The Utah Sports Commission gathered the winners who excelled in 2024, along with special guest Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs, for an honors banquet and ceremony Friday night at the Delta Center.

“The State of Sport Awards has become a signature event for celebrating Utah’s dynamic sports landscape,” said Jeff Robbins, president and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission, in a statement. “For decades, sport and entertainment has continued to shape our communities, driving impact across every corner of the state.”

Blair, a Davis High alum and former Weber State record-holder in the hammer and discus, was named Utah’s adaptive athlete of the year. The 49-year-old won the bronze medal in the discus at the Paris Paralympics, adding to his gold medal from Rio in 2016. He also won at the World Para Athletics Championships in 2024.

Rooks, who won the NCAA’s 3,000-meter steeplechase championship at BYU in 2003, also medaled in Paris, claiming silver in the same event and taking home the State of Sport Awards honor for Olympic male athlete of the year. He did so by besting his personal record by nine seconds at 8:06.41 in the Olympic final, becoming the second-fastest American ever in the event.

Rooks wasn’t alone in representing BYU in this year’s State of Sport Awards. Current BYU track and field coach Diljeet Taylor was named coach of the year in the state of Utah. Taylor coached two women to the Paris Olympics and BYU’s women’s cross country team to consecutive Big 12 Conference championships in 2023 and 2024. Among her seven national titles since 2021, one came early this year when BYU claimed the NCAA indoor distance medley relay championship.

Other winners at the 13th annual State of Sport Awards are listed below.

Event of the year: Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural home game. Just 173 days after relocating from Arizona, Utah Hockey Club sold out the Delta Center and thrillingly crushed Chicago 5-2 after a day-long celebration marked the moment for Utah’s newest professional team.

Highlight of the year: Utah being awarded the 2034 Winter Olympics.

Team of the year: Utah Archers, for defending their Premier Lacrosse League title.

Professional male athlete: Diego Luna, Real Salt Lake, for totaling eight goals and 12 assists in RSL’s 2024 season. He was the second player in MLS history with 20-plus goal contributions before turning 21.

Professional female athlete: Haley Batten, a two-time mountain biking world champion who also took silver in the Paris Olympics, the best-ever finish for Team USA in the event’s history.

Olympic female athlete: Winter Vinecki, an aerial ski jumper who was a three-time World Cup gold medalist in 2024 and a 2025 U.S. national champion.

Adaptive female athlete: Alejandra Ibáñez, a two-time wheelchair basketball world champion who won silver with Team USA at the Paris Paralympics.

College male athlete: JaQuavious Harris, a runner at Salt Lake Community College who led SLCC to a cross country team national championship and also won four individual event national titles in track and field.

College female athlete: Maile O’Keefe, the University of Utah gymnastics “beam queen” who won four NCAA national titles and took the 2024 Pac-12 Conference championship on the beam.

High school male athlete: Emerson Geilman, the Bountiful High quarterback who ran and threw the Redhawks to the 5A state football championship, the school’s first since 2003. In the 2024 season, he threw for 2,476 yards and 24 touchdowns to just four interceptions while rushing for 793 yards and 14 more touchdowns.

High school female athlete: Emilee Skinner, the Ridgeline High guard who led the Riverhawks to three straight 4A state basketball titles and is signed to play at Duke. This season, she averaged 26.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.8 steals per game.