BEST MALE ATHLETE
Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
AL MVP was the first player to win the Triple Crown in baseball since 1967
Led the AL with a .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 139 RBIs
LeBron James, Miami Heat
Won his fourth NBA MVP, second straight Finals MVP
Led the Heat to a second straight NBA title and franchise-record 66-16 mark
Only player to lead his team in scoring (26.8 ppg), rebounding (8.0 rpg) and assists (7.3 apg)
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
NFL MVP rushed for 2,097 yards, second most in league history
Averaged 6.0 yards per carry, scored 13 TDs and caught 40 passes
Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimming
Won four golds and two silver medals at London Olympics
His gold in the 200 IM made him the first man to win the same individual swimming event at three straight Olympics
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE
Gabby Douglas, Olympic Gymnastics
Won gold medal in Women’s All-Around at London Olympics
Was a member of the gold medal-winning USA gymnastics team
First American to win gold in both the Team and Individual All-Around
Missy Franklin, Olympic Swimming
Won four gold medals and a bronze at London Olympics
Won a gold in the 100 backstroke and set a world record in the 200 backstroke
Became the second American woman to win four swimming golds at single Olympics, joining Amy Van Dyken in 1996
Brittney Griner, NCAA Baylor Women’s Basketball
Swept all major player of the year awards
Ended her career as the NCAA’s top shot blocker (748)
No. 2 on the NCAA Division I women’s scoring chart with 3,283 career points.
Serena Williams, Women’s Tennis
Won the 2012 Wimbledon and US Open singles championships
Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles
Won the 2013 French Open singles title
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE
Joe Flacco, Super Bowl MVP
Earned MVP honors in Super Bowl win over 49ers
Completed 22-of-33 passes for 287 yards and three first-half touchdowns
LeBron James, NBA Finals MVP
Led the Heat to an NBA title in 7 game series over San Antonio Spurs
Averaged 25.3 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 7.0 apg over course of Finals
Had 32 pts, 10 reb, 11 assists in Game 6, 37 pts and 12 reb in Game 7
Brad Keselowski, NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion
Career high five victories including two wins during the Chase for the Sprint Cup
Set career bests with 13 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes as well as 735 laps led
Pablo Sandoval, World Series MVP
3 HR in Game 1 of World Series, first to do so in his first 3 plate appearances
Hit .500/.525/1.125 over the 5 game series
BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE
Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
Became the starting QB in Week 11 and led the Niners to the Super Bowl
Threw for 1814 yards, 10 TDs and only 3 INTs while rushing for 415 yards and 5 TDs in the regular season
Had 798 yards and 4 TDs passing, 264 yards and 3 TDs rushing in the playoffs
Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M football
Won 2013 Heisman Trophy, first freshman in history to do so
The first freshman in FBS history, and just the fifth player ever, to have 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a season
Yasiel Puig, Los Angeles Dodgers
First player in MLB history with 34 hits, 7 HR in first 20 games
Through 20 games hit .442 with 14 RBI
Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
First player in MLB history with at least 30 home runs, 45 steals and 125 runs scored in a season
AL Rookie of the Year led league with 129 runs scored and 49 stolen bases, second in batting average at .326
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
3rd round pick led Seattle to playoffs, and tied rookie record with 26 TD passes
Threw for 3118 yards with a 100.0 QB rating, rushed for 489 yards and 4 TDs
BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE
Drew Brees breaks Johnny Unitas’ record for consecutive games with a TD pass
Broke Unitas’ record with a touchdown pass in 48 straight games
Unitas held the mark for a half-century
Brees’ streak extended to 54 games
Calvin Johnson breaks Jerry Rice’s single season receiving yardage record
Passed Rice’s mark in Week 16, finishing the season with 1,964 receiving yards
The record had stood since 1995
Michael Phelps most decorated Olympian
Finished his career with 22 medals spanning three Olympics
Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina held the previous record of 18
Abby Wambach sets international scoring record
Broke Mia Hamm’s record of 158 goals by scoring four against South Korea
Wambach scored 160 goals in only 207 international matches, while Hamm scored 158 in 275 matches
BEST UPSET
Florida Gulf Coast over Georgetown, NCAA men’s basketball tournament
15th-seeded FGCU beat 2nd-seeded Georgetown 78-68
The Eagles went on to become the first 15 seed to make the Sweet 16
Louisville over Baylor in Sweet 16, NCAA women’s basketball tournament
Top seeded Baylor entered the game 34-1, having won 32 straight
5th-seeded Louisville went on to the national championship game
Juan Manuel Marquez over Manny Pacquiao, Boxing
In their fourth meeting, Marquez finally scored a victory over Pacquiao
The 6th round knockout was the first of Pacquiao since 1999
Texas A&M over Alabama, College football
#15 Texas A&M upset #1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, 29-24
Alabama’s lone loss of the season
BEST GAME
Baltimore Ravens vs. Denver Broncos, AFC Divisional Playoff
Justin Tucker kicked a 47-yard FG in the 2nd OT to give the Ravens a 38-35 upset victory over the Broncos
Jacoby Jones caught a 70-yard touchdown pass with :38 left in regulation that brought the Ravens back from the brink
Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 7
Down three goals midway through the third period, Patrice Bergeron scored in the closing minute of regulation to tie it, then won it in the extra session
The Bruins became the first team in NHL history to win the seventh game of a playoff series after trailing by three goals in the third period
Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs, NBA Finals Game 6
Spurs had a five point lead with 28 seconds left in the 4th quarter
The Heat rallied and tied the game on a Ray Allen 3-pointer with 5 seconds left
Heat went on to win in OT 103-100
BEST MOMENT
Jack Hoffman touchdown run in Nebraska Spring game
Hoffman is a 7-year old die hard Cornhusker fan battling brain cancer
After befriending Nebraska RB Rex Burkhead, he was invited to participate in the Huskers’ spring game, and ran for a long touchdown in the 4th quarter
Alex Morgan’s game-winning goal vs. Canada in Olympic semifinal
The US tied the game on an Abby Wambach penalty kick in the 80th minute
Morgan sent the US to the finals on a header in the 123rd minute, in the second period of extra time
Andy Murray finally winning at Wimbledon, with a gold medal in Olympics
4 weeks after a heartbreaking loss to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final, Murray met Federer again at the All England Club in the gold medal match
Murray beat the world number one in straight sets, becoming the first British man to win singles gold in the Olympics since 1908
Chuck Pagano returns to the Colts
The first year head coach was diagnosed with leukemia after Week 3
Pagano’s battle with the disease inspired an improbable Colts playoff run
Pagano returned to coach the team in Week 17, leading the Colts to a 28-16 victory over the division champion Houston Texans
BEST TEAM
Alabama football
Won the BCS Championship in a 42-14 win over Notre Dame
It was their third BCS title in four years
Baltimore Ravens, NFL
Defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 to win the Super Bowl
Beat the top seeded Broncos and 2nd seeded Patriots en route to Super Bowl
Chicago Blackhawks, NHL
Defeated the Boston Bruins in six games to win the Stanley
Started the season with 24 straight games without a loss in regulation, the best start in NHL history
Miami Heat, NBA
Won second straight NBA Finals in seven games over San Antonio Spurs
Had franchise record 66-16 record, included 27 straight wins
Oklahoma Softball
Won the WCWS championship by sweeping Tennessee in finals
Finished the season 57-4
San Francisco Giants, MLB
Swept the Detroit Tigers in the World Series for their second title in three years
Rallied from the brink of defeat to beat the Reds in the NLDS and Cardinals in the NLCS
US Women’s Gymnastics Team
The “Fierce Five” of Jordyn Wieber, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Kyla Ross and McKayla Maroney captured the team gold medal by beating Russia
First gold medal in women’s team gymnastics for the US since 1996
BEST COACH/MANAGER
Bruce Arians, Indianapolis Colts/Arizona Cardinals
Took over the Colts for Chuck Pagano after Week 3,
Led the team to a 9-3 record before Pagano returned in Week 17
2012 AP Coach of the Year
Geno Auriemma, UConn Women’s Basketball
Led the Huskies to their 8th national championship with a 35-4 record
Beat Notre Dame in Final Four, avenging three previous losses to Notre Dame
John Danowski, Duke Lacrosse
Won his second national championship in four years
After losing 4 of their first 6 games, bounced back to win 14 of next 15
Rick Pitino, Louiville Men’s Basketball
First NCAA Division I coach to win a championship with two different schools
Led Louisville to a 35-5 record
Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat
Led Miami to second NBA title
Had franchise record 66-16 record
27 game winning streak, second best in NBA history
BEST COMEBACK
Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
Missed entire 2011 season due to neck injury
Threw for 4,659 pass yards, and 37 TDs with 68.6 completion percentage
AP Comeback Player of the Year
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Tore his ACL and MCL in Week 16 of 2011 season
Started Week 1 just 9 months after surgery
NFL MVP rushed for 2,097 yards, second most in league history
Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
Only played 45 games in 2011 due to injuries sustained in a home plate collision
In 2012 became 1st player since Frank Robinson to win a league MVP, batting title (.336) and World Series in the same season
Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
Misssed most of 2012 season after tearing an ACL during batting practice
Returned in 2013 at age 43, among the league leaders in saves
BEST INTERNATIONAL ATHLETE
Usain Bolt, Athletics
Won three gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics
First to win back-to-back 100m golds since Carl Lewis in 1984 and 1988
Novak Djokovic, Tennis
First player to be year-end No. 1 in consecutive seasons since Roger Federer achieved four straight World No. 1 finishes from 2004-07
Won 2013 Austrailian Open singles championship
Juan Manuel Marquez, Boxing
In their fourth meeting, Marquez finally scored a victory over Manny Pacquiao
The 6th round knockout was the first of Pacquiao since 1999
Lionel Messi, Soccer
Awarded the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the 3rd consecutive year
Scored 91 goals in a calendar year, shattering a 40 year old record
Led Barcelona to a Copa del Rey league cup title and La Liga season title
Cristiano Ronaldo, Soccer
Led Real Madrid to a Spanish Super Cup Chamiponship
Scored 62 goals in 62 games for club and national teams
BEST NFL PLAYER
Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
Set single-season record with 1,964 receiving yards
Had 122 receptions and 5 TDs
Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
Threw for 4,659 pass yards, and 37 TDs with 68.6 completion percentage
AP Comeback Player of the Year
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
NFL MVP rushed for 2,097 yards, second most in league history
Averaged 6.0 yards per carry, scored 13 TDs and caught 40 passes
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Led NFL with 108.0 QB rating
Threw for 4,295 yards and 39 TDs to only 8 INTs
J. J. Watt, Houston Texans
Led NFL with 20.5 sacks
AP Defensive Player of the Year
BEST MLB PLAYER
Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
AL MVP was the first player to win the Triple Crown in baseball since 1967
Led the AL with a .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 139 RBIs
R. A. Dickey, Mets/Blue Jays
First knuckleballer to win 20 games in a season since 1980
NL Cy Young award winner, led league in strikeouts and shoutouts
Buster Posey, Giants
1st player since Frank Robinson to win a league MVP, batting title and World Series in the same season
Led NL with .336 batting average
David Price, Rays
AL Cy Young award winner, led AL in ERA (2.56)
20-game winner
Mike Trout, Angels
First player in MLB history with at least 30 home runs, 45 steals and 125 runs scored in a season
AL Rookie of the Year led league with 129 runs scored and 49 stolen bases, second in batting average at .326
BEST NHL PLAYER
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Appeared in 36 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2012-13 regular season, and helped lead the Penguins to first place in the Eastern Conference
Tied for third in the league in points (56), second in assists (41), and first in points per game (1.56).
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
Posted 24-16 record and 2.05 goals against average during regular season
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Led the league in goals (32) to win his third “Rocket” Richard Trophy
Tied for third in the league in points (56), ranked first in power play goals (16)
Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning
Led the league in points (60) to win his second career Art Ross Trophy
Ranked first in assists (43), second in points per game (1.25)
John Tavares, New York Islanders
Finished third in goals with 28, had nine power play goals and five game-winning goals
Helped the Islanders return to the playoffs for the first time since 2007
BEST DRIVER
Ryan Hunter-Reay
2012 IndyCar Series Champion, first American since 2006
Won three straight races, and four overall
Tony Kaanan
Won 2013 Indianapolis 500
Kanaan passed Ryan Hunter-Reay in lap 198 to win his first Indy 500
Brad Keselowski
Career high five victories including two wins during the Chase for the Sprint Cup
Set career bests with 13 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes as well as 735 laps led
Sebastian Vettel
Captured his third consecutive Formula One title
Became the youngest triple champion in series history
BEST NBA PLAYER
Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
Led NBA in scoring in 2012-13 season (28.7 ppg)
Led Knicks to first playoff series win since 2000
Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Averaged 27.3 ppg. during 2012-13 regular season
Averaged 5.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Was second-leading scorer in 2012-13 NBA regular season (28.1 ppg)
Averaged 7.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game
LeBron James, Miami Heat
Won his fourth NBA MVP award, second NBA Finals MVP
Only player to lead his team in scoring (26.8 ppg), rebounding (8.0 rpg) and assists (7.3 apg)
Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
Helped lead Spurs to the NBA Finals
Averaged 20.3 ppg and 7.6 assists per game
BEST WNBA PLAYER
Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever
Led the Fever to its first WNBA championship
WNBA Finals MVP
Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun
Led WNBA in rebounding during regular season (10.5 rpg.)
Fifth in scoring at 18.0 ppg
Captured her third straight rebounding title
Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream
Led WNBA in scoring during regular season (21.4 ppg)
Averaged more than 20 points per game for the third straight year
Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks
Averaged 17.4 ppg during 2012 regular season
Averaged 9.7 rpg
Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota Lynx
Led the WNBA in assists during regular season (5.39 apg.)
Dished out five or more assists in 22 games
BEST FIGHTER
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Boxing
Beat Austin Trout to unify 154-pound title
Danny Garcia, Boxing
Moved to 24-0 with 15 KOs with a 4th-round upset of Amir Khan to unify the light-welterweight title
He went on to KO Erik Morales in his next fight
Jon “Bones” Jones, MMA
Defeated Chael Sonnen in most recent title defense
Floyd Mayweather, Boxing
Moved to 44-0 with a unanimous decision over Robert Guerrero
Anderson Silva, MMA
Defeated Stephan Bonner in most recent title defense
Last loss was in 2006
BEST MALE GOLFER
Rory McIlroy
Eight-shot victory in the PGA Championship
Won the money title and had the lowest adjusted scoring average in 2012
Youngest player to win PGA Tour player of the year since Tiger Woods in 1997
Justin Rose
Won 2013 US Open
Five top 10 finishes in 2013
Adam Scott
Won 2013 Masters
Runner-up in 2012 British Open
Brandt Snedeker
Won the FedEx Cup title
Won The Tour Championship
Tiger Woods
Returned to No. 1 ranking for first time since 2010
4 tour victories in 2013 and five top 10 finishes
BEST FEMALE GOLFER
Stacy Lewis
2012 LPGA Player of the Year
Won the HSBC Women’s Champions event in 2013
Inbee Park
Led the LPGA in money earning with $2,287,080 in 2012
Jiyai Shin
Won the 2012 women’s British Open by nine shots
Produced the biggest margin at the British since it became a major in 2001
Na Yeon Choi
Won 2012 Women’s US Open
BEST MALE TENNIS PLAYER
Novak Djokovic
Clinched the year-end No. 1 ATP Ranking, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat in consecutive seasons since Roger Federer achieved four straight World No. 1 finishes from 2004-07
Won 2013 Austrailian Open singles championship
Roger Federer
Won his record 17th Grand Slam singles championship and record-tying seventh Wimbledon singles championship
Andy Murray
Captured his first Grand Slam singles title when he beat Novak Djokovic in five sets to win the 2012 U. S. Open
Won the Olympic gold medal, beating Roger Federer in the finals
Rafael Nadal
Became first man to win the same Grand Slam tournament eight times when he won 2013 French Open
BEST FEMALE TENNIS PLAYER
Victoria Azarenka
Finished 2012 as No. 1 ranked player in WTA
Lost in the finals of the 2012 U. S. Open
Maria Sharapova
Equaled her best season to date, finishing number two in the world
Won three WTA titles
Serena Williams
Earned her fourth U. S. Open singles title in 2012
Won her fifth Wimbledon singles title in 2012
Won the 2013 French Open singles title
BEST MALE COLLEGE ATHLETE
Trey Burke, Michigan basketball
Won nearly every major college basketball player of the year award, including the Naismith, Wooden, Oscar Robertson and the Associated Press award, plus winning the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard
Led the Wolverines to the national championship game
Kyle Dake, Cornell wrestler
Etched himself into wrestling history with a fourth NCAA championship at an unprecedented fourth weight.
Dake outlasted defending 165-pound champion David Taylor 5-4
Drew LeBlanc, St. Cloud State hockey
Won Hobey Baker Award as top college hockey player
Bounced back from injury last year to register 13 goals and 50 points
Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M football
2013 Heisman Trophy winner, first freshman in history
The first freshman in FBS history, and just the fifth player ever, to have 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a season
BEST FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETE
Kara Cannizzaro, North Carolina women’s lacrosse
Named NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
Helped the Tar Heels to claim the school’s first-ever NCAA title with a 13-12 victory against top-ranked Maryland
Crystal Dunn, North Carolina soccer
The midfielder led the Tar Heels to a 4-1 victory over Penn State at the 2012 NCAA Women’s College Cup
She scored goals in the first four games of the tournament and assisted on goals in both College Cup games, including the game-winner against Stanford
Brittney Griner, Baylor basketball
Swept all of the nation’s player awards the last two seasons and ended her four-year career as the NCAA’s top shot blocker (748) and female dunker (18) and ranks No. 2 on the NCAA Division I women’s scoring chart with 3,283 career points
Keilani Ricketts, Oklahoma Softball
Led Oklahoma to the national championship
Named Most Outstanding Player in the WCWS
Finished the season with a 35-1 win/loss record
BEST MALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE
Pedro Barros
Has three straight X Games SKB Park gold medals
Nyjah Huston
Dominating win at the X Games Street League Skateboarding contest in Foz do Iguaçu
Gold medal at X Games LA in Real Street in 2012
Gold medal at X Games Barcelona in Street League Skateboarding
Mark McMorris
Gold medal in X Games Aspen Slopestyle
Won Slopestyle at Burton US Open and Dew Tour Breckenridge event
Claimed overall World Snowboard title in slopestyle and third in Big Air
Ryan Villopoto
Returned from ACL surgery to claim 2013 AMA Supercross title
In 2013 AMA Motocross, has won 8 of 10 motos and 3 of 5 overalls
BEST FEMALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE
Kelly Clark
X Games SuperPipe gold at both Aspen and Tignes
Overall titles on the FIS World Cup and World Snowboard Tour series
Leticia Bufoni
X Games gold in Women’s Street at Foz do Iguaçu and in the Real Women video competition at Barcelona
Women’s Street silver medal at X Games LA
Claimed overall 2012 World Cup Skateboarding crown for women’s street
Stephanie Gilmore
Won her 5th ASP World Tour points crown in 2012
Laia Sanz
2013 X Games Enduro X gold medals at Foz do Iguaçu and Barcelona
Won FIM Women’s Enduro World Championship and FIM Women’s Trial World Championship in 2012
BEST JOCKEY
Javier Castellano
321 wins, over $22 million in earnings, 31 graded stakes wins (eight Grade 1)
Ramon Dominguez
329 wins, over $25 million in earnings and 25 graded stakes wins (10 Grade 1)
Joel Rosario
Rode Orb to the Kentucky Derby title
Also won the $10 million event in Dubai
John Velasquez
185 wins, over $19 million in purse earnings and 34 graded stakes wins (14 Grade 1)
BEST MALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY
Jeremy Campbell, Athletics
Set a Paralympic record en route to his second consecutive Paralympic Games gold medal in the men’s discus
At the Triton Invitational in San Diego, Campbell threw 60.19 meters, a new world record in the men’s discus (F44)
Jeff Fabry, Archery
After shattering his bow in the men’s compound W1 semifinals competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Jeff Fabry prevailed to make it to the gold medal match, where he became the first American archer to win a Paralympic gold medal since 1984
Raymond Martin, Athletics
Wheelchair racer won four gold medals at the 2012 Paralympics, 100, 200, 400 and 800m
Prior to the Games, he also took first place honors in the 200, 400 and 800m races at the 2012 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships, and also set the world record in the men’s T52 200m.
Bradley Snyder, Swimming
Won gold medals in 100m freestyle and 400m freestyle at the 2012 Paralympics
Won a silver medal in the 50m freestyle
Tyler Walker, Skiing
Took home the men’s sitting speed event trophy at the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY
Victoria Arlen, Swimming
Won four medals at 2012 Paralympics, a gold and three silvers
Set a world record in the 100 meter freestyle
Muffy Davis, Paracycling
Won three gold medals at 2012 Paralympics, two in individual events: women’s H1-2 time trial and H1-3 road race, and a third in the H1-4 team relay
Jessica Long, Swimming
Won eight medals at the 2012 Paralympics (five gold, two silver and one bronze)
Set two world records (400m freestyle & 100m freestyle) and the five gold medals were in 100m butterfly, 400m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, 200m individual medley, 100m freestyle
Tatyana McFadden, Athletics
Won three gold medals at 2012 Paralympics, 400, 800 and 1500m events. She also won bronze in the 100m sprint
Also won the women’s wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon hours before the deadly explosions near the finish line.
Six days later, she won the London Marathon in the same division.
Shirley Reilly, Athletics
Captured gold in the women’s marathon at the 2012 Paralympics with a time of 1:46:33
BEST BOWLER
Jason Belmonte
Won USBC Masters for his first major title and sixth career Tour title
Scott Norton
Won Earl Anthony Players Championship for third career title
Won Chameleon Championship at Geico World Series of Bowling IV
Pete Weber
Won Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions
First player to complete PBA Triple Crown for a second time
Oldest player to win Tournament of Champions
BEST MLS PLAYER
Thierry Henry, Red Bulls
15 goals and 12 assists in just 25 matches, helping New York qualify for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
Chris Wondolowski, San Jose Earthquakes
Tied the MLS record for goals in a season with 27, helping San Jose finish first in the Western Conference
Graham Zusi, Sporting Kansas City
The midfielder had five goals and an MLS-high 15 assists to lead Sporting Kansas City to first place in the Eastern Conference.
BEST MALE US OLYMPIC ATHLETE
Ashton Eaton, Athletics
Won the Olympic decathlon gold medal by 198 points
Ryan Lochte, Swimming
Won five medals (including two gold) at 2012 Olympics
Won the Men’s 400m IM … (2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze); seventh male swimmer with five or more medals at single Olympics
Michael Phelps, Swimming
Won gold in the 200m Individual Medley, making him the first man to win the same individual swimming event at three straight Olympics
Phelps won a 17th gold in 100 butterfly, his final individual race in London.
BEST FEMALE US OLYMPIC ATHLETE
Gabby Douglas, Gymnastics
Won the gold medal in the all-around
Was a member of the gold medal-winning USA gymnastics team
Became the third straight American to win Women’s All-Around gold
Is the first American to win gold in both the Team and Individual All-Around.
Missy Franklin, Swimming
Finished with four golds and a bronze at London Olympics; became the second American woman to win four swimming golds at single Olympics, joining Amy Van Dyken in 1996
Won Olympic gold medal in women’s 100m backstroke
Set a world record in the 200m backstroke
Aly Raisman, Gymnastics
The first American to win the gold medal in the floor exercise
Also earned gold as a member of the U.S. team all-around winner
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