For immediate release:
PORTLAND, Oregon (July 17) -- Wednesday was not George Fox outgoing senior Annie Wright’s first rodeo with the Oregon Sports Awards.
In fact, Wright attended the 2018 show at Nike World HQ to help accept a George Pasero Team of the Year award on behalf of the Bruins’ women’s track and field team. That night, Wright took the microphone from show host Jordan Kent and spoke for about a minute.
On Wednesday, though, Wright had the stage and a statewide audience to herself. Sport Oregon and NBC Sports Northwest crowned the Granite Bay, California native as the 2019 recipient of the Ad Rutschman Small College Female Athlete of the Year award on NBC Sports Northwest’s talk show “The Bridge.”
There, Wright received her trophy and participated in a 10-minute interview segment with show host Justin Myers. Wright was joined in studio by Mitchell Fink (Oregon Institute of Technology men’s basketball), who claimed the Ad Rutschman Small College Male Athlete of the Year honor.
Wright became only the second athlete from George Fox to win the award. She joins former Quakers basketball star Kristen Shielee, who won the award in 2009, in the record books.
The Oregon Sports Awards’ voting panel tabbed Wright as the winner over finalists Maya Ah You Dias (Eastern Oregon basketball) and Olivia McDaniel (Linfield College track and field). 17 athletes were nominated for the award by members of Oregon’s Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior college athletic departments.
Wright was a star on a Quakers track and field squad that captured a NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championship in 2018 but elevated her performance this spring. She was named the USTFCCCA Women’s Field Athlete of the Year and notched individual titles at both the indoor and outdoor national championships.
In March, Wright won and posted the third-best score in the pentathlon (3,729) in NCAA Division III history at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships. Her score also set Northwest Conference and George Fox records.
Wright then won the heptathlon at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships two months later. She also set a score in the event (5,307) that was tops nationally and second-best in Division III history.
Wright also posted top-50 marks in four additional events this spring. She set a personal record in the shot put (43-01) to rank 20th nationally in the event. She was 36th in the nation in the 200m (25.25 seconds), 37th in the 100m hurdles (14.80 seconds) and 49th in the javelin (127-05).
She competed on the Quakers 4x400 relay team as well, which finished third at the outdoor championships in 3:46.98. George Fox finished third as a team at the outdoor championships.
Wright recently started a graduate studies program at George Fox. She commuted north from Newberg on Wednesday to receive her award. Click here to watch clips of Wright’s interview and to view a behind-the-scenes look at her time on the air.
Sport Oregon, which manages the Oregon Sports Awards, and NBC Sports Northwest are announcing all amateur award winners throughout July on Wednesdays during “The Bridge.”
About the Ad Rutschman Small College Athlete of the Year award:
Ad Rutschman guided Linfield College to four national championships, three in football and one in baseball, in 24 seasons. He is the only college coach at any level to win national titles in two different sports. A five-time Slats Gill Award winner, he is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
This award goes to the outstanding male and female student-athletes representing the state’s 14 NCAA Division II and III, NAIA-affiliated colleges and universities, and 10 community colleges.
2019 Oregon Sports Awards sponsors:
Presenting sponsor: HP
State Champion Sponsors: NBC Sports Northwest Nike Pamplin Media Group Portland Thorns Portland Timbers Portland Trail Blazers Providence Heath and Services Washington Trust Bank
About Sport Oregon:
Sport Oregon’s mission is to drive economic growth and enhance Oregon’s quality of life through sports. Our non-profit organization has served as the state’s sports economic development arm for more than two decades, injecting more than $350 million into Oregon’s economy through sports tourism.
Supported by more than 150 annual members, Sport Oregon works relentlessly to enhance the state’s economy and quality of life by attracting sports events and franchises. Sport Oregon’s major achievements include securing the NCAA Basketball Tournament, Davis Cup World Final, multiple U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Women’s World Cup Soccer and the Dew Tour. Sport Oregon was recognized as “Sports Commission of the Year” in 2010 by the National Association of Sports Commissions. View a complete list of Past Events and Future Events.
Learn more about opportunities to become involved with Sport Oregon by becoming a member, volunteering or joining Sport Oregon’s Young Professionals Board.
Follow along and stay in touch:
1888 SW Madison Street
Portland, OR 97205
Twitter: @ORSportsAwards
Website: www.oregonsportsawards.com
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Brady Johnson
Sport Oregon
P: 503-313-5129