ESPN announced their list of nominees for the 2022 ESPY Awards on Tuesday. Here’s a look at Colorado athletes who made the list:
Cale Makar — Best championship performance
The 23-year-old Avalanche defenseman can add to his trophy case after picking up the Norris Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy and, oh, the Stanley Cup this year. Makar was the team’s points leader in the playoffs with 29 points (eight goals and a team-leading 21 assists).
Colorado Avalanche — Best team
The Stanley Cup champions tied the second-best playoff record (16-4) since the NHL postseason moved to four best-of-seven rounds in 1987. During the regular season, the Avs set the franchise mark for most points (119) and wins (56). They also had the most regular-season points in the West and second most in the league behind the Florida Panthers (122).
Jaelin Howell — Best college athlete, women’s sports
The 22-year-old Windsor native won the Hermann Trophy, awarded to college soccer’s top player, for the second straight year last season while leading Florida to the national title. The 5-foot-8 midfielder was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the NWSL draft by Racing Louisville FC and is a member of the U.S. women’s national team.
Nikola Jokic — Best NBA player
The Nuggets center earned his second consecutive NBA MVP award after averaging career highs in points (27.1), steals (1.5) and rebounds (13.8) while adding 7.9 assists to lead Denver to a No. 6 seed in the West. He also led the league with 19 triple-doubles, bringing his career total to 76 — seventh all-time in NBA history.
Allyson Felix — Best record-breaking performance and best Olympian, women sports
The 36-year-old Felix, who spent part of her youth living in the Denver area, won her 10th and 11th career Olympic medals (gold in the 4×400 relay and a bronze in the 400 meters) in Tokyo, which surpassed Carl Lewis for the United States track and field record.
Bobby Lashley — Best WWE moment
The Parker resident earned a spot in the 16-moment field for best WWE moment, albeit on the wrong side of a pinfall. The former WWE champion lost his title to Big E, who cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on the Sept. 13 episode of “Raw.”
Fans can cast their votes at ESPYS.com. Voting closes at 6 p.m. MT July 17. The winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony, which will be broadcast live at 6 p.m. July 20 on ABC.
