COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Triathlon today announced the six winners of the Multisport Awards, which recognize USA Triathlon members who fueled the multisport lifestyle during the 2018 season:
Doug Clark Sportsmanship Award: Lt. Davis Frease, United States Navy (Carlsbad, Calif.)
Davis Frease, a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, is the recipient of the 2018 Doug Clark Sportsmanship Award. The award honors Doug Clark, a decorated triathlete and multi-time masters national champion who inspired others through his dedication and commitment to sport, humility, ability to inspire others, ambassadorship for the sport and high standards of ethical behavior on and off the field of competition.
Frease is a first-year medical student at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton in California. On June 23, 2018, he was participating in the Big Bear Triathlon, an Olympic-distance race in Big Bear Lake, California. Frease was in second place about a quarter-mile into the run when he noticed a man in the ancillary event, a 5k run, collapse near the finish line. Frease called for help, ran to the man and began administering CPR. When a sheriff arrived with an AED, Frease administered the shock. He stayed with the man for a total of nearly eight minutes until paramedics arrived. The man survived, and Frease went on to finish his race — running his way back to second place overall. To boot, Frease raced in the San Diego International Triathlon the following day, also placing second.
For his service, Frease was recognized with the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Life Saving Award.
Jeff Jewell Spirit Award: Dr. Jason Diehl (Dublin, Ohio)
The Jeff Jewell Spirit Award honors Jeff Jewell, a massage therapist for USA Triathlon’s Team USA from 2001-2009. Jewell, who lost his battle with brain cancer on Nov. 15, 2010, was one of life’s biggest cheerleaders and was an inspiration to everyone he met. The award is given each year to an athlete who gives back to the sport outside of competitions and is considered a role model to other athletes, particularly youth.
Dr. Jason Diehl is the 2018 Jeff Jewell Spirit Award recipient. Dr. Diehl has upheld a competitive race schedule while supporting other areas of the sport through his work as head physician at the USA Triathlon Youth and Junior National Championships since 2012, and as head physician for Team USA at numerous International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships. In 2018, he served as head physician for Team USA at the ITU Multisport World Championships in Fyn, Denmark, during the second week of competition after participating as a Team USA athlete during the first week of competition. He was also the head physician for Team USA at the 2019 ITU Multisport World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain.
In previous years, Diehl also held a role on USA Triathlon’s Medical Multisport Conference committee, supporting medical research and safety initiatives within the sport.
Spirit of Multisport Award: Kevin Crossman (Fort Edward, N.Y.)
The Spirit of Multisport Award recognizes individuals who illustrate the positive spirit of multisport through acts of sportsmanship and leadership, with no deference to athletic ability. The 2018 award is given to Kevin Crossman, an accomplished triathlete, USA Triathlon-certified coach and USA Triathlon-certified race director who has been involved in the sport for more than two decades.
While balancing his personal athletic and professional career, Crossman has helped hundreds of athletes over the last 12 years reach their goals and peak performance through individually tailored training plans. As the owner and head coach of T3 Coaching, Crossman has coached triathletes of all levels and disciplines — including first-timers, age-group world champions, All-American triathletes, the youngest finisher at an IRONMAN, the oldest finisher at an IRONMAN and the last finisher of an IRONMAN.
Crossman also hosts regular educational clinics accessible to all triathletes in his local community. He consistently volunteers at and sponsors local grassroots races, and he was the race director for the popular Fronhofer Tool Triathlon in Cambridge, New York, for 10 years.
Most Inspirational Comeback Award: Jennifer Stack (Frederick, Md.)
Jennifer Stack is the recipient of the Most Inspirational Comeback Award, which recognizes athletes who have made a comeback to the sport after a traumatic or troublesome situation. Stack was in a motor vehicle accident in August of 2017 that caused a severe concussion. The resulting physical and mental trauma left her unable to work, drive and live her prior active lifestyle as an avid cyclist and swimmer. To compound the situation, Stack has been completely deaf since age 2 and grew up in foster care following the death of her mother.
Through intensive physical therapy at the University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Institute, and dedicated work with her neurologist and neuropsychologist, Stack steadily regained her endurance for everyday activities in preparation for her return to sport. She finished her last physical therapy session on April 30, 2018, and completed the Westfields Sprint Aquabike in Chantilly, Virginia, on May 6. She went on to complete several more races in 2018, culminating with a second-place finish in the women’s 35-39 age group at the USA Triathlon International-Distance Aquabike National Championships in Miami.
Volunteer of the Year Award: Steve Sutherland (San Diego, Calif.)
The Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes an individual or organization whose volunteer leadership has been transformative and has mobilized and unified athletes, programs and organizations in the multisport community. Steve Sutherland is the recipient of the honor for 2018.
Sutherland has been a devoted triathlete for more than 20 years, participating in races at the local and national levels. He has been a member of the USA Triathlon Age Group Committee for over 15 years, serving as committee chair since January 2014. In his role, Sutherland advocates for the age-group community in matters that come before the USA Triathlon Board of Directors. He has played an integral role in developing the USA Triathlon Multisport Awards, USA Triathlon Town Hall meeting and USA Triathlon Hall of Fame, and he is the current chair of the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame Committee.
In addition, Sutherland is involved in USA Triathlon’s medical waiver request process and serves on the organization’s Anti-Doping Task Force. Sutherland is also actively involved with one of the largest triathlon clubs in the country, the Tri Club of San Diego.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Jim and Joyce Donaldson (Sylvania, Ohio)
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to USA Triathlon and the multisport lifestyle as a whole. These contributions, whether they have been in performance, leadership, volunteerism or mentorship, must demonstrate impact on the multisport lifestyle and an extended commitment to the sport. The 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award is given jointly to Jim and Joyce Donaldson, longtime ambassadors of the sport of triathlon both in the Toledo, Ohio, region, and nationally.
Jim Donaldson is a longtime triathlete and USA Triathlon Level II-certified race director. He was a member of the USA Triathlon Board of Directors from 2005-2012 and served on the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame Committee. He was also a founding member of USA Triathlon's Mideast Region in 1994, and served as president of that region for several years. Joyce Donaldson has made an indelible impact on USA Triathlon’s officiating community in her longtime role as USA Triathlon’s National Technical Officials (NTO) program manager. She was the first ITU technical official from the U.S. to be selected to officiate at the Olympic Games, serving at both the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics.
Together, the Donaldsons made a dynamic race directing team. They took over the Sylvania Triathlon in Sylvania, Ohio, as co-race directors in 1985, and never looked back. Under their leadership, the event was consistently one of the largest triathlons in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. In 1999, Jim and Joyce started Elite Endeavors, a race production company organizing multisport events in the Toledo area and all of Michigan. Elite Endeavors regularly put on 10-12 events each year, focusing primarily on growing the sport by providing a welcoming atmosphere for beginners. The Donaldsons retired in 2016 after over 20 years of race directing, selling Elite Endeavors to Run Toledo.
The Donaldsons continue to be involved in multisport today — Jim as an athlete, Joyce as an official, and both as consultants to Run Toledo, which continues to put on the Sylvania Triathlon. Jim Donaldson is also a member of the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. In addition, the Donaldsons are founding members of the Toledo Triathlon Club, which started in 1985 and has grown to over 300 members.
For more information about the USA Triathlon Multisport Awards and a full listing of past recipients, visit usatriathlon.org/multisportawards.
About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).