Olympian Lolo Jones to return to hometown Des Moines for Register's Sports Awards

The year's Des Moines Register Sports Awards is truly honoring Iowa's best. 

We'll end up inviting more than 1,000 of the state's greatest high school athletes, coaches and teams to honor and celebrate the previous year's athletic achievements. 

We are bringing in one of the state's most beloved athletes ever in former NFL MVP and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Kurt Warner as the guest speaker for the June 21 event at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. 

And now, we are upping the Iowa flavor even further. 

One of the state's greatest athletes ever, multiple-sport Olympian Lolo Jones will join the Register's Sports Awards as its first-ever special guest.

Jones, a Des Moines native, will interact with our All-Iowa athletes and coaches on the red carpet and later give a question-and-answer session during the show. She'll also award the winners of the track and field athletes of the year and the I AM SPORT winner. 

Watch live June 21:Kurt Warner at the Des Moines Register Sports Awards

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The event is hosted by the Register, and CBS Sports' Chris Hassel will emcee the Sports Awards again this year. 

"Lolo is a self-made success story," said Hassel, a Muscatine, Iowa native and former WHO sports reporter. "I remember covering her when she was the best hurdler in the world and she still made it a point to return for the Drake Relays each spring. (She) always made time for those who wanted it, as far back as her high school days at Roosevelt."

A Des Moines Roosevelt product, Jones emerged as one of track's biggest superstars following her 60-meter hurdle world championships in 2008 and 2010. She was a three-time Olympian (twice for the summer games and once for the winter Olympics in bobsledding).

"Lolo came from basically nothing and worked her tail off to earn an athletic scholarship to attend college (at LSU), then suffered one of the most heartbreaking defeats in Olympic history (in 2008) ... but held her head high, didn't make excuses, and continued to clear every proverbial hurdle in her way," Hassel said. 

At the Sports Awards, the Register honors boys' and girls' athletes and coaches in 21 sanctioned sports in Iowa, along with naming its top athletes in each sport and multiple special honors including boys' and girls' overall athletes of the year. 

The Register will also name its coach of the year, team of the year and courage award winner, among other honors, there. 

Each invited athlete and coach receive two complimentary tickets, which is made possible by the event's sponsor, Hy-Vee, Wells Fargo and Xtream powered by Mediacom. 

General admission tickets are available at sportsawards.desmoinesregister.com.