Reimagined Night of Champions to Celebrate Oregon’s Greatest Athletes — Sport Oregon Voices
Night of Champions combines Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Oregon Sports Awards celebration for the first time on Oct. 29
In a state filled with historic sporting achievements and emerging athletic excellence, the Oregon sports community is celebrating a first-of-its-kind event later this month.
On Tuesday, Oct. 29, Sport Oregon presents a newly formatted Night of Champions at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton. For the first time in the event’s history, this year’s Night of Champions will honor winners of the Oregon Sports Awards alongside this year’s inductees to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.
Started in 1948, the Oregon Sports Awards have recognized the top teams and individual athletes from the high school, college and professional levels for more than 75 years. Now, the state’s sporting community will have the opportunity to celebrate these impressive achievements of today while also honoring the incredible accomplishments of the past as four individuals and two teams are inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame during this year’s Night of Champions.
KGW’s Orlando Sanchez and famed sports broadcaster Neil Everett will emcee the Night of Champions, which promises to be a special evening as the state’s sports luminaries, supporters and fans come together to pay tribute to Oregon’s historic greats and the many area athletes that are playing a big part in shaping Oregon’s sporting future.
Tickets for the Night of Champions can be purchased here. The Oct. 29 event begins with a reception starting at 5:30 p.m., including complimentary food and beverages. The awards presentation begins at 7 p.m.
In its first year hosting the Night of Champions, Sport Oregon is thrilled to combine the two great Oregon traditions.
“The Night of Champions is not just about reflection, it’s a forward-looking celebration of the talent and dedication that these athletes and teams have brought to our community,” said Jim Etzel, CEO of Sport Oregon. “It is with pride that we gather to honor this diverse group of sports legends and champions whose achievements have left an indelible mark on Oregon’s sports history.”
When you combine the two, it really is a who’s who of Oregon sports, both past and present.
This year’s Hall of Fame class includes two beloved soccer icons in Megan Rapinoe and Diego Valeri, three-time College World Series-champion coach Pat Casey from Oregon State, team handball Olympian Rick Abrahamson and the 1984 and 1985 Portland State volleyball teams, winners of back-to-back national championships.
The Oregon Sports Awards honorees include record-setting achievements from a broad spectrum of sports in our state, including inspiring Olympians and the top pick in this year’s Major League Baseball Draft:
· Johnny Carpenter Prep Athlete Player of the Year Award - Will Semler (Lincoln High School – Tennis) and Addisen Fisher (Bend High School – Softball)
· Slats Gill Person of the Year Award - Mike Johnston (Head Coach, Portland Winterhawks)
· Harry Glickman Professional Athlete of the Year Award - Sabrina Ionescu (Olympian, former University of Oregon and current New York Liberty – Women’s Basketball) and Ryan Crouser (Olympian – Track & Field)
· Bill Hayward Amateur Athlete of the Year Award - Jade Carey (Olympian, Oregon State – Gymnastics) and Travis Bazzana (Oregon State Baseball)
· Ad Rutschman Small College Athlete of the Year Award - Alison Takamiya (George Fox – Golf), Carolina Moreno (Southern Oregon – Women’s Wrestling), and Hunter Sparks (Eastern Oregon – Wrestling)
Founded in 1978, the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Museum’s mission is to recognize and appreciate Oregon’s rich athletic history. Its goal is for this legacy to inspire participation in sport and foster awareness of the values and life-long rewards gained from this participation.
The Oregon Sport Hall of Fame selection committee, itself, is impressive, including notable area journalists, athletes, coaches and administrators. This year’s committee included Shannon Boxx, Art Edwards, Jack Elder, Jim Etzel, Ken Goe, Bill Hueffner, Dwight Jaynes, Drew Mahalic, Orlando Sanchez, Ann Schatz, Bev Smith and Christa Stout.
For Sport Oregon, the opportunity to steward the Night of Champions as a chance to celebrate both the Oregon Sports Awards and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame inductees has been rewarding. After all, as Etzel says, “Every name that is in the Hall of Fame, all of the names that have won these awards going back many years, they are all threads in the fabric of the tapestry of Oregon sports.”