These athletes were honored at 14th Annual Governor’s State of Sport Awards

Utah Sports Commission President CEO Jeff Robbins speaks to reporters prior to the annual Utah Governor’s State of Sport Awards ceremony at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox honored some of Utah’s top athletes, coaches and teams at the 14th annual Governor’s State of Sport Awards Wednesday night at the Delta Center.

Athletes from the high school ranks to professionals were honored for their achievements over the past year.

Twenty-three-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps was the event’s special guest.

Here are the 14 award winners:

Team of the year

Team Utah at the Olympics and Paralympics

At the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games, 106 Olympians and Paralympians represented Utah and 14 countries, according to the State of Sport Awards.

Athletes with Utah ties won 26 medals, including 10 gold, at the Winter Games.

Coach of the Year

Fredrik Landstedt: Skiing, Utah Utes

Landstedt led the University of Utah to its sixth national championship in seven years in March.

Three of Landstedt’s former Utes competed at the 2026 Olympics for the U.S., Australia and Great Britain.

Professional Female Athlete of the Year

Mina Tanaka: Soccer, Utah Royals

Tanaka was the Utah Royals’ leading goal scorer for the 2025 NWSL season with six goals and an assist.

This season, she has already scored two goals in three games after missing the first two games while leading the Japan women’s national team to an AFC Women’s Asian Cup title.

Utah Royals FC forward Mina Tanaka (11) prepares to take a penalty kick during Utah Royals FC’s match against Chicago Stars FC at America First Field in Sandy, Utah, on Friday, April 3, 2026. | Emma Corona

Professional Male Athlete of the Year

Clayton Keller: Hockey, Utah Mammoth

As captain, Keller has the Mammoth on the verge of the team’s first playoff appearance. In his first season in Utah in 2025, Keller put together his best season yet with 30 goals and 60 assists. With five games left in the 2026 regular season, Keller has 26 goals and 54 assists.

Keller also represented Utah at the 2026 Olympics, where he and Team USA won gold for the first time in 46 years.

Utah Mammoth right wing Clayton Keller (9) controls the puck against the Minnesota Wild during an NHL game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

Olympic Female Athlete of the Year

Kaysha Love: Bobsleigh, USA Bobsled

Love won her first Monobob World Championship in 2025 and represented the U.S. and Utah at her second Olympics this winter.

Love was a star sprinter at Herriman High School and later UNLV. After just six bobsled races, she made her first Olympic team.

Olympic Male Athlete of the Year

Quinn Dehlinger: Freestyle Aerials, U.S. Ski & Snowboard

Dehlinger, a Utah resident from Ohio, was named to his first Olympic team this year. But before Dehlinger could compete, he injured his knee during training at the 2026 Olympics and had to withdraw from competition.

Dehlinger previously tore his ACL in 2024 and came back the next year to win silver in aerials and gold in mixed team aerials at the World Championships.

Adaptive Female Athlete of the Year

Sophie Post: Soccer, U.S. Women’s Deaf National Team

Post helped the U.S. women’s deaf national team win its fifth Deaflympics in November. The U.S. has won every Deaflympics soccer tournament. Utahns Taegan Frandsen Ferrin and Payton DeGraw were also on the team.

Post, a forward from Murray, Utah, played in all four games and tallied one goal and three assists at the Deaflympics.

Adaptive Male Athlete of the Year

Brayden Butler: Para Climbing, USA Climbing

Butler, a para climber, won his first World Cup and Para Climbing World Championship in 2025, according to the Utah Sports Commission.

He podiumed in every start of the season.

Collegiate Female Athlete of the Year

Ilove’a Brittingham: Softball, BYU Cougars

Brittingham led BYU’s softball team in 10 categories and the Big 12 in seven, according to the Utah Sports Commission.

She also set a BYU freshman RBI record and tied the single-season freshman home run record.

Collegiate Male Athlete of the Year

AJ Dybantsa: Basketball, BYU Cougars

Dybantsa dominated in his freshman — and likely only — season at BYU, leading the country in scoring and averaging 25.5 points a game. He had seven 30-plus point games.

He became just the third Cougar to be named to the Associated Press All-America First Team, joining Danny Ainge and Jimmer Fredette. Dybantsa is in the running to be the No. 1 overall pick at this year’s NBA draft.

High School Female Athlete of the Year

Belle Sorensen: Soccer, Bountiful Redhawks

In her senior season at Bountiful, Sorensen led the Redhawks to a 5A state title, scoring 25 goals and tallying 11 assists. She finished her Bountiful career with 81 goals and 33 assists, according to Utah Sports Commission, and was named the Deseret News 5A Player of the Year.

She is committed to play her college soccer at UVU.

Bountiful Redhawks' Belle Sorensen (9) kicks the ball during a 5A semifinal girls varsity soccer game against the Springville Red Devils at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News

High School Male Athlete of the Year

Kihei Akina: Golf, Lone Peak Knights

Akina is a three-time Utah High School Individual Medalist and two-time 6A State Champion. In August, Akina became the youngest golfer to win the Larry H. Miller Utah Open.

Akina has continued to dominate since arriving at BYU last fall.

Kihei Akina hits his tee shot on the 18th hole of the final round of the 2025 Utah Open at Riverside Country Club in Provo on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

Partner of the Year

Feld Entertainment

Feld Entertainment, the live show production company, has entertained Utah for 25 years, including last year’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship Final and Monster Jam World Finals XXIV held at Rice-Eccles Stadium, according to the Utah Sports Commission.

Highlight of the Year

Red Bull Soapbox Race

Nearly 50 people registered for the Red Bull Soapbox race held in front of the Utah state Capitol in June.