The Positive Athlete organization recognized 28 Colorado high school student-athletes as "Most Positive" for the 2025-26 school year, along with two coaches, one athletic director, one athletic trainer, and three schools, at the 2026 Colorado Positive Athlete Award Experience on June 3 at DCSD Legacy Campus.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis proclaimed June 3, 2026, as Positive Athlete Day in the state of Colorado in recognition of the event. Scholarships totaling a record $15,000 were awarded to select honorees.

More than 920 nominations were submitted statewide, representing 292 public and private high schools — equivalent to 78 percent 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.

Positive Athlete was created by sports industry veteran Scott Pederson in the early 2010s as a movement for more positivity in youth sports. Nominated athletes are evaluated on seven attributes summarized by the acronym O.P.E.R.A.T.E.: Optimistic, Puts Team First, Encouraging, Respectful, Admits Imperfections, True Heart for Others, and Embraces Service.

The 2025-26 state award winners are:

Abby Harper, Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) Austin Collins, Wray Junior Senior (Wray) Braelynn Looney, Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch) Carson Helling, Idalia School (Idalia) Chase Cochrane, Rangely (Rangely) Dakota Reid, Springfield (Springfield) Dashaura Miller, George Washington (Denver) Diego Lara, Heritage (Littleton) Dixie Bitner, Wiley (Wiley) Emily Peterson, Ralston Valley (Arvada) Hazel Lazar, Colorado Rocky Mountain School (Carbondale) Isai Savelkoul, The Vanguard School (Colorado Springs) Jack Rumley, Timnath Middle-High School (Timnath) Jeremiah DeLaCerda, Alamosa (Alamosa) Ke'Von Taylor, George Washington (Denver) Liam O'Donnell, Smoky Hill (Aurora) Madeline Clark, Mountain View (Loveland) Makena Cleveland, Loveland (Loveland) Mario Duron-Orozco, Montbello (Denver) Olivia Jukes, Mancos (Mancos) Olivia Moss, DSST: Cedar (Denver) Romie Uhrig, Gunnison (Gunnison) Roxy Unruh, Cheyenne Wells (Cheyenne Wells) Shweta Broberg, Lakewood (Lakewood) Sulaiman Ebadi, Peak to Peak Charter School (Lafayette) Teagan Martin, Holyoke Senior (Holyoke) Tim Pacino, McClave Undivided (McClave) Trevor Prock, Montrose (Montrose)

Additional honorees: Chris Moses, coach, Pine Creek (Castle Rock) Dani Cook, coach, Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins) Joe Brown, athletic director, Niwot (Niwot) Matt Oakes, athletic trainer, Telluride Middle/High School (Telluride) Most Positive Large High School (4A-5A): Montbello (Denver) Most Positive Small High School (1A-3A), tie: DSST: Cedar (Denver) Most Positive Small High School (1A-3A), tie: The Vanguard School (Colorado Springs)

Scholarship recipients are as follows:

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 for the next school year will reopen in the fall. Pre-nominations are currently being accepted at www.PositiveAthlete.org, which will trigger an automatic reminder when nominations reopen.