Former Florida Gators striker Abby Wambach, who captained and led the U.S. Women’s National Team to exhilarating victories and a second-place finish in the 2011 Women’s World Cup over the summer in Germany, has been named the 2011 Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press.

Wambach dominated the balloting, receiving 65 of 214 first-place votes, and became the first individual soccer player in the country’s history to win the award.

She scored four goals for the United States in the World Cup, leading the Americans to the final match where they eventually lost to Japan on penalty kicks. Wambach received the Silver Ball and Bronze Boot awards by FIFA for her efforts during the event.

In addition to her soccer awards, she was also named Sportswoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation in October and was announced in September as one of eight former letter winners who will be inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 2012 class. She was also a late entry and eventual winner of the ESPY award for Best Play in July.

Wambach’s heroic efforts over the summer included a game-tying goal two minutes into injury time during extra time against Brazil in the quarterfinals, what became a game-winning goal against France in the semifinals, and a near game-winning goal 14 minutes into extra time against Japan in the finals.

Photo Credit: Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Tags: Abby Wambach, Athlete of the Year, ESPY, FIFA, Hall of Fame, soccer, United States, University of Florida, World Cup

1 » Former Florida Gators striker Abby Wambach, who served as captain of the U.S. Women’s National Team that competed for the 2011 World Cup this summer in Germany, was named Sportswoman of the Year this week by the Women’s Sports Foundation. Wambach scored four goals for the United States in the World Cup and led the Americans all the way to the final match where they eventually lost to Japan on penalty kicks. She was awarded the Silver Ball and Bronze Boot awards by FIFA for her efforts over the course of the event.

2 » With the immense amount of coverage Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has received this week, some appear to believe that he will be starting his first career NFL game on Sunday. That would be incorrect. Tebow actually started the final three games of the 2010 season and led Denver to a 1-2 record including a come-from-behind victory and near come-from-behind win in the final two contests. Stepping on the field against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Tebow will actually be making his fourth career start, though this one is without a coaching change and with the season still very young.

3 » The hype may be surrounding Tebow on Sunday, but Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Earnest Graham is probably the bigger story. Graham, who has not rushed for 100 yards in a season since 2008, accomplished that feat last week filling in as the team’s starter for the injured LeGarrette Blount. After serving as a reserve rusher for Tampa Bay from 2004-06, Graham became the team’s primary starter from 2007-08 when he ran the ball a combined 354 times for 1,461 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has returned to a backup role since but continued to be productive carrying the ball; this year he’s averaging 5.5 yards per carry – the best mark of his career.

4 » Florida is looking to the junior college ranks for some help up front, targeting three linemen from the state of Mississippi according to the Orlando Sentinel’s Chris Hays. Their primary target, he reports, is East Mississippi Community College defensive tackle Brandon Moore, though they are also looking at DT Damien Jacobs and Northwest Mississippi Community College offensive tackleDonald Dawkins. With the other two players already committed to Tennessee and Oklahoma State, respectively, Moore is undecided and is looking to make his choice after this season is over. “I’ve had interest in Florida since high school,” Moore told the Sentinel. “Right now I’m just focused on getting my schoolwork right and this football season. We’re 7-0 and we want to keep that going.”

Tags: Abby Wambach, Brandon Moore, Denver Broncos, Earnest Graham, FIFA, Miami Dolphins, NFL, soccer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tim Tebow, United States, World Cup

Three-time Olympic gold medalist and former Florida Gators swimmer Ryan Lochte had a week for the record books, earning six gold medals and the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships over the last few days. The biggest international meet of the season saw the United States team bring home a total of 52 medals, 26 of which were gold and just under 25 percent of which were earned by Lochte.

His six golds came in the 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter individual medley, 400-meter individual medley, 200-meter backstroke, 400-meter free relay and 800-meter free relay. His final gold, the 200-meter individual medley won on Saturday, was completed in 1:54:43 – a meet record and the third-fastest time in the history of the sport.

Winning more golds than anyone else in Irvine, CA, last week, Lochte was named Swimmer of the Meet. He and Florida head swimming coach Gregg Troy, who also led America’s team at the Pan Pacific Championships, set the tone for the U.S. victory. With 489.5 points, America blew out Australia, the second-place finisher (311.5 points).

Photo Credit: USA Swimming

Tags: Gregg Troy, Pan Pacific Championships, Ryan Lochte, swimming, United States

Former and current Florida Gators student-athletes usually find a home in the Summer Olympics; however, when it comes to the Winter Olympics, appearances are few and far between. That changed in 2006 when Steve Mesler, a scholarship decathlete who earned a degree in exercise and sport science from the University of Florida in 2000, competed in his first Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.

After graduation, Mesler wanted to continue his athletic career and tried out for bobsled in San Diego, CA, in June 2001. After practicing with Todd Hays’ four-man team for a few years, Mesler participated in the 2006 Games in Torino; his team’s sled would finish in seventh place.

Four seasons with Hays’ team was enough for Mesler, who moved on to the aptly nicknamed “Night Train,” a four-man sled squad piloted by Steve Holcomb. Night Train has been on a tear since coming together, starting with winning the 2009 World Championships in Lake Placid, NY, the United States’ first four-man world title in 50 years. The team has since captured the 2010 World Cup title (for the first time in 17 years) and the 2010 World Cup overall crown.

Team Holcomb is now the medal favorite heading into the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver with Mesler occupying the third slot in the sled. On each run, he is responsible for managing the balance and speed of the sled, partially due to the fact that he is the team’s fastest member stemming from his days as a decathlete with the Gators.

The two-time Olympian (he was a reserve in 2002) is a key member of the USA-1 sled, which could be the first in 62 years (since 1948) to bring home a gold medal for the United States in the Olympics. “Right now, we are the team to beat,” Holcomb told the Associated Press on Friday.

Keep an eye out for the futuristic-looking, shiny black USA-1 “Night Train” sled at the Whistler Sliding Centre during the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

OGGOA Related Story: Mesler’s family was scammed out of $7,332 and lodging by a Whistler house rental company. They have since received the money back.

Tags: bobsled, Olympics, Steve Holcomb, Steve Mesler, Todd Hays, United States, University of Florida, Whistler Sliding Centre, World Championships, World Cup