By Lindsay Hock and Ellen Martino
View a Photo Gallery of the Biggest Night in Women's Sports The 30
th Annual Salute to Women in Sports was not just a celebration of the present in women’s athletic achievement. It was a retrospective into the past and a glimpse into the future, a future that shines as bright as the stars who were in attendance. Pioneering legends like Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Nancy Lopez, current stars Shawn Johnson and Jennie Finch, and rising up-and-comers Melanie Oudin and Rachael Flatt joined the almost sixty other champion athletes in celebration of all women in sports.
“What makes all those astounding women in the Grand March true champions is not just the fact that they won a race... or set a record... or even changed the game. It’s that they know that crossing the finish line - real or metaphorical - is never the end of the line. It’s because they’re in it for the long haul,” said Foundation President Jessica Mendoza of the 58 champion female athletes that congregated on the main stage of the Waldorf=Astoria’s Grand Ballroom.
Celebrities like President Obama Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Former New York Knick John Starks and First Lady of New York Michelle Paige Patterson all came out to show their support for the Foundation’s mission --- advancing the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity.
Notable sportscasters Bob Costas and Mary Carillo lent their characteristic charm to the evening’s festivities, acting as co-hosts of the event. Costas said of the Women’s Sports Foundation and its work,
“Calling ‘em like you see ‘em and speaking Truth To Power have been hallmarks of what makes the Women’s Sports Foundation great. For 35 years this amazing organization has been not only speaking out about capital “T” Truths, but also speaking up for those without a voice."
While the night was about commemorating the success of all athletes across the world, it was really about celebrating three outstanding athletes: Sportswoman of the Year (SOY) individual winner Courtney Kupets, SOY team winner Jessie Vetter, and the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award winner Tiffara Steward. Additionally, The Gatorade Company was given the Billie Jean King Contribution Award for their nearly four-decade long dedication to the betterment of girls’ and women’s athletics.
Courtney Kupets. Gymnastics, University of Georgia: 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. Ice Hockey, University of Wisconsin: 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).
Tiffara Steward. Basketball, Farmingdale State University: 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.
The Gatorade Company: 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 honored 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
In addition to these extraordinary women, three sports-world luminaries were given special tribute awards: Annika Sorenstam, legendary golfer and philanthropist, Dick Ebersol, Chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, and Pat Summitt, University of Tennessee head women's basketball coach and all-time winningest coach in NCAA history.
A special thanks to co-presenting sponsors of the evening, ESPN and Gatorade for their support. Additionally, the Women’s Sports Foundation extends gratitude to all the guests, to Getty images for photography, to American Airlines and to the Academy NYC for hair and makeup services.