Courtesy: United States Olympic Committee
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States Olympic Committee today announced finalists for the Team USA Awards presented by Dow, Best of November, which recognize the outstanding achievements of Team USA athletes from last month. Fans are invited to vote for their favorite athletes and teams at TeamUSA.org/Awards through midnight Tuesday, Dec. 4.
A total of 11 sports – including boxing, diving, fencing, figure skating, ice hockey, Para track and field, softball, speedskating, water ski, weightlifting and wheelchair tennis – are represented among the 13 finalists across men’s, women’s and team categories. The finalists’ collective accomplishments tell the inspiring story of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes year-round.
In addition to Dow, the presenting sponsor, the Team USA Awards are supported by DICK’S Sporting Goods and USG.
NOVEMBER FINALISTS
Male Athlete of the Month
David Boudia (Noblesville, Indiana), Diving
Earned the silver medal in the men’s three-meter at the Gold Coast Grand Prix in Australia, marking his first competition since the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and first in the three-meter since 2014.
Nathan Chen (Salt Lake City, Utah), Figure Skating
Secured his second Grand Prix Series title of the season with 271.58 points at the Internationaux de France, landing three quad jumps in his free skate to top the field by over 15 points and qualify for the Grand Prix Final.
Nick Itkin (Los Angeles, California), Fencing
At age 19, won his first senior world cup medal – a bronze – in men’s foil in Bonn, Germany, notching victories over Olympic and world champions en route to the podium.
Harrison Maurus (Auburn, Washington), Weightlifting
Set a junior world record in clean and jerk and placed sixth overall at the world championships in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, marking the best finish in decades by an American male at a fully contested world championship.
Daniel Romanchuk (Mount Airy, Maryland), Para Track and Field
Became the first – and youngest – U.S. man to capture the men’s wheelchair title at the New York City Marathon just weeks after also winning his first-ever major marathon title in Chicago.
Female Athlete of the Month
Brittany Bowe (Ocala, Florida), Speedskating
Earned four world cup medals – one gold, one silver and two bronzes – in two competitions in Obihiro and Tomakomai, Japan.
Virginia Fuchs (Houston, Texas), Boxing
Captured her first world championships medal, a bronze, in New Delhi, India, winning each of her four victories by unanimous decision prior to the semifinals.
Regina Jaquess (Santa Rosa Beach, Florida), Water Ski
Won the women’s overall title after earning gold medals in slalom and jumping, and taking bronze in tricks at the Pan American Water Ski Championships, helping lead the U.S. Elite Water Ski Team to victory.
Mattie Rogers (Orlando, Florida), Weightlifting
Secured a bronze medal in clean and jerk at the world championships in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, becoming the first American since 1999 – and the first U.S. woman since 1994 – to win medals at back-to-back world championships.
Bradie Tennell (Carpentersville, Illinois), Figure Skating
Won her second career Grand Prix bronze medal with 197.78 points at the Internationaux de France, landing both a triple Lutz-triple loop combination and a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination in her free skate.
Team of the Month
U.S. Women’s Four Nations Cup Team, Ice Hockey
Won its fourth consecutive Four Nations Cup title in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, winning four games in five days and outscoring opponents, 17-5, including a 5-2 win over host Canada in the final.
U.S. Women’s Japan Cup Team, Softball
Claimed the Japan Cup title in Takasaki City, Japan, outscoring opponents, 31-4, as the No. 1 team in the world and finishing the 2018 international season with a 20-0 record.
Nick Taylor and David Wagner, Wheelchair Tennis
Won their 11th wheelchair doubles masters quad title at the ITF’s year-end doubles championship in Bemmel, Netherlands, a competition that featured the top-four quad doubles pairings and the reigning Paralympic champions.
SELECTION PROCESS
Each National Governing Body may nominate one female, one male and one team per sport discipline. An internal nominating committee selects finalists to advance to the voting round. Votes received from NGB representatives and select members of the media account for 50 percent of the final tally, with the other half determined by online fan voting via TeamUSA.org/Awards
