Women's Sports Foundation's Annual Salute to Women in Sports Awards Dinner
Courtney Kupets, Jessie Vetter, Dick Ebersol, Gatorade and Tiffara Steward among top recipients
NEW YORK, N.Y., OCTOBER 13, 2009 - Tonight, at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York City, Bob Costas and Mary Carillo hosted the Women’s Sports Foundation’s 30th Annual Salute to Women in Sports Dinner. Sports fans and champion athletes from Laila Ali, Shawn Johnson and Michelle Kwan to young breakout stars such as Melanie Oudin gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of those who have helped break down barriers and open doors for girls striving to make their mark in female athletics. Gymnast Courtney Kupets and ice hockey goaltender Jessie Vetter accepted the Sportswoman of the Year Awards, while basketball star Tiffara Steward was honored with the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award. In addition to these amazing athletes, The Gatorade Company received the Billie Jean King Contribution Award and Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics Dick Ebersol was awarded with the Industry Leader Award, while Annika Sorenstam and Pat Summitt received special tributes.
Gymnast Courtney Kupets received the Sportswoman of the Year Award for individual sport athletes. Kupets is the all-time NCAA leader with nine individual championships, including three all-around titles. At the end of the 2009 season Kupets had all-around figures of 39.9, 39.85 and 39.825, which rank second, fourth and sixth on the University of Georgia gymnastics all-time list. In April 2009, she led Georgia to its fifth straight NCAA Championship as she scored 10s on vault and bars and 9.95s on beam and floor.
Jessie Vetter was presented with the Sportswoman of the Year Award for team sport athletes. She represented the U.S. women’s ice hockey team as goaltender in 2009. After making 39 saves, Vetter helped Team USA defeat Canada and win the gold at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Women’s Championship and for a second time, named Olympic Athlete of the Week by USA Today. Vetter also holds multiple NCAA Division I records from her time playing for the University of Wisconsin. She is the all-time NCAA Division I leader for career victories (91) and shutouts (39) and has the single-season shutout record (14).
The Wilma Rudolph Courage Award was presented to Farmingdale State Rams starting point guard Tiffara Steward for exhibiting great determination and strength on and off the court. Born three months premature and weighing only 2 1/2 pounds, Steward underwent six surgeries by the time she was 3 years old and still battles multiple permanent disabilities including battling severe scoliosis, impaired vision in her right eye and 50 percent hearing loss. Despite her challenges, Steward received major minutes off the bench her freshman and sophomore years before earning the starting spot on the team. This season Steward played in 27 games, starting 24, while averaging 5.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and a three-point percentage of .329.
For nearly four decades, The Gatorade Company has been committed to helping athletes optimize their health and performance. Gatorade has been a dedicated partner of the Women’s Sports Foundation for nearly a decade, and has served as a national sponsor for the past six years. Gatorade’s multi-year support has included the underwriting of numerous Foundation grants, events, outreach and educational materials to help advance the lives of girls and women. The Women’s Sports Foundation honors The Gatorade Company with the Billie Jean King Contribution Award for its commitment to women’s athletics and for its help in fueling young girls’ athletic dreams and celebrating their accomplishments.
Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics, was awarded the Industry Leader Award for his exemplary body of work celebrating female athletics. Ebersol has worked diligently to ensure that the media’s portrayal of women’s sports is equal to that of its male counterpart. In 1997, Ebersol and NBC telecast the regular-season schedule of the Women’s National Basketball Association, the first time a professional women’s sports league had weekly broadcast network TV coverage. Then, in 1999 he announced at the Women’s Sports Foundation Annual Summit that every minute of the U.S. women’s softball competition would be televised during Olympic coverage. From then on, Ebersol and NBC have strived to make sure women’s sports receive their time and recognition in the media. This was quite evident in 2006 when 42.7 percent of NBC television coverage of the Olympic Winter Games was of women’s sports, surpassing daily U.S. media coverage of women’s sports (8 percent).
In addition to the five award recipients, The Women’s Sports Foundation also honored Annika Sorenstam and Pat Summit, two exceptional women who have broken barriers for women in sport and have set records among their peers.
Annika Sorenstam is the most dominant player in women’s golf and among the greatest icons in sports. Throughout her illustrious career, she has rewritten the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, with 89 career wins, and induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame and LPGA Hall Of Fame, the lowest score in a round of tournament play. She is also the first player in LPGA history to cross the $20 million mark among other extraordinary achievements. Sorenstam has brought unprecedented attention to women’s golf. Her success has changed how women’s golf is played, covered and viewed, and in her rise to mainstream athlete and celebrity, she has had a positive impact on all women’s sports.
For more than three decades, Pat Summitt has been the head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteer basketball team and is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history. With 1,000 victories, Summitt raises the bar in the collegiate basketball world every time she steps out on the court. Summitt is a consummate taskmaster, who has kept her elite program in the winner's circle for over three decades, producing a mind-boggling record of 1,005-193 (.839). During her tenure, the Lady Vols have won eight NCAA titles, as well as 27 Southeastern Conference tournament and regular season championships. Tennessee has made an unprecedented 27 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Sweet 16 and produced 12 Olympians, 19 Kodak All-Americans named to 33 teams, and 71 All-SEC performers. Along with the success on the court, Summitt's student-athletes have tremendous productivity in the classroom. Coach Summitt has a 100 percent graduation rate for all Lady Vols who have completed their eligibility at Tennessee. Pat Summitt is one of the finest ambassadors the sport has ever had.
In addition to recognizing high-profile athletes and their supporters, the Women’s Sports Foundation uses the Annual Salute to Women in Sports to help forward its mission to promote equality and progress for women and girls in sports and athletics. The Annual Salute to Women in Sports was co-presented by ESPN and Gatorade®, and American Airlines was the official airline of the 2009 benefit.
About the Women’s Sports Foundation
The Women’s Sports Foundation—the leading authority on the participation of women and girls in sports—advocates for equality, educates the public, conducts research and offers grants to promote sports and physical activity for girls and women. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, the Women’s Sports Foundation builds on her legacy as a champion athlete, advocate of social justice and agent of change. We strive for gender equity and fight discrimination in all aspects of athletics. Our work shapes public attitude about women’s sports and athletes, builds capacities for organizations that get girls active, provides equal opportunities for girls and women, and supports physically and emotionally healthy lifestyles. The Women’s Sports Foundation is recognized worldwide for its leadership, vision, strength, expertise and influence. For more information, please call the Women’s Sports Foundation at 800.227.3988 or visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.