Tiger Nation, we want to thank you for your participation in this year’s EXPY Awards. It’s been an amazing year in Tiger Sports, and these awards are to help celebrate that. Over 5,000 votes were cast online at wstxsports.com. And now we are happy to present the 2016 EXPYS Awards! Congrats to this year’s winners!

Best Athlete

 

Tiger Basketball’s Connor McKim will take home one of the premier awards in Best Athlete. McKim was the absolute star of a rejuvenated team this year. Tiger Nation, over the year we were able to see McKim lead his team to victories over the top-ranked teams in Kentucky. We were able to see him put up ridiculous numbers all season long, averaging over 24 points per game. He even clipped the 1,000 point mark along the way. We can’t say enough about what Connor McKim did for the Basketball Program and Saint Xavier Community this year. It’s an understatement to say this award was deserved. Congrats Connor on earning the 2016 Best Athlete Award!

1. Connor McKim, Tiger Basketball
2. Matthew Thomas, Tiger Track and Field
3. Adam Elliot, Tiger Baseball

Best Team

 

The 2016 EXPY for Best Team goes to the Tiger Baseball team! This is the first award for Tiger Baseball’s big night. Tiger Baseball won their second championship in three years on a mind-blowing postseason run. They now have the outright lead for most baseball state titles with seven. With tying our own state record for nine state championships in one year, Tiger Baseball had some stiff competition to win this one.

1. Tiger Baseball
2. Tiger Cross Country
3. Tiger Swimming and Diving

Best Coach

 

The 2016 EXPY Award for Best Coach goes to Chuck Medley of Tiger Cross Country! Early in the polls, Coach Porta was leading, but Coach Medley quickly turned that around. This award was well deserved, as he led the Tiger Cross Country team to their 21st state title in a dominating performance. All seven of the runners placed in the top 11 at the state championship race. He must have been telling his guys to vote everyday, because he was not only to beat the coach of the Best Team, but also the two-time reigning champ in Coach Larkin.

1. Chuck Medley, Tiger Cross Country
2. Andy Porta, Tiger Baseball
3. Todd Larkin, Tiger Swimming and Diving

Best Game

 

With the 2015-2016 year being filled with memorable games, this was definitely one of the toughest categories to win. This year’s winner for Best Game is “Mudd’s Walk-off” vs. West Jessamine in the state tournament. It was a matchup of the two past state champions in what was sure to be an epic game. The Tigers lead most of the game behind Adam Elliot’s pitching, but West Jessamine tied it up in the seventh inning. Mudd had different plans, however. The rising senior had a 2-1 count, and on the next pitch, he sent it over the left-field fence. Ball game. Tigers win.

1. Tiger Baseball vs. West Jessamine (Mudd’s Walk-off)
2. Matthew Thomas winning the Dream Mile @ St.X
3. Tiger Basketball vs. Male (District Championship)

Best Championship Performance

 

 

The Best Championship Performance Award goes to Connor Holden! No one would’ve thought that Holden would be dishing out the final out in the state title. With the two aces in Daniel Fischer and Adam Elliot being ineligible to pitch, Holden had to step up. And that he did. Holden came in and pitched a stellar game. The Tigers went on to win the game 1-o, but they only needed one run behind Holden’s awesome performance.

1. Connor Holden’s shutout in the state title game
2. Sam Mudd and Cam Scheler’s back-to-back walk offs in the state baseball tournament
3. Cross Country placing all runners in the Top 11 on their way to a state championship

Breakthrough Athlete of the Year

 

Connor Holden is having himself quite the night, winning four awards. Holden controlled this category from start to finish; he won in an absolute landslide, owning 44% of the votes. His freshman year, Holden wasn’t even on the team (little bit of a Michael Jordan vibe here). However, he wasn’t going to curl up and feel bad for himself. He worked his butt off to make the team the next year. He showed how hard he worked by throwing a no-hitter in his first start. Fast-forward a year later, and he is throwing a shut out in the state championship game. What a ride it’s been for Connor Holden, and congrats on winning the 2016 EXPYS Award for Best Breakthrough Athlete!

1. Connor Holden, Tiger Baseball
2. Brewer Cahalan, Tiger Rugby
3. Joey Mackin, Tiger Lacrosse

Tiger Pride Award

 

Ending a trophy filled night, Tiger Baseball wins the 2016 Tiger Pride Award! As said before, the Tiger Baseball team won the state title on a ridiculous postseason run. First, they defeated the #1 ranked team in Kentucky and #6 ranked in the nation, Greenup County. Next, they defeated their next two opponents with walk-offs. To cap it off, they win a record seventh state title. What was there not to love about this team? Tiger Baseball showed just how great Saint Xavier High School is, and we are incredibly proud to have been able to be apart of their run.

1. Tiger Baseball
2. Tiger Basketball
3. Tiger Cross Country