Courtesy: USOC Communications
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States Olympic Committee today announced finalists for the Team USA Awards presented by Dow, Best of April, which recognize the outstanding achievements of Team USA athletes from the last month. Fans are invited to vote for their favorite athletes and teams at Awards.TeamUSA.org through midnight Monday, May 7.
A total of 10 sports – including curling, equestrian, fencing, golf, gymnastics, Para swimming, Para track and field, shooting, tennis, and track and field – are represented among the 13 finalists across men’s, women’s and team categories. The finalists’ collective accomplishments tell the inspiring story of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes year-round.
In addition to Dow, the presenting sponsor, the Team USA Awards are supported by DICK’S Sporting Goods and USG.
APRIL FINALISTS
Male Athlete of the Month
Jeremy Campbell (Perryton, Texas), Para Track and Field
Opened the season by defeating the reigning Paralympic champion with a F64 world-record mark of 65.47 meters to win the men’s discus at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational.
Eli Dershwitz (Sherborn, Massachusetts), Fencing
Improved to a career-high No. 3 world ranking after earning the bronze medal in saber at the grand prix in Seoul, South Korea.
Robert Griswold (Freehold, New Jersey), Para Swimming
Won two gold medals in the 400-meter freestyle and 100 backstroke, and set American and Pan American records in the 100 butterfly at the World Para Swimming World Series.
Vincent Hancock (Eatonton, Georgia), Shooting
Captured his second consecutive gold medal by tying his own world record in the skeet final, topping the reigning Olympic champion at the world cup in Changwon, South Korea.
Patrick Reed (Spring, Texas), Golf
Secured his first major golf title at the Masters, finishing 15-under at 273 after firing a final-round 71 to edge fellow Olympian Rickie Fowler by one stroke.
Female Athlete of the Month
Desiree Linden (San Diego, California), Track and Field
Became the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years, overcoming brutal weather conditions to clock 2:39:54 – more than five minutes ahead of the field.
Beezie Madden (Cazenovia, New York), Equestrian
At age 54, became the oldest world cup jumping champion, only the second American to win the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final twice and only the fourth U.S. woman to accomplish the feat.
Tatyana McFadden (Clarksville, Maryland), Para Track and Field
Won her fifth Boston Marathon and finished second in the London Marathon six days later, improving her record to 22 world major marathon series victories.
Kim Rhode (El Monte, California), Shooting
Bested her own world cord, hitting 58-60 targets en route to her second consecutive gold medal in women’s skeet at the world cup in Changwon, South Korea.
Leanne Smith (Beverly, Massachusetts), Para Swimming
Set four American records and three Pan American records in the 50-, 100- and 200-meter freestyle and 50 butterfly at the World Para Swimming World Series.
Team of the Month
Jamie Sinclair Rink, Curling
Made U.S. history by becoming the first American team to win a Grand Slam of Curling event at the Players’ Championship in Ontario, defeating the reigning world champion and improving to a No. 6 world ranking.
U.S. Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Team
Clinched its tenth consecutive Pacific Rim Championship title with a 15-point margin of victory, with Grace McCallum and Morgan Hurd finishing 1-2 in the all-around competition.
U.S. Davis Cup Team, Tennis
The team of John Isner, Sam Querrey, Jack Sock, Steve Johnson and Ryan Harrison advanced to the Davis Cup semifinal for the first time since 2012 after defeating Belgium, 3-1.
SELECTION PROCESS
Each National Governing Body may nominate one female, one male and one team per sport discipline. An internal nominating committee selects finalists to advance to the voting round. Votes received from NGB representatives and select members of the media account for 50 percent of the final tally, with the other half determined by online fan voting via Awards.TeamUSA.org.
Griswold is an American Record holder in the 100 fly with a stroke like that? Hard to believe.
Good luck in this poll beating Masters Champion Patrick Reed.
Yes Robert is an amazing Para swimmer and true champion. He and his family are wonderful people who deserve to share in all the best sport has to offer.
But Paralympics is “a little tough to watch too much”….
I don’t need to tell you the name of the disgusting man who said that recently.