2011 ESPYS Nominees

June 24, 2011

Fans will determine the winners by voting online at ESPN.com/espys, facebook.com/ESPN as well as on ESPN Mobile Web at https://espn.mobi June 24 through July 9.

BEST MALE ATHLETE

Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR

Won his record-breaking fifth straight Sprint Cup championship.
Became the first driver in the Chase era to win the title after trailing in the standings with one race to go.
Finished the Chase with nine straight top 10s.

Rafael Nadal, Tennis

Won 2011 French Open singles title, his 10th career Grand Slam championship.
Became the seventh man to complete the career Grand Slam when he won the 2010 U. S. Open.
In 2010, he became the first player to win the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in the same year since Rod Laver won all four slams in 1969.

Dirk Nowitzki, NBA

Averaged 27.7 PPG and 8.1 RPG in 2011 postseason in leading Mavericks to first NBA championship.
Named 2011 Finals MVP, averaging 26 PPG and 9.7 RPG in championship series vs. Heat.

Aaron Rodgers, NFL

Threw for NFL-high 1,094 passing yards during NFL playoffs.
Had 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, a 65.7 completion percentage and 3,922 passing yards during the 2010 regular season.
Named Super Bowl MVP after completing 24-of-39 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns to beat the Steelers.

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE

Kelly Clark, Snowboarding

Won Winter X gold medal, Winter X Europe gold medal and Burton U.S. Open.
Became the first female snowboarder to land a 1080 in competition, at Winter X.

Lauren Jackson, WNBA

Named 2010 WNBA MVP.
Finished in top 10 in PPG (20.5, 4th), RPG (8.2, 7th) and BPG (1.19, 5th) during 2010 regular season.

Maya Moore, NCAA Basketball

Averaged 22.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and shot 52.4 PCT from the field during 2010-11 season.
She is the fourth-leading scorer in NCAA history, with 3,036 points.
A three-time WBCA Wade Trophy honoree and four-time WBCA State Farm First Team All-American, led her team to four Final Four appearances and two national titles.

Lindsey Vonn, Skiing

Won the Super G, Super-Combined and Downhill titles in 2011.
Finished the season with eight race wins.

BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE

Tim Lincecum, 2010 MLB Postseason

Was 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA in six 2010 postseason games (including five starts).
Tied the World Series record with 10 strikeouts in a World Series clinching game.

Tim Thomas, Stanley Cup Finals

Led the Bruins to their first Stanley Cup since 1972 as Conn Smythe Trophy winner (playoff MVP).
Allowed a record-low eight goals in seven games in the finals.

Kemba Walker, Big East Tournament and NCAA Tournament

Led UConn to 11 straight victories in winning Big East tournament and NCAA championship.
Averaged 24.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 5.0 APG during that 11-game win streak.

Serena Williams, Wimbledon

Did not lose a set en route to 2010 Wimbledon singles championship.
Beat three seeded players en route to the championship.

BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE

Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays

Led the major leagues with 54 home runs during the 2010 season.
Never hit more than 16 home runs in any prior major league season.
Had 124 RBI (prior career-high was 63).

Arian Foster, Houston Texans

Led NFL in rushing with 1,616 yards.
Also led in touchdowns scored with 18 (16 rushing, two receiving).

Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

Named NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2010-11 season.
Averaged 22.5 PPG and 12.1 RPG while shooting 50.6 PCT from the field.

Li Na, Tennis

Won 2011 French Open singles championship, beating four top 10 players to become the first Asian to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Was the 2011 Australian Open runner-up.

Cam Newton, Auburn Tigers

Heisman Trophy winner who led the Tigers to undefeated season and a national championship.
Completed 185-of-280 passes (66.07%) for 2,854 yards, 30 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.
Led the SEC with 1,473 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on 264 carries (5.58 avg.).

BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE

Ray Allen, NBA 3-point record

Set the mark for most career three-pointers in NBA history.
Passed Reggie Miller with his 2,561st three-pointer against the arch rival Los Angeles Lakers in February.

Rory McIlroy, U.S. Open

Won his first major championship at 2011 U.S. Open
Set numerous records in the process, including most strokes under par (-16) and lowest total score (268).

Derrick Rose, Youngest player to win NBA MVP

Led the Bulls to a 62-20 record and No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
Averaged 25 PPG, 7.7 APG and 4.1 RPG during 2010-11 season.

UConn Women’s Basketball, Longest win streak

Earned its 89th straight win, surpassing the win streak of the UCLA men’s program that won 88 straight from 1971-74.
Led by Maya Moore, who scored a career-high 41 points, the 2nd-most in Connecticut history (46, Nykesha Sales) in a win over Florida State that broke the record.

BEST UPSET

Blame over Zenyatta, Breeder’s Cup

Blame beat Zenyatta by a head in a thrilling finish at the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The loss was Zenyatta’s first in 20 races.

Fabricio Werdum stuns Fedor Emelianenko, MMA

Werdum stunned the MMA world by forcing Emelianenko to tap out at 1:09 into the first round.
Emelianenko entered the fight with a record of 31-1 and hadn’t lost a fight in ten years.

Seahawks upset Saints, NFL Wild Card Playoffs

The defending Super Bowl champion was upset by a team with a losing record during the regular season.
Seattle won 41-36 as Matt Hasselbeck threw four touchdowns passes.

VCU, NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

Became second team since tournament started seeding process to advance that far as an 11th seed.
Beat USC, Purdue, Georgetown, Florida State and Kansas before losing to Butler in the tournament.

BEST GAME

Auburn beats Alabama, Iron Bowl

Auburn rallied from a 24-0 deficit (its largest of the season) to edge Alabama and improve to 12-0.
The loss snapped Alabama’s 20-game home win streak, the 3rd-longest active streak in the FBS.
Cam Newton passed for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns which ties Chris Todd’s single-season school record of 22.

Butler upsets Pittsburgh, NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

Brad Stevens’ team stunned the #1 regional seed Panthers.
Matt Howard hit a free throw with 0.8 seconds left to cap a wild final sequence that enabled Butler to advance.
Each team had a chance to win it from the foul line in the last two seconds.

Eagles rally to beat the Giants, NFL

The Eagles scored 28 points in the final 7:18 and beat the Giants, 38-31.
DeSean Jackson scored the winning touchdown on a 65-yard punt return on the game’s final play.

Oklahoma City edges Memphis in 3 OT, NBA Playoffs

Russell Westbrook scored 40 points while Kevin Durant added 35.
The Grizzlies led by 18 points in the contest before losing 133-123.
The game lasted three hours and 52 minutes, just the sixth triple-overtime game in NBA playoff history.

BEST MOMENT

Fennville HS Basketball Tournament Run

Fennville won three playoff games after its star Wes Leonard, 16, went into cardiac arrest March 3 due to an enlarged heart.
After hitting a game-winning shot, Leonard collapsed and died.
The team continued to play until losing when Schoolcraft beat Fennville 86-62 in a Michigan Class C basketball regional playoff game.

Roy Halladay Postseason No-Hitter, MLB

Making his postseason debut, he threw the second no-hitter in MLB postseason history (joining Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series) as he shut down the Reds in a masterful 104 pitch performance.
Becomes the fifth pitcher to have two no-hitters in a calendar year.

Trevor Bayne at Daytona 500, NASCAR

At 20 years, 1 day he is the youngest Daytona 500 winner ever.
Was just his 2nd-ever Sprint Cup start, tied for the fewest before a driver’s first victory in NASCAR’s modern era (since 1972).

BEST TEAM

Auburn Football

Won their second national championship in their storied football history by beating Oregon in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, Arizona.
Won each of the 14 games of the 2010 season.
Won six games by seven points or fewer.

Boston Bruins

Won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972
Rallied from 3-2 series deficit in the finals, winning the last two games by a 9-2 margin.

Dallas Mavericks

Won their first NBA title in franchise history, beating the Miami Heat in six games in the NBA finals.
Became the fifth team to win the NBA title as a No. 3 seed or lower under the current NBA playoff format, which began in 1984.

Green Bay Packers

Went from sixth seed in NFC playoffs to Super Bowl champion.
Won 13th pro football championship and fourth Super Bowl, beating the Steelers, 31-25.

San Francisco Giants

Beat the Texas Rangers in five games in the World Series.
Held the Rangers to 12 runs in five games during the World Series.
Upset the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS.

Texas A&M Women’s Basketball

Scored a thrilling win over Notre Dame in the Final Four in Indianapolis.
Won its first NCAA national championship and ended the season with 33 wins, the most victories in program history.

CASTROL EDGE NFL STRONGEST PERFORMANCE AWARD

Arian Foster, Houston

Rushed for 231 yards and three touchdowns in season-opening win over Indianapolis.
Averaged seven yards per carry in the victory.

DeAngelo Hall, Washington

Had an NFL-record tying four interceptions in a win over Chicago.
Returned one of his interceptions 92 yards for a touchdown.

Leon Washington, Seattle

Returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in a win over San Diego.
The returns covered 101 and 99 yards.

BEST SPORTS MOVIE

The Fighter

Mark Wahlberg stars playing the role of boxer Micky Ward.
Nominated for seven Academy Awards, with Christian Bale and Melissa Leo both winning.

Secretariat

The story of Penny Chenery Tweedy, Lucien Lauren and colleagues guiding her stallion to the Triple Crown in 1973.
Stars Diane Lane and John Malkovich.

Soul Surfer

The portrayal of surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack.
Stars Annasophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, and Helen Hunt.

Win Win

A lawyer and volunteer wrestling coach mentors a young man who becomes his team’s star.
Stars Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan.

BEST COACH/MANAGER

Jim Calhoun, Connecticut Basketball

After finishing ninth in the Big East during the regular season, he led the Huskies to the national championship.
It was his third career NCAA title.

Rick Carlisle, Dallas Mavericks

Led Mavericks to their first NBA championship.
Became the 11th person to win an NBA title as a player and as a coach.

Gene Chizik, Auburn Football

Led the Tigers to a 14-0 record and the BCS championship.
Earned several National Coach of the Year honors.

Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers

Led Packers to 13th pro football championship and fourth Super Bowl.
Green Bay was sixth seed in NFC.

Dom Starsia, Virginia Lacrosse

Led the Cavaliers to the national championship.
With 329 career wins, he passed legendary coach Jack Emmer (326) for most victories by a head coach at a NCAA Division I school.

BEST NFL PLAYER

Tom Brady, New England

Was unanimously voted NFL MVP after finishing with an NFL-best 111.0 passer rating.
Completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,900 yards, 36 touchdowns and just four interceptions in the 2010 regular season.

Arian Foster, Houston

Led NFL in rushing with 1,616 yards.
Also led the league in touchdowns with 18 (16 rushing, two receiving).

Clay Matthews Jr., Green Bay

Had 60 tackles and 13 ½ sacks during the 2010 regular season.
Had a key forced fumble in the Super Bowl victory over the Steelers.

Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh

Named Defensive Player of the Year for 2010 season.
Had seven interceptions and 63 total tackles during 2010 regular season.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay

Named Super Bowl MVP after leading the Packers to a championship.
Threw for 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 3,922 passing yards, and a 65.7 completion percentage during the 2010 regular season.

BEST MLB PLAYER

Jose Bautista, Toronto

Led MLB in 2010 with 54 home runs.
Also finished with 124 RBI and 109 runs scored.

Roy Halladay, Philadelphia

Pitched a perfect game in May and finished the regular season with a NL-best 21 wins.
Unanimously won the 2010 NL Cy Young Award, making him the fifth pitcher to earn the honor in both leagues.

Josh Hamilton, Texas

Named AL MVP after leading the league with a .359 batting average.
Also hit 32 home runs, had 100 RBI, and scored 95 runs.
Hit .401 against right-handed pitchers, the second highest in the MLB over the last 35 years.

Felix Hernandez, Seattle

Named the AL Cy Young winner in 2010.
Led MLB with a 2.27 ERA.

Joey Votto, Cincinnati

Named NL MVP after batting .324 with 37 home runs, 113 RBI and 106 runs scored.
Was the first Cincinnati Red to win the award since 1995.

BEST NHL PLAYER

Corey Perry, Anaheim

Only player to score 50 goals during 2010-11 regular season.
Finished third in the NHL in points (98).

Daniel Sedin, Vancouver

Led NHL in scoring during 2010-11 regular season.
Was the only player with over 100 points during the regular season (104).
Had a +30 in plus/minus.

Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay

Finished second in scoring during 2010-11 regular season (99 points).
Finished second in the NHL in assists during 2010-11 regular season (68).

Tim Thomas, Boston

Winner of Conn Smythe Trophy after leading Boston to the Stanley Cup.
Recorded a .938 save percentage, the best mark since the statistic was introduced in 1976-77.
His 2.00 goals-against average led the NHL in 2010-11.

BEST DRIVER

Greg Anderson

Won the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock championship.
Was Anderson’s fourth championship after previously winning three in a row from 2003 to 2005.

John Force

Became the oldest driver in National Hot Rod Association history to win a championship (2010).
Was the 15th championship for Force and his first since 2006.

Dario Franchitti

Won his second straight IndyCar championship in 2010.
Was his third career IndyCar Series driver’s championship.

Jimmie Johnson

Won his record-breaking fifth straight Sprint Cup championship.
Became the first driver in the Chase era to win the title after trailing in the standings with one race to go.
Finished the Chase with nine straight top 10s.

BEST NBA PLAYER

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Averaged 25.3 PPG (fifth in NBA) during 2010-11 regular season.
Averaged 22.8 PPG during 2011 postseason.

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City

Led NBA in scoring during 2010-11 regular season with 27.7PPG.
Averaged 28.6 PPG during 2011 postseason.

LeBron James, Miami

Averaged 26.7 PPG (second in NBA) during 2010-11 regular season.
Shot 51 PCT from the field during 2010-11 regular season.

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas

Averaged 27.7 PPG and 8.1 RPG in 2011 postseason while leading Dallas to its first NBA championship.
Named 2011 Finals MVP after averaging 26 PPG and 9.7 RPG in the championship series vs. Heat.

Derrick Rose, Chicago

At 22 years old, became youngest player to win the NBA MVP award.
Averaged 25 PPG and led the Bulls to NBA-high 62 wins during 2010-11 regular season.

BEST WNBA PLAYER

Tamika Catchings, Indiana

Averaged 18.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG during the 2010 regular season.
Named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Lauren Jackson, Seattle

Named 2010 WNBA MVP.
Finished in top 10 in PPG (20.5, 4th), RPG (8.2, 7th) and blocks (1.19, 5th) during 2010 regular season.

Cappie Pondexter, New York

Was 2nd in scoring (21.4 PPG) in 2010 WNBA regular season.
Also finished 6th in assists (4.85 APG).

Diana Taurasi, Phoenix

Led WNBA in scoring (22.6 PPG) in 2010 regular season.
Was 8th in assists (4.71 APG).

BEST FIGHTER

Bernard Hopkins

Became oldest boxer to win a major title at 46 years, 4 months and 6 days old.
Hopkins beat 28-year-old Jean Pascal to win the Ring Magazine/WBC Light Heavyweight title for the second time.

Jon “Bones” Jones

Became the youngest UFC champion by beating Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the Light Heavyweight championship.
The 23-year-old had only six weeks to prepare for the fight vs. Rua.

Sergio Martinez

Retained his middleweight title with a second-round knockout of Paul Williams.
Followed the Williams fight with a victory over Sergei Dzinziruk.

Manny Pacquiao

Scored a unanimous decision victory against Antonio Margarito to win the WBC’s 154-pound title, becoming boxing’s first eight-division champion.
Also scored a unanimous decision over Shane Mosley in May 2011.

Georges St. Pierre

UFC welterweight champion defeated Jake Shields and Jake Koscheck in title defenses.
Has defended his welterweight title six straight times.

BEST MALE GOLFER

Luke Donald

Became number one golfer in the world rankings in 2011.
Had eight top 10 finishes (including one win) in first nine appearances in 2011.
Made over $3.6 million in 2010.

Jim Furyk

Won the 2010 FedEx Cup.
Won three tournaments and posted seven top 10 finishes out of 21 appearances.
Received over $4.8 million in earnings in 2010.

Graeme McDowell

Won the 2010 U. S. Open championship, his first major win on the tour.
Holed winning putt for European team at the Ryder Cup.

Rory McIlroy

Won his first major championship at 2011 U.S. Open.
Set numerous records at the 2011 U.S. Open, including most strokes under par (-16) and lowest total score (268).

Charl Schwartzel

Won 2011 Masters.
Rallied with birdies on 15, 16, 17 and 18 to win the green jacket.

BEST FEMALE GOLFER

Na Yeon Choi

Led LPGA in scoring average in 2010 (69.87).
Led LPGA in money earnings in 2010 at over $1.87 million.

Cristie Kerr

Her 12-shot victory broke the LPGA Championship record for victory margin set by Betsy King in 1992 and matched the second-biggest victory in any major.
Was second in LPGA in scoring average in 2010 (69.95).

Jiyai Shin

Finished second in LPGA in prize money in 2010 with over $1.78 million.
Finished the season as #1-ranked LPGA player.

Yani Tseng

Named the 2010 Rolex Player of the Year.
Moved up to the top of the Rolex Rankings for the first time in early 2011.

BEST MALE TENNIS PLAYER

Novak Djokovic

Won 2011 Australian Open singles title.
Enjoyed a win streak of 43 matches in 2010-11.

Roger Federer

Finished in the top two for a record eighth straight year.
Captured five titles in nine finals during 2010 season.
Reached finals of 2011 French Open.

Rafael Nadal

Became the seventh man to win 10 Grand Slam singles titles after winning 2011 French Open.
In 2010, became the first player to win the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in the same year since 1969.
Also became the fifth player to win at least three Grand Slam titles in a calendar year.

BEST FEMALE TENNIS PLAYER

Kim Clijsters

Won her second straight U. S. Open singles championship in 2010.
Also won the 2011 Australian Open.

Li Na

Won 2011 French Open singles championship, beating four top 10 players to become the first Asian to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Was the 2011 Australian Open runner-up.

Serena Williams

Won her fourth Wimbledon singles title and 13th Grand Slam in 2010.
Did not lose a set en route to the 2010 Wimbledon singles championship.

Caroline Wozniacki

Finished 2010 as top-ranked player in the world.
Won six tournaments during 2010 season.

BEST MALE COLLEGE ATHLETE

Jimmer Fredette, BYU Basketball

Finished the 2010-11 season with 1068 points in 37 games for Cougars.
Won both the 2011 Naismith and Wooden awards.

Andy Miele, Miami-Ohio Hockey

2011 Hobey Baker Award winner led the nation in scoring with 71 points (24 goals and an NCAA-best 47 assists) in 39 games.
His point total was 11 more than any other player and the most in Division I hockey since 2002-03.

Cam Newton, Auburn Football

The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner completed 185-of-280 passes (66.07 percent) for 2,854 yards, 30 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.
Also led the SEC with 1,473 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on 264 carries (5.58 average).

Rob Pannell, Cornell Lacrosse

Led the nation in points per game (5.24), while ranking second overall in assists per game (2.76).
Owns the longest point-scoring streak in the nation, having registered at least one point in each of his 52 career games.

Kemba Walker, Connecticut Basketball

Led Connecticut to a Big East Tournament Championship and an NCAA Tournament Championship.
Averaged 23.5 PPG while the Huskies finished with a 32-9 record.

BEST FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETE

Blair Brown, Penn State Volleyball

Led Penn State to the national championship.
Became the sixth straight Nittany Lion to be named the Big Ten Player of the Year.
Was a three-time AVCA All-American and three-time All-Big Ten selection.

Dallas Escobedo, Arizona State Softball

Co-MVP of Women’s College World Series for champion Sun Devils.
Finished the season 37-3 with 35 complete games, including 19 consecutive decisions.
Became the first freshman pitcher to win the title-clinching game since UCLA’s Heather Compton in 1990.

Melissa Henderson, Notre Dame Soccer

Led the Fighting Irish to their third NCAA title this season and was voted the best offensive player of the College Cup.
Assisted on the winning goal in championship match.
The first-team All-American finished with 17 goals and a career-high 11 assists.

Katinka Hosszu, USC Swimming

Won three individual swimming titles at NCAA’s.
Won the Honda Award for best collegiate female swimmer.

Maya Moore, Connecticut Basketball

Averaged 22.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG and shot 52.4 PCT from the field during 2010-11 season.
A three-time WBCA Wade Trophy honoree and four-time WBCA State Farm First Team All-American, led her team to four Final Four appearances and two national titles.

BEST MALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE

Tucker Hibbert, Snowmobiling

Won his 5th straight Winter X SnoCross gold.
Won 11 of 16 2010/11 National series contests despite racing the second half of the season with a wrist that required surgery.
Captured both 2011 National series points titles.

Travis Pastrana, Motocross

Won Moto X Double gold at X Games 2010 (Freestyle and Speed & Style).

Kevin Rolland, Freestyle Skiing

Winter X and Winter X Europe repeat gold in Ski SuperPipe.
Won 2 of 3 Dew Tour events plus the Dew points crown.
Earned the AFP SuperPipe points title by an enormous margin.

Kelly Slater, Surfing

Won his 10th ASP World Tour title (most in history) in 2010 at age 38.
Is now the youngest person to win surfing’s top points title (captured at age 20) and the oldest.

Shaun White, Snowboarding

Won gold in Snowboard SuperPipe at Winter X 2011 and Silver in Skateboard Vert at X Games 2010.
Won the two Skateboard Vert stops at which he competed on the 2010 Dew Tour.

BEST FEMALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE

Sarah Burke, Freestyle Skier

Won Ski SuperPipe gold at both Winter X (her fourth SuperPipe gold at Winter X) and Winter X Europe.
Also earned victories at a pair of World Cup events.

Kelly Clark, Snowboarding

Won Winter X gold medal, Winter X Europe gold medal and Burton U.S. Open.
Became the first female snowboarder to land a 1080 in competition, at Winter X.

Ashley Fiolek, Motocross

Won her second straight Moto X Racing gold at X Games 2010.
Also finished second in points on the Women’s Motocross Association tour in 2010.

Stephanie Gilmore, Surfing

At 23, won four of the eight surfing events on the 2010 ASP World Tour on her way to a fourth straight points crown.

BEST JOCKEY

Ramon Dominguez

Earned over $17 million in 2010.
Rode the winners of 369 races from 1,474 mounts across North America.

Garrett Gomez

Rode Blame to win in Breeders Cup Classic upset over Zenyatta.
Received over $15.6 million in earnings.

John Velasquez

Rode Animal Kingdom to victory in the Kentucky Derby.
Finished second among mounts in North America with 239 wins from 1,192 mounts and earnings of $16,743,328.

BEST MALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY

Chris Devlin-Young

Won Super G gold at the 2010 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships.

Anthony Robles

Selected as the Outstanding Wrestler of 2011 NCAA tournament.
Won 125-pound championship.
Celebrated a senior wrestling season of perfection – a 36-0 record at Arizona State.

Aaron Scheidies

Despite blindness, competes in triathlons and is considered the #1 para-triathlete in the world, having won seven national championships and 6 world championships.

Jerome Singleton

Sprinter knocked off reigning champion Oscar Pistorius (South Africa) to win gold in the men’s 100m (T44) at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Steve Wampler

Recently became the first person with Cerebral Palsy to ascend El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY

Alison Jones

As a one-legged cyclist, Jones captured the gold medal in both the individual time trial (C2) and the individual road race (C2) at the 2010 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships.

Tatyana McFadden

Wheelchair racer turned in a five-for-five performance at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships, winning five medals in five events.
Four of those five medals were gold.

Alana Nichols

Won downhill and super G at 2010 Paralympic Games.
With her two gold medals in Vancouver at the 2010 Paralympic Games, Alana became the first American woman to win gold in both the winter and summer games.

Melissa Stockwell

Won both the national championship and world tri-athlete championship in 2010.

Mallory Weggemann

At the Long Course IPC Swimming World Championships, Weggemann took home eight gold medals and one silver.

BEST BOWLER

Chris Barnes

Led PBA in points.
Also finished the season ranked second in earnings.

Jason Belmonte

Made nine match-play finals, which tied him for first on the tour.
Tied for most championship round appearances (4).

Mika Koivuneimi

Led PBA in earnings, over $300,000.
Led PBA Tour in scoring average.

Bill O’Neill

Made nine match-play finals (tied for first on tour).
Only player who cashed in all 12 appearances.

BEST MLS PLAYER

Edson Buddle, Los Angeles

Second in MLS in goals (17) in 2010.
Second in game-winning goals (seven) and shots on goal (43).

Landon Donovan, Los Angeles

Led MLS in assists in 2010 with 16.
Also scored seven goals in 24 games.

David Ferreira, Dallas

Named MVP of the 2010 MLS campaign in his second MLS season after scoring eight goals and finishing second in the league in assists with 13.
Helped lead FC Dallas to its first appearance in the MLS Cup.

Chris Wondolowski, San Jose

Led MLS in goals (18) and game-winning goals (9) in 2010.
Closed the regular season by scoring every single one of his team’s 10 goals through its final eight games – including two stunning hat tricks in less than a month.

BEST TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE

Allyson Felix

Won USA Outdoor 100m championship after finishing in 11.27 seconds.
Won at 400 meters in 2011 Rome Golden Gala.

Tyson Gay

Handed Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt his first 100m loss in two years.
Won the 2010 IAAF Diamond League 100m.

David Oliver

2010 USA Outdoor champ and USA 110m record holder.
Finished 2010 unbeaten in 15 finals races, posting the top five times in the world and eight of the nine fastest times globally.

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