Do you stack up?

Millions of kids are heading back to high school and collegiate athletic fields. But what if you’re not a competitive volleyball or soccer player? What if you don’t play water polo, field hockey or any of the other fall sports?

If you’re looking for an alternative activity, the latest hot game is Sport Stacking – rapidly stacking cups into formations. According to the World Sport Stacking Association , nearly a million people in the U.S. and Canada are playing, often in P.E. classes.

Using both hands, players of all ages build stacks of cups into a pyramid and then take them back down. There are more complicated moves and competitive stackers practice an hour or more a day.

If you take the sport seriously, you can compete in national and world championships. Otherwise just post videos with your best times on YouTube along with thousands of other stackers.

The 12 coolest mascots in college football

Fuzzy or fierce? Sweet or scary? Goofy or graceful?

How do you like your mascot?

As much a part of college football as tailgating and touchdowns, mascots can rev up the home crowd, intimidate an opponent or just provide a few laughs.

Most college mascots support their university in a somewhat dignified manner;  but there’s also the strange world of leprechauns and dancing trees.

With help from the AP’s college football poll voters, the news service has picked the 12 coolest mascots — a dandy dozen if you will — in the country.

1) Ralphie the Buffalo, Colorado. Her (yes, Ralphie is a female) size (1,300) and speed (25 mph) combination would have Ralphie soaring up Mel Kiper’s draft board. Unfortunately for CU fans, many home games in recent seasons have peaked with her entrance.

2) Uga, Georgia. Normally, dogs in sweaters are hard to take seriously. This English Bulldog, however, could make a tutu look tough. And by the way, don’t even think about trying to put a tutu on Uga.

3) Chief Osceola, Florida State. Many native-American mascots have been fazed out of college sports in a recent years, but with the blessing of the Seminole Tribe the Chief, his Appaloosa horse, Renegade, and his burning spear have endured.

4) Mike the Tiger, LSU. During warm-ups at Tiger Stadium, Mike’s cage is stationed near the visiting team’s tunnel so opponents have to walk by him to step on to the field. Welcome to Death Valley. Please don’t feed the cat.

5) War Eagle, Auburn. OK, the mascot is actually Aubie, a student in a fuzzy tiger suit. War Eagle is the battle cry. But there is a War Eagle, a golden eagle that swoops down onto the field before games and puts the kid in the costume to shame.

6) Stanford Tree. You have to respect a mascot this ridiculous — and irreverent. The costume usually looks as if it came straight from a middle school play, but the Tree has had some very adult issues in recent years. It was once busted for being drunk on the job. The replacement tree later that year was banned from the NCAA basketball tournament for scuffling with security guards.

7) Bevo, Texas. The burnt orange longhorn doesn’t charge like Ralphie or stay in a cage like Mike. But at 1,800 pounds with 72-inch horns, it’s best to steer clear of Bevo.

8) The Mountaineer, West Virginia. Buckskin suits and coonskin caps never go out of style in Morgantown. The mere sight of the Mountaineer can get you humming John Denver’s “Country Roads.” Though the rifle can be a bit unsettling.

9) The Masked Rider, Texas Tech. Maybe the only mascot in the country that can be described as swashbuckling. And since 1974, many of the Masked Riders have been women, so points for being progressive.

10) Sparty, Michigan State. With his jutting square jaw, the costumed mascot sort of looks like a muscle-bound Jay Leno in a green Greek warrior attire.

11) The Leprechaun, Notre Dame. Not to be confused with the guy on the Lucky Charms box, ND’s Leprechaun pumps out push-ups when the Fighting Irish score, wields a shillelagh and supposedly has magical powers. Apparently, his powers were no match for Charlie Weis.

12) The Fighting Duck, Oregon. The story goes Walt Disney himself agreed to let the costumed-mascot resemble the famous cartoon character, Donald. A few years back, when the university tried to nudge Donald aside for a sleek, space-aged duck suit, the students rebelled and the new duck was dropped. Don’t mess with Donald.

More bizarre than cool, our list might also include Sammy the Slug - the official mascot of UC Santa Cruz, who is a representation of a banana slug (a yellow mollusk which can be found in the nearby redwood forests).

Does your school have a mascot? What is it or what’s your favorite team mascot?

Female knuckleballer honored by Hall of Fame

A few weeks ago we wrote about Chelsea Baker, a 13-year-old Florida girl who’s in a league of her own.

Now Chelsea, a knuckleball pitcher who has thrown two perfect games against Little League boys teams, has been honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Chelsea  donated the Brandon Farms jersey she wore in her April 9 perfect game to the Hall of Fame as an artifact noting the importance of women playing baseball. Her jersey joins one in the hall worn by another young female knuckleballer, Eri Yoshida, 18, whose play in the pro Golden Baseball League also earned her the honor this year.

Baker’s jersey will be on display in the Today’s Game exhibit before moving eventually to the Diamond Dreams exhibit for the rest of the year.

The museum accepts about 400 artifacts a year from all levels of baseball, including the major leagues. Another female little leaguer, Katie Brownell, donated her jersey to the hall after she threw a perfect game in 2005.

“When you look at women in baseball, we thought this was a significant enough contribution that needed to be included in the Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Jeff Idelson, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, of Baker’s perfect games. “This is a young girl from Plant City, Fla., who under the counsel of a great major leaguer Joe Niekro, was able to learn a knuckleball and then she was able to take that knowledge and apply it.

“She had two perfect games, she showed you don’t have to be a male to compete successfully, and she holds a flag for all girls in this country that, yeah you can be a girl and succeed in baseball.”

Chelsea was the only girl in her league and finished with a 12-0 record on the mound for the 2010 season. Her team finished 29-1. She also has two grand slams to her credit at the plate. She pitched her first perfect game during an All-Star Game last year and  learned how to pitch the knuckleball from Niekro, who perfected it during a long pro career.

“I think Coach Joe would be so proud of me and happy that his knuckleball got me this far,” Baker said. “I wish he was here today to share this moment with me.”

Baker finished the 2010 season with an unblemished record, the fourth straight year with no losses. This month, she was awarded the key to her hometown and threw out the first pitch for the New York Yankees minor league affiliate, the Tampa Yankees. Her family has received multiple movie pitches to tell her story.

Baker’s Little League team lost in the sectional round of the Little League World Series, so for now, she is playing with an all-girls touring team, the Sparks. Her teammates joined her at the Hall of Fame for Monday’s donation.

The honor of being affiliated with the National Hall of Fame is not lost on Baker: “All I could think about is all the professional players, like Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson, and me being next to them in the Hall of Fame is amazing.”

Youth Olympic flame lit in Singapore

A towering flame was lit in the heart of Singapore on Saturday, signaling the start of the inaugural Youth Olympics.

IOC President Jacque Rogge said the event would inspire young people around the world to take up sport but also teach them the importance of fair play, teamwork and living healthy lives.

A jubilant crowd of 27,000 packed a stadium overlooking Singapore’s Marina Bay to cheer on the 3,600 athletes from 204 countries as they made their way across a huge outdoor stage.

The ceremony was filled with fireworks, towering puppets and colorful dance performances that emphasized the youthful theme of the games while showcasing Singapore’s transformation from a dreary trading port to a modern metropolis.

The Youth Olympics officially starts Sunday with the women’s triathlon. It will continue for 12 days and feature athletes ages 14 to 18 competing in 26 sports.

Rogge said the Youth Olympics would become an integral part of the Olympic movement, inspire young people to play more sports and provide athletes with something more than competition — including the chance to be mentored by seasoned athletes such as Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva. It will also teach about the perils of doping and adjusting to life after sports.

Addressing the athletes, Rogge said the Games would help them “learn the difference between winning and being a champion”.

“To win, you merely have to cross the finish line,” he said.

“To be a champion, you have to inspire admiration for your character, as well as for your physical talent.”

Rogge also said he hoped there would be plenty of lessons to come out of the Games, including changing the format of some sports. Three-on-three basketball, a smaller, quick-shooting version, will be played here amid expectations that it could become part of the Summer Olympics.

There is also the emergence of female athletes at the Youth Olympics from conservative Islamic countries, which could signal a change among some governments toward allowing female athletes to compete at international level. Several nations, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, did not send female athletes to the2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Jihan El Midany, for example, is set to make history as the first Egyptian woman to carry the delegation flag at an Olympic event. And if the 18-year-old pentathlete finishes in the top three, she would also be the first woman from her country to win a medal at any Olympics.

Qatar is sending girls to an Olympic competition for the first time, while Iran agreed to send a girls’ soccer team after reaching a compromise that would allow them to wear specially-designed hats rather than the FIFA-banned headscarves during matches.

The Games run from August 14 – 26th.

Obama to honor NCAA student athletes

President Barack Obama will hold a White House reception next month to honor student athletes from dozens of colleges, including Villanova and Penn State universities.

The White House said Friday the NCAA student athletes will be recognized for their accomplishments on and off the playing field. The reception Sept. 13 continues a tradition begun by President George W. Bush.

The students and champion teams represent a wide range of women’s and men’s sports. Among those invited are Villanova’s  women’s cross country teams, and Penn State’s women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s fencing squads.

Additional  schools and teams women’s invited to attend the September 13 event include:

Fairleigh Dickinson University Women’s Bowling
Purdue University Women’s Golf
Stanford University Women’s Tennis
Texas A&M University, College Station Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field
Texas Christian University Men’s & Women’s Rifle
University of California, Los Angeles Softball
University of California Los Angeles Women’s Gymnastics
University of Denver Men’s & Women’s Skiing
University of Florida Women’s Swimming and Diving
University of Maryland, College Park Women’s Lacrosse
University of Minnesota Duluth Women’s Ice Hockey
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Field Hockey
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Women’s Soccer
University of Oregon Women’s Indoor Track and Field
University of Southern California Women’s Water Polo
University of Virginia Women’s Rowing
Villanova University Women’s Cross Country

Sporty Saturday Spotlight is Back!

It’s that time of year again. We’re gearing up for another season of Sporty Saturday Spotlights! If you or someone you know would like to be spotlighted on Pretty Tough, please email me at kerimikulski(at)gmail(dot)com. We’re searching for all sports and still have slots to fill for the 2010-2011 season. Check out an interview from last year here.

Happy Friday!

Play It Forward 2010: Thanks Coach

Behind every athlete is a great coach.  Has a coach made a difference in your life? Now is your chance to say Thank You.  Nominate your coach and Play It Forward.

YouthNoise Play City,  a nonprofit campaign that promotes using sports for social change, has launched a nation-wide contest called “Play It Forward” that asks entrants to submit stories and photos of the coaches who have made a positive impact on their lives.

As part of Coach Appreciation Week, YouthNoise and Up2Us have partnered  to sponsor the 2010 Play It Forward Coach of the Year Award. Nominate your coach at youthnoise.com/playitforward between July 30th and August 12, 2010. Tell how your coach has made a difference in the lives of young people. Explain why this person should be recognized as coach of the year. Once nominations have been entered, winning coaches will be determined by online voting at youthnoise.com/playitforward from August 13th to September 10, 2010. Three winning coaches will win a trip to Washington, D.C. to be recognized by congressional representatives at the Get:Set America Summit- Why Youth Sports Matter.

Do you have a coach who has made a positive impact on your life? Enter the contest!

The details:

“Play It Forward” runs from July 30th until September 10, 2010.

Contest is open to any US resident age 13 or older.

Top three winning coaches will be flown to Washington, D.C. to be awarded as “Coach of the Year” at the national Up2Us Coach Appreciation Week conference on September 24, 2010.

Prize includes round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, food and conference registration.

Check out the contest site at http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/playitforward/!

Chiney Ogwumike chosen as Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year

The biggest names in high school and professional sports convened in Los Angeles today as Gatorade honored the top prep male and female athletes with the eighth annual High School Athlete of the Year awards.  Just yards from L.A. Live’s Nokia Theatre and tonight’s ESPY Awards, players and their families came from around the nation to find out who would take home the big trophies.

Power forward Chiney Ogwumike, who will join her sister at Stanford in the fall, was honored as the 2010 National Female High School Athlete of the Year.  Future Kentucky Wildcat Brandon Knight, a guard from Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest who averaged 31.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists last season for the Panthers, scooped up the male athlete of the year.

It was the fourth time in eight years that the male and female awards went to a pair of basketball players. The previous hoops duo to win were Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Maya Moore of Connecticut in 2007.

Chiney averaged 22.9 points, 13.9 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.1 blocks last season for Cy-Fair High in Cypress, Texas. She led the 36-1 Bobcats to the state Class 5A state championship. She graduated third in her class with a 3.45 GPA.

The Texas teen seemed surprised when retired Los Angeles Sparks star and 1990 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year Lisa Leslie announced her name. Soccer star Brandi Chastain of FC Gold Pride handed her  the impressive silver G trophy.

“I was very shocked,” Ogwumike said. “It’s one of those things you hope to achieve, but you’d be happy with anybody else winning, too.”

At Stanford, Ogwumike will team with her sister Nneka, the defending Pac-10 player of the year.

“I’m very excited because the past few years she’s been on the road a lot and I haven’t seen her as much as I’d like to,” she said. “Now we’ll start getting time back and sharing each other’s passions like school and sports.”

Leslie saw Nneka Ogwumike play last season and said: ”I hear that Chiney is better than her sister, which is kind of hard to believe.”

Chiney responded, “We’re two different kinds of players. I’m more of a ballhandler and penetrator, and she’s more of a post, block-oriented player. One thing for sure, I’m going to be a freshman next year, I’m going to make mistakes, but I’m going to try my hardest.”

Knight and Ogwumike join such previous winners as LeBron James, Allyson Felix, Dwight Howard, Candace Parker and Greg Oden, all of whom went on to successful pro careers.

The luncheon emceed by ESPN’s Stuart Scott who kept the program moving with good-hearted jibes and comedic timing.

Chiney was among six female finalists for the award that recognizes athletic achievements, academic excellence and character.

The other girls’ finalists were: outside hitter Ashley Wittman of Shakopee (Minn.) High; distance runner Megan Goethals of Rochester High (Rochester Hills, Mich.); soccer forward-midfielder Mollie Pathman of Durham (N.C.) Academy; softball third base-pitcher Kasey Fagan of Dunnellon (Fla.) High; and sprinter Ashton Purvis of St. Elizabeth High (Oakland, Calif.).

All the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year nominees will walk the ESPY red carpet and be featured as special guests during The ESPY Awards Show. The star most the athletes are looking most forward to seeing? LeBron James.

Chiney Ogwumike Bio:

Ogwumike led the Bobcats (36-1) to a No. 7 national ranking and the Class 5A state tournament title this past season. She averaged 22.9 points, 13.9 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.1 blocks playing just 18 minutes per game. As a senior, Ogwumike shot 67.8 percent from the floor and recorded 22 double-doubles, including 24 points and 25 rebounds in the state semifinals followed by 31 points and 18 rebounds in the title game.

• Led the Bobcats (36-1) to a No. 7 national ranking and the Class 5A state tournament title
• Averaged 22.9 points, 13.9 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.1 blocks playing just 18 minutes per game
• Shot 67.8 percent from the floor and recorded 22 double-doubles
• 2010 McDonald’s High School All-American Game National Player of the Year
• 2010 Naismith Girls High School Basketball Player of the Year
• 2010 PARADE Co-Player of the Year
• 2010 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America Game MVP
• No. 1 national recruit in the Class of 2010 as ranked by ESPNU and Blue Star Basketball
• 2010 Texas Girls Coaches Association 2009-2010 4A-5A Athlete of the Year
• 2009-10 Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class 5A All-State selection
• 2010 District 15-5A MVP

Established in 1985, the Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. In addition to athletic excellence, the award recognizes academic achievement and exemplary character on and off the field. In 2003, the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards were established to identify and honor the nation’s top overall male and female high school athletes from among the 12 Gatorade National Players of the Year honored during the high school athletic season.

Check back for our video interview with Chiney and some of the other finalists.

First Lady launches President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition

First Lady Michelle Obama has put together a powerhouse group to serve on the “President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition” including Billie Jean King, Michelle Kwan, and Dominique Dawes. From the official press release comes all the details:

WASHINGTON, DC – First Lady Michelle Obama joined kids from the Washington, DC area to launch the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition and introduce the 2010 Council co-chairs and members.  In conjunction with the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, this year President Obama has broadened the scope of the Council, formerly known as the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, to include a focus on healthy eating as well as active lifestyles.  The President signed an Executive Order outlining the Council’s new emphasis on both good nutrition and physical fitness.

The President has named Drew Brees, quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, and Dominique Dawes, three-time Olympian and former U.S. national champion in women’s gymnastics, 2010 Council Co-Chairs.  Dawes delivered remarks at the event and Brees recorded a video message that was shown.  Joining Dawes at the event were 2010 Council Members Dan Barber, Tedy Bruschi, Allyson Felix, Michelle Kwan, Curtis Pride, Donna Richardson Joyner, Dr. Ian Smith, Carl Edwards, Cornell McClellan and Dr. Stephen McDonough.  Council Executive Director, Shellie Pfohl, was also in attendance. Following the announcement, the First Lady, Pfohl and the Council Members joined the kids in participating in a series of activity stations.

“This year we’re expanding the work of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition to include not just a focus on active lifestyles, but on healthy eating, too,” Mrs. Obama said.  “The Council will play an important role in our effort to help combat childhood obesity in this country and I am grateful to the athletes, chefs, doctors and nutrition experts who are volunteering their time on the Council to help make a difference.”

The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition is a committee of volunteer citizens who advise the President through the Secretary of Health and Human Services about opportunities to develop accessible, affordable and sustainable physical activity, fitness, sports and nutrition programs for all Americans regardless of age, background or ability.  The Council’s mission is to engage, educate and empower all Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition.  For more information about the Council and its members, visit www.fitness.gov.

In addition to its presidential advisory role, the Council promotes and maintains the President’s Challenge Physical Activity and Fitness Awards program (President’s Challenge) which encourages all Americans to include physical activity – 30 minutes per day for adults and 60 minutes per day for youth – in their daily lives.  For more information about the President’s Challenge programs, visit www.presidentschallenge.org.

President Obama announced his intent to appoint a number of individuals to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition including the following women:

Dominique Dawes, Appointee for Co-Chair, President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and NutritionDominique Dawes is an Olympic gymnast who competed in three Olympic Games and has a permanent place in the U.S. Olympic Committee Hall of Fame. She was a member of the gold-medal-winning team at the 1996 Atlanta Games, where she also won a bronze medal in the floor exercise, becoming the first female African-American gymnast to win an individual medal. Now retired after dedicating 18 years to the sport, Ms. Dawes commits her time to motivational speaking, hosting gymnastics clinics, and serving as a spokesperson for several organizations that support the physical and emotional health of youth and women. She is an accomplished motivational speaker, speaking to audiences on topics focusing on leadership, teamwork, physical and emotional health, fitness and overcoming obstacles.

Allyson Felix, Appointee for Member, President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and NutritionAllyson Felix is an accomplished Olympic gold medal track and field sprint athlete who helped the U.S. women’s 4×400 meter relay team secure victory in the Beijing 2008 games. In the 200 meters, she is also a two-time Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World Outdoor champion, and a five-time USA Outdoor champion. When Ms. Felix won the 2009 World Outdoor Championships, she made history as the first woman to ever win three world 200-meter titles. She additionally has won two gold medals with the World Outdoor 4×400 meter relay team and another in the World Outdoor 4×100 meter relay. Ms. Felix’s speed helped her become the World Junior record holder in 2005 when she clocked 22.18 in the 200 meters as an 18-year old.

Billie Jean King, Appointee for Member, President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and NutritionBillie Jean King won 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles tennis titles, including a record 20 titles at Wimbledon. She left a mark on the sport and the women’s movement during the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” match, in which she defeated Bobby Riggs, a former number one player in the world.  Ms. King founded the Women’s Tennis Association, the Women’s Sports Foundation, and co-founded World TeamTennis, a co-ed professional tennis league. She was named a “Global Mentor for Gender Equality” by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2008, received the NCAA President’s Gerald R. Ford Award in 2009 for her contributions to improving higher education and intercollegiate athletics, and earlier this year was honored with the Beacon of Change Award from Major League Baseball. In August 2009, Ms. King was awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor.

Michelle Kwan, Appointee for Member, President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and NutritionMichelle Kwan is the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history.  She has won five world championships, nine U.S. national championships and silver and bronze Olympic medals.  In 2001 she received the Sullivan Award, given to the top amateur athlete in America and in 2003 she was awarded the U.S. Olympic Committee Sports Woman of the Year.  Ms. Kwan currently serves as a public diplomacy envoy, an unpaid position with the U.S. State Department, charged with engaging young people in dialogue on social and educational issues. She is also pursuing a master’s in international affairs at Tufts University’s Fletcher School, having graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in international studies in 2008.

Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, Appointee for Member, President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and NutritionDr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey is the President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a philanthropic organization devoted to improving health and health care. She is the first woman and the first African American to lead the $8 billion Foundation. Among its major efforts to improve the nation’s health, the Foundation has committed $500 million toward rolling back the epidemic of childhood obesity.  Before joining the foundation, Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey was a leader in academic medicine, government service, and her medical specialty of geriatrics. During her tenure at the University of Pennsylvania, she served as a professor and the director of the University’s Institute on Aging. She also served as the deputy administrator of what is now the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey earned her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and her M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. In 2009,Forbes named Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey one of the world’s 100 Most Powerful Women.

Donna Richardson Joyner, Appointee for Member, President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and NutritionDonna Richardson Joyner is a fitness instructor who has spent more than 20 years working to educate, empower, and energize children, women, and families about living healthy lifestyles. She has starred in more than 25 award-winning fitness videos, including “Sweating in the Spirit,” and “Body Gospel.” Ms. Richardson Joyner has served on the Women’s Sports Foundation Board of Trustees, is an advisory board member for the Boys and Girls Club of America, and serves on the national advisory board of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity.  She has lectured and conducted wellness seminars at schools and community centers in more than 30 countries. In 2006 Ms. Richardson Joyner was inducted into the Fitness Hall of Fame and named by Essence Magazine as one of the 25 most inspiring women in America.

Volleyball star Megan Hodge and basketball standout Maya Moore both win 2010 Honda-Broderick Cup

The Collegiate Women Sports Awards today announced that for only the second time in its 34-year history two female athletes have tied for the annual Honda-Broderick Cup, its top honor designating the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year.

This year’s winners, both of whom were presented with their prestigious awards at a special ceremony today in Los Angeles at UCLA’s J.D. Morgan Center, are volleyball star Megan Hodge, a senior at Penn State University and basketball standout Maya Moore, a University of Connecticut junior. Both athletes were selected as winners of the Honda-Broderick Cup by voting among 1,000 NCAA member schools and the Board of Directors of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Program.

Today’s ceremony in Los Angeles was attended by all “Top Three” finalists for the 2010 award, including both Hodge and Moore as well as track & field distance runner Lisa Koll from Iowa State University. Hodge is the first athlete from Penn State University to be honored as Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year, and Moore is the third athlete from the University of Connecticut to receive the award. Last year’s Honda-Broderick Cup winner was gymnast Courtney Kupets of the University of Georgia. Previous winners include: basketball superstar Candace Parker (2008), track and field legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1985), soccer great Mia Hamm (1994) and volleyball star Misty May (1999).

The Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year award recognizes not only outstanding athletic achievement but also team contributions, scholastics and community involvement. This year’s tie marks only the second time that two athletes have received the Honda-Broderick Cup in the same year. In 1984, the award went to both swimmer Tracy Caulkins from the University of Florida and basketball player Cheryl Miller from the University of Southern California.

Judith R. Holland, co-founder and executive director of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards, noted: “This year’s history-making tie for our top award is highly unusual. And while it is extremely rare for us to have a tie for Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year, in this case it is quite fortuitous, as we are delighted to be able to give the award to two such outstanding athletes and exemplary young women as Maya and Megan. They are both very worthy recipients and we are proud to have them join our legacy.”

Megan Hodge: Team Leader of Undefeated Season

Outside hitter Hodge is a native of the U.S. Virgin Islands who grew up in Durham, North Carolina. During her career, she led the Nittany Lions to their second undefeated season and third straight NCAA championship title in 2009, winning 102 straight matches. Her average of 4.67 kills per set (560 kills total) led the Big Ten and earned her an eighth place national ranking. She ranked second on her team in digs with 295 (2.46 per set). She is one of only two players ever to reach 2000 career kills at Penn State, with 2,142 total, and she amassed a career win/loss record of 142-5. Her win/loss career percentage of .966 is the best in NCAA Division I women’s volleyball history for classes that have won national titles. Hodge was chosen AVCA Division I National Player of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and is a four-time AVCA First-Team All-American. She was selected as the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2009 for the second time, the first as a freshman in 2006. She was also honored as CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year. Megan graduated with a business management degree and is currently a member of the 2010 U.S. Women’s Volleyball Team. Her parents, Michael and Carmen, are both former members of the Virgin Islands National Volleyball team.

Maya Moore: First Junior in UConn History to Score Over 2000 Points

Moore, a native of Jefferson City, Missouri, grew up in Lawrenceville, Georgia. She helped her team achieve an NCAA record of 78 consecutive wins over two seasons, as well as its sixth undefeated season and second straight NCAA National Championship. Moore ended the season averaging 18.9 points and 8.3 rebounds, and scored in double figures 34 times. She finished the 2009-2010 season with 736 points, the second most points scored in a season by a UConn player (the most was 754 pts in 2008-09, also achieved by Moore herself). So far in her career Moore has scored 2168 points, with 963 rebounds and 243 three-pointers. She is also the first junior in the program’s history to score over 2000 points. She received both the 2010 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player and Dayton Regional’s Most Outstanding Player award and is a three-time AP First Team All-American. A Sports Marketing and Media major with a 3.85 GPA, she has been honored this year as the Big East Scholar Athlete of the Year, ESPN Academic All-America of the Year, CoSIDA Academic First-Team, 2010 Wade Trophy winner and Wooden Award finalist.

Other Honors Presented in Los Angeles

In addition to the annual Honda-Broderick Cup, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Program also presented its annual “Honda Inspiration Award” to a deserving collegiate female athlete at the Los Angeles ceremony. This year’s recipient is Antoinette Cobb from Zachary, Louisiana, a track star at Louisiana Tech University who was forced to withdraw from classes for two quarters and forego track her entire sophomore year due to stage III colon cancer. Cobb courageously came back to become the seventh best 100-meter hurdler in the country and earned four WAC titles in her junior and senior years.

The program also honored top athletes from both NCAA Division II and Division III colleges. Concordia University volleyball setter Maggie McNamara from Zumbrota, Minnesota, was named Honda Award Division II Athlete of the Year. She led her team to an undefeated season this year, as well as to a “three-peat” third straight national title and a fourth NSIC crown. In her senior year of competition, she sealed her name in the NCAA record book as the all-time leading setter, putting up a new record for career assists with 7,351. For the fourth season in her career, McNamara led the nation in assists per set, this year with a mark of 13.26.

The Honda Award Division III Athlete of the Year went to Bethel University track & field standout Marie Borner from Cottage Grove, Minnesota. She capped her remarkable senior season by earning National Championships in the indoor mile, with a time of 4:50.20, as well as the outdoor 1500-meter (4:23.85) and outdoor 800-meter (2:06.87). She was also the MIAC champion in the 800-meter and 1500-meter, setting a stadium record in both races. She set a meet record in the 800-meter in the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championships. In all, she holds 10 school records.

Individual Honda Sports Award winners, in each of the 12 sports in addition to the “Top Three” included: University of Illinois’ Angela Bizzarri for cross country, Katie O’Donnell from the University of Maryland for field hockey, Whitney Engen from the University of North Carolina for soccer, Julia Smit from Stanford University for swimming & diving, Susan Jackson from Louisiana State University for Gymnastics, Caroline Hedwall of Oklahoma State University for golf, Caitlyn McFadden of the University of Maryland for lacrosse, Laura Vallverdu of the University of Miami for tennis and Danielle Lawrie of the University of Washington for softball.

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. has sponsored the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Program for 24 consecutive years. Honda has donated over $2 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees over the course of the program. See www.hondaawards.com for more information.

(via press release)

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