NCAA All-American basketball star Ruthy Hebard of Fairbanks and junior World Champion cross-country skier Gus Schumacher of Anchorage have been selected as 2020 Pride of Alaska Award winners by the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors.
Ruthy Hebard
Hebard recently wrapped up her college basketball career at the University of Oregon, where she became just the second Alaska woman ever to record 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. This season as a senior she won the Katrina McClain Award given to the country’s top power forward and earned consensus First Team All-American honors.
Schumacher made US Ski Team history in March when he became the first American male to win an individual Junior World Championship. He also anchored the American relay team to a gold medal and was named winner of the Beck International Trophy, the top U.S. Ski & Snowboard award dating to the 1930s.
Gus Schumacher
Hebard and Schumacher were among a handful of Directors’ Award winners announced Wednesday by Alaska Sports Hall of Fame executive director Harlow Robinson via Facebook live.
Anchorage’s Cristy Hickel won the 2020 Joe Floyd Award and Palmer’s Israel Hale won the 2020 Trajan Langdon Award.
The Alaska Sports Hall of Fame Directors’ Awards have been handed out annually since 2012.
All the 2020 winners will be recognized at the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame at the 2021 ceremony.
Ruthy Hebard
2020 Pride of Alaska
Women’s Winner: Ruthy Hebard
The Pride of Alaska Award is given to an athlete or athletes, team or coach who have not only excelled in sports in the past year or recent years, but have done so with integrity and sportsmanship and been a positive role model.
Hebard ended her NCAA D1 women’s basketball career at the University of Oregon as Alaska’s all-time leader in points (2,368), rebounds (1,299), blocked shots (146) and field-goal percentage (.651).
The 6-foot-4 forward as a senior led the NCAA in field-goal shooting percentage (.685) and led the Pac-12 Conference in rebounds (9.6). She added 17.3 points and 1.1 blocked shots.
Hebard’s .651 career field-goal percentage is a Pac-12 record and tied for No. 7 all-time in NCAA history.
In April, she was selected No. 8 by Chicago in the WNBA draft – just the fourth Alaska woman drafted professionally.
Hebard beat out fellow finalists Sydnee Kimber of Sitka and Sadie Maubet Bjornsen of Anchorage.
Pride of Alaska Award women’s history:
2020: Ruthy Hebard
2019: Caroline Kurgat
2018: Kikkan Randall and Roxie Wright (co-winners)
2017: Morgan Hooe
2016: UAA Women’s BB Team and Allie Ostrander (co-winners)
2015: Allie Ostrander
2014: Kikkan Randall
2013: Nunaka Girls Softball Team
2012: UAA Women’s Basketball Team
Gus Schumacher
2020 Pride of Alaska
Men’s Winner: Gus Schumacher
The Pride of Alaska Award is given to an athlete or athletes, team or coach who have not only excelled in sports in the past year or recent years, but have done so with integrity and sportsmanship and been a positive role model.
Schumacher wiped away decades of frustration for the US Ski Team in March by becoming the first American male to win World Juniors.
He used a killer kick over the final two kilometers to come from behind and snag the gold medal by 4.5 seconds in the 10-K classic race in Germany.
Schumacher’s gold at the U20 international competition is the first medal ever by an American male at World Juniors. Bill Koch earned a bronze in 1974 at the European Junior Championships before there was an official youth world championship race.
Schumacher picked up a second Junior World gold medal after anchoring the USA 4x5K relay team to a come-from-behind victory.
At the halfway point, the Americans were in third place and trailed Germany by eight seconds. With just under two kilometers left, he cut that deficit in half. Down the stretch Schumacher passed the German skier to win by 4.5 seconds.
Schumacher beat out finalists Marko Cheseto and Aaron Fletcher of Anchorage.
Pride of Alaska Award men’s history:
2020: Gus Schumacher
2019: Keegan Messing
2018: Andrew Kurka
2017: David Norris
2016: Dallas Seavey and Soldotna HS Football Team (co-winners)
2015: Erik Flora
2014: Trevor Dunbar and Eric Strabel (co-winners)
2013: Mario Chalmers
2012: Alaska Aces
Cristy Hickel
2020 Joe Floyd Award
Winner: Cristy Hickel
The Joe Floyd Award is based on significant and lasting contribution to Alaska through sports
Hickel founded SPYDER Soccer 30 years ago and has provided opportunities in sports leagues to thousands of Alaska youth. Better known as ‘Crusher,’ she also coaches the Alaska All-Stars nationals-bound Under-16 and Under-19 girls hockey teams and has helped more than 200 women reach the college hockey level.
Hickel beat out other finalists Milo Griffin of Fairbanks and Ed Strabel of Palmer.
Joe Floyd Award history:
2020: Cristy Hickel
2019: Brush Christiansen
2018: Jim Mahaffey
2017: Ma’o Tosi
2016: Dennis Sorenson
2015: Michael Friess
2014: Dick Mize
2013: Don Dennis
2012: Steve Nerland and Don Winchester (co-winners)
Israel Hale
2020 Trajan Langdon Award
Winner: Israel Hale
The Trajan Langdon Award is given to a person or group of people who have demonstrated leadership, integrity and sportsmanship during the past year and positively influenced and inspired others to be better sportsmen or sportswomen.
Hale became the first double-leg amputee ever to participate in the Iron Dog race. No amputee had ever competed in the Iron Dog — much less a double amputee without prosthetics. Hale made history with his brother Joseph. They were the first-place team in the recreational class of the 1,000-plus mile snowmachine race.
Hale beat out finalists Carol Seppilu of Nome and Keegan Messing of Girdwood.
Trajan Langdon Award history:
2020: Israel Hale
2019: Andy Beardsley and Larsen Klingel (co-winners)
2018: DaJonee Hale
2017: Damen Bell-Holter
2016: Laci Effenberger
2015: Aliy Zirkle
2014: Marko Cheseto
2013: Paul Tandy
2012: Chugiak High School football team