Flanked by four Colorado-born soccer players, Gov. Jared Polis declared Monday “Denver Summit FC Day” in honor of the debut season for the state’s only major professional women’s sports team.
Polis announced the proclamation from the state Capitol rotunda, after the four players and other members of the Summit organization were celebrated in the state Senate. Summit is six games into its initial season in the National Women’s Soccer League, and its home debut last month was greeted by an NWSL-record 63,004 fans.
The team gave special jerseys to Polis, Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera and Sen. Marc Catlin, who officially welcomed the team in the Senate.
“I feel so honored and humbled to be standing in front of you, representing our player group,” team captain Janine Sonis, who grew up in Highlands Ranch, said during the news conference unveiling the proclamation. “All of us are so incredibly proud to wear this crest and represent this state. … I can’t wait to bring that first championship to this city and see all of you parade down 16th Street mall with us.”
The team is home to several Colorado natives. Sonis was joined at the Capitol by midfielder Meg Boade, forward Ally Brazier and goalkeeper Jordan Nytes, all fellow Coloradans.
Another Coloradan, U.S. national team captain Lindsey Heaps, will join the club in June.
“Colorado is the best place to train and compete, and we’re inspired by Summit FC,” Polis said. “It’s especially meaningful to see Colorado’s youngest soccer players look up to and cheer on some of the best athletes in the world, right here at home, for Colorado’s newest professional sports team.”
After a 3-2 loss to league-leading San Diego on Saturday, Summit’s record stands at 1-3-2 and the team sits in the middle of the NWSL table. After the news conference ended Monday, Sonis told Polis that the team was finding its footing.
“There’s a lot of time left,” she said. “We’re going to add a win this weekend.”
Correction (updated April. 29, 2026): Because of a reporter's error, the original version of this story misstated the history of women's sports in Colorado. Denver Summit is the state's latest, but not first, women's professional team.
