AP female athlete of the year

Who votes for this thing? Granted, this is a who-cares? item as far as news value is concerned, but can someone explain how Yani Tseng manages to be out of the top three?

(To bring the uninitiated up to speed, she's a pro golfer who won 12 times in 2011, including two majors.)

 

The fact that you have to describe who she is in your initial post probably isn't a great sign - just throwing that out there.

 

Who won?

 

Abby Wambach won.

 

She won after she lost?

 

Every AP outlet gets one vote. I voted for Wambach.

 

Not trying to be a wise guy here Inky, just curious. Why Wambach?

 

Given the timing of her goals and her individual play in the World Cup, I can see Wambach getting the nod. It seems far more offensive that Hope Solo would be the second-place finisher. For the top two finishers to come from a team that was the runner-up just doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

I'm sure my soccer bias played a role, but she (and Solo) were the only two who I could instantly picture playing their sport. Wambach's header was, to me, the most memorable moment in women's sports this year.

 

Did you consider the golfer, Inky? Based on that resume she seems to have had a far superior year to Wambach.

Having said that, I didn't even know who she was until this thread, so I would have had a hard time voting for her.

 

Never even thought about her. Nice resume, but I'd wager more Americans saw Wambach's header than the combined audience of every LPGA event.

And let's face it, that recognizability factor plays a huge role. Kelly Slater had a monster year on the surfing tour, but he didn't get nearly as many votes as Tony Stewart.

If I was going on sheer athletic performance, I might have voted for Jennifer Pharr Davis. She broke the speed hiking record on the Appalachian Trail. She was a full 24 hours faster than the man who previously held it.

 

Does AP simply ask outlets to submit names, or do they compile a list of 6/8/10 choices to pick from?