{"id":13728,"date":"2015-01-14T15:47:05","date_gmt":"2015-01-15T00:47:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alaskasports.wpengine.com\/?p=13728"},"modified":"2023-09-10T13:02:49","modified_gmt":"2023-09-10T21:02:49","slug":"2015-directors-awards-winners-announced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alaskasportshall.org\/2015-directors-awards-winners-announced\/","title":{"rendered":"2015 Directors’ Awards winners announced"},"content":{"rendered":"
Two coaches who have built championship programs and two female athletes with tremendous resumes and quality characters make up the 2015 Directors’ Awards class.<\/p>\n
The 2015 Directors’ Awards recipients will be recognized along with the Class of 2015 inductees during the annual Alaska Sports Hall of Fame ceremony at the Anchorage Museum on Thursday, March 5th\u00a0at 7:30pm<\/span><\/span>. \u00a0Winners are selected by the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame board of directors.<\/p>\n “The Directors’ Awards give our organization the opportunity to shine a light on some of Alaska’s sports figures who are making history right now,” said Harlow Robinson, Executive Director of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. \u00a0“It’s a nice bookend to the inductee enshrinements.”<\/p>\n “We’re very excited about this year’s recipients,” said Robinson. “In looking at the winners and all the other outstanding nominees that were considered, \u00a0it’s apparent just how high the bar is set in the Alaskan sports world.”<\/p>\n The 2015 winners:<\/p>\n Joe Floyd Award–For Significant and Lasting Contribution to Alaska through Sports.\u00a0<\/a><\/b>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Michael Friess<\/strong> – \u00a0For the past quarter century as head coach at the University of Alaska Anchorage, Friess has built the men’s and women’s track and field and cross country programs into national collegiate powerhouses and has raised the popularity and visibility of the university.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>The numbers are staggering under his tutelage – 17 Coach of the Year honors, 12 league titles, 5 NCAA champions, 62 All-Americans. If that wasn’t enough, he also directs the Mayor’s Marathon and Crow Pass Crossing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Trajan Langdon Award<\/b>—For Leadership, Sportsmanship and Inspiration.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n <\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/em>Aliy Zirkle<\/strong><\/span> – <\/span>Nobody has made second-place look so good. Known for her trademark smile, this 45-year-old Iditarod musher is as gracious as she is good. She puts her dogs first, always praises the competition and never makes excuses. Zirkle showed tremendous character when she finished the 1,100-mile race in second for the third consecutive year. And she did it with a smile. After being caught in the eye of a brutal storm, Zirkle nearly chased down eventual winner Dallas Seavey, losing by a mere 2\u00bd\u00a0minutes in one of the most dramatic finishes in the race’s 40-year history.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pride of Alaska Award (female)-<\/b>–For Consistent Excellence in Athletic Competition.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n