USA Swimming announced today that two of their athletes were nominated by the Women’s Sports Foundation’s 2011 Sportswoman of the Year: National Team swimmer Missy Franklin and Paralympic swimmer Mallory Weggemann.
This award is given to female athletes for their achievements between August 1, 2010 and July 31, 2011, which includes Franklin’s winning of the high-point award at the 2010 USA Swimming National Championships and her Amazing gold-medal 5-medal performance in Shanghai. Weggemann’s nomination was on the basis of her incredible 8 gold medal performance (Michael Phelps, eat your heart out) at the 2010 IPC Long Course World Championships. Weggemann is currently the holder of 15 World Records.
Also nominated in the team sport category is USA Water Polo player Annika Dries. As a sophomore at Stanford in 2011, she was named the Cutino Award winner as the top collegiate player in the country, including a team-leading 65 goals.
Some of the more notable names in the field include USA Soccer captain Abby Wombach and skiing superstar Lindsay Vonn.
Past award winners include Venus and Serena Williams and Nastia Lukien. In early voting, Weggemann is running away with the individual sports title with 120 “likes”. Dries sits second in the team-sport voting, behind only the immensely popular Wombach, who has been spurred on by her spectacular play in the women’s World Cup.
The award goes to one individual sport female and one team sport female for their athletic accomplishments. All voting is done on facebook by “liking” the picture of the favored athlete between now and September 5th (voting instructions are below).
The international field of nominees for individual sport athletes includes:
Miki Ando (Japan, Figure Skating)
Kelly Clark (USA, Snowboarding)
Carmelita Jeter (USA, Track & Field)
Aliya Mustafina (Russia, Gymnastics)
Christine Nesbitt (Canada, Speed Skating)
Tani Tseng (Taiwan, Golf)
Lindsey Vonn (USA, Skiing)
Carolina Wozniacki (Denmark, Tennis)
Team sport athlete nominees:
Luciana Aymar (Argentina, Field Hockey)
Annika Dries (USA, Water Polo)
Meghan Duggan (USA, Ice Hockey)
Juliana Felisberta & Larissa Franca (Brazil, Beach Volleyball)
Sandra Kiriasis (Germany, Bobsled)
Maya Moore (USA, Basketball)
Anette Norberg (Sweden, Curling)
Shannon Smith (USA, Lacrosse)
Stacy Sykora (USA, Volleyball)
Abby Wombach (USA, Soccer)
Individual Sports
1. Visit http://wspr.tc/VoteSOYIndividual
2. Become a fan of the Women’s Sports Foundation by liking that page.
3. Browse the photo album for Individual Sport Athlete finalists.
4. To cast your vote, simply like the photo of an athlete in the album. Fans are permitted only one vote per album.
5. You are encouraged to browse the photo album for Team Sport Athlete finalists and vote as well.
Team Sports
1. Visit http://wspr.tc/VoteSOYTeam
2. Become a fan of the Women’s Sports Foundation by liking that page.
3. Browse the photo album for Team Sport Athlete finalists.
4. To cast your vote, simply like the photo of an athlete in the album. Fans are permitted only one vote per album.
5. You are encouraged to browse the photo album for Individual Sport Athlete finalists and vote as well.
