10 athletes who just might be the next big thing
One year ago, we looked at 10 athletes to watch in 2007 -- young athletes who would burst onto the sports scene in a big way. Among those we listed? Gators quarterback Tim Tebow, who became the first sophomore to win a Heisman Trophy. A then-college freshman basketball player named Greg Oden, who went on to become the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. Delmon Young, who was in the running for American League rookie of the year. And
Jimmy Clausen, a high school quarterback who appears to now be
Notre Dame's starting quarterback. So, with that in mind, here's a look at our 10 players to watch in 2008.
Shawn Johnson
The Olympic Games have a way of turning gymnasts into world icons. Think Mary Lou Retton, Olga Korbut, Nadia Comaneci. Here's another name we might someday add to the list: Shawn Johnson, who was a miracle baby. The 16-year-old Des Moines, Iowa, native scored a zero on her Apgar test, an index used to evaluate the condition of a newborn. But she matured and, for the moment, is the best gymnast in the world, having won the 2007 U.S. and world all-around championships.
Karri Ramo
Of course, hockey fans in Tampa Bay already know this Lightning goalie from Finland. That's a bad thing, really. If Johan Holmqvist and Marc Denis had been able to perform to expectations, Ramo would still be developing in the minors. But desperate to turn its season around, the Lightning turned to this 20-year-old goalie last month.
Matt Garza
This right-handed pitcher is considered one of the top baseball prospects in the majors. He better be, considering he was the key piece the Rays received when they shipped the highly talented Delmon Young to the Minnesota Twins in November. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound 24-year-old is penciled in as the Rays' No. 3 starter behind Scott Kazmir and James Shields.
Steven Stamkos
If the 2008 NHL draft were held today, Steven Stamkos most likely would be the name called first. A native of Unionville, Ontario, Stamkos is a 6-foot, 170-pound center for the Sarnia Sting in the Ontario Hockey League, and he's a scoring machine. This season, still just 17, he had 30 goals and 21 assists in the first 32 games.
Nick Flanagan
The 2007 Nationwide Tour player of the year earned his PGA Tour card after winning three times on the Nationwide Tour. He is just the eighth player from the Nationwide Tour to earn an immediate three-victory promotion to the PGA Tour and the first since Jason Gore in 2005. The 23-year-old born in Australia, who happens to be a former U.S. Amateur champ, played in four PGA events in 2007 and finished in the top 20 twice.
Tamira Paszek
Women's tennis these days continues to be dominated by the same familiar names: Justine Henin, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic, Maria Sharapova and the Williams sisters. Don't be surprised if Tamira Paszek, an Austrian who just turned 17, climbs up the list from her current No. 42 ranking into tennis' elite. Last year was her first full year on the women's tour and yet she managed to make it to the fourth round at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
Homer Bailey
Don't you just love this guy's name? The flame-throwing right-hander was the first pick of the Cincinnati Reds in the 2004 major-league draft. After tearing up the minors, Bailey was called up in June and was the youngest player in the majors at 21. And what a debut -- a victory after five innings of two-run ball. He bounced back and forth between the majors and minors, and ended up starting nine big-league games, going 4-2.
Terrelle Pryor
This kid is a beast. He's 6 feet 6. He weighs 235 pounds. He runs a 4.4 in the 40. Now the kicker: he's a quarterback. Terrelle Pryor, who played at Jeannette High in western Pennsylvania, is considered the top high school recruit in the country. Terrelle Pryor is still making up his mind, but it's down to Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon and Pitt.
Allyson Felix
It's an Olympic year, and Allyson Felix could be this year's version of Mark Spitz or Michael Phelps -- the American star of these Olympics. Track fans might remember Felix won a silver medal in 200 meters at the Athens Olympics in 2004. Now, at age 21, the Los Angeles native seems to only be getting faster. She dominated the 2007 world championships, winning the 200 by a record margin and picking up gold medals in the 400 and 1,600 relays to become just the second woman to win three golds at the worlds.
Michael Beasley
Michael Beasley was considered by many to be the top high school basketball player in the 2007 graduating class. Scouts thought the 6-9 forward could have easily made the jump to the NBA right away if the rules allowed. Born in Washington, Beasley went to six high schools, then surprised many by choosing to go to Kansas State.
See more at www.kentucky.com
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