Providence Journal High School Sports All-States Awards show is Thursday at the Vets

The 2024 All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards is Thursday night in Providence. The annual show will recognize the top student-athletes across the state and will feature former college softball star Nicole Mendes, now an analyst on ESPN, as the special guest.

In each of the three high school sports seasons, The Providence Journal has named All-State teams to recognize the top student-athletes in each sport. All first-team All-Staters are now nominees for that sport's Player of the Year award, which will be announced at Thursday's show at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Several premier awards also will be given out, including overall boys and girls athletes of the year, coaches of the year and the annual courage award.

Past featured guests in the annual show have included Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, Rob Gronkowski and Paul Pierce. This year, student-athletes will hear about Mendes' journey from Oklahoma softball star to a player for the Mexican national team and representing that country in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Show sponsors this year include Ocean State Community Wellness, Butler & Messier Insurance, Dave's Market, Cardi's Furniture, Tufts Health Plan, Ocean State Golf Academy and the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

The All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.

Nominated athletes who RSVP will receive a complimentary ticket to the event thanks to sponsors. They can register here: Nominee Registration for the 2024 All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards (smartsheet.com)