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Wolfpack Coach Wins ESPY Award

Kay Yow says her energy level is better and she plans to continue coaching the Wolfpack this coming year.

• Yow Feeling Better, Looking Forward to Upcoming Season

Jul 12, 2007

LOS ANGELES — North Carolina State women's basketball coach Kay Yow won the inaugural Jimmy V ESPY for Perseverance on Wednesday.

She was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer while coaching the Wolfpack during this year's NCAA tournament.

The ESPY awards honors some of the top athletes in sports. LaDainian Tomlinson won four trophies at the ESPY Awards, including male athlete of the year for his record-setting season with the San Diego Chargers.

Tomlinson defeated LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, Wimbledon champion Roger Federer and Tiger Woods for athlete of the year.

James and comedian Jimmy Kimmel co-hosted the 15th annual show honoring the year's best sports moments and athletes at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. It airs Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT on ESPN.

Tomlinson also won best NFL player, record-breaking performance, and the Like Nothing Else award. The NFL MVP scored 31 touchdowns and 186 points, both league records, and rushed for 1,875 yards.

Tomlinson declined to appear backstage to talk with reporters.

James won best NBA player; Federer earned his third straight male tennis player trophy; Manning won championship performance for his Super Bowl triumph; and Woods was chosen best golfer for the third year in a row, his record 18th ESPY.

"I'm kind of glad to bring it back home to Indianapolis," Manning said. "The city of Indianapolis has just embraced this championship. It truly was a team championship and part of the team was the city."

James did a song-and-dance routine in glasses and a wig to Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative" with rewritten lyrics.

"Bobby Brown just checked back into rehab as a result of that performance," Kimmel joked.

Manning, who hosted "Saturday Night Live" last season, gave James a good review.

"It's hard to do," he said. "The dancing was probably the highlight."

James clearly enjoyed playing comic foil to Kimmel, who called the basketball superstar's singing "terrible."

"This is what I do off the court - have fun, tell jokes, I'm very outgoing," James said backstage. "This was perfect for me, especially when you got a guy like Jimmy working beside you."

The Colts were named best team, while Tony Dungy, the first black coach to win a Super Bowl, captured the best coach-manager category.

Arizona softball star Taryne Mowatt won female athlete of the year and female college athlete honors. She pitched every inning, including eight complete games and threw more than 1,000 pitches in six days, to lead the Wildcats to the NCAA championship.

She defeated Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie, LPGA golfer Lorena Ochoa and Tennessee basketball star Candace Parker for athlete of the year.

"I definitely was a little surprised to win," Mowatt said backstage. "Being up against them, it's just surreal."

Boise State's football team won awards for best game and best play. The Broncos upset Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on a two-point conversion using the Statue of Liberty play.

The best moment award went to the New Orleans Saints, who returned to the Superdome for the first time since Hurricane Katrina and defeated the Atlanta Falcons on "Monday Night Football."

The best finish category was added this year. Barton College's NCAA Div. II championship game was nominated, but the award went to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who hit four consecutive homers to force extra innings against the San Diego Padres and then won on a two-run homer by Nomar Garciaparra.

The Arthur Ashe Courage award went to Trevor Ringland and Dave Cullen from Northern Ireland. They founded PeacePlayers to bring Protestant and Catholic children together to play basketball.

Winners in all but the Jimmy V and Arthur Ashe categories were determined by online fan voting. ESPN said a record 12.5 million votes were cast.

Most Recent Comments

By Tarheelz1
Posted Jul 13, 11:49 a.m.

Rank: Towel Boy
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Location: Sanford, NC

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Coach Yow is a very strong person, a much deserved award!!!!

By packandcanesfan
Posted Jul 12, 9:24 p.m.

Rank: All Star
Posts: 460
Joined: Dec, 2006
Location: Raleigh, NC

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What a great tribute to someone that has shown courages and determination for many years. Congrats Coach Yow. We are proud of you and continue to pray for you.

By BADABING1
Posted Jul 12, 7:20 p.m.

Rank: Towel Boy
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Joined: Jul, 2007
Location: Wilson, NC

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Congratulations Coach Yow! I think she has earned the right to coach as long as she wants to and is able. As for Barton, I agree they were robbed! If anyone watched the other nominees for the best finish there wasn't any question that Anthony Atkinson should have won. Maybe he'll get the recognition and praise he deserves with the Globetrotters.

By ussstink
Posted Jul 12, 5:51 p.m.

Rank: Towel Boy
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Joined: May, 2007
Location: Rocky Mount, NC

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Coach Yow is an inspiration, but let's do not forget the many that fight and fight but lose the battle. Aren't they just as couragous as a survivor?

By just my2cents
Posted Jul 12, 3:35 p.m.

Rank: Towel Boy
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Joined: Jan, 2007
Location: Wilson, NC

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Coach Yow is an inspiration, and I am so glad she won. She deserves it. Barton did get shafted, they should have won. There is no way there was a better choice than that awesome finish Ant and the boys provided. Barton is a winner in my book.