DENVER - Sportswomen of Colorado will host its 52nd Awards Celebration on March 8,2026, at the Hyatt Regency DenverTech Center, honoring and celebrating girls and women in sport and the key contributors whose leadership, impact, and extraordinary athletic achievements have helped advance women’s athletics across the state of Colorado and beyond. 

The 2025 class represents a wide range of sports, including basketball, soccer, volleyball, swimming, and numerous track and field disciplines, as well as multiple national champions, record breakers and All Americans. Special Awards include CareerAchievement, Trailblazer, Milestone and the Joan Birkland Leadership Award. 

This year’s class includes basketball phenoms, Brihanna Crittendon and Sienna Betts; national champion triple jumper Agur Dwol; business leader Rob Cohen, recognized for his role in bringing professional women’s soccer to Denver; masters triathlete and world champion Susan Griffin-Kaklikian; and ultra runner Anne Flower, who shattered a 30-year record this past summer when she won the women’s Leadville100.

This year's high school honorees for their sport are Arianna Akey (flag football, Mountain Vista), Rocquette Allen (lacrosse, ThunderRidge), Sienna Betts (basketball, Grandview), Izzy Fay (diving, Niwot), Ireland Heer (softball, Broomfield), Madison Mintenko (swimming, Pine Creek), Teagan Myers (soccer, Fossil Ridge), Layla Petz (gymnastics, Arvada West), Kaeli Powe (track and field, Cherokee Trail), Addison Ritzenhein (cross country, Niwot), Roxy Unruh (track and field, Cheyenne Wells), Bergan Waitman (volleyball, Valor Christian). 

The special award winners honored for their high school contributions include Brihanna Crittendon (basketball, Riverdale Ridge), Kate McKinnon (swimming, Cherry Creek), Delaney Reuter (cross country, basketball and track and field, Eaton) and the Valor Christian volleyball team. Monica Abelein, a longtime contributor to CHSAA, is also being honored for her contribution to sport. 

The complete list of honorees is included below.

“The 2025 class highlights multi-generational honorees whose lifelong dedication to competition continues to shape and inspire sport in Colorado,” said Sportswomen of Colorado Executive Director Jennifer Anderson-Ehrlich. “They embody excellence and leadership across every level of sport, and they are not only outstanding competitors, but also a remarkable group of individuals. I am excited to see what the future holds for this group!”
 
This year’s banquet will feature keynote speaker Caryl Smith Gilbert, the Joan Birkland Leadership Award recipient and 2025 Sportswomen of Colorado Hall of Fame inductee. One of the most accomplished leaders in collegiate track and field, Smith Gilbert is a Denver native and George Washington High School alum. She currently serves as the Director of Men’s and Women’s Track & Field at the University of Georgia, where she became the first woman to lead the men’s and women’s program. In 2025, she guided the Georgia women to their first ever NCAA Outdoor National Championship, her third national title as a head coach. A two-time Sportswomen of Colorado honoree as an athlete and a previous Coach of the Year recipient, Smith Gilbert is a former World Junior medalist, UCLA All-American, and lifelong pacesetter. She also serves as President of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association, blending elite performance with visionary leadership throughout her career. 

Colorado State University alum, Denver Broncos radio sideline reporter, 103.5 The Fox DJ, and former 2016 Sportswomen of Colorado honoree Susie Wargin will co-emcee the event and present awards alongside CBS4 Colorado’s leading sports anchor, Romi Bean. 

The highlight of the evening will be the surprise announcement of the Sportswoman of the Year Award, presented to Colorado’s most outstanding athlete based on her 2025 achievements. To learn more about the banquet or to register please visit www.sportswomenofcolorado.org/awardscelebration.

Sportswomen of Colorado Award Honorees 
Sport Categories 
Arianna Akey – Flag Football – High School (Mountain Vista High School) 
Raegan Beers – Basketball – College (University of Oklahoma) 
Sienna Betts – Basketball – High School (Grandview High School) 
Addison Ritzenhein – Cross Country – High School (Niwot High School) 
Tristian Spence – Cross Country – College (Adams State University) 
Izzy Fay – Diving – High School (Niwot High School) 
Agur Dwol – Excellence in Field Events – College (University of Oklahoma) 
Maggi Congdon – Excellence in Track Events – College (Northern Arizona University)
Layla Petz – Gymnastics – High School (Arvada West High School) 
Rocquette Allen – Lacrosse – High School (ThunderRidge High School) 
Eliza Osburn and Betty Nelson – Lacrosse – College (University of North Carolina)
Taylor Green – Ninja Warrior – Professional (Broomfield High School) 
Sara Rask – Skiing – (University of Denver) 
Hope Leyba – Soccer – Division I College (University of Colorado) 
Bella Campos – Soccer – Division II College (Colorado School of Mines) 
Teagan Myers – Soccer – High School (Fossil Ridge High School) 
Ireland Heer – Softball – High School (Broomfield High School) 
Korbe Otis – Softball – College (University of Florida) 
Madison Mintenko – Swimming – High School (Pine Creek High School) 
Lucy Bell – Swimming – College (Stanford University) 
JoAnna Kennedy – Tennis – (St. Mary’s Academy) 
Pam McCartney – Track and Field – Masters 
Kaeli Powe – Track and Field – Large High School – (Cherokee Trail High School)
Roxy Unruh – Track and Field – Small High School – (Cheyenne Wells High School)
Susan Griffin-Kaklikian – Triathlon – Masters 
Tayler Tuttle – Trail Running – Professional 
Anne Flower – Ultra Runner – Professional 
Andi Jackson – Volleyball – College Division I (University of Nebraska) 
Annika Helf – Volleyball – College Division II (Metropolitan State University of Denver)
Bergan Waitman – Volleyball – High School (Valor Christian High School) 

Special Awards 
Monica Abelein – Contribution to Sport 
Helen Braybrook and Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge – Pacesetters of the Year (Colorado State Pueblo and Colorado School of Mines) 
Rob Cohen – Dorothy Mauk Pioneer Award (Denver Summit, Soccer)
Brihanna Crittendon – Milestone Award (Riverdale Ridge High School, Basketball)
Jenny Glenn and Metropolitan State University of Denver Volleyball – Coach and College Team of the Year
Maya Lesnar – Career Achievement (Colorado State University, Track and Field)
Kate McKinnon – Newcomer of the Year (Cherry Creek High School, Swimming) 
Amidon Miche – Trailblazer (Hockey) 
Delaney Reuter – All-Around (Eaton High School) 
Caryl Smith Gilbert – Joan Birkland Leadership Award (University of Georgia Track and Field)
Valor Christian High School Volleyball – High School Team of the Year 

Four of this year’s honorees will become members of the Sportswomen of Colorado Hall of Fame for receiving three awards in the same sport. Special congratulations to Niwot High School cross country sensation Addison Ritzenhein, University of Oklahoma triple jumper Agur Dwol, Grandview High School graduate and current member of the UCLA women’s basketball team Sienna Betts, and Caryl Smith Gilbert. 

About Sportswomen of Colorado 
Founded in 1974, Sportswomen of Colorado is a community-based organization that promotes, honors, and empowers Colorado girls and women in sport by celebrating excellence, supporting participation, eliminating barriers, and connecting female athletes, coaches, and contributors across all levels in the state. They achieve this through their annual awards, sports camp scholarships, satellite sports clinics led by women’s collegiate teams, and by raising the visibility of women’s athletic achievements.