LOS ANGELES, CA. (CLARKSVILLENOW)- The 2019 ESPY awards show recently wrapped up in Los Angeles. Unsurprisingly, the United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) left the big winners.
After dominating headlines since their World Cup win, the USWNT was awarded the best team award. Star player Alex Morgan left with some additional hardware winning the Best Female Athlete award.
Many first-time winners shook up their respective sports. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes won Best NFL Player, New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley won Best Breakthrough Athlete, and Duke phenom Zion Williamson won Best College Athlete.
Each year, the ESPY’s present the Arthur Ashe Courage Award to a person whose contributions “transcend sports.” This year, the award went to NBA Hall of Famer Bill Russell. The Pat Tillman Award for Service went to Marine Sergeant Kirstie Ennis. Additionally, Rob Mendez, a high school football coach with no arms or legs, won the Jimmy V perseverance award.
Drew Brees, quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, won Best Record-Breaking Performance. Last year he became the NFL all-time leader in passing yards. His kids however, had a case of ‘Zion Williamson fever’, as they attended the event wearing maroon suits matching Williamson.
Katelyn Ohashi, a UCLA gymnast, won the Best Viral Sports Moment with her floor routine at the 2019 Collegiate Challenge scoring a perfect 10.0. She displayed her acrobatics when she stuck a handstand in heels on the red carpet.
The St. Louis Blues won Best Comeback, going from the worst team in the league to Stanley Cup Champions in seven months. Player Ryan O’Reilly took out his fake tooth on stage before speaking. It was certainly unusual but seemed to be a fair representation of hockey.
The awards show was hosted by comedian and actor Tracy Morgan. Best known for his work with Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, Morgan made the ESPY’s as entertaining as ever.
Many other athletes heard their names called, here’s a full list of the winners:
Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Rob Mendez
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Bill Russell
Pat Tillman Award for Service: Kirstie Ennis
Best Coach: Jim Calhoun
Best Male Athlete: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Best Female Athlete: Alex Morgan
Best Breakthrough Athlete: Saquon Barkley
Best Game: Rams defeat Chiefs on Monday Night Football
Best College Athlete: Zion Williamson
Best Record Breaking Performance: Drew Brees
Best Play: Katelyn Ohashi
Best Viral Sports Moment: Katelyn Ohashi’s perfect 10
Best Upset: Andy Ruiz Jr. defeats Anthony Joshua
Best International Men’s Soccer Player: Lionel Messi
Best International Women’s Soccer Player: Sam Kerr
Best NFL Player: Patrick Mahomes
Best MLB Player: Christian Yelich
Best NHL Player: Alexander Ovechkin
Best Driver: Kyle Busch
Best NBA Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Best WNBA Player: Breanna Stewart
Best Boxer: Canelo Álvarez
Best MMA Fighter: Daniel Cormier
Best Male Golfer: Brooks Koepka
Best Female Golfer: Brooke Henderson
Best Male Tennis Player: Roger Federer
Best Female Tennis Player: Serena Williams
Best Male Action Sports Athlete: Nyjah Huston
Best Female Action Sports Athlete: Chloe Kim
Best Jockey: Mike Smith
Best Male Athlete with a Disability: Mark Barr
Best Female Athlete with a Disability: Allysa Seely
Best Bowler: Norm Duke
Best MLS Player: Zlatan Ibrahimović
Best NWSL Player: Sam Kerr
Best Esports Moment: oLarry returns to NBA2k
Best WWE Moment: Roman Reigns returns to WWE Raw
Best Team: US Women’s National Soccer Team
Best Moment: Lindsey Vonn, Rob Gronkowski, and Dwyane Wade
Best Comeback: St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup