May 24, 2011

Complete Release in PDF Format

Sophia Popov of the women's golf team and Steve Johnson of the men's tennis team were named USC Credit Union Student-Athletes of the Week today (May 24) for the week of May 16-22.

Steve Johnson : Men's Tennis: Junior Steve Johnson was named Pac-10 Player of the Year last week becoming the seventh Trojan in Pac-10 history to win the award. Johnson reigns supreme as the top-ranked player in the nation as he carries a 28-match singles winning streak into this week's NCAA Championship match in the NCAA Team Championships. That streak includes a run to the 2011 Pac-10 Singles Championship, which he claimed at the start of the month just before also winning the 2011 Pac-10 Doubles Championship with teammate Ray Sarmiento. USC's top gun is currently 41-3 overall in singles play on the year has posted a 26-9 overall doubles mark that includes a 14-5 stretch with Sarmiento.

Sophia Popov : Women's Golf: Popov, who won three times among eight top 7 finishes, claimed NGCA National Freshman of the Year, it was announced late following the 2011 NCAA Championships. Popov is the second Freshman of the Year under Gaston. The German native who had a streak of eight straight top 7 finishes heading into the NCAAs, won titles at the Pac-10 Championships, PING/ASU Invitational and the Pac-10/SEC Challenge and was third at the NCAA West Regional. Popov was ranked as high as No. 2 this season and her 72.16 stroke average was the seventh-best in school history. She had a team-best seven rounds in the 60s.