Positive Athlete Recognizes 'Most Positive' Athletes in Colorado for the 2025-26 School Year
2026 Colorado Positive Athlete award winners celebrate with a group photo
High schoolers recognized for high character and scholarships awarded to culminate record year of nominations including all 64 Colorado counties
Positive Athlete is honored to recognize these student-athletes from across Colorado who have overcome adversity, given back in their schools and communities, or simply done things the right way.”
DENVER, CO, UNITED STATES, June 4, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- For the second consecutive year, the Positive Athlete organization recognized local high school athletes from across the state of Colorado as high-character kids who have been nominated and confirmed by their schools as the most representative of “How Positive Athletes O.P.E.R.A.T.E.”.— Brady Kellogg, Mountain Region Director
Optimistic
Puts Team First
Encouraging
Respectful
Admits Imperfections
True Heart for Others
Embraces Service
This year, Positive Athlete named 28 different Colorado high schoolers as the “Most Positive” male and female student-athletes across the state, while also recognizing with two coaches, one athletic director, one athletic trainer and three schools as “Most Positive” within their respective areas. The multiple of 7 theme stems from the number of attributes (7) called out above.
More than 920 nominations from coaches, athletic directors, athletic trainers, principals, teachers, guidance counselors, and parents were submitted for the Positive Athlete program state-wide, representing 292 different public and private high schools (equivalent to 78% of all Colorado high schools with formalized athletics programs—the highest such percentage in the country). Nominations covered all 27 state sanctioned sports as well as e-sports, archery, climbing, cycling, equestrian, martial arts, powerlifting, rugby, Unified Sports, and more. The Colorado awards are part of the national expansion of Positive Athlete, which was created by sports industry veteran Scott Pederson in the early 2010’s as a movement for more positivity in youth sports. In addition to excellence on the field, each nominated Positive Athlete was required to show the above characteristics in order to be nominated.
Here is a list of the 2025-2026 State Award Winners:
NAME, HIGH SCHOOL
Abby Harper, Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs, CO)
Austin Collins, Wray Junior Senior (Wray, CO)
Braelynn Looney, Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch, CO)
Carson Helling, Idalia School (Idalia, CO)
Chase Cochrane, Rangely (Rangely, CO)
Dakota Reid, Springfield (Springfield, CO)
Dashaura Miller, George Washington (Denver, CO)
Diego Lara, Heritage (Littleton, CO)
Dixie Bitner, Wiley (Wiley, CO)
Emily Peterson, Ralston Valley (Arvada, CO)
Hazel Lazar, Colorado Rocky Mountain School (Carbondale, CO)
Isai Savelkoul, The Vanguard School (Colorado Springs, CO)
Jack Rumley, Tinmath Middle-High School (Tinmath, CO)
Jeremiah DeLaCerda, Alamosa (Alamosa, CO)
Ke’Von Taylor, George Washington (Denver, CO)
Liam O’Donnell, Smoky Hill (Aurora, CO)
Madeline Clark, Mountain View (Loveland, CO)
Makena Cleveland, Loveland (Loveland, CO)
Mario Duron-Orozco, Montbello (Denver, CO)
Olivia Jukes, Mancos (Mancos, CO)
Olivia Moss, DSST: Cedar (Denver, CO)
Romie Uhrig, Gunnison (Gunnison, CO)
Roxy Unruh, Cheyenne Wells (Cheyenne Wells, CO)
Shweta Broberg, Lakewood (Lakewood, CO)
Sulaiman Ebadi, Peak to Peak Charter School (Lafayette, CO)
Teagan Martin, Holyoke Senior (Holyoke, CO)
Tim Pacino, McClave Undivided (McClave, CO)
Trevor Prock, Montrose (Montrose, CO)
Chris Moses (coach), Pine Creek (Castle Rock, CO)
Dani Cook (coach), Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins, CO)
Joe Brown (AD), Niwot (Niwot, CO)
Matt Oakes (athletic trainer), Telluride Middle/High School (Telluride, CO)
Large High School (4A-5A), Montbello (Denver, CO)
Small High School (1A-3A)-tie, DSST: Cedar (Denver, CO)
Small High School (1A-3A)-tie, The Vanguard School (Colorado Springs, CO)
All of these award winners were recognized at the 2026 Colorado Positive Athlete Award Experience on June 3 at DCSD Legacy Campus. In support and recognition, Colorado Governor Jared Polis proclaimed June 3, 2026, as POSITIVE ATHLETE DAY in the State of Colorado.
Scholarships totaling a record $15,000 were awarded to the following individuals:
Denver Health For Life’s Journey $1,000 Scholarships: Ke’Von Taylor (George Washington), Olivia Moss (DSST: Cedar)
Positivity Champ $1,000 Scholarships: Jeremiah DeLaCerda (Alamosa), Makena Cleveland (Loveland), Sulaiman Ebadi (Peak to Peak Charter School)
VKTRY Good Sole $2,500 Scholarships: Megan Waters (Lakewood), Trevor Prock (Montrose)
O.P.E.R.A.T.E. $2,500 Scholarships: Dixie Bitner (Wiley), Teagan Martin (Holyoke Senior)
Nominations will reopen in the Fall for next school year but Positive Athlete is currently taking pre-nominations at www.PositiveAthlete.org, which will trigger an automatic reminder when nominations reopen.
About Positive Athlete
Positive Athlete, Inc. is a national organization that seeks to promote the benefits of positivity to young athletes around the country through awards, scholarships and special opportunities. Since 2013, Positive Athlete has recognized thousands of student-athletes across the country with Positive Athlete awards, awarding over $700,000 in scholarships.
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Positive Athlete
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