SEATTLE – At the table of Seattle's sporting elite, there's a seat for Vanessa Aniteye.
 
The former Seattle Pacific track star, winner of last year's NCAA Division II women's indoor 800 meters and a nine-time All-American, is one of the five women's nominees for the 89th annual Seattle Sports Star of the Year award.
 
 

Aniteye's status as a finalist for the women's award was announced on Monday by the Seattle Sports Commission.
 
The awards show is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 15 at the Westin Seattle Hotel from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Former Seattle Seahawks star K.J. Wright will be the master of ceremonies. Click on this link for ticket information.
 
Nominees for the women's and men's awards are athletes from across Washington who excelled during the 2023 season, and include professional and collegiate athletes with history-making achievements. They were selected by the Sports Star Nominations Committee.
 
In addition to the two athlete awards, the other major award to be presented is the Sports Story of the Year..
 
The winners will be determined by a public online vote. Fans can click on this link to access the Sports Commission's voting page. Votes are limited to one per person, and it is open from now through 11:59 p.m. next Monday, Jan. 22. At the bottom of the voting page is a chance to enter a drawing for two tickets to the awards show.

 

"I feel very honored hearing that I got nominated for such a prestigious award," said Aniteye, who just last week was one of the 30 finalists for the Woman of the Year award at the NCAA convention in Phoenix "The most important thing aside from the outcomes on the track is making an impact on my community and teammates. Being nominated for this award makes me feel hopeful that our sports have way deeper meanings than only personal success."
 
Joining Aniteye on the list of women's nominees are Seattle Storm star Jewell Loyd, Seattle Reign soccer standout Lauren Barnes, University of Washington golfer Angela Zhang, and Washington State basketball player Charlisse Leger-Walker.
 
LINKING UP WITH THE FALCONS
Aniteye came to Seattle Pacific in the fall of 2021 after competing previously for Alaska Anchorage. A 400-meter standout, she won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship, then ran to a sixth-place All-American finish at the NCAA Division II nationals.
 
That completed her outdoor eligibility, but she still had one year of indoor eligibility remaining. She and the Falcons coaching staff made the decision to switch to the 800 – and that decision yielded huge rewards. She posted a national-leading time in her first meet, and stayed on top for all but one week during the season.

Aniteye was the No. 1 seed heading to Virginia Beach, Virginia, for the NCAAs last March. In the championship race, she led for most of the way, then briefly fell behind Colorado State Pueblo's Helen Braybrook on the third of four laps. Aniteye surged back in front to begin the final lap and fended off Braybrook down the stretch to win in a school-record time of 2:06.84. That was two-tenths of a second ahead of Braybrook.
 
What's more, Aniteye accomplished all of that while raising her son, Josiah, who is now 3.
 
 

"During her time at Seattle Pacific, Vanessa's pursuit of excellence was an absolute inspiration to her teammates, coaches and professors," said SPU head coach and program director Karl Lerum. "Vanessa's accomplishments on the track and in the classroom are rare but when combined with her duties and devotion to her role as a mom, her accomplishments shine even brighter. "
 
 

ABOUT THE SPORTS STAR AWARD
The Sports Star of the Year award was created in 1935 by legendary Seattle Post-Intelligencer sports editor Royal Brougham – for whom SPU's athletics facility is named. It is tied – with the Heisman Trophy, which began that same year – as the longest-running sports award in the country.
 
Among the past winners is legendary distance runner and Seattle Pacific track and cross country coach Doris Heritage in 1970. In 2010, another SPU distance star, Jessica Pixler, was one of the five finalists for Female Star of the Year.
 
Along with the three major awards – female, male, and story – other presentations will include the Royal Brougham Sports Legend award (for lifetime achievements), the Paul G. Allen Humanitarian award, the Keith Jackson Media Excellence award, the Wayne Gittinger Inspirational Youth award, the Sports Equity and Inclusion Award, and the Sports Leader of the Year award.


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