Posted at 11:50 a.m., Monday, October 15, 2007
Awards: Ochoa, Abbott selected Sportswomen of Year
Advertiser Staff
NEW YORK — LPGA star Lorena Ochoa and former Tennessee softball pitcher Monica Abbott were selected Sportswomen of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation.They were to be honored tonight along with figure skater Michelle Kwan and the Rutgers women's basketball team at the 28th annual Salute to Women in Sports.
Ochoa overtook Annika Sorenstam as the top-ranked golfer this season and won her seventh tournament Sunday to earn a record $3.3 million in prize money.
Abbott, chosen in the team category, had a nation-best 50-5 record with a 0.68 ERA and 29 shutouts. The Lady Vols reached the NCAA title game but lost to Arizona.
Kwan, a five-time world champion, won the Billie Jean King contribution award for her visits to China and Russia as the first U.S. public diplomacy envoy.
The Rutgers women received the Wilma Rudolph courage award. The team, the NCAA runner-up, withstood a slur by radio host Don Imus and conducted itself with grace at a nationally televised news conference that addressed issues of race and gender.
The Women's Sports Foundation was founded by King and is marking its 33rd anniversary. The annual awards dinner raises more than $1 million for girls and women in sports. Sheryl Crow, Holly Hunter and Laila Ali were to attend the dinner, which features 60 female athletes.
