2010 ESPY Nomination List

Editor

June 23, 2010

To tweet this release: https://es.pn/cYqoCC

BEST MALE ATHLETE

Drew Brees, NFL

Won Super Bowl MVP honors after finishing with an 82.1 completion percentage, the second best in Super Bowl history.
Completed 32 passes, which tied the record for the most in Super Bowl history.
Set an NFL record by completing 70.6 percent of his passes during the regular season.
Finished the postseason with eight touchdowns and no interceptions.

Kobe Bryant, NBA

Earned his fifth championship ring after leading the Lakers over the Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Averaged 28.6 PPG in the NBA Finals.
Averaged 27 PPG (4th in NBA) during 2009-10 regular season.
Led Lakers to best record in Western Conference during 2009-10 regular season, 57-25.

LeBron James, NBA

Earned his second straight MVP award.
Averaged 29.7 PPG (2nd in NBA), 8.6 APG (6th in NBA) and 7.3 RPG during the 2009-10 regular season.
Led Cavaliers to NBA-high 61 regular-season wins.
Was the only NBA player with at least 650 assists, 550 rebounds, 125 steals and 75 blocked shots.

Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR

Earned his fourth straight NASCAR points title.
Joined Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and teammate Jeff Gordon as the only drivers with at least four championships.
Became the fastest driver to reach four titles, doing so in 291 starts, beating Gordon’s previous record (292).

Albert Pujols, MLB

Named NL MVP, becoming the 10th player to win three or more MVP Awards.
Led the NL in home runs (47) and runs (134).
Finished third in batting (.327).
First unanimous NL MVP since Barry Bonds in 2002.

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE

Maya Moore, NCAA Basketball

Helped lead UConn to back-to-back national championships.
Averaged 28.5 PPG and 11.5 RPG in the two games at the Final Four.
Averaged team-high 18.9 PPG and 8.3 RPG during 2009-10 regular season.

Diana Taurasi, WNBA

Named WNBA MVP for 2009 regular season and playoffs.
Led WNBA in scoring during regular season (20.4 PPG).
Helped Phoenix win the WNBA championship.

Lindsey Vonn, Skiing

Capped a historic season with her third straight overall World Cup title.
Won gold medal at Olympics in downhill, becoming the first American woman to do so.
Won the final super-G race of the season for her 33rd World Cup win, eclipsing Bode Miller as the most decorated American skier.

Serena Williams, Tennis

Earned number one world ranking at the end of the 2009 season.
Won 2010 Australian Open, becoming the first woman to successfully defend her Aussie title since Jennifer Capriati in 2002.
Tied Billie Jean King for 6th on the all-time women’s Grand Slam titles list (12).

BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE

Drew Brees, Super Bowl XLIV

Finished with a record-tying 32 completions in 39 attempts for 288 yards and two touchdowns.
Won Super Bowl MVP honors.
Finished the postseason with eight touchdowns and no interceptions.

Anthony Johnson, Big Sky Conference Championship

Had a Big Sky tournament record 42 points, including 34 second-half points, as his Grizzlies rallied from a 20-point halftime deficit to make the big dance.
Scored the last 21 points of the game for Montana.

Michael Phelps, World Swimming Championships

Won five gold medals, including four world-record performances.
Became the first swimmer to break 50 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly.

Shaun White, Winter Olympics

Won gold medal at Winter Olympics.
Became the third American male to successfully defend an Olympic gold medal, joining Dick Button (figure skating) and Shani Davis (long track speedskating).

BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE

Brittney Griner, Baylor Women’s Basketball

Averaged 18.4 PPG and 8.5 RPG as a freshman.
Totaled 223 blocked shots, an NCAA-record.
Registered an NCAA Tournament record 40 blocks in five 2010 tourney games, which includes tournament single-game record 14 vs. No. 13 Georgetown.

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

Improved from 1,228 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns as a rookie to 2,006 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns in the 2009 season.
Led the league in rushing with 2,006 yards and became the sixth player in league history with 2,000 rushing yards in a season.

Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals

Became the first pitcher to record at least 14 strikeouts and zero walks in his MLB debut.
Struck out the final seven batters he faced in his debut and fell one shy of the record for strikeouts in a MLB debut of 15 by Karl Spooner (1954 Dodgers) and J.R. Richard (1971 Astros).

John Wall, University of Kentucky Basketball

As a freshman, led the Wildcats in scoring (16.6), assists (6.5) and steals (1.8) while setting the school single-season assist record with 241.
Recorded five double-doubles on the season as Kentucky went 35-3 and made it to the Elite Eight.

BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE

Usain Bolt, 100 and 200-meter World Records

Shattered 100 and 200-meter mark at World Track and Field Championships.
Ran 100 meters in 9.58 seconds, 0.11 seconds faster than the mark he set in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics.
Set a world record of 19.19 seconds in the 200 meters at the world championships.

Brett Favre, NFL record for consecutive starts

Set an NFL record for consecutive starts at 271, passing the old mark of Vikings DL Jim Marshall at 270, which ran from 1961-1979.
Began his consecutive starts streak 17 years ago.

Roger Federer, Most Grand Slam singles titles

Won 15th Grand Slam singles title, eclipsing Pete Sampras by winning Wimbledon 2009.
Won the finals in an epic battle against Andy Roddick, capturing the fifth set 16-14.
Served 50 aces in the record-breaking victory.

Connecticut Women’s Basketball, Longest winning streak in Women’s NCAA Basketball History

Undefeated season extended their record 78-game winning streak.
Won second straight national championship in 2009-2010 season.
Made women’s college basketball history with NCAA- record 71st straight win, a 59-44 victory over No. 6 Notre Dame in the semifinals of the Big East tournament.

Isner vs. Mahut at Wimbledon, Longest Match in Professional Tennis History

Tied 59-59 in the fifth set when match was suspended due to darkness.
Played for ten hours until match was stopped, which is nearly three and a half hours longer than the previous record.

BEST UPSET

Frankie Edgar over B.J. Penn, MMA

Dethroned the long-time lightweight champion, winning the title with a unanimous 50-45, 48-47, 49-46 decision at UFC 112.
Became Penn’s first loss at lightweight since 2002.

Hawaii softball upsets #1 Alabama, NCAA Softball

Defeated Alabama 5-4 on a two-run, walk-off home run by Jenna Rodriguez in the bottom of the seventh in the deciding game of the Tuscaloosa Super Regional.
Advanced to the Women’s College World Series for the first time in school history.

Northern Iowa shocks No. 1 Kansas, NCAA Men’s Basketball

Advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history, making Kansas the first No. 1 seed to lose before the Sweet 16 since Kentucky and Stanford both did it in 2004.
Northern Iowa hit nine three-pointers in the stunner.

Y. E. Yang stuns Tiger Woods, PGA Championship

The 110th-ranked player in the world became the first player to beat Tiger Woods in a major when Woods had at least a share of the 54-hole lead.
Shot a two-under-par 70 in the final round, while Woods was +5 (75).

BEST GAME

Twins beat Tigers in Extra Innings (AL Central One-Game Tiebreak)

Alexi Casilla hit a walk-off single in the 12th inning that scored Carlos Gomez to send the Twins to the playoffs.
The Twins became the first team in MLB history to come back and win a division (or league) after trailing by three games with four games to play in a season.
The Twins overcame two deficits during the game.

Canada edges USA in Olympic hockey championship game in overtime

Sidney Crosby scored 7:40 into overtime and Canada beat the United States 3-2 on Sunday to earn its second men’s hockey gold medal in the last three Olympics.
Crosby’s shot from the lower part of the left circle eluded goalie Ryan Miller, the tournament MVP.
The United States had forced overtime on Zach Parise’s goal with 24.4 seconds left in regulation.

Duke gets past Butler in Men’s NCAA Championship

The Blue Devils won their fourth national championship, edging the Bulldogs in Indianapolis, 61-59.
There were 15 lead changes in the contest.
The biggest margin in the game was just six points.

BEST MOMENT

Phil Mickelson, 2009 Masters

Finished 16 under par with a bogey-free final round for the fourth-lowest winners’ score in tournament history.
Had back-to-back eagles in third round.
Celebrated with his wife Amy, who was battling cancer.

Joannie Rochette, Winter Olympics

Earned a bronze medal in Olympic skating just days after her mother died.
Rochette’s mother passed only a few hours after arriving in Vancouver to watch her daughter compete.

New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV

Tracy Porter’s interception helped New Orleans wrap up Super Bowl win over the Colts.
Brees finished with a record-tying 32 completions in 39 attempts for 288 yards and two touchdowns as New Orleans captured its first NFL championship, winning 31-17 over the Colts.

Landon Donovan World Cup vs. Algeria

With the U. S. on the verge of elimination from group play, Landon Donovan converted a rebound from eight yards out in the 91st minute.
Helped the U. S. beat Algeria, 1-0, to advance to the knockout stage.
Was the first World Cup win for the U.S. in eight years, placing the Americans in first place in Group C.

BEST TEAM

Alabama Football

Won its first national championship since 1992.
Earned its eighth major poll championship after going 14-0, with 12 games decided by more than a touchdown.
Won BCS championship with 37-21 win over Texas.

Chicago Blackhawks

Won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1961.
Only the New York Rangers had more time between Cups (53 seasons).
Had 52 regular-season wins, second-most in the NHL during 2009-10 season.

Connecticut Women’s Basketball

Completed their second straight perfect season, the second basketball team to do that in Division I history, joining the 1971-73 UCLA men.
UConn has won 78 straight games, 10 shy of UCLA’s Division I record.
The Huskies beat Stanford by 6, their first single-digit win of the streak, to win their seventh National Championship.

Los Angeles Lakers

Won 16th NBA championship in franchise history.
Won the final two games of the series to beat the Celtics in seven games for its second consecutive championship.
57-25 in regular season; best record in Western Conference.

New Orleans Saints

Set a franchise single-season record for wins and consecutive victories; captured Super Bowl XLIV.
Ended the regular season with the NFL’s No. 1 ranked offense.
Scored 31 of the game’s final 38 points to bounce back from a 10-0 deficit and win Super Bowl XLIV, the first Super Bowl championship in the franchise’s 43 seasons.
Became the first team to win in its Super Bowl debut since the 2002 Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII.

New York Yankees

Won their record 27th World Series championship by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
Had an MLB-best 103–59 record during the regular season.
Led MLB in runs scored with 915.

CASTROL EDGE PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE AWARD

Sidney Crosby in the Olympic Hockey Gold Medal Game

Crosby scored 7:40 into overtime and Canada beat the United States 3-2 to earn its second men’s hockey gold medal in the last three Olympics.
Crosby’s shot from the lower part of the left circle eluded goalie Ryan Miller, the tournament MVP.
The United States had forced overtime on Zach Parise’s goal with 24.4 seconds left in regulation.

Brett Favre in his return to Green Bay

Returning to Lambeau Field for the first time since leaving the Packers after the 2007 season, Favre led the Vikings to a 38-26 victory.
Favre was 17-28 for 244 yards and four touchdown passes, posting a 128.6 QB rating.
His four touchdown passes tied a season high.

Landon Donovan World Cup vs. Algeria

With the U. S. on the verge of elimination from group play, Landon Donovan converted a rebound from eight yards out in the 91st minute.
Helped the U. S. beat Algeria, 1-0, to advance to the knockout stage.
Was the first World Cup win for the U.S. in eight years, placing the Americans in first place in Group C.

Stephen Strasburg in MLB debut

Became the first pitcher to record at least 14 strikeouts and zero walks in his MLB debut.
Struck out the final seven batters he faced in his debut and fell one shy of the record for strikeouts in a MLB debut of 15 by Karl Spooner (1954 Dodgers) and J.R. Richard (1971 Astros).

Capital One Best College Athletic Program (not included in voting; to be announced July 14)

BEST SPORTS MOVIE

Big Fan

The story of a hardcore fan struggling to deal with the consequences of being assaulted by his favorite player.
Stars Patton Oswalt and is written/directed by Robert D. Siegel.

Invictus

A look at life for Nelson Mandela during his first term as president after the fall of apartheid in South Africa.
Mandela campaigned to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup event as an opportunity to unite his countrymen.
Stars Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman.

The Blind Side

Chronicles the story of former University of Mississippi offensive lineman Michael Oher.
Stars Sandra Bullock in an Oscar-winning performance.

The Damned United

A look at Brian Clough’s 44-day reign as the coach of Leeds.
Stars Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall.

The Karate Kid

The story of a boy who, in his new home in China, embraces kung fu as taught to him by a master.
Stars Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith.

BEST COACH/MANAGER

Geno Auriemma, Connecticut Women’s Basketball

Led UConn. to back-to-back national championships and perfect 39-0 records.
Won his seventh national championship.

Joe Girardi, NY Yankees

Led the Yankees to their 27^th World Series in his second year as manager.
Became the first manager to win a World Series title for the same team for which he had played on a World Series champion since Billy Martin.

Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers

Won his 11th NBA title after leading the Lakers to the franchise’s 16th championship.
Passed John Wooden for most championships by a major basketball coach.

Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Men’s Basketball

Took a team ranked eighth in the preseason ESPN/USA Today poll and led them to the national championship.
Blue Devils finished the season with a 35-5 record.
Joined John Wooden (10) and Adolph Rupp (four) as only men with at least four national championships.

Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints

Led Saints to 13-0 start en route to the Super Bowl championship.
The Super Bowl champions set a franchise single-season record for wins and consecutive victories.

Nick Saban, Alabama football

Led Tide to BCS championship with win over Texas.
Became the second head coach to win two BCS national championships, joining Urban Meyer of Florida.
Became the first head coach in major college football history to win a national championship at two different schools.

BEST COMEBACK (Not featured in voting module)

Kim Clijsters, Tennis

Made history to become the first unseeded woman to win the Open.
Beat both Serena and Venus Williams as well as seeded players Caroline Wozniacki and Na Li en route to the championship.
The first unseeded player to win the US Open and is just the second unranked player to win a major since the inception of computer rankings in 1975, joining Evonne Goolagong at the 1977 Australian Open.

BEST NFL PLAYER

Drew Brees, New Orleans

Led NFL in touchdown passes in 2009 (34) and passer rating (109.6).
Won Super Bowl MVP honors.
Finished the postseason with eight touchdowns and no interceptions.

Brett Favre, Minnesota

Reached the 30-TD mark for the ninth time in his career (33 in 2009), the most in NFL history.
Recorded a team-record ten games with a passer rating of over 100.

Chris Johnson, Tennessee

Totaled 2,509 scrimmage yards in 2009 (2,006 rushing, 503 receiving), surpassing Marshall Faulk’s record for the most yards from scrimmage in a single season in NFL history.
Led the league in rushing with 2,006 yards and became the sixth player in league history with 2,000 rushing yards in a season.

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis

Threw for 4,500 yards, the second highest in the NFL.
Became first player to win four NFL MVP awards.
Led Colts to a 14-0 start.

Darrelle Revis, New York Jets

Totaled six interceptions and 54 tackles while earning All-Pro honors in just his third NFL season.
Had a 67-yard interception return for a touchdown vs. Carolina.

Charles Woodson, Green Bay

Named NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Had nine interceptions and 74 tackles for the Packers.

BEST MLB PLAYER

Zach Greinke, Kansas City

Won the AL Cy Young Award.
Posted a 2.16 ERA, lowest in MLB.
Held opponents to a .230 batting average during 2009 season.

Derek Jeter, New York Yankees

Led Yankees to 2009 World Series championship.
Broke Yankees record for career hits.
Finished second in AL in hits (212) and third in AL in batting average (.334).

Tim Lincecum, San Francisco

Won NL Cy Young award for second straight season after going 15-7 with 2.48 ERA.
Held opponents to a .206 batting average.
Became the first pitcher to win two Cy Young Awards within the first three seasons of his MLB career.

Joe Mauer, Minnesota

Led the AL in batting (.365) and hit 28 home runs, totaled 96 RBI and scored 94 runs.
Became the first catcher to win AL MVP since Ivan Rodriguez in 1999.
Led AL in slugging percentage and on-base percentage.

Albert Pujols, St. Louis

Led the NL in home runs (47), runs (134) and finished third in batting (.327).
Named NL MVP, becoming the 10th player to win three or more MVP Awards.
Became the first unanimous NL MVP since Barry Bonds in 2002.

BEST NHL PLAYER

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh

Tied for NHL lead in goals scored (51).
Finished tied for second in points with 109.
Scored game-winning goal in gold medal game at Olympics.

Ryan Miller, Buffalo

Led the Sabres to the Northeast Division title for the second time in the past four seasons.
Placed second in NHL in goals-against average (2.22) and save percentage (.929).
Tied a career-high with five shutouts.
Led USA to gold medal game at Olympics.

Alexander Ovechkin, Washington

Finished tied for second in NHL in points with 109.
Was second in the NHL in plus/minus (+45).

Henrik Seden, Vancouver

Finished the regular season with a NHL-leading, career-high and Canucks franchise-record 112 points (29 goals, 83 assists).
Scored 30 more points than his previous season high.

Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay

Tied for NHL lead in goals scored with 51.
Finished with 95 points in 09-10.
Had 23 goals and 46 points in prior season.

BEST DRIVER

Kyle Busch

Totaled 20 wins over three different series during 2009 season.
Became youngest racer to start his 200th Sprint Cup start.
Won 2009 Nationwide Series.

Dario Franchitti

Won the 2010 Indy 500.
Edged out Scott Dixon to win the 2009 IndyCar point title.
Had five wins and 13 top five finishes in 2009.

Ron Hornaday

Won the Camping World Truck title, his fourth career driving championship.
Became only the second driver in Truck Series history to clinch the championship before the final race.

Jimmie Johnson

Earned his fourth straight NASCAR points title.
Joined Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and teammate Jeff Gordon as the only drivers with at least four championships.
Became the fastest to reach four titles, doing so in 291 starts. The previous record of 292 was held by Jeff Gordon.

Tony Schumacher

Won his sixth straight Top Fuel championship.
Became the first driver in NHRA history to win six consecutive Top Fuel championships.
Out of 24 total races, Schumacher finished in the top five each time.

BEST NBA PLAYER

Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers

Finished fourth in scoring (27 PPG) during the 2009-10 regular season and averaged 28.6 PPG in the NBA Finals.
Earned his fifth championship ring after leading the Lakers over the Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Led the Lakers to best record in Western Conference during 2009-10 regular season, 57-25.

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City

Became youngest player to win the NBA scoring title (21 years, 197 days).
Averaged 30.1 PPG during the 2009-10 regular season.

Dwight Howard, Orlando

Named The NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Led the NBA in rebounding during the 2009-10 regular season (13.2 RPG) and field goal percentage (61.2 PCT).

LeBron James, Cleveland

Earned his second straight MVP award.
Averaged 29.7 PPG (2nd in NBA), 8.6 APG (6th in NBA) and 7.3 RPG during the 2009-10 regular season.
Led the Cavaliers to NBA-high 61 regular-season wins.

Dwyane Wade, Miami

Finished fifth in scoring (26.6 PPG.) and tenth in assists (6.5 APG.) during the 2009-10 regular season.
Averaged 33.2 PPG in the 2010 playoffs.

BEST WNBA PLAYER

Tamika Catchings, Indiana

Named WNBA defensive player of the year.
Led her team to the WNBA finals in the 2009 season.

Becky Hammon, San Antonio

Finished second in regular season in scoring (19.5 PPG).
Finished third in the regular season in assists (5.0 APG).

Lauren Jackson, Seattle

Finished third in scoring during the regular season (19.2 PPG).
Tied for 10th in rebounding (7.0).

Candace Parker, Los Angeles

Averaged 13.1 PPG during the regular season.
Led the league in rebounding with 9.8 RPG.

Diana Taurasi, Phoenix

Led WNBA in scoring during the regular season (20.4 PPG).
Named MVP for the regular season and playoffs.
Helped Phoenix win the WNBA championship.

BEST FIGHTER

Floyd Mayweather

Dominated in unanimous decision over Shane Mosley in May 2010 bout.
Returned from a 21-month layoff to score a unanimous decision over Juan Manuel Marquez.

Manny Pacquiao

Stopped Miguel Cotto at 55 seconds of 12th round.
Became first boxer to win championships in seven different weight classes.
Scored unanimous decision over Joshua Clottey in title fight.

Georges St. Pierre

The UFC welterweight champion scored a pair of unanimous decisions, beating Dan Hardy and Thiago Alves.

BEST MALE GOLFER

Ernie Els

Won two tournaments in first three months of 2010 season.
Finished third in the 2010 U.S. Open.

Phil Mickelson

Won 2010 Masters by shooting 16-under-par for tournament.
Finished third on 2009 PGA Tour money earnings list with over $5.3 million.

Tiger Woods

Won the 2009 FedEx Cup.
Posted over $10 million in prize earnings.

BEST FEMALE GOLFER

Cristie Kerr

Had 13 top 10 finishes in 25 events played in 2009.
Helped USA team win Solheim Cup.

Lorena Ochoa

Won three LPGA tournaments and finished second four times.
Had 13 top 10 finishes in 22 events.
Led LPGA in scoring average (70.16).

Jiyai Shin

Was top money winner on LPGA Tour with over $1.8 million.
Earned Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year honors.
Won three LPGA tournaments in 2009.

BEST MALE TENNIS PLAYER

Roger Federer

Broke Pete Sampras’ record for Grand Slam singles titles with his 15th when he won the 2009 Wimbledon championship.
Added his 16th Grand Slam title by winning the 2010 Australian Open.

Juan Martin del Potro

Won his first Grand Slam singles title by beating Roger Federer in the finals of the 2009 U. S. Open.
Was youngest player in year-end Top 10, finishing a personal-best No. 5.
Captured three titles, including his first Grand Slam crown, and reached his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final.

Rafael Nadal

During 2009 season, he won at least five titles for the fifth straight year, including his sixth career Grand Slam crown and three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles.
Won the 2010 French Open men’s singles title without losing a set.

BEST FEMALE TENNIS PLAYER

Kim Clijsters

Won 2009 U. S. Open.
Became the first mother since Evonne Goolagong at 1980 Wimbledon to come back and win a Grand Slam singles title.
Became the first unseeded woman to win the Open, beating both Serena and Venus Williams en route to the championship.

Serena Williams

Set the record for single-season prize money in women’s tennis by topping $6.5 million in 2009.
Won 2009 WTA season-ending championship in Doha, Qatar.
Won 2010 Australian Open.

Venus Williams

Finished 2009 season as the sixth-ranked woman’s player.
Moved up to #2 in world rankings by the start of the 2010 French Open.

BEST MALE COLLEGE ATHLETE

Blake Geoffrion, Wisconsin Hockey

Won the Hobey Baker award as top collegiate hockey player.
Led Badgers to the national championship game.

Mark Ingram, Alabama Football

Ran for 1,658 yards, averaging 6.1 yards per carry.
Scored 20 touchdowns (17 rushing, three receiving) as the Tide won the national championship.
Became first Alabama player to win the Heisman Trophy.

Evan Turner, Ohio State Basketball

Won the Wooden Award and Naismith Award.
Averaged 20.4 PPG and 9.4 RPG in the 2009-10 season.

John Wall, Kentucky Basketball

Helped lead Kentucky to 35-win season as a freshman.
Led the Wildcats in scoring (16.6 PPG), assists (6.5 APG) and steals (1.8 SPG) while setting the school single-season assist record.

Garrett Wittels, Florida International Baseball

Finished the 2010 season with a 56-game hit streak, the second-longest in Division I history.
Had at least one hit in every game during the season.

BEST FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETE

Tina Charles, Connecticut Women’s Basketball

Averaged 18.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 61.8 field goal pct in under 28 minutes per game
Helped lead the Huskies to a National Championship and a 39-0 record for a second consecutive year.
Became the school’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder.

Megan Hodge, Penn State Volleyball

Led her team to its third straight NCAA championship title, winning 102 straight matches.
Led the Big Ten with an average of 4.67 kills per set (560 kills total).

Megan Lagenfeld, UCLA Softball

WCWS Most Outstanding Player as UCLA won its 12th national softball championship.
Batted .527 with 20 home runs and 58 RBI in 61 games during season.
Posted 14-1 record with 1.53 ERA as a pitcher.

Maya Moore, Connecticut Women’s Basketball

Helped lead UConn to back-to-back national championships.
Named Most Outstanding Player at 2010 Final Four.
Averaged 28.5 PPG and 11.5 RPG in the Final Four and a team-high 18.9 PPG and 8.3 RPG during the regular season.

BEST MALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE

Bobby Brown, Freestyle Skiing

Won gold at 2010 Winter X Games in both Ski Big Air and Ski Slopestyle.
Was the only Winter X athlete to win 2 gold medals in 2010.

Ryan Dungey, Motocross

Was the 2009 AMA Motocross 250 Class season points champ and 2010 AMA Supercross points champ.
Named 2009 Rider of the Year by both Transworld Motocross and Racer X Illustrated magazines.

Mick Fanning, Surfer

Was the 2009 ASP World Tour Champion.

Garrett Reynolds, BMX

Won second straight BMX Street gold at 2009 X Games.
Was the 2009 Dew Tour Cup winner.

Shaun White, Snowboard

Third American male to successfully defend an Olympic gold medal, joining Dick Button (figure skating, 1948 and 1952) and Shani Davis (long track speedskating, 2006 and 2010).
Earned third straight Snowboard SuperPipe gold at 2010 Winter X Games.

BEST FEMALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE

Torah Bright, Snowboarding

Won gold at the Winter Olympics in the halfpipe.

Ashley Fiolek, Motocross

Won Super X gold at the 2009 X Games and her second straight WMX season title.

Jen Hudak, Freestyle Skiing

Won 2010 Winter X Games SuperPipe gold and the 2009-2010 AFP World Tour Championship.

Stephanie Gilmore, Surfing

Has won the world title in all three of her seasons on the Women’s ASP World Tour.

Ashleigh McIvor, Freestyle Skiing

Won ski cross gold at the Winter Olympics and earned Skier X silver at the 2010 Winter X Games.

BEST JOCKEY

Calvin Borel

Became the first jockey to ride three Kentucky Derby winners over a four-year span.
Was aboard Super Saver to win 2010 Run for the Roses, winning by 2 ½ lengths over runner-up Ice Box.

Julien Leparoux

Won over $18 million in earnings.
Earned Eclipse Award as best jockey.

Mike Smith

Rode undefeated super mare Zenyatta from last-to-first to capture the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Zenyatta made an overpowering stretch drive to win her 14th straight race, becoming the first female to win the Classic.

BEST MALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY

Steve Cash

Posted five straight shutouts in the Paralympics, not allowing a single goal in Vancouver, the second ever Paralympic sled hockey gold for Team USA.

Rudy Garcia-Tolson

Became the first double above-knee amputee to finish an Ironman Triathlon when he completed the Ford Ironman Arizona.

Andy Soule

The first American (able or disabled) to win a medal in the biathlon, earning it at the 2010 Paralympics.

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY

Linnea Dohring

A gymnast without the lower half of her right arm and hand, she consistently scored in the 8.1-8.5 range in both the vault and floor exercises during all regular season meets.
Was a three-year starter and co-captain on Grandview’s varsity Soccer team.

Alana Nichols

Won two gold medals (sitting downhill, sitting giant slalom) among four total medals at 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

Amy Palmiero-Winters

Became the first amputee to qualify for a U.S. national track and field team.
Competed in the 24-hour world championships in May 2010 in Brive, France.
Won the AAU Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete.

Stephani Victor

Won gold in the sit-ski super combined to earn her third medal of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

BEST BOWLER

Kelly Kulick

Became the first woman to win a PBA Tour title when she defeated Chris Barnes to win the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas.

Bill O’Neill

Finished second in points (208.2).
Won Lumber Liquidators U. S. Open.

Walter Ray Williams Jr.

Led PBA in points (229.1), earnings ($152,670), scoring average (222.9) and match play appearances (15).

BEST MALE US OLYMPIC ATHLETE

Apolo Anton Ohno, Speedskating

Became the most decorated U. S. Winter Olympian with eight medals.
Earned one silver and two bronze medals in short track speedskating.

Shani Davis, Speedskating

Won a gold medal in 1,000-meter speedskating and a silver in 1,500-meter speedskating.
Became the first male to win back-to-back golds in the 1000 meters.

Evan Lysacek, Figure Skating

Became first American since Brian Boitano (in 1988) to win gold medal in Olympic men’s figure skating.
Finished with a career-best 257.67, 1.31 ahead of Russian Yevgeny Plushenko.

Bode Miller, Skiing

Fulfilled his expectations and won an Olympic gold medal, using a blistering slalom run to complete a super-combined victory.
Became one of four athletes to ever win Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal in Alpine Skiing at a single Winter Olympics.

Shaun White, Snowboarding

Became the third American male to successfully defend an Olympic gold medal, joining Dick Button (figure skating, 1948 and 1952) and Shani Davis (long track speedskating, 2006 and 2010).

BEST FEMALE US OLYMPIC ATHLETE

Hannah Kearney, Skiing

Won a gold medal in freestyle skiing moguls.
Scored 26.63 points to win by .94 — a wide margin in a sport often decided by tenths and hundredths.

Julia Mancuso, Skiing

Won two silver medals in alpine skiing.
Her silver in the downhill marked the first time the U.S. has captured the top two spots in alpine skiing since 1984 (and 3rd time overall).

Lindsey Vonn, Skiing

Won a gold medal in the women’s downhill, marking the first gold medal by an American woman in the Olympic downhill.
Also won a bronze medal in the women’s super-G.

BEST MLS PLAYER

Connor Casey, Colorado

Scored 16 goals in 24 games.
Finished second in MLS in goals scored.

Jeff Cunningham, Dallas

Scored MLS-high 17 goals, added eight assists in 28 regular-season games.
Led MLS with seven game-winning goals and four multi-goal games.
Scored or assisted on 25 of Dallas’ 50 goals this year.

Landon Donovan, Los Angeles

Named 2009 MLS MVP.
Scored 12 goals, added six assists in 25 regular-season games.
Scored or assisted on 18 of Galaxy’s 36 goals this year.
Won Goal of the Year for his volley against New England.

Shalrie Joseph, New England

Scored a career-high eight goals.
Also had a career-high eight assists this season, which led New England and was tied for fifth in MLS.

Kasey Keller, Seattle

Posted 12-5-1 record with 0.92 goals-against average and 10 shutouts.

BEST TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE

Usain Bolt

Shattered the world record, running 100 meters in 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Track and Field Championships.
Set a world record of 19.19 seconds in the 200 meters at the world championships.

Allyson Felix

Won the 200-meters at the 2009 World Track and Field Championships.

Sanya Richards

Won the 400-meters at the 2009 World Track and Field Championships with a time of 49 seconds.

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