David Sommers, who excelled at Holy Family at football and basketball and also was outstanding academically, is the boys winner of the 2014 Fred Steinmark High School Athlete of the Year Award.
File photo by Tim Visser
was certainly surprised when he received the telephone call telling him that he was the boys winner of the 2014 Fred Steinmark High School Athlete of the Year Award.
"I just didn't know what to expect," said Sommers, a graduate of
Holy Family (Broomfield). "I'm really honored, and I'm so happy to be able to accept it. It is so great to be honored with those who have won the award in the past."
Even though the Steinmark carries 'Athlete of the Year' designation, it actually recognizes a high school career. It is an all-classification award that has become recognized as the most prestigious athletic award a graduating high school senior athlete can receive in Colorado. It is sponsored by the
Colorado High School Coaches Association.
Sommers is the 45th winner for the boys award, the first having been Dave Logan, who graduated from Wheat Ridge and the University of Colorado and played with the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos. He is now the radio voice of the Denver Broncos and the head football coach at Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village).
The award is named in honor of Steinmark, who was a brilliant scholar, athlete and citizen. He graduated from Wheat Ridge and competed for the Farmers in football, basketball and baseball. At the University of Texas, he helped the Longhorns win the college football national title in 1969, but his life was cut short as Steinmark died of cancer in 1970.
Any coach or school administrator can nominate a student-athlete for the award, although there are several requirements to be considered. The student-athlete must have competed in at least two sports during their high school career and they must have been selected all-state in one and at least all-league in another. Nominees must have carried at least a 3.0 grade-point average and have been active in their school and community.
For Sommers, he excelled on the football field and basketball court at Holy Family, earning all-state and all-league honors in both.
Sommers was first-team all-state in basketball by The Denver Post and was named the Class 3A Northern League Offensive Player of the Year the past two seasons in football. He has been named academic all-state the past three years and he was cited as the Holy Family Male Athlete of the Year.
Academically, he graduated with a 4.05 GPA, and Sommers has worked for Food Bank of the Rockies, North Denver Cares Food Pantry and the St. Francis Center Food Kitchens, to mention a few.
"Fred Steinmark showed courage and positivity even after all that happened to him physically," Sommers wrote in his application. "He never thought of himself first, he always thought of others. I believe that I've have done that during the last four years through all my work at local food banks in my community and through the soup kitchen at the St. Francis Center in Denver. This award is very important to me, and I am honored to have been nominated."
Holy Family football coach Mike Gabriel has known Sommers since he was in grade school.
"I have watched David mature into a young man with outstanding virtues and character," Gabriel wrote in his letter to the Steinmark committee. "In the past four years David has developed into a strong leader, academically, socially and athletically. He is also a contributing member to his community through his service and a positive member and role model within the Holy Family High School community."
Sommers and the 2014 finalists were selected by a panel of high school coaches and administrators, however, no panelists from nominee schools are allowed to participate in the selection process.
Sommers will be presented the Steinmark Award at the CHSCA's All-State Games on June 13 in Alamosa.
2014 FINALISTS Clayton Crawford,
AspenBlake Jacobs,
ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch)Ryan Jeep,
Soroco (Oak Creek)Colt Sessions,
Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) ADDITIONAL 2014 NOMINEES Jason Barth,
HollyCameron Connor,
Alexander Dawson School (Lafayette, Colo.)Josh Davis,
LamarCameron Frazier,
Fairview (Boulder)Jonathon Hinton,
Woodland ParkKory Huon,
BennettJJ Loflin,
SpringfieldJake Lucero,
Douglas County (Castle Rock)Christian McCaffrey,
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch)Grant Neal,
Regis Jesuit (Aurora)Chasyn Nicholas,
ElizabethBrody Oliver, Elizabeth
Marcus Rodholm,
Manitou SpringsMorgan Rummel,
NorwoodTrey Smith, Douglas County
