylor (Royal Brougham Legend Award).
Also representing Seattle University on the evening, Baylor was honored with the Royal Brougham Legend Award, given to an individual for a lifetime of achievement in sports and who exemplifies the spirit of Washington. Leading Seattle U to the NCAA title game in 1958, he was also one of the greatest players in NBA history as an 11-time All-Star during his Hall of Fame career with the Lakers.
Verdoia finished her Seattle U career as the program’s all-time career leader in goals and points and was named Academic All-American of the Year as well as receiving the Senior CLASS Award in 2014-15. She earned back-to-back Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors, was named a Third Team All-American, and was recently drafted by the NWSL’s Boston Breakers.
Over the show’s 80 year history, Verdoia becomes the seventh in Seattle U history to receive a Sports Star of the Year Award, joining Johnny O’Brien (1952), Pat Lesser Harbottle (1955), Elgin Baylor (1958), Jim Whittaker (1963), Tom Gorman (1972), and Bill Fenton (1973).
To see additional photos from the event, see the attached gallery. For photos from the event as it transpired, follow @su_athletics on Twitter, like Seattle U Athletics on Facebook, and su_redhawk on Instagram.
Media hits from the event: