Richards nominated for ESPY Award

AUSTIN, Texas -- Once again, The University of Texas is well-represented in the nominations for the upcoming 2006 ESPY Awards, the ESPN-based awards show which recognizes the year's best performances, best moments and stories from the past year in sports. Cat Osterman, named National Softball Player of the Year again by USA Softball and the Honda Award National Softball Player of the Year as well, was last year's ESPY award winner as "Best College Female Athlete". Osterman is up for that same honor once again, while quarterback Vince Young was nominated in three individual categories and the Longhorns football squad was nominated for "Best Team" and "Best Game".

Multiple Longhorn student-athletes and performances were nominated for The 2006 ESPYs, and they are:
Cat Osterman (Softball): Best Female College Athlete
Vince Young (Football): Best Championship Performance, Best Male, Best Male College Athlete
Texas Football: Best Team, Best Game
Sanya Richards (Track and Field alum): Best Female Track and Field Athlete
Nathan Vasher (Football alum): Best Play

This year, there are 20 ESPY "Best in Sport" categories, along with 17 individual sport categories and two sponsored awards. The ESPY's are committed to the advancement of the V Foundation for Cancer Research, established by ESPN with the late Jim Valvano.

ESPN will televise this year's industry-wide sports celebration on Sunday, July 16 at 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. Central), hosted by Tour de France champion and Austin's own Lance Armstrong. For the third year in a row, fans will determine the winners in all ESPY Award categories. Last year, more than 10 million votes were tabulated. To vote for the Longhorns performers and performances, go to the ESPY awards website at .

On Tuesday, June 27th at 7 p.m. (Eastern, 6 p.m. Central), "The ESPY Nomination Show" will be broadcast live from New York City on ESPN and ESPNHD, and will be cohosted by Stuart Scott and Melyssa Ford. Additionally on ESPN360's new "The ESPY's" Channel, viewers can watch behind-the-scenes content from past ESPY shows and ESPY features.

In the "Best Female College Athlete" category, Osterman was nominated along with four other superstar collegians: All-American basketball guard Seimone Augustus (LSU), volleyball setter Courtney Thompson from the University of Washington, USC hurdler Virginia Powell and University of Portland soccer striker Christine Sinclair.

Former UT track great Sanya Richards is coming off a tremendous year which saw the former Longhorn earn 400 meter titles at the 2005 USA National Outdoor Championships and 2006 Indoor Championships before repeating as the USA's best at 400 meters last weekend, breaking her own record by running a 49.27 at the Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis on June 24. Richards also was the 2005 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist in that event.

Richards is one of three world-class runners in the hunt for "Best Female Track and Field Athlete" along with the world's 100 meter hurdles champion Michelle Perry and sprinter Allyson Felix.

Texas football received six nominations for The 2006 ESPYs, including "Best Team" and "Best Game". Young was also nominated in three categories, including "Best Male Athlete", "Best Male College Athlete" and "Best Championship Performance". In addition, former UT cornerback Nathan Vasher is up for "Best Play".

In the "Best Team" category, the other nominees include the Maryland women's basketball squad, MLB's Chicago White Sox, the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and the NBA's Miami Heat. For "Best Game", Texas' win over USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl is joined by Andre Agassi versus James Blake in the U.S Open and the Houston Astros versus the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the 2005 National League Division Series.

Young's three nominations include "Best Male Athlete" with cyclist Armstrong, Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, Cleveland Cavaliers guard LeBron James and St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols. He is also up for Best Male College Athlete with quarterback Matt Leinart and running back Reggie Bush from USC, Duke basketball guard J.J. Redick and Gonzaga basketball forward Adam Morrison. In the "Best Championship Performance", Young gets the nod for his efforts in the 2006 Rose Bowl, joining tennis' Venus Williams in the 2005 Wimbledon, Indycar's Sam Hornish, Jr., in the 2006 Indianapolis 500 and Miami Heat guard Duane Wade in the 2006 NBA Finals.

Former Texas cornerback and current Chicago Bear Nathan Vasher was nominated in the "Best Play" category for his 108-yard missed field goal return, marking the longest play in NFL history. He is joined by Alabama wide receiver Tyrone Prothro, New York Mets third baseman David Wright, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Aaron Rowand and USC running back Reggie Bush.

Again, all winners are determined by a popular vote, and the polls are open from June 26 through July 8 at !

The University of Texas at Austin Athletics