WDW Daily News

Central Florida’s largest sporting event happens this weekend as more than 100,000 runners and spectators from across the nation and more than 65 countries are expected to participate in various events during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna. Many are participating in one or more events, including more than 26,000 runners in the 26.2-mile marathon which goes through all four Disney theme parks.

The inaugural Race Director Challenge involving 25 industry professionals, including some from the World Marathon Majors, will compete in the half marathon. A schedule of race events is below:

Walt Disney World 5K presented by CignaThursday, 6:15 am

Walt Disney World 10K presented by CignaFriday, 5:30 am

Walt Disney World Half Marathon presented by CignaSaturday, 5:30 am

Walt Disney World Marathon presented by CignaSunday, 5:30 am

 

Marcus Mariota, Amari Cooper, Melvin Gordon and Scooby Wright III among Award Recipients at The Home Depot College Football Awards.

Marcus Mariota of Oregon, Amari Cooper of Alabama, Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin and Scooby Wright III of Arizona each claimed top awards during the 24^th annual The Home Depot College Football Awards hosted by Rece Davis, and joined by Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Tom Rinaldi and Samantha Ponder on ESPN Thursday night live from the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Mariota, a redshirt junior of Honolulu, Hawaii, took home two awards during the show – the Maxwell Award for the college player of the year and the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.  This marks the sixteenth time a quarterback has won both the Maxwell Award and Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award in the same year, the last being Cam Newton in 2010.  Eight players that have won the Maxwell and O’Brien have gone on to win the Heisman Trophy.

Cooper won the Biletnikoff Award for the college defensive player of the year; Gordon won the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s outstanding running back; and Wright III took home the Chuck Bednarik Award for college defensive player of the year.

Other notable awards included the presentation of TCU’s Gary Patterson with The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award; former Baylor head coach and current AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff was honored with the NCFAA Contributions to College Football Award; Oklahoma Sooners coach Bob Stoops and junior wide receiver Sterling Shepard received the Disney Spirit Award; and Ole Miss linebacker Deterrian Shackelford was named the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Captain – one of college football’s most prestigious off-the-field honors determined by college football fan voters for the good work these players conduct, and their remarkable stories of service to others.

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Rutgers, Auburn, Louisiana State University and Santa Monica College were selected today as the top four schools in the “Cheer On Your Disney Side’’ nationwide competition sponsored by ESPN.

And now fans around the country will choose the winner.

The competition, supported by Disney Destinations and Varsity Spirit, began in early September with collegiate cheer and dance squads across the country vying for a $100,000 grant from ESPN and a trip to Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando. After an extensive judging process, the four finalists – Santa Monica College, Rutgers, Auburn and LSU – were announced tonight during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN at Walt Disney World Resort.

Determining the winner now rests in the hands of fans around the country, who can select the squad that “Cheers on its Disney Side’’ the best in 30-second videos posted by each school at Espn.com/CheerMagic. The school with the most votes wins. And fans who vote are entered into an ESPN sweepstakes to win a Walt Disney World Resort vacation. Rules may be found at Espn.com/CheerMagic.

Online voting runs now through Jan. 6. The winning squad will be announced on ESPN before the College Football National Championship Game on Jan. 12 in Dallas, the exciting culmination of the new four-team College Football Playoff format on ESPN.

The winning cheer or dance squad will earn a $100,000 grant from ESPN for its college spirit program and a team trip to Walt Disney World Resort.

The competition is part of Disney Parks’ efforts this year to encourage people to show their “Disney Side’’– their fun-loving adventurous side that laughs more, says “yes” more and just plain lives life to the fullest.

Disney Spring Training at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex will give teams a head start in 2015 as more than 400 high school and college teams from across the country will travel to Walt Disney World to begin training for their upcoming season in baseball, golf, lacrosse, rugby, softball, tennis and track & field. Schools will have an opportunity to take their teams to the next level with a customizable schedule full of on-field practices, scrimmages and an opportunity to participate in a one-hour speed and agility clinic with renowned former US Olympic track & field coach Brooks Johnson and NFL performance trainer Tom Shaw

The 2015 season will mark the 18th consecutive year the Braves have held their spring training at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. As the centerpiece of the sports complex, Champion Stadium will play host to a number of Braves spring training games against other Grapefruit League clubs in February-March, including marquee teams such as the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and Detroit Tigers. Guests will be treated to unique game-day entertainment and additional fan experiences, including character appearances and an exclusive on-field spectator experience.  Information on the Braves’ Spring Training season, group tickets and mini-packs is available by calling (407) 939-GAME (4263) and online at espnwwos.com/atlantabraves. After the Braves’ spring training schedule is released, individual game tickets will be available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or visiting ticketmaster.com, as well as at the sports complex box office.

Four Brazilian and German soccer powerhouse teams will face each other in Central Florida for a unique “clubs for nations” tournament. The Florida Cup, created by 2SV Sports, will involve world-class soccer matches hosted by Disney Sports and Orlando City SC  on January 15th, 2015, at  ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in addition to matches in Jacksonville. Tickets for the matches at Disney start at $35 and are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

The following teams representing the most successful nations in the FIFA World Cup will play each other in a special double-header at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Central Florida before competing in Jacksonville:

• Two-time FIFA World Champion Corinthians (BRA),
• Champions League club Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER),
• Four-time Brazilian Champion Fluminense (BRA), and
• Three-time German Champion 1. FC Köln (GER).

“Orlando City is delighted to help bring premier world class soccer to Central Florida, reinforcing our commitment to fans and the community while further strengthening the region’s reputation as the ‘Soccer Capital of the South’ just a few weeks before our historic debut in Major League Soccer,” said Orlando City SC Founder and President Phil Rawlins.

The Florida Cup expands the growing list of premier soccer events staged at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and adds to the complex’s rich history of hosting major sports events. The complex’s portfolio of pro and youth soccer events has included AS Roma off-season training, the Disney Pro Soccer Classic, the 2014 Orlando City SC regular-season home games, the Disney International Cup and the Disney Soccer Showcase, among others.

“The Florida Cup represents yet another opportunity for soccer fans to experience world-class international soccer at an intimate, family-friendly venue such as ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex,’’ said Disney Sports business manager Patrick Dicks. “This will be international soccer at its best and a fan experience to match.”

“The idea behind creating the Florida Cup was to identify an ideal time of year when these top clubs could combine their need for a quality pre-season training camp with some competitive matches, while also building awareness for their brands in key international markets, such as the US,’’ said 2SV Sports president and former soccer player Ricardo Villar. “I think the Florida Cup embodies all of those things through our local sports infrastructure, key partners and innovative tournament format. We hope to continue to grow the event in 2016.’’

The Brazilian and German teams will arrive for preseason training in early January to prepare for the tournament.  They will face each other on January 15 at Disney and then travel to Jacksonville for another double-header on January 17. Every match win delivers three points, with one point for a tie in regulation and one additional point for a penalty shootout victory.

At the end of the tournament, a champion will be crowned and the points will also be aggregated for each nation to determine a national victor as well.  Therefore, every single match represents precious points for club and nation, with the pride of two rich soccer cultures at stake.

The event will also include a panel discussion on Jan. 14 involving representatives from Brazilian and German clubs and leagues, as well as Orlando City SC. A variety of soccer-related topics will be discussed, including youth development, sports marketing, global league structures, among other topics.

Eight of the top men’s college basketball teams in the country will compete in the Orlando Classic over Thanksgiving weekend, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, Nov. 27, 28 & 30, at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The 2014 Orlando Classic features 12 games over the three days. Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracket-tournament format. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in the championship game Sunday, Nov. 30. For more information, visit www.espnevents.com/orlando-classic, or www.disneysportsnews.com.

Eight of the top men’s college basketball teams in the country will compete in the Orlando Classic over Thanksgiving weekend, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, Nov. 27, 28 & 30, at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The 2014 Orlando Classic features 12 games over the three days. Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracket-tournament format. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in the championship game Sunday, Nov. 30. For more information, visit www.espnevents.com/orlando-classic, or www.disneysportsnews.com.

Fans will get an up close and personal look at some of the nation’s top pro soccer teams during the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic Feb. 1, 2015 – March 1, 2015 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Entering its sixth year, Disney’s premier four-week soccer event is designed to boost interest in soccer throughout Central Florida and establish the area as a prime training and competition destination for professional soccer clubs. The event traditionally features eight pro teams – including six Major League Soccer squads – competing in 16 games. In 2014, the Columbus Crew defeated the defending MLS Cup Champions, Sporting Kansas City, to earn win the Disney Pro Soccer Classic title. After the tournament schedule is released, tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster by visiting ticketmaster.com or calling (800) 754-3000 or through the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex box office.