Wildcats nominated for three ESPY awards
After capturing its second consecutive and eighth overall NCAA championship, the Arizona softball team has received three nominations for the 2007 ESPY Awards.
The Wildcats were nominated for the Under Armour Undeniable Performance award as they battled through five elimination games at the 2007 Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Arizona’s WCWS championship series with Tennessee was the most-viewed and highest-rated for ESPN. The Wildcats will be up against Tennessee’s women’s basketball team, Nebraska’s volleyball team, North Carolina’s women’s soccer team, Northwestern’s women’s lacrosse team and the Wisconsin women’s hockey team for the award.
Junior pitcher Taryne Mowatt received two ESPY nominations for Best Female Athlete and Best Female College Athlete, as she went 42-12 on the season. During the WCWS, she set records with 60 innings pitched and 76 strikeouts while hurling more than 1,000 pitches over six days.
Mowatt is up against Tennessee pitcher Monica Abbott, Notre Dame soccer player Kerri Hanks, Georgia swimmer Kara Lynn Joyce and Tennessee basketball player Candace Parker for the Best Female College Athlete award.
Two former Wildcat golfers, Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam, also received ESPY nominations for Best International Athlete. Ochoa was also nominated as Best Female Athlete and Best Golfer.
For the Best Female Athlete award, Ochoa and Mowatt are up against Lisa Leslie of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and Candace Parker of Tennessee. Ochoa is the only female in the Best Golfer category, and is up against Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and ex-Wildcat Jim Furyk.
Fans can vote for the winners in 38 categories on www.ESPN.com. The ESPYS airs July 15.
Four former Wildcats make Team USA
Four former Arizona softball players were selected for the 2007 U.S. national softball team that will play in three events this summer.
The players are pitcher Jennie Finch, infielder Lovie Jung, outfielder Caitlin Lowe and pitcher Alicia Hollowell. They were each on last summer’s national team that won the world championship.
Thirty-five players took part in last week’s selection camp, including current Wildcat catcher Callista Balko and former Wildcats Kristie Fox, Mackenzie Vandergeest and Toni Mascarenas.
The 17-member team will play in the Canada Cup from Saturday to July 18, the KFC World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City July 12-16 and the Pan American Games from July 23-29.
UA head coach Mike Candrea will helm the USA team.
Softball recruit named Player of the Year
Arizona softball recruit Perelini Koria was selected as the catcher for the L.A. Times All-Star softball team.
The junior from San Pedro (Calif.) High School hit .549 last season and tied the California state record with 17 home runs.
Koria was named the player of the year by the “”Torrance Daily Breeze.””. She is the first position player to win the award since 1997. She helped San Pedro win the L.A. city section championship.
– Arizona Summer Wildcat
