Spring Break
Taryne Mowatt wins two ESPY awards
By: Lance Madden
Issue date: 7/18/07 Section: Sports
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She led her team to a national championship and she met the U.S. president. Now the ace of the Arizona softball team has won two awards - female athlete of the year and college female athlete of the year - at the ESPYs. The show aired on ESPN Sunday night.
After 12.5 million votes were cast online for the winners of the 15th annual event, held at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Mowatt defeated Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie, current LPGA golfer and former Wildcat Lorena Ochoa and Tennessee basketball star Candace Parker for athlete of the year.
"It was really exciting," Mowatt said. "I was not expecting to win at all."
She pitched every inning at the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, including eight complete games, and threw more than 1,000 pitches in seven days as the Wildcats repeated as national champions.
For the season, Mowatt was 42-14, pitched 370 innings and finished with a 1.46 ERA.
The Arizona softball team was nominated as best women's college team, but that honor went to the national champion Tennessee basketball team.
Mowatt made the hour-long drive from her hometown of Corona, Calif., to Hollywood July 10, the night before the filming of the show, and attended a party that night hosted by San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who won four awards. At the party, Mowatt spoted Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning.
"I kept wanting to go up to him and introduce myself and get a picture with him," Mowatt said. "But I couldn't do it. People were like, 'Just do it. He won't mind.' But I just couldn't do it. I was too nervous."
If only she knew what being nervous really was.
During the night of the filming, the show went to a commercial break and an announcement was made: "Stay tuned, because Peyton Manning and actress Kate Walsh will present the award for best female athlete."
Mowatt's boyfriend, C.J. Ziegler, the first baseman on the Arizona baseball team, nudged her after the announcement.
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Sabina Watson
posted 4/21/08 @ 1:55 PM PST
Taryne Mowett iz a idol 2 me and my friends we all play softball and after reading this story 2 the whole entire team it pushed us 2 do harder and hopefully be as amazing az she iz!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
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