HONOREES SPAN THE COUNTRY AND REPRESENT ALL LEVELS OF SPORT IN ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF SPORTSMANSHIP
ST. LOUIS – October 23, 2024 – What do a broadcaster, a pro football player, a pro baseball player, a high school basketball coach, a gymnastics coach, an NHL team communications specialist, and two Little League teams have in common? The answer, simply, is they are all deserving 2024 Musial Awards recipients.
With headlining honorees including Hall of Fame Broadcaster Bob Costas and NFL great Larry Fitzgerald, Jr., the Musial Awards presented by Maryville University celebrate the year’s greatest moments of sportsmanship and good sports from around the nation who embody class and character. This year’s show is set for Saturday, November 23 at Stifel Theatre in Downtown St. Louis and will be packaged into a one-hour special that airs throughout the country on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ December 29.
As previously announced, Costas will receive the Stan Musial Lifetime Achievement Award for Sportsmanship and Fitzgerald will accept the Musial Award for Extraordinary Character, two of the special honors bestowed at the event. The St. Louis Sports Commission and National Sportsmanship Foundation, the producers of the Musial Awards, are proud to announce the full lineup of recipients, representing all levels of sport and all areas of the country.
Here are the recipients of the 2024 Musial Awards:
Lake Mary (Fla.) Little League All Stars & Pitt County (N.C.) Girls Softball: Little League International annually sets the standard for sportsmanship. This year was no different as the championship-winning teams in both Little League Baseball and Little League Softball displayed maturity and character beyond their years.
For the Little League Baseball World Series champions from Lake Mary, Fla., not even the exhilaration of winning the championship in dramatic fashion deterred them from a time-honored tradition of respecting their opponents. With their final game against Chinese Taipei tied 1-1 after regulation, the bottom of the eighth inning began with a Lake Mary runner on second. The first batter bunted to the pitcher, who turned and threw to an unmanned first base. The ball sailed into foul territory, and the runner on second scored the game-winner. As stunned players from Chinese Taipei dissolved into tears, Lake Mary players recognized their disappointment, immediately embracing and consoling them.
A nearly identical scene played out at the Little League Softball World Series after the team from Pitt County, N.C. defeated Sterlington, La., 1-0 in the championship. Before relishing their own victory, the winning team first gathered around Louisiana’s catcher to give her a group hug, then embraced the rest of their opponents. The girls from Pitt County also were models of sportsmanship and camaraderie before the tournament even began as they ensured the team from the Philippines received a hearty welcome to the tournament when major travel delays forced them to miss the pre-tournament hoopla. Pitt County created signs and organized well-wishers to greet the team when it finally arrived after 10 p.m. on the eve of the series opener.
Dave Mislan: Scoring 1,000 points in a high school basketball career is a special accomplishment. To have two players accomplish the feat not only in the same game but six seconds apart is extraordinary, and it might not have happened if not for the classy decision by South Fayette (Pa.) coach Dave Mislan. In the final game of the regular season against West Allegheny, Coach Mislan knew his top scorer Michael Plasko needed 24 points to reach the 1,000-point mark. What he didn’t realize at first was West Allegheny’s star senior, Brandon Bell, needed 13 points to hit the 1,000-point milestone in what would be the final game of his high school career. With eight seconds left in the game, Plasko hit a three-pointer bringing him to the 1,000-point plateau and the game was paused briefly so Plasko’s teammates and home fans could congratulate him. It was during that pause that Mislan was informed that Bell only needed two points to achieve 1,000 – and time was running out. Mislan instructed his team to give Bell the opportunity to get a basket before time expired, which is what he did, sinking a layup with two seconds left to achieve the long-awaited goal. Bell said, “It was surprising that he’d give me the opportunity. But all my career, nothing was handed to me. I had to work hard. So, it was special to get 1,000 points. We don’t really see acts of kindness like Coach Mislan did too often. And we all need it more often.”
Lindy Noel: Despite their professional connections to the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, Lindy as a communications specialist for the organization and Aaron Portzline as a beat writer covering the team, the two didn’t know each other well. But now they are forever linked as Lindy turned out to be Aaron’s lifesaver – a living organ donor when Aaron needed a kidney transplant. Aaron said, “Lindy has handed me a microphone during press conferences probably hundreds of times, I never thought she’d hand me an organ.” After receiving dialysis for months, Aaron reluctantly turned to his followers on social media to share that he needed a transplant. His message deeply touched Lindy, who carried a sense of helplessness from losing her father to esophageal cancer in 2018. “There was no donation to save (my dad’s) life,” she said. “This felt like something I could do to make a difference in someone else’s life.” Lindy decided to join many others in getting tested for organ donation and found out after multiple rounds of testing she was the perfect match for Aaron. Lindy surprised Aaron with the news at a Blue Jackets video shoot, and soon after, a successful transplant procedure gave Aaron a new kidney and new lease on life. Lindy’s sacrifice and kindness inspired many who tracked this story of selflessness both in Columbus and around the country
Salvador Perez: In addition to his success as a Major League Baseball player – including All-Star Game appearances, Gold Glove Awards, and a World Series MVP trophy – Salvador Perez hasn’t lost his childlike exuberance for playing the game. So even on an off day during a grueling regular season, Perez stopped his car when he noticed some kids playing Wiffle ball in their backyard in suburban Kansas City. “Hey guys, can I play?” Perez asked the group of star-struck kids, ranging in age from 8 to 15. Perez proceeded to play Wiffle ball with the kids giving them the thrill of a lifetime. Perez’s spontaneous kindness, humility, and use of his sports celebrity for good are deserving of the preeminent honor for sportsmanship. A consistent performer both offensively and defensively through his career, Perez is best known for being a selfless teammate, engagement with fans, and giving back to the Kansas City region and his home country of Venezuela. It’s clear Perez means as much to his teammates and the Kansas City community for his egoless personality as his contributions to winning games.
Breasha Pruitt: Breasha Pruitt is no stranger to the rigors of training to be an elite gymnast, facing adversity on her journey to becoming one of the top young gymnasts in the nation and representing the U.S. in international competitions. It was that experience that led her to open her own gym, Breasha Pruitt Elite Gymnastics in Evansville, Ind., based on her personal pillars of positivity, family, kindness, and fun. In March, when the coach of a nearby club was injured and forced to close her gym, Breasha practiced what she preaches by taking in the girls who were without a place to train or a coach at a critical point of the season as they prepared for their state competition. So, in addition to 15 of her own athletes, Breasha stepped up to coach nine of her rivals so they could finish their season competing in the state meet. For two weeks, the athletes from both gyms trained together, and competed at the state competition under Breasha’s guidance. All nine of the ”adopted” gymnasts earned better scores than they had the year before and found a new home at Breasha’s gym thanks to her positive and welcoming environment.
Larry Fitzgerald, Jr.: Widely considered one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history, Larry Fitzgerald, Jr., modeled consistency, integrity, and class throughout his football playing career. Beyond the gridiron, Fitzgerald took those same traits into philanthropy and business, creating an enormous impact that is deserving of his recognition as the 2024 recipient of the Musial Award for Extraordinary Character. Over the course of his 17-year NFL career, the always-surehanded Fitzgerald amassed statistics and records that put him in an elite category. Through it all, Larry consistently avoided showboating, preferring to simply hand the ball to the official. That small gesture of sportsmanship was just one hallmark of his respect for the game. Larry launched The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation in just his second year as a pro. The foundation promotes numerous causes, primarily focusing on creating opportunities for young people to learn and thrive in safe and healthy environments and providing resources in underserved communities for families impacted by breast cancer.
Bob Costas: A voice and a presence familiar to generations of sports fans across the nation, Bob Costas has been a prominent part of the coverage of virtually every major sport. From the World Series to the Super Bowl, from the NBA Finals to the Kentucky Derby, and of course the Olympics, Costas’ eloquent narration, sense of history and drama balanced by journalistic integrity, made him the most honored sports broadcaster of his generation. His combination of professional excellence, personal decency, and generosity of spirit make him a deserving recipient of the 2024 Stan Musial Lifetime Achievement Award for Sportsmanship. Those qualities, plus his humanitarian and charitable endeavors, merit him an award bearing the name of Stan Musial.
MUSIAL AWARDS TICKETS:
Tickets for the 2024 Musial Awards, ranging from $18 to $50, are on sale through Ticketmaster. In addition to individual awards show tickets, the Musial Awards offers a special Honoree Circle ticket, which includes a seat in the orchestra level, a pass to the Musial Awards After Party, and reserved parking for $160. All-inclusive packages and sponsorships are also available. More information and a link to purchase tickets is available at MusialAwards.com/tickets. Groups of 10 or more can take advantage of special group pricing by calling 314-345-5113.
Show time for the 2024 Musial Awards is 7 p.m.
MORE ON THE MUSIALS:
The Musial Awards presented by Maryville University is produced by the St. Louis Sports Commission and the National Sportsmanship Foundation, a charitable nonprofit organization. In addition to keeping Stan The Man’s legacy alive, the mission of the Musial Awards is to encourage kindness, selflessness, integrity and civility in sports and society – and to inspire people across the nation to be good sports. The event has occurred in St. Louis since 2005. Maryville University has served as the presenting sponsor since 2011. The school’s involvement, leadership and generosity have helped make the Musial Awards the most inspiring night in sports®.