Aaron Judge Wins AP Male Athlete of the Year -- Here Are 20 Other Famous Athletes to Win the Award

Aaron Judge Wins AP Male Athlete of the Year — Here Are 20 Other Famous Athletes to Win the Award

Aaron Judge ended the 2022 calendar year with a bang as he was named AP Male Athlete of the Year. It was a year that came with plenty of doubts, considering he declined a 7-year, $213.5 million contract prior to the start of the 2022 MLB regular season – ultimately betting on himself, his talent, and his health.

It went well for the outfielder, who put together one of the most impressive seasons we’ve ever seen out of an MLB player. He only missed five games in the regular season and finished the campaign with a .311 batting average, 177 hits, 28 doubles, 62 home runs, 131 RBIs, 133 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases. 

He led the MLB in runs, home runs, RBIs, on base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, and total bases – and, of course, broke the American League home run record. Not only did he win AP Male Athlete of the Year, but he was an All-Star, was the league’s MVP, and won a Silver Slugger award. 

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Other Athletes to Win AP Male Athlete of the Year

Aaron Judge Wins AP Male Athlete of the Year -- Here Are 20 Other Famous Athletes to Win the Award
via Instagram (shoheiohtani)

Aaron Judge had an exceptional year behind the plate, which many people were doubting when he declined that already-massive contract offer earlier in the year. His patience paid off and he signed a nine-year, $360 million contract with the Yankees in December – much more massive than before.

Winning AP Male Athlete of the Year was just the cherry on top of a season like none other – the only thing he wasn’t able to accomplish was a World Series championship. Nonetheless, he becomes just the 75th recipient of the award since it was first introduced in 1931 – several athletes won multiple times.

Of the 75 athletes to win the award, 70 of them – including Aaron Judge – were American and 10 of them have won the award more than once (three athletes have won it four times and another athlete won it three times). Let’s take a look at some of the most recent athletes named AP Male Athlete of the Year.

20. Joe Montana (1989, 1990)

Joe Montana was first named AP Male Athlete of the Year in 1989 – a year that began with him leading the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl win on January 22nd (the end of the 1988 regular season). He then proceeded to win his first MVP award in the 1989 regular season with 29 total touchdowns. 

Montana also won AP Male Athlete of the Year in 1990 and is one of just seven male athletes to win the award in back-to-back years. After leading his 49ers to a second consecutive Super Bowl win on January 28, 1990, he proceeded to win his second consecutive MVP award during the 1990 regular season. 

19. Michael Jordan (1991, 1992, 1993)

Michael Jordan saw Montana’s back-to-back AP Male Athlete of the Year honor and raised him one, winning the award three consecutive years between 1991 and 1993. During this three-year stretch, Jordan led his Chicago Bulls to three consecutive championships as he took the NBA by storm. 

Between 1990 and 1993, Jordan averaged 31.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.6 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 240 games played – he also added 33.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.0 block in 58 playoff games. He was named MVP twice and NBA Finals MVP three times during the stretch. 

18. George Foreman (1994)

George Foreman retired from boxing in 1977 with a 45-2 career record, but eventually made a comeback to the ring 10 years down the line. Between 1987 and 1993, he fought his way back into heavyweight contention and had two opportunities to regain a title, but came up short both times – in 1991 and 1993. 

In 1994, Foreman made history when he won the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles in a bout vs. Michael Moorer – he won via a 10th-round KO. Foreman was 42 years old, making him the oldest heavyweight champion ever – he also broke the record for longest interval between a fighter’s first and second title.

17. Cal Ripken Jr. (1995)

On September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. did something that many people thought would never be done. Suiting up in his 2,131st consecutive game, Ripken broke the all-time MLB record for most consecutive games played – a record previously held by Lou Gehrig. It was a historic day, marking a historic career.

Ripken Jr. continued that streak for another 500 games, eventually coming to an end on September 20, 1998 at 2,632 games. He made 19 consecutive All-Star appearances during his 21-year career in the MLB, retiring after the 2001 season with 3,184 hits, 431 home runs, and 1,695 RBIs in his career. 

16. Michael Johnson (1996)

In 1996, Michael Johnson was a walking record-breaker and gold medalist – putting on quite a show during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. It all started in June when he ran a 19.66-second 200m at the Olympic Trials, breaking a record previously held by Pietro Mennea – who ran it in 19.72 seconds. 

At the Olympics, he easily won a gold medal in the 400m race with an Olympic record time of 43.49 seconds. He then ran a 19.32-second 200m, winning the gold medal and breaking the record he broke earlier in the year. He became the first male to win gold in the 200m and 400m in the same Olympics. 

15. Tiger Woods (1997, 1999, 2000, 2006)

Tiger Woods is one of three male athletes to be named AP Male Athlete of the Year four times in their career – the other two are mentioned further down on this list. He first won it in 1997, a year that saw him win his first major championship at The Masters Tournament – he finished with four wins on the year. 

Woods didn’t win in 1998, but he won it back-to-back in 1999 and 2000. During that stretch, he won the PGA Championship twice, the U.S. Open once, and The Open Championship once. He most recently won the award in 2006 when he won his third PGA Championship and third The Open Championship. 

14. Mark McGwire (1998)

Mark McGwire is the one that ruined Woods’ shot at four consecutive Male Athlete of the Year wins. He entered the 1998 regular season with 387 career home runs in 1,380 games played between 1986 and 1997. He was coming off a career-high 58 home runs in 1997 and had 52 home runs the year prior. 

The 1998 season saw McGwire on a different level – hitting 70 home runs and 147 RBIs in 155 games played. His 70 home runs not only led the MLB that season, but it set the all-time single-season home run record – previously held by Roger Maris (61 home runs). Still, McGwire didn’t walk away as the MVP. 

13. Barry Bonds (2001)

Barry Bonds entered the 2001 regular season with 494 home runs in 2,143 games played between 1986 and 2000. He saw McGwire make history with his 70 home runs in 1998, but that became old news when Bonds led the MLB with 73 home runs in 153 games played (two games less than McGwire in 1998). 

Bonds finished the 2001 season with a .328 batting average, 156 hits, 32 doubles, 73 home runs, 137 RBIs, 129 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases. He won his fourth MVP award and would go on to win MVP in each of the next three seasons – he won it four years straight and retired with a record seven MVPs.

12. Lance Armstrong (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)

Lance Armstrong is the second of three athletes on this list to be named AP Male Athlete of the Year four times in their career, but the only one to do it four years in a row – he won it in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. It capped off a seven-year stretch where Armstrong won the Tour de France every single year. 

Unfortunately, his AP Male Athlete of the Year honor isn’t really valid, considering his Tour de France titles were stripped from him due to a doping investigation that found him guilty of using PEDs. It resulted in quite a downfall, as he was banned from all sports and was forced to retire from his cycling career. 

11. Tom Brady (2007)

Did you really think there would be a list like this without Tom Brady on it? He was named AP Male Athlete of the Year in 2007 after leading the New England Patriots to a perfect 16-0-0 regular season – though he technically went 18-1-0 in the calendar year (the Patriots went 2-1 in the playoffs in early-2007. 

Brady threw for 737 yards and 6 touchdowns in those three playoff games earlier in the year before exploding for 4,806 yards, 50 touchdowns, and just 8 interceptions during the 2007 regular season. He was a Pro Bowl and All-Pro quarterback that season, also winning MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. 

10. Michael Phelps (2008)

Michael Phelps was named AP Male Athlete of the Year in 2008 – a year that included one of the greatest Olympic performances of all-time. He went on to break the all-time record for most gold medals in a single Olympics, winning eight gold medals in swimming – practically cleaning up the entire sport. 

Not only did he win eight gold medals, but he set world records in seven of those events and an Olympic record in the eighth. The events included 100m butterfly, 200m freestyle, 200m medley, 200m butterfly, 400m medley, 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle, and 4×100 medley. It was an incredible showing. 

9. Jimmie Johnson (2009)

2009 was a historic season for Jimmie Johnson, who became the only driver in NASCAR history to win four consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Championships. He also became the first NASCAR driver to win AP Male Athlete of the Year and became the fourth NASCAR driver to win Driver of the Year three times. 

Johnson ended the 2009 season with seven wins in total – becoming the only driver to win at least three races in each of their first eight seasons. He also had four poles, 16 top fives, and 24 top-ten finishes. To top it off, Johnson won his second ESPY in the Best Driver category and was nominated for Best Athlete. 

8. Drew Brees (2010)

Drew Brees began the 2010 calendar year with a 3-0 record in the 2009-10 playoffs – he threw for 732 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions en route to his first and only Super Bowl win. It was just his third trip to the playoffs and he needed an overtime win for the NFC Championship, but he got the job done. 

Brees followed that up with an impressive 2010 regular season – throwing for 4,620 yards and 33 TDs in 16 games. He led the Saints to an 11-5-0 record to finish the calendar year 14-5-0. He might have thrown the most interceptions of his career in 2010, but he also led the entire league in completion percentage. 

7. Aaron Rodgers (2011)

Aaron Rodgers began the 2011 calendar year with a 4-0 record in the 2010-11 playoffs – he threw for 1,094 yards, 9 touchdowns, and just 2 interceptions en route to his first and only Super Bowl win. Like Brees, it was just Rodgers’ third trip to the playoffs, but only his second trip since being named starter.

Rodgers followed that up with an impressive 2011 regular season – throwing for 4,643 yards, 45 TDs, and just 6 interceptions. He led the Packers to a near-perfect 14-1-0 season (they were 1-0 with him on the sideline). His incredible play resulted in him being named MVP for the first of four times in his career. 

6. LeBron James (2013, 2016, 2018, 2020)

LeBron James is the third and final athlete on this list to be named AP Male Athlete of the Year four times in their career – joining Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong from above. James won it in 2013, 2016, 2018, and 2020 – you can honestly make a case for him to win the award every single year. 

Over his legendary 20-year career, James has been named an All-Star on 18 occasions and is on his way to his 19th appearance this season. He’s a four-time NBA champion, four-time MVP, four-time Finals MVP, three-time All-Star MVP, and six-time All-Defensive player – he’s a future first ballot Hall of Famer.

5. Madison Bumgarner (2014)

Madison Bumgarner had arguably the best season of his career in 2014, finishing the regular season with an 18-10 record, 2.98 ERA, 219 strikeouts, 4 complete games, and 2 shutouts in 33 starts (217.1 innings pitched). He set career-highs in each of those categories and won his first career Silver Slugger award. 

Bumgarner was even more explosive in the playoffs. He was named MVP of the NLCS after striking out 12 in 15.2 innings pitched – he was 1-0 and had a 1.72 ERA in that series. He went on to win World Series MVP after throwing a complete game shutout in Game 5. He went 2-0 with a 0.43 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 21.0 innings pitched in the World Series.

4. Stephen Curry (2015)

By 2015, Stephen Curry had established himself as a force in the NBA. He was riding off a 2014-15 season that saw him win his first of two MVP awards and first of four NBA championships. He averaged 28.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.9 steals in 21 playoff games en route to a Warriors’ title. 

Curry kept the good vibes rolling in the 2015-16 season, scoring 118 points through the Warriors’ first three games. He went on to lead the league in scoring at 30.1 points per game and won his second MVP award – this time doing so in unanimous fashion, becoming the first player in NBA history to do so. 

3. José Altuve (2017)

In the three years leading up to the 2017 season, José Altuve was slowly creeping his way into MVP contention. He placed 13th in MVP voting in 2014, was 10th in voting in 2015, and jumped up to 3rd in voting in 2016. He led the league in hits in each of those three seasons – and batting average twice.

Then came 2017, which saw Altuve record a career- and MLB-high .346 batting average with 204 hits, 39 doubles, 24 home runs, 81 RBIs, 112 runs scored, and 32 stolen bases en route to his first MVP award. He then hit 7 home runs and 14 RBIs in the 2017 playoffs, including 2 home runs in the World Series – which Houston won. 

2. Kawhi Leonard (2019)

Kawhi Leonard had the best season of his career in 2018-19 – finishing the regular season with 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals. He then averaged 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.7 steals in 24 games played during the playoffs – leading the Raptors to their first ever NBA title. He was named Finals MVP.

Leonard followed that up with another impressive regular season in 2019-20 – putting up career-highs in points (27.1) and assists (4.9) per game. It was his first season with the Clippers, but one that only saw him play 57 games as he started to limit his playing time due to injuries. Still, he was one of the best players in the league. 

1. Shohei Ohtani (2021)

Shohei Ohtani took the MLB by storm in 2021 after playing in just 55 games the season prior. He went on to have one of the most impressive seasons we’ve ever seen by a baseball player – not only having extreme success at the plate, but also getting the job done on the mound. He was exciting to watch. 

Ohtani finished the regular season with a .257 batting average, 138 hits, 26 doubles, 8 triples, 46 home runs, 100 RBIs, 103 runs scored, and 26 stolen bases. He also went 9-2 as a starting pitcher with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 130.1 innings pitched. He was named MVP and made his first All-Star appearance. 

Multiple Winners of the AP Male of the Year Award

Looking at the list above, several athletes – Joe Montana, Lance Armstrong, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, and Tiger Woods – have been named AP Male Athlete of the Year multiple times. While they are some of the most recent to do it, they certainly aren’t the only ones to accomplish it. 

The four other athletes to be named AP Male Athlete of the Year more than once include Carl Lewis (1983, 1984), Sandy Koufax (1963, 1965), Byron Nelson (1944, 1945), and Don Budge (1937, 1938). It’s not an easy thing to accomplish, considering all athletes from all sports are included in the voting. 

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With that said, several athletes will have an opportunity to join the coveted list of multiple winners next year – Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Kawhi Leonard, José Altuve, Stephen Curry, Aaron Rodgers, and Madison Bumgarner. They’ve each won it once and are still active in their respective sports.

Katie Ledecky Named AP Female Athlete of the Year — Here’s a Look at the Past 20 Winners of the Award

Katie Ledecky has established herself as one of the greatest swimmers – male or female – of all-time, consistently performing well on the biggest stages (or pools, in this case). And after an impressive 2022 season, she’s adding to her list of accomplishments as this year’s AP Female Athlete of the Year.

After winning two golds and two silver medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Ledecky was poised to keep her momentum going as she entered the 2022 World Championships in Budapest. She went on to win a gold medal in all four of her freestyle events – the 400m, 800m, 1500m, and 4x200m. 

She set championship records in 400m and 4x200m events, and became the first swimmer, male or female, to win an event at the World Championships five years in a row. Four months later, she set world records in the 1500m short course and the 800m short course at the FINA Swimming World Cup. 

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Past 20 Winners of the AP Female Athlete of the Year

For Katie Ledecky, this is her second time winning AP Female Athlete of the Year – she first won the award in 2017 as a freshman at Stanford University. The 2016-17 season saw her set 12 NCAA records and nine American records en route to leading Stanford to their first team title in nearly 20 years. 

She won four golds at the 2016 Olympics, then went haywire at the 2017 World Championships – which, ironically, was held in Budapest (like in 2022) – winning five gold medals and one silver medal. She set a then-championship record in the 400m freestyle and an American record in the 4x100m freestyle. 

Now, Ledecky becomes just the 19th female athlete to win the AP Female Athlete of the Year award multiple times. She’s one of just 61 females to win the award since it was introduced in 1931 – all but 13 of them have been American. Let’s take a look at the 20 past AP Female Athlete of the Year winners. 

20. Candace Parker (2021, 2008)

Candace Parker is one of the greatest and most versatile female basketball players of all-time. She was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks with the No. 1 overall pick in 2008 and went on to win Rookie of the Year and MVP that season – the same year she won her first AP Female Athlete of the Year award. 

13 years later, Parker won the award again after helping lead the Chicago Sky to a WNBA title – the second of her career after winning it in 2016 with LA. She’s a two-time MVP, a seven-time All-Star, and an All-Star MVP. Most importantly, she’s a future Hall of Famer whenever she decides to hang them up.

19. Naomi Osaka (2020)

Naomi Osaka is known for both her excellence on the tennis court and her voice as an activist – both of which were on display in 2020. It was a weird season for all sports, with the COVID-19 pandemic bringing most of them to a halt. When play resumed for the ATP Tour, Osaka showed what she’s capable of. 

In back-to-back weeks, Osaka played in the Cincinnati Open and US Open – both in New York. Not only did she win both events, including her second US Open at just 22 years old, but she used that stage to raise awareness for the many African Amercans who were killed by police in the US in recent years. 

18. Simone Biles (2019, 2016)

Simone Biles joins Katie Ledecky as one of the select few to win AP Female Athlete of the Year twice. She first won it in 2016 following her incredible run at the 2016 Olympics – where she won five medals, four of which were gold. She set a US record for most golds in women’s gymnastics in a single Olympiad.

Biles won the award a second time in 2019 after a stellar performance at the 2019 Artistic Gymnastics Championships (World Championships) in Stuttgart, Germany. She appeared in five events and won a gold medal in each of them. She also won the Stuttgart World Cup, GK US Classic, and US Nationals.

17. Serena Williams (2018, 2015, 2013, 2009, 2002)

Serena Williams is the only female athlete to come close to Babe Didrikson’s record of six AP Female Athlete of the Year awards. She has won the award a total of five times between 2002 and 2018, proving that age is just a number. She was also named AP Female Athlete of the Decade, the first ever recipient.

In the first four years she won the award (2002, 2009, 2013, and 2015), Serena combined for 10 Grand Slam titles – three of which came in an impressive 2015 season. As for 2018, she overcame adversity in her return to tennis following her pregnancy, eventually being named runner-up at the 2018 US Open. 

16. Mo’ne Davis (2014)

Mo’ne Davis was all the rage at the 2014 Little League World Series, being just one of two girls to play in the tournament. She was a pitcher you didn’t want to bat against and became the first girl to earn a win and throw a shutout in tournament history. Not only that, but she became the sixth girl to record a hit. 

Following the Little League World Series, she became the first Little League player to appear on the front cover of Sports Illustrated. She now plays softball for Hampton University and has a bright future ahead of her – no matter what she decides to do. And while she doesn’t pitch anymore, she’s an effective batter. 

15. Gabby Douglas (2012)

https://twitter.com/GabrielPelouse/status/282619906766282752

Gabby Douglas started the 2012 calendar year by putting up the highest total all-around score at the AT&T American Cup – despite being an alternate at the competition. She then won two gold medals at the Pacific Rim Championships that same month and three medals (one gold) at Nationals not long after. 

Then came the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where Douglas won a gold medal in the team event and an all-around gold medal – in doing so, she became the first woman of color to win the all-around title. She competed in four events total, but came in eighth in uneven bars and seventh in balance beam.

14. Abby Wambach (2011)

Abby Wambach was spectacular during the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany – her third World Cup appearance. While she didn’t score in the first two group matches, she did score in the third and the US narrowly advanced to the quarterfinal. That’s when things got really interesting for the United States.

Down 2-1 in the quarterfinal, Wambach scored an impressive header goal in stoppage time – 120+2 minutes. It sent the game to PKs, where the US won. They then advanced to the final after a 3-1 win over France, but lost to Japan. Wambach won the Silver Ball, Bronze Boot, and a silver medal for her efforts.

13. Lindsey Vonn (2010)

Lindsey Vonn had a year to remember in 2010. At just 25 years old, she won her third consecutive World Cup and finished in first place in the Super-G, Downhill, and Combined events. She also competed in the Slalom and Giant Slalom, but finished in 14th and 28th place, respectively. Of course, that’s just the start. 

Vonn almost didn’t compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics – her third Olympic appearance – due to an injury, but ended up healing in time. She ended up winning a gold medal in the Downhill event and a bronze medal in the Super-G event – the first two Olympic medals of her long and illustrious career.  

12. Lorena Ochoa (2007, 2006)

Lorena Ochoa was one of the greatest golfers in the world between 2006 and 2009 – winning AP Female Athlete of the Year twice in that span (back-to-back, nonetheless). It all started in 2006, when she shot an incredible 62 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship – tied for the lowest ever score by a male or a female. 

She won six tournaments in 2006 and was named LPGA Tour Player of the Year, Money Winner, and Vare Trophy winner – she won each of those awards in 2007, as well. Speaking of 2007, she was a runner up in the U.S. Women’s Open and won her first major championship at the Women’s British Open.

11. Annika Sörenstam (2005, 2004, 2003)

Annika Sörenstam is a three-time winner of the AP Female Athlete of the Year – one of five women to do so and one of three women to do so in three consecutive years. In 2003, the first year she won the award, Sörenstam became the first female golfer since Babe Zaharias to play in a PGA Tour event (men).

Between 2003 and 2005, Sörenstam won a total of 24 LPGA Tour events and won the Women’s PGA Championship each year. She also won the British Open in 2003 and the Chevron Championship in 2005 – she won five of her 10 major championships during this span. She was nothing short of unstoppable. 

10. Jennifer Capriati (2001)

Heading into the 2001 calendar year, Jennifer Capriati had never won a major title – a difficult thing to do with Martina Hingis, the Williams’ sisters, and Monica Seles constantly getting in her way. But 2001 was bound to be her year and that’s exactly what it was – winning the Australian Open and French Open.

Capriati also reached the semifinals at Wimbledon and the US Open, losing to Justine Henin at Wimbledon and losing to Venus Williams at the US Open. By October 15th, Capriati outlasted everyone else on the tour by becoming world No. 1 for the first time and ended the year as the world No. 2. 

9. Marion Jones (2000)

Marion Jones intended on winning five gold medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. While she didn’t achieve that, she did walk away with five medals – three gold and two bronze – which was the most of any female track and field athlete at the time. She was an unstoppable force in Sydney.

Unfortunately, she was only unstoppable due to her use of performance-enhancing drugs – her and her coach/husband both tested positive. It resulted in her forfeiting her five medals, as well as the three medals she won at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton. It was a disgrace to the sport. 

8. U.S. Women’s Soccer Team (1999)

The 1999 U.S. Women’s National Team consisted of a number of all-time football legends – including Michelle Akers, Brandi Chastain, Joy Fawcett, Brianna Scurry, Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly, Shannon MacMillan, and more. The team ended up winning the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

United States started out 3-0-0 in the group stage, outscoring opponents 13-1 with two shutout victories. In the knockout stage, the US beat Germany 3-2, Brazil 2-0, and China 0-0 in penalty kicks. Akers won the Bronze Ball and the team had six players score at least two goals throughout the tournament. 

7. Se Ri Pak (1998)

In 1998, Se Ri Pak was just a rookie on the LPGA Tour. Of course, she didn’t let that stop her from showing the world how much she loved the game of golf. She started the year on fire, winning the LPGA Championship and U.S. Women’s Open in May and June, respectively – her first two major titles. 

She went on to record two more wins at the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic and Giant Eagle LPGA Classic – both in July. It capped off quite a month for her, winning three of the four tournaments in July 1998. She was Rookie of the Year and became the 11th non-American female to win AP Female Athlete of the Year.

6. Martina Hingis (1997)

Martina Hingis almost achieved what very few tennis players have ever achieved when she took to the court for the 1997 season. She started the year by becoming the youngest player to win a Grand Slam title in the 20th century with her win at the Australian Open – she was just 16 years old at the time. 

While she lost in the final of the French Open, she followed that up with a win at the US Open and Wimbledon – making it to the final at each Grand Slam in 1997 and winning three of them. She also won the doubles title at the 1997 Australian Open and won all four doubles titles the following season (1998). 

5. Amy Van Dyken (1996)

Amy Van Dyken was just 23 years old at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia when she became the first American female to win four golds in one Olympiad. She won the 50m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 4x100m freestyle, and 4x100m medley to go down in history as one of the greatest to ever do it.

As a result of her accomplishments, Van Dyken was not only named AP Female Athlete of the Year, but she won an ESPY in the same category and was inducted into two Hall of Fames – the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and the US Olympic Hall of Fame. Of course, she won a lot more awards in 1996. 

4. Rebecca Lobo (1995)

Rebecca Lobo was a senior at UCONN during the 1995 season – she played under head coach Geno Auriemma. That year, she helped lead the Huskies to a perfect 35-0 season and won the 1995 National Championship to top it all off. Of course, that was met with a plethora of Player of the Year honors. 

For example, she was the National Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year, USBWA Player of the Year, and WBCA Player of the Year. She also won the Honda Sports Award, the Wade Trophy, the Honda-Broderick Cup, and was named a First-Team All American.

3. Bonnie Blair (1994)

By the 1994 season, Bonnie Blair had already established herself as one of the best in her field – she won a gold medal at the World Championships 10 years prior and already had three Olympic gold medals to her name from the 1988 and 1992 games. But 1994 was special – it was her last Olympic appearance.

And she went out in the best way. In her fourth Olympics, she walked away with a gold medal in the 500m and 1,000m speed skating events – defending her gold medals from the previous Olympiad. She became the most decorated American female Winter Olympic athlete with five gold medals and one bronze medal.

2. Sheryl Swoopes (1993)

Sheryl Swoopes was a senior basketball player at Texas Tech in 1993 – her second year on campus after spending her freshman and sophomore seasons at South Plains College. She went on to average 28.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 3.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks in 34 games during that 1993 season.

Not only did she win the NCAA National Championship that year, but she won the Honda Sports Award and was named WBCA Player of the Year – among a slew of other awards. She went on to play in the WNBA for 12 years, including its inaugural season in 1997, and won four WNBA Championships. 

1. Monica Seles (1992, 1991)

Monica Seles is one of the select few female athletes to ever win the AP Female Athlete of the Year award in consecutive years. She first won it in 1991, the same year she won the Australian Open for the first time, the French Open for the second time, and the US Open for the first time. She was on fire. 

Seles won the award again in 1992, which saw her defend each of those Grand Slam titles and came oh-so-close to winning the Wimbledon for a season sweep – she was defeated by Steffi Graf in the final. She also won the Tour Finals in 1991 and 1992, and debuted as the World No. 1 player in March 1991.

Others Who Deserved to Win AP Female Athlete of the Year

Believe it or not, Katie Ledecky wasn’t a lock to win AP Female Athlete of the Year in 2022. In fact, she was tied with Sydney McLaughlin in the voting process – they each received 22 votes, but Ledecky won with 10 first place votes to McLaughlin’s nine. It honestly could’ve gone either way, but I like the outcome.

Others to receive votes are A’ja Wilson (18 votes), Aliyah Boston (14 votes), Iga Swiatek (14 votes), Eileen Gu (9 votes), Alexia Putellas (5 votes), Erin Jackson (4 votes), Sam Kerr (3 votes), and Ons Jabeur (2 votes). All these females had incredible years in 2022, but didn’t quite match that of Ledecky.

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Not only that, but several other female athletes received write-in votes by some of the 40 sports writers and editors who voted – including Jessie Diggins, Brittney Griner, Lindsey Jacobellis, Chloe Kim, Lydia Ko, Nelly Korda, and Weili Zhang. Now we get to look forward to an even better 2023!

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At The Buzzer, or ATB is the place for those who love sports, life, family, community, and so much more. We are far from the run-of-the-mill 24/7 sports news websites. We not only bring you what’s happening in the world of sports in terms of trades and breaking news, but we also bring you the news that goes on behind the scenes, like big life moments, and so much more. So take a minute and read one of our articles, we promise you won't regret it.

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