COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Standout performances during April earned equestrian McLain Ward (Brewster, New York), wheelchair racer Amanda McGrory (Kennett Square, Pennsylvania) and the U.S. Women’s World Championship Ice Hockey Team Best of April honors for the Team USA Awards presented by Dow, the United States Olympic Committee announced today. Ward, McGrory and the IIHF world champions are among the qualified athletes and teams that are eligible for Best of the Year honors in 2017.
Ward clinched the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final with HH Azur at the FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha, Nebraska. In his 17th appearance at the Final, Ward won all three legs with HH Azur on his way to winning the overall title.
McGrory placed second and set an American record in the women’s wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon with a time of 1:33:13. She mirrored her finish six days later at the London Marathon, taking second in 1:44:34 to win back-to-back medals en route to her fourth Abbott World Marathon Majors podium this year. In Boston and London, she was the top American finisher in the women’s push rim races.
The U.S. went undefeated in five games at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship to claim its fourth consecutive world title – its longest streak – and its eighth in tournament history. The world title marked the first for the U.S. women on home ice as Team USA defeated rival Canada, 3-2, in front of a standing-room-only crowd at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan. Team USA’s five tournament victories included three shutouts against Canada (2-0), Russia (7-0) and Germany (11-0). Kendall Coyne and Brianna Decker, the tournament MVP, led all players with 12 points, including a tournament-high five goals for Coyne and a tournament-high nine assists for Decker. Goalie Nicole Hensley started three games for Team USA, including the final, and finished with a tournament-high 96.43 save percentage and 0.63 goals-against average.
In addition to Dow, the presenting sponsor, the Team USA Awards are supported by DICK’S Sporting Goods and USG.
About the Team USA Awards
Each National Governing Body may nominate one female, one male and one team per discipline. An internal nominating committee selects five nominees from both the male and female categories, and three from the team category to advance to the voting round. Votes received from NGB representatives and select members of the media account for 50 percent of the final tally, with the other half determined by online fan voting via TeamUSA.org/Awards.
Each of the five monthly men’s and women’s finalists, and three team finalists automatically qualify for consideration for the 2017 Team USA Awards presented by Dow Best of the Year. Visit TeamUSA.org for a complete list of monthly finalists from the 2016-17 qualification period, which runs from September 2016-August 2017. The 2017 Best of the Year Awards will be held in December.