Year: 2025
Award: Dorothy Mauk Pioneer Award
Location/Affiliation: Denver Summit, National Women’s Soccer Team
Advocate whose leadership has helped shape opportunities for women in sport
Dorothy Mauk was a pioneering sports journalist and one of the founders of Sportswomen of Colorado. She became a household name among readers of the Denver Post’s sports pages, long before women were allowed in men’s locker rooms. The Dorothy Mauk Pioneer Award is given in her honor each year to recognize significant contributions and a pioneering spirit. This year’s recipient is Rob Cohen. Rob believes in women’s sports so much, he put his wallet where his heart is. The chairman and CEO of IMA Financial Group led the charge for Colorado to land a franchise in the National Women’s Soccer League, Denver Summit FC. It is the second women’s professional team in state history, following the American Basketball League’s Xplosion, and the first in more than a quarter century. Cohen and his ownership group plopped down a $110 million expansion fee, the largest in the history of American women’s pro sports and committed to building a temporary stadium in Centennial and a 14,500-seat stadium in Denver. He’s left no stone unturned, including Summit FC signing US Women’s National Team captain and Colorado native, Lindsey Horan Heaps. Summit FC begins its first season on March 14 in San Jose and will play its inaugural home match on March 28 at Empower Field.
