Gator Great Abby Wambach is Female Athlete of the Year by Associated Press
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 | Soccer
Gator great Abby Wambach added another accolade to the slew of honors bestowed on the U.S. star of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup – this time as the clear choice for the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. Wambach picked up 65 of the 214 votes cast, while World Cup teammate Hope Solo was second (38) and Connecticut women's basketball star Maya Moore was third with 35 votes.
| Read Scott Carter's blog on Abby Wambach's latest honor |
Wambach is the first individual soccer player – male or female – to pick up the AP sport honor in its 81-year history. The 1999 U.S. women's soccer team, which included another Gator great Danielle Fotopoulos, won that year's honor after capturing the nation's attention with their World Cup win at the Rose Bowl.
This summer, Wambach rose to the moment time after time on the sport's biggest stage. It was Wambach who scored the latest goal in Women's World Cup history when she headed home a cross from Megan Rapinoe to tie Brazil 2-2 in the second minute of quarterfinal stoppage time in the second and final 15-minute overtime period. The U.S. then converted all five of its penalty kicks in the shootout to advance to the World Cup semifinal.
In the semifinal versus France, Wambach again headed in a clutch goal, breaking the 1-all tie with her go-ahead goal in the 79th minute. The U.S. advanced to the World Cup final with a 3-1 win over France.
After the U.S and Japan tied at 1-all in World Cup Final regulation play, Wambach broke the tie when she headed in a goal in the 104th minute of the first overtime. But that lead evaporated when Japan tied the match with a goal in the second overtime. The U.S. lost 3-1 in the penalty kick shootout, with the lone U.S. PK score coming off Wambach's foot.
Wambach collected the Silver Ball as the second-best player in the World Cup, and also earned the Bronze Boot as the third leading scorer with four goals. She's tallied 13 goals in World Cup action – the most ever by a U.S. player. Wambach is third on the U.S. career scoring list with 125 goals.
In October, the Women's Sports Foundation named Wambach their 2011 Sportswoman of the Year.
Wambach is the Gators' career leader in goals (96), assists (50) and points (242) and stands seventh on the NCAA Career charts in goals and points. She earned National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) All-America first-team honors in 1999 and 2001. She is a four-time member of the All-Southeastern Conference first team and picked up the SEC Player of the Year award in 2000 and 2001. This April, she will be inducted into the Gator Athletic Hall of Fame.
| AP Athletes of the Year | |
| Abby Wambach is the first Gator – male or female - to be named an individual winner of an AP Athlete of the Year honor. Another former Gator – Danielle Fotopoulos – was part of the 1999 U.S. Women's National Team which shared that year's honor. | |
| Male | Female |
| Announced Dec. 21 | 2011 - Abby Wambach, soccer |
| 2010 – Drew Brees, NFL | 2010 - Lindsey Vonn, skiing |
| 2009 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR | 2009 - Serena Williams, tennis |
| 2008 – Michael Phelps, swimming | 2008 - Candace Parker, basketball |
| 2007 - Tom Brady, NFL | 2007 - Lorena Ochoa, golf |
| 2006 - Tiger Woods, golf | 2006 - Lorena Ochoa, golf-x |
| 2005 - Lance Armstrong, cycling | 2005 - Annika Sorenstam, golf |
| 2004 - Lance Armstrong, cycling | 2004 - Annika Sorenstam, golf |
| 2003 - Lance Armstrong, cycling | 2003 - Annika Sorenstam, golf |
| 2002 - Lance Armstrong, cycling | 2002 - Serena Williams, tennis |
| 2001 - Barry Bonds, MLB | 2001 - Jennifer Capriati, tennis |
| 2000 - Tiger Woods, golf | 2000 - Marion Jones, track |
| 1999 - Tiger Woods, golf | 1999 - U.S. Soccer Team |
| 1998 - Mark McGwire, MLB | 1998 - Se Ri Pak, golf |
| 1997 - Tiger Woods, golf | 1997 - Martina Hingis, tennis |
| 1996 - Michael Johnson, track & field | 1996 - Amy Van Dyken, swimming |
| 1995 - Cal Ripken, MLB | 1995 - Rebecca Lobo, basketball |
| 1994 - George Foreman, boxing | 1994 - Bonnie Blair, speedskating |
| 1993 - Michael Jordan, NBA | 1993 - Sheryl Swoopes, basketball |
| 1992 - Michael Jordan, NBA | 1992 - Monica Seles, tennis |
| 1991 - Michael Jordan, NBA | 1991 - Monica Seles, tennis |
| 1990 - Joe Montana, NFL | 1990 - Beth Daniel, golf |
| 1989 - Joe Montana, NFL | 1989 - Steffi Graf, tennis |
| 1988 - Orel Hershiser, MLB | 1988 - Florence Griffith Joyner, track & field |
| 1987 - Ben Johnson, track & field | 1987 - Jackie Joyner-Kersee, track & field |
| 1986 - Larry Bird, NBA | 1986 - Martina Navratilova, tennis |
| 1985 - Dwight Gooden, MLB | 1985 - Nancy Lopez, golf |
| 1984 - Carl Lewis, track & field | 1984 - Mary Lou Retton, gymnastics |
| 1983 - Carl Lewis, track & field | 1983 - Martina Navratilova, tennis |
| 1982 - Wayne Gretzky, NHL | 1982 - Mary Decker Tabb, track |
| 1981 - John McEnroe, tennis | 1981 - Tracy Austin, tennis-x |
| 1980 - US Olympic Hockey Team, hockey | 1980 - Chris Evert Lloyd, tennis |
| 1979 - Willie Stargell, MLB | 1979 - Tracy Austin, tennis |
| 1978 - Ron Guidry, MLB | 1978 - Nancy Lopez, golf |
| 1977 - Steve Cauthen, horse racing | 1977 - Chris Evert, tennis |
| 1976 - Bruce Jenner, track & field | 1976 - Nadia Comaneci, gymnastics |
| 1975 - Fred Lynn, MLB | 1975 - Chris Evert, tennis |
| 1974 - Muhammad Ali, boxing | 1974 - Chris Evert, tennis |
| 1973 - O. J. Simpson, NFL | 1973 - Billie Jean King, tennis |
| 1972 - Mark Spitz, swimming | 1972 - Olga Korbut, gymnastics |
| 1971 - Lee Trevino, golf | 1971 - Evonne Goolagong, tennis |
| 1970 - George Blanda, NFL | 1970 - Chi Cheng, track |
| 1969 - Tom Seaver, MLB | 1969 - Debbie Meyer, swimming |
| 1968 - Denny McLain, MLB | 1968 - Peggy Fleming, figure skating |
| 1967 - Carl Yastrzemski, MLB | 1967 - Billie Jean King, tennis |
| 1966 - Frank Robinson, MLB | 1966 - Kathy Whitworth, golf |
| 1965 - Sandy Koufax, MLB | 1965 - Kathy Whitworth, golf |
| 1964 - Don Schollander, swimming | 1964 - Mickey Wright, golf |
| 1963 - Sandy Koufax, MLB | 1963 - Mickey Wright, golf |
| 1962 - Maury Wills, MLB | 1962 - Dawn Fraser, swimming |
| 1961 - Roger Maris, MLB | 1961 - Wilma Rudolph, track |
| 1960 - Rafer Johnson, track & field | 1960 - Wilma Rudolph, track |
| 1959 - Ingemar Johansson, boxing | 1959 - Maria Bueno, tennis |
| 1958 - Herb Elliott, track & field | 1958 - Althea Gibson, tennis |
| 1957 - Ted Williams, MLB | 1957 - Althea Gibson, tennis |
| 1956 - Mickey Mantle, MLB | 1956 - Pat McCormick, diving |
| 1955 - Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, college football | 1955 - Patty Berg, golf |
| 1954 - Willie Mays, MLB | 1954 - Babe Didrikson Zaharias, golf |
| 1953 - Ben Hogan, golf | 1953 - Maureen Connolly, tennis |
| 1952 - Bob Mathias, track & field | 1952 - Maureen Connolly, tennis |
| 1951 - Dick Kazmaier, college football | 1951 - Maureen Connolly, tennis |
| 1950 - Jim Konstanty, MLB | 1950 - Babe Didrikson Zaharias, golf |
| 1949 - Leon Hart, college football | 1949 - Marlene Bauer, golf |
| 1948 - Lou Boudreau, MLB | 1948 - Fanny Blankers-Koen, track |
| 1947 - Johnny Lujack, college football | 1947 - Babe Didrikson Zaharias, golf |
| 1946 - Glenn Davis, college football | 1946 - Babe Didrikson Zaharias, golf |
| 1945 - Byron Nelson, golf | 1945 - Babe Didrikson Zaharias, golf-x |
| 1944 - Byron Nelson, golf | 1944 - Ann Curtis, swimming |
| 1943 - Gunder H?gg, track & field | 1943 - Patty Berg, golf |
| 1942 - Frank Sinkwich, college football | 1942 - Gloria Callen, swimming |
| 1941 - Joe DiMaggio, MLB | 1941 - Betty Hicks Newell, golf |
| 1940 - Tom Harmon, college football | 1940 - Alice Marble, tennis |
| 1939 - Nile Kinnick, college football | 1939 - Alice Marble, tennis |
| 1938 - Don Budge, tennis | 1938 - Patty Berg, golf |
| 1937 - Don Budge, tennis | 1937 - Katherine Rawls, swimming |
| 1936 - Jesse Owens, track & field | 1936 - Helen Stephens, track-x |
| 1935 - Joe Louis, boxing | 1935 - Helen Wills Moody, tennis |
| 1934 - Dizzy Dean, MLB | 1934 - Virginia Van Wie, golf |
| 1933 - Carl Hubbell, MLB | 1933 - Helen Jacobs, tennis |
| 1932 - Gene Sarazen, golf | 1932 - Babe Didrikson, track |
| 1931 - Pepper Martin, MLB | 1931 - Helene Madison, swimming |
