FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN
1. Georgia (Last week's syllabus: 1)
The Bulldogs were already riding a three-tournament win streak heading into Las Vegas, but gained even more momentum with a 5-0 sweep of Texas Tech in a one-day match-play event back in Athens earlier this week.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship, Southern Highlands GC, Las Vegas, March 13-15

2. Stanford (2)
While no Cardinal player has a stroke average lower than 72.5, five golfers (Steve Ziegler, Sihwan Kim, David Chung, Joseph Bramlett and Jordan Cox) have carded top-10 finishes.
Next event: Callaway Match Play Championship, The Farms GC, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., March 22-24

3. Oklahoma State (3)
The Cowboys continue to rotate players in the No. 5 spot in the line-up. This week in Las Vegas, redshirt freshman Bernhard Neumann gets the nod. Meanwhile, two-time AJGA player of the year Peter Uihlein has still played just one tournament for OSU so far in his freshman season.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship, Southern Highlands GC, Las Vegas, March 13-15

4. USC (4)
If all goes well, Las Vegas should be the last event that Jamie Lovemark will miss with his broken finger. Freshman Steve Lim, who's playing well back at home, takes his spot at Southern Highlands.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship, Southern Highlands GC, Las Vegas, March 13-15

5. Clemson (NR)
The Tigers had competed in UNLV's tournament for 19 straight years before missing the 2008 event. Their best finish? Third place in 1997, 2001, 2003 and 2004. Same line-up that finished second at Puerto RIco travels to Nevada.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship, Southern Highlands GC, Las Vegas, March 13-15

WOMEN
1. UCLA (1)
Every week it's a new Bruin that shines. At the UCF Challenge, it was freshman Stephanie Kono, who shot a final-round 66 to lift UCLA past ASU as well as claim medalist honors.
Next event: Ping/ASU Invitational, Karsten Course at ASU, Tempe, Ariz., April 3-5

2. Arizona State (2)
A T-10 finish from Azahara Munoz in her return to action at the UCF Challenge bodes well for the Sun Devils in the long run. Best thing for ASU fans? Munoz thinks she should have done better.
Next event: Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational, University of Texas GC, Austin, Texas, March 19-21

3. USC (3)
After shooting a course-record 65 at Red Tail GC, junior Belen Mozo only could muster a 74 in the final round of the UCF Challenge. Still, after struggled with her putting throughout the spring, the Spaniard's confidence is rising.
Next event: Ping/ASU Invitational, Karsten Course at ASU, Tempe, Ariz., April 3-5

4. Oklahoma State (NR)
In just their second start under new coach Annie Young, the Cowgirls hung tough while in the final group with UCLA and Arizona State at the UCF Challenge, eventually finishing in third place. That's five top-fives in six starts for OSU. 
Next event: Liz Murphey Collegiate, University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga., March 27-29

5. Wake Forest (4)
A month after opening their spring season with a runner-up finish at the Northrup Grumman, the Demon Deacons anxiously return to action this weekend in Louisiana. Coach Dianne Dailey says the strong showing in California only made the players work harder in practice.
Next event: LSU Golf Classic, University Club, Baton Rouge, La., March 13-15

STAT OF THE WEEK
7
The number of hours it reportedly took for some players to finish their rounds at the Ron Smith/USF Invitational last weekend at Lake Jovita. I kind of chuckle sometimes at how often my counterparts at Golfweek bang the drum about the problems of slow play in college golf, but the news out of Dade City, Fla., was so ridiculous that it's time they get somebody else to join their cause. Enough is enough fellas (and ladies too) ... it's time to pick up the pace.      


WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* Conspicuous by her absence at the UCF Challenge was UCLA senior Tiffany Joh, who despite being ranked 24th in the country by Golfstat failed to qualify for the Bruins' starting five that traveled to Red Tail GC outside Orlando and beat Arizona State by seven strokes for their fifth win of the season. "She's been fighting [her swing] a little bit," said Bruin coach Carrie Forsyth. Needless to say, those aren't the words you want to hear about your go-to senior captain.

Joh will miss UCLA's next tournament, the Ping/ASU Invitational, since she'll be playing at the Kraft Nabisco Championship that weekend. I'd be shocked, however, if you don't see her wearing Bruin Blue at the Pac-10 Championship in April and the rest of the postseason. Joh's got too much experience--and too much talent--not to be in the starting line-up during crunch time. I'd be similarly shocked if she didn't find her way up near the top of the leader board in each of the events that will close out her impressive career.

TOURNAMENTS ON TAP
MEN
Southern Highlands Collegiate
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Southern Highlands GC, Las Vegas (Par 72, 7,510 yards)
March 13-15
Host: UNLV
Field: Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, California, Charlotte, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, UNLV, USC
Defending champion: UNLV (five-over 869) by two strokes over Charlotte; USC's Rory Hie (three-under 213) in a playoff with Georgia's Hudson Swafford and Charlotte's Jonas Enander Hedin
Skinny: The tournament continues its tradition of having a standout field, including six of the top-10 teams in the latest Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll and 11 of the top 25.

Border Olympics
Laredo CC, Laredo, Texas (Par 72, 7,241 yards)
March 14-15
Host: Houston
Field: Arkansas, UALR, Baylor, Houston, Houston Baptist, Lamar, Louisville, New Mexico State, New Orleans, North Texas, Notre Dame, Rice, UT-Arlington, Texas State, Vanderbilt, Washington State
Defending champion: Arkansas (three-over 867) by five strokes over Lamar; Baylor's Colton Williams (nine-under 207) by seven strokes over Arkansas' Andrew Landry and UTEP's Roger Sloan
Skinny: If you like the hot hand, consider taking the Vanderbilt Commodores, who eeked out a one-stroke win at the Seminole Intercollegiate when Golf World Player of the Week Ryan Haselden made an eagle on the final hole.

Pinehurst Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Pinehurst Resort (No. 8), Pinehurst, N.C.
March 15-17
Host: East Carolina
Field: Ball State, Belmont, Eastern Kentucky, Marquette, Marhshall, Miami (OH), Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, Old Dominion, Penn State, Radford, Southern Mississippi, Toledo, VCU, Virginia Tech, Western Illinois, Wichita State
Defending champion: Indiana (one-over 865) by 24 strokes over Eastern Kentucky; Indiana's Seth Brandon (even-par 216) by one stroke over three others
Skinny: The folks in the Carolina sand hills can only hope that bad weather won't canceled this men's tournament like it did the women's Pinehurst event two weeks ago.

Barona Collegiate Cup
Barona Creek GC, Lakeside, Calif.
March 16-17
Host: San Diego State
Defending champion: Texas A&M (37-under 837) by 20 strokes over San Diego State; Texas A&M's Ignacio Elvira (12-under 204) by three strokes over Texas A&M's Andrea Pavan and San Diego State's David Palm

WOMEN
LSU Golf Classic
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
University Club, Baton Rouge, La.
March 13-15
Host: LSU
Field: Arkansas, College of Charleston, Colorado, Furman, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, North Carolina, N.C. State, UNC Wilmington, Notre Dame, South Carolina, TCU, Tulane, Virginia, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Florida State (20-over 884) by six strokes over LSU; Florida State's Caroline Westrup (eight-under 208) by four strokes over N.C. State's Lauren Doughtie
Skinny: The tournament is being held for the 28th year. Team scores between eight and 15 over have won the event three of the past four years. The last five individual winners, meanwhile, have shot under par for 54 holes.

Baylor Spring Invitational
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Twin Rivers GC, Waco, Texas (Par 72, 6,347 yards)
March 16-17
Host: Baylor
Field: Baylor, Colorado State, Illinois State, Iowa, Iowa State, McLennan CC, Missouri State, New Mexico State, North Texas SMU, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UT-Pan American, UT-San Antonio, Wichita State
Defending champion: New event
Skinny: The Bears are hosting their first regular-season tournament in Waco since 2000

Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational
Kaneohe Klipper GC, Honolulu (Par 72, 5,907 yards)
March 16-18
Host: Hawaii
Field: Boise State, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas State, Lipsomb, Nevada, Northern Colorado, Texas A&M, UTEP
Defending champion: Oklahoma State (16-over 880) by 13 strokes over Arizona; Arizona's Alison Walshe (three-under 213) by five strokes over Oklahoma State's Pernilla Lindberg
Skinny: Field also includes two Japanese schools (Nagoya and Osaka Gakuin)

SORRENTO, FLA.--You couldn't get rid of the smile on the face of Arizona State senior Azahara Munoz as she walked around the practice range at Red Tail GC, preparing to play for the top-ranked Sun Devils in the UCF Challenge. While having only missed two tournaments this spring following surgery Jan. 22 to remove a cyst from her right wrist, the defending NCAA individual champion hadn't played in an event since the end of October, the longest stretch of time off from the game since she began playing in earnest.

"Originally, they thought it was only going to be four weeks, but it turned into six," Munoz said, the impatience in her voice rather obvious. "It's my last semester. I just don't want to miss anything."

The wrist remains sore, and Munoz continues to undergo ultrasound treatments to help regain mobility that has been inhibited by scar tissue. Still, except for the ice bag she carried after the round you wouldn't have noticed anything was amiss Sunday, the 21-year-old Spaniard posting an even-par 72 to place T-23 after 18 holes, six strokes back of leader Jessica Yadloczky of Florida. (In the team competition, UCLA's six-under 282 gave the Bruins a two-stroke lead over ASU through Day 1.)

"The last two weeks she's really made a lot of improvement," said ASU coach Melissa Luellen, Munoz' practice regime finally including full swings within the last 10 days. "She knows she can play through some of the pain. But it broke her heart not to travel to Mexico [for last week's Arizona Wildcat Invitational]."

It wasn't just her own return that Munoz was happy about. Accompanying the Sun Devils to Florida was Missy Farr-Kaye, the team's associate head coach who was traveling to her first tournament of the 2008-09 season after undergoing treatment last fall for a recurrence of breast cancer.

"The hair is coming back, although I've still got to wear a cap," Farr-Kaye said with a laugh, two weeks removed from having finished seven weeks of radiation therapy.

Farr-Kaye had first been diagnosed with cancer in 1998. Her sister, former ASU All-American Heather Farr, died from the disease in 1993.

"I'm not 100 percent just yet, but I'm feeling much better," Farr-Kaye said. "I'm very optimistic about the future."

As the Florida State men's golf team was compiling a four-over 292 team score Friday in the opening round of its home event, the Seminole Intercollegiate, the NCAA announced a series of penalties it was imposing on the school's entire athletic program stemming from academic violations that occurred during the fall semester of 2006 through the summer of 2007.

Among other penalties, Florida State was put on probation for four years and had scholarships reduced in 10 sports--including men's golf. The announcement came after an investigation that determined more than 60 student-athletes in the 10 sports were involved in academic fraud involving a music course.

No names of student-athletes were listed in the report, but because at least one member of the men's golf team was involved, the school already had applied a self-imposed reduction in the squad's grants-in-aid for this year from 4.5 scholarships to 4.36. The NCAA did not reduce the scholarship limitation an further for the sport.

The NCAA also decided that all wins in which the student-athletes competed while ineligible during 2006 and 2007 must be vacated. Florida State officials have 90 days to report to the NCAA statistics departments the ineligible student-athletes and the contests that should be impacted by penalties. The Seminole men's golf team didn't win any tournaments during the time period in question. Their ACC championship victory in 2008 was won after the academic fraud had occurred.

FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN
1. Georgia (Last week's syllabus: 1)
Winning by 12 strokes in Puerto Rico was an impressive start to the spring. With a 38-under 826, the Bulldogs posted their third lowest 54-hole score in school history.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship, Southern Highlands GC, Las Vegas, March 13-15

2. Stanford (3)
The Cardinal are starting to come on (win at USC Intercollegiate) even without Joseph Bramlett in the line-up. Sihwan Kim and David Chung are strong match-play golfers, letting you believe Stanford will have success at the Callaway event later this month ... if not in the postseason.
Next event: Callaway Match Play Championship, The Farms GC, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., March 22-24

3. Oklahoma State (2)
The Cowboys' 16-under 848 might have only been good for third place in Puerto Rico, but it was their lowest score of the year. All five starters finished inside the top-25 although none inside the top 11.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship, Southern Highlands GC, Las Vegas, March 13-15

4. Southern California (4)
Sophomore Matt Giles jumps into the top spot in the Golfstat Cup ranking after his third fourth-place finish in four starts this season. The Aussie is going to be counted on even more until Jamie Lovemark's broken finger has healed.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship, Southern Highlands GC, Las Vegas, March 13-15

5. Clemson (NR)
Larry Penley's team remains an enigma, albeit a talented one. En route to a second-place finish at the Puerto Rico Classic, all five Tigers shot even par or better during the final two rounds. It's the first time a Clemson team has done that since April 2003.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship, Southern Highlands GC, Las Vegas, March 13-15

WOMEN
1. UCLA (1)
Rough life for Bruins coach Carrie Forsyth, trying to figure out who she has to leave behind thanks to a lineup that includes seven players with stroke averages of 73.67 or better.
Next event: UCF Challenge, Red Tail GC, Sorrento, Fla., March 8-10

2. Arizona State (2)
The flu left Jaclyn Sweeney and Giulia Molinaro at far less than 100 percent at the Arizona Wildcat. Expect a better showing from them and the return to action for Azahara Munoz in Florida next week.
Next event: UCF Challenge, Red Tail GC, Sorrento, Fla., March 8-10

3. Southern California (3)
While Lizette Salas is stepping up big time for the Trojans, freshman Jennifer Song hasn't been too shabby either: 71.88 average, four top-10s and no finish worse than a T-14.
Next event: UCF Challenge, Red Tail GC, Sorrento, Fla., March 8-10

4. Wake Forest (4)
Senior Nannette Hill wins ACC golfer of the month award for the first time in her career.
Next event: LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic, University Club, Baton Rouge, La., March 13-15

5. Auburn (5)
Junior Candace Schepperle (71.53) is on pace to set the Tigers' single-season stroke average set by Maru Martinez (71.89) in 2005-06. She needs nine more rounds of par or better to catch Martinez' 21 from that season.
Next event: UCF Challenge, Red Tail CC, Sorrento, Fla., March 8-10

STAT OF THE WEEK
71.189
The adjusted stroke average for Arizona State freshman Carlota Ciganda. The Spaniard's T-2 finish at the Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge and T-3 performance at the Arizona Wildcat Invitational have her already sitting in second place in the Golfstat Cup rankings. In actuality, however, she's really in first place since the player who is technically No. 1 is ASU's Anna Nordqvist, who left school in December and turned pro.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* After starting the season ranked No. 11 in the Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll, only to fall out of the top 25 entirely this spring, Florida State has a lot riding on its home tournament this weekend, the Seminole Intercollegiate. The defending ACC champions have a 39-30-1 overall head-to-head record, bringing the ".500 rule" more closely into view than coach Trey Jones probably feels comfortable with. Having finished fourth at the SunTrust Gator Invitational last month, equaling its best finish of the season, FSU has at least a little momentum to build on. Still, senior Matt Savage needs to finds some more consistency in his game quickly to help ease some of the load that sophomore Drew Kittleson, the U.S. Amateur runner-up, has been carrying. Bottom line: to say this weekend's tournament is a "must-win" sitauation is a stretch, but not a huge one.

* Say what you will about Oregon and coach Casey Martin's decision earlier this year to drop the USC Intercollegiate from the Ducks' schedule and replace it with the Braveheart Classic. With a seven-shot win over Southern Utah at Oak Valley GC in California last Tuesday, Oregon bumped its overall record from 30-29 to 46-29 and got its first victory of the season, knocking off (most notably) Arizona and Tennessee. Yes, the field at the Braveheart was hardly that of USC's event, and some contend that the move was made too much out of fear. Nonetheless, Martin's strategic play might just have helped him secure a bid to regionals and a chance for Oregon to advance to nationals for a second straight season.

* A year ago, Coastal Carolina's Zack Byrd couldn't catch any breaks, forced to take a medical redshirt after injurying his knee in December 2007. The Calabash, N.C., native has made the best of a bad situation, however, returning to the line-up in 2008-09 and, through 18 rounds, leading not just the Chanticleers but the entire Big South Conference in scoring with a 72.2 average. His T-2 finish at the John Hayt Intercollegiate last month gave him three top-three finishes. Medalist at the conference championship in his freshman season, Byrd is a heavy favorite for the General Hackler Championship that Coastal Carolina hosts this week.


TOURNAMENTS ON TAP
MEN
Seminole Intercollegiate
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Golden Eagle CC, Tallahassee, Fla. (Par 72, 6,965 yards)
March 6-8
Host: Florida State
Field: UAB, Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College, College of Charleston, Florida State, Maryland, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Western Carolina
Defending champion: Florida State (six-under 858) by four strokes over Auburn; Vanderbilt's Jon Curran (10-under 206) by three strokes over Auburn's Jay Moseley
Skinny: An example of how the ".500 rule" is actually doing what it was intended to do: B.C. is going to get to play in a tournament with another ACC school for the first time all season.

Ron Smith/USF Invitational
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Lake Jovita G&CC, Dade City, Fla.
March 6-8
Host: South Florida
Field: Arkansas State, Austin Peay, Baylor, Cincinnati, Columbus State, Connecticut, DePaul, Eastern Michigan, Florida Southern, Jacksonville State, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisville, Marquette, Middle Tennessee State, Missouri, Missouri State, Nebraska, Rhode Island, Seton Hall, South Alabama, South Florida, Texas Tech, Troy, Xavier
Defending champion: Middle Tennessee State (six-under 858) by 14 strokes over Florida Southern and Marquette; Marquette's Mike Van Sickle (eight-under 208) by four strokes over three others
Skinny: In its 17th year, the field expands from 18 to 23 teams with seven Big East schools competing at the same course that will host the conference championship next month. Meanwhile, Marquette's Van Sickle is trying to win the individual title for a third straight year.

General Hackler Championship
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
TPC Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, S.C.
March 8-9
Host: Coastal Carolina
Field: Augusta State, Coastal Carolina, Duke, East Tennessee State, Illinois, Kentucky, Lamar, North Carolina, N.C. State, Ohio State, Pepperdine, South Carolina, UCLA, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Wake Forest (33-over 897) by three strokes over Florida State; Louisville's Derek Fathauer (one-over 217) by two strokes over Augusta State's Henrik Norlander
Skinny: The tournaments last five champions (Pepperdine, Coastal Carolina, East Tennessee State, Lamar and Wake Forest) are in this year's field.

Louisiana Classics
Oakbourne CC, Lafayette, La.
March 8-10
Host: Louisiana-Lafayette
Defending champion: Colorado (two-under 862) by 13 strokes over SMU; SMU's Kelly Kraft (five-under 211) by three strokes over Richmond's Jordan Utley

Fresno State Lexus Golf Classic
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Belmont CC, Fresno, Calif.
March 9-10
Host: Fresno State
Field: Arizona State, BYU, Boise State, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Northridge, Fresno City College, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pacific, Sacramento State, San Diego, San Diego State, San Jose State, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UTEP, Washington
Defending champion: San Diego State (23-under 841) by three strokes over California and Texas; Texas' Charlie Holland (nine-under 207) on third playoff hole against San Diego State's Matt Hoffenberg
Skinny: Past champions of the 46-year-old event include Tom Watson (Stanford, 1969), Craig Stadler (USC, 1973, 1974), Bobby Clampett (BYU, 1979, 1980) and Phil MIckelson (Arizona State, 1989).

Cleveland Golf Palmetto Invitational
Palmetto GC, Aiken, S.C. (Par 70, 6,617 yards)
March 9-10
Host: USC Aiken
Field: Akron, Charleston Southern, College of Charleston, East Carolina, Elon, Francis Marion, Furman, Georgia College, Houston, Liberty, Presbyterian, UNC Wilmington, USC Aiken, Winthrop, Wofford
Defending champion: Chattanooga (10-over 850) by 30 strokes over Virginia Tech; Chattanooga's Jonathan Hodge (two-over 212) by one stroke over three others
Skinny: Hosted by the top-ranked D-II team in the Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll, the 12-year-old event is a true crossover as the field consists of a majority of Division I programs.

WOMEN
Duramed Collegiate at Rio Verde
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Quail Run course at Rio Verde CC, Rio Verde, Ariz. (Par 71, 6,260 yards)
March 6-8
Host: Western Michigan
Field: Akron, Arkansas-Little Rock, Ball State, Bowling Green State, Bradley, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Illinois State, Kansas, Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri State, Northern Arizona, Northwestern, Ohio, Southern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan, Wisconsin, Xavier
Defending champion: Notre Dame (11-over 875) by 20 strokes over Minnesota; Notre Dame's So-Hyun Park (four-under 212) by four strokes over Notre Dame's Annie Brophy
Skinny: The seventh playing of the event is the first with a title sponsor. There has never been a repeat champion in tournament history, a fact that will continue in 2010 as Notre Dame is not in the field this week.

UCF Challenge
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Red Tail GC, Sorrento, Fla. (Par 72, 6,301 yards)
March 8-10
Host: UCF
Field: Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Duke, Florida, Florida State, LSU, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Pepperdine, Purdue, Tennessee, Texas, UCF, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt
Defending champion: Duke (13-under 851) by nine strokes over Purdue; Duke's Alison Whitaker (eight-under 208) by two strokes over Purdue's Junthima Gulyamamitta
Skinny: This powerhouse field includes 12 of the top-15 teams in the latest Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll. Duke has won the event in each of its two previous years of existence.

UNLV Spring Rebel Invitational
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Boulder Creek GC, Boulder Creek, Nev. (Par 72, 6,234 yards)
March 9-11
Host: UNLV
Field: BYU, Campbell, Eastern Washington, Fresno State, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kent State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon, Oregon State, SMU, Texas Tech, Tulsa, UNLV, Washington, Washington State
Defending champion: BYU and Washington State tied (five-under 859); Oregon's Cathryn Bristow (eight-under 208) by two strokes over Texas Tech's Ulrika van Niekerk
Skinny: The participating teams can only hope the scoring gets as crazy low as it did at UNLV's fall tournament.

It's going to be a long shot for Duke's Amanda Blumenherst, the reigning NCAA women's college golfer of the year and the U.S. Women's Amateur champion, to actually win the Sullivan Award, given to the top amateur athlete of the previous year. This is particularly the case given that 2008 was an Olympic year and other contenders include Nastia Liukin, the gymnastics All-Around gold medalist, and the USA men's 4x100 swimming relay team, which included some guy named Michael Phelps.

That said the Blue Devil senior has to be happy being named one of 10 semifinalists today for the prestigious award. Only twice has a golfer won the honor: Bobby Jones in 1930 and Lawson Little Jr. in 1935. Most recently USC's Jamie Lovemark was named a semifinalist for 2007.

Meanwhile, the general public can participate in the vote--fan voting counts for one-third of the overall voting--by going to USAToday.com (for the live link, click here).

Other semifinalists: Cynthia Barboza (Volleyball), Dara Torres (Swimming), Jonathan Horton (Gymnastics), Shawn Johnson (Gymnastics), Lopez Family (Taekwondo), USA Men's 4x100 Relay Team (Swimming), Erin Popovich (Paralympics Swimming), Tyler Hansbrough (Basketball), Sam Bradford (Football), Nastia Liukin (Gymnastics), Gerald "Buster" Posey (Baseball).