A softball highlight featuring Army West Point's star player leaping over an opposing catcher to reach home plate in a playoff semifinal is among 16 standout performances up for "Best Play" at this year's ESPY Awards.
Kasey McCravey's jump-and-score May 14 against Lehigh has been viewed nearly 390,000 times on the U.S. Military Academy's official athletics YouTube page, and countless more times in other venues. USA Today's sports blog called it "astonishing," the New York Post called it a "leap of faith," and Fox Sports dubbed it an "amazing ninja leap."
Fan voting will decide which of the 16 plays will take home the trophy at the July 13 awards show. McCravey's play is up against a game-winning heave by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder; voting for the first round is open until June 28.
(Curry's had problems competing with standout Army West Point female athletes in the past, dropping a 3-point shootout in 2014 to Kelsey Minato, the Black Knights' all-time leading scorer. Mike Krzyzewski — West Point grad, former Army coach and current Duke and Team USA coach — declared Minato the winner, claiming that while Curry hit more shots, he stepped over the line too often.)
McCravey led Army West Point in most every offensive category (runs, home runs, batting average, runs batted in) her senior season, which ended in a Patriot League final loss to Boston University the day after her highlight-making leap. She graduated in May, branching into the Quartermaster Corps.
