BYU has received nominations in five different categories for the Utah State Commission’s State of Sports Awards, including Team of the Year and Event-Highlight of the Year.
Jennifer Hamson, the basketball star and All-American volleyball player who was recently drafted to the Los Angeles Sparks, is nominated for Collegiate Female of the Year, as is Alexa Gray, who also plays on the volleyball team. In the Collegiate Male category is Tyler Haws, who broke the BYU all-time scoring record this season. Of the six athletes nominated for the Collegiate Male award, Haws is the only one not from the University of Utah.
The women’s volleyball team was nominated in two other categories: Team of the Year and Coach of the Year. Head coach Shawn Olmstead is being recognized for leading the team to its first NCAA finals appearance. The team finished the season with a 30-5 record, the first time the team has won 30 games in one season since 1998.
Taysom Hill’s “leap of faith” is nominated for Highlight of the Year. In the game against the University of Texas, Hill hurdled a defender and ran into the end zone to score BYU’s second touchdown of the game. BYU ended up beating Texas 41-7.
Voting runs until midnight on April 19. The winners will be announced at a live ceremony featuring Governor Gary Herbert and Jay Leno in the Zion’s Bank Basketball Center on April 21. The winners will also be posted online later that night.
