April 27, 2006

Thursday night marked the beginning of a new tradition for USC student-athletes with the presentation of the first annual Tommy Athletic Awards. The Student-Athlete Advisory Council has organized the award ceremony to honor the outstanding achievements of Trojan student-athletes in the classroom as well as on the playing fields. Hosted by USC football and baseball alum John Jackson, the 2005 Tommy Athletic Awards joined together student-athletes, coaches and other members of the USC athletic department at Bovard Auditorium on April 27.

Designed after similar student-athlete academic programs at other universities, the 2005 Tommy Athletic Awards were presented ESPY-style and honored USC's top teams, individuals and athletic performances as voted upon by the USC athletic department staff, teams and coaches. Below is a list of the winners and their accomplishments in 2005.

2005 Tommy Athletic Award Winners

Best Female Athlete of the Year

Virginia Powell (Track & Field)
2005 NCAA Champion in the 100m hurdles and 60m indoor hurdles; 2005 Honda Award Finalist for top female track & field athlete in the nation; Pac-10 and NCAA West Regional Champion in the 100m hurdles.

Best Male Athlete of the Year

Reggie Bush (Football)
2005 Heisman Trophy Winner; AP Player of the Year; Walter Camp Player of the Year; Touchdown Club of Columbus Player of the Year; Doak Walker Award Recipient as the best running back in the country; Unanimous AP 1st Team All-American.

Best Comeback of the Year

Football vs. Notre Dame
With 3 seconds left on the clock, the Trojans scored a touchdown to win 34-31 in South Bend. Notre Dame had taken a 31-28 lead with 2:04 left, but the Trojans completed a 61-yard pass on a fourth-and-9 at their own 26 and scored a few plays later.

Highest Female Team GPA

Women's Swimming and Diving - 3.20 GPA

Highest Male Team GPA

Men's Track and Field - 2.85 GPA

Most Spirited Team of the Year

Women's Basketball

Best Record-Breaking Performance of the Year

Jesse Williams (Track & Field)
Set the school record with a high jump of 7-6 to win the NCAA outdoor high jump title, and at the Pac-10 Championships, he broke the Pac-10 high jump record that stood for 18 years.

Highest Female Student-Athlete GPA of the Year

Kate Neeper (Cross Country and Track & Field)
3.98 GPA, double-majoring in Spanish and international relations.

Highest Male Student-Athlete GPA of the Year

Reed Doucette (Men's Basketball)
3.97 GPA, majoring in mechanical engineering

Best Female Team of the Year

Women's Basketball
Advanced to the second round of the NCAA National Championship Tournament for the first time since 1997; Finished second in the Pac-10 Conference; Finished 22nd in the final 2005 USA Today/ESPN poll.

Best Male Team of the Year

Men's Water Polo
Won the 2005 NCAA National Championship; Finished season with program-best 26-1 record after spending seven straight weeks at the top of the national rankings; Ended season with a 19-game winning streak, which set the record for the longest winning streak in program history.

Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Blythe Hartley (Diving)
Originally from North Vancouver, B.C., Blythe Hartley is one of the top divers in the world whose continual pursuit of excellence is evident not only in her sport, but also in the classroom. She is a five-time NCAA Champion, eight-time Pac-10 Champion, three-time NCAA Diver of the Year, four-time Pac-10 Diver of the Year, and a Canadian Olympic and World Championship medalist. Just recently she was named a finalist for the Honda Sports Award for Swimming and Diving, an award that is presented to the top woman collegiate athlete in that sport. As a communication major, she has equally excelled. With a 3.60 GPA, she has been named to the Pac-10 All-Academic First-Team three years in a row and is on track to graduate this summer.

Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Brandon Hancock (Football)
A communication major from Fresno, Calif., Brandon Hancock has been an integral part of the football team, which ended the season ranked second in the nation and first in the Pac-10 Conference. In 2005, he returned after a year off due to a knee injury and appeared in all 13 games, running for 13 yards on 4 carries (3.2 avg.) with a TD and catching 9 passes for 102 yards (11.3 avg.). Brandon's successes are as impressive off the football field. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest honor society and was named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII first team, 2003 CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII first team and 2003 and 2005 Pac-10 All-Academic first teams. He currently has a 3.90 GPA and he hopes this fall he can begin the Master's Program in Communication Management.