The U.S. Olympic Committee announced water polo player Lauren Wenger as its June Athlete of the Month, while the USA Women's Senior National Water Polo Team was awarded Team of the Month honors.
Wenger (Long Beach, Calif.) led the U.S. Women's Senior National Team to gold at the 2009 FINA World League Super Final in Kirishi, Russia. As the team's utility player, Wenger led Team USA with 12 goals over the six games including two in the title-game win over Canada. The win marked four World League crowns in six tries for Team USA. Wenger also finished third in last month's Athlete of the Month ballot.
The USA Women's Senior National Water Polo Team defeated Italy, China, Greece, Australia and Canada to win the 2009 FINA World League Super Final in Kirishi, Russia. The win marks the fourth World League title for the women in six tries.
Dawn Harper (Los Angeles, Calif.), the reigning Olympic gold medalist, finished second in the Female Athlete of the Month voting. Harper captured her first-ever USA Outdoor national title with her win in the Nike Women's 100m hurdles in 12.36 seconds on June 28 at the 2009 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. A tailwind of 2.2 meters per second at her back helped Harper post the fourth-fastest time ever by an American under any conditions. Harper's performance gave her 1,220 points and the women's USA Track & Field Outdoor Visa Championship Series title, as she barely edged out 2009 USA Outdoor 100m champion Carmelita Jeter, who finished second with 1,216 points.
Seventeen-year-old Melanie Oudin (Marietta, Ga.), one of the United States' top up-and-coming players, had her career-best results this month after an impressive run at Wimbledon to earn third place honors in the Female Athlete of the Month vote. After winning three qualifying matches, Oudin reached the fourth round of women's singles at Wimbledon, defeating No. 29 seed Sybille Banner in the first round and No. 6 seed and former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic in the third round in one of the biggest upsets in the tournament. As the biggest result of her young career, Oudin, currently ranked No. 124, is expected to break into the Top 100 on the WTA Tour for the first time in her young career.
Finishing second for June Team of the Month was Devin Britton and Jordan Cox, who are two of the most promising American junior tennis players. The duo went undefeated in doubles in June, winning their first junior doubles title together at the AEGON International Junior ITF Tennis Championships in Roehampton, England, on June 26 and winning their first round match of the junior Wimbledon Championships. Britton and Cox went 5-0 in Roehampton without dropping a set and defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Stanislav Poplavskyy of France 6-3, 6-2 in the final.
Another incredibly impressive performance by the U.S. Show Jumping riders meant another win at CSIO St Gallen, June 4-7, as a third-place finish for June Team of the Month. The team of Christine McCrea, Ashlee Bond, Laura Kraut and Richard Spooner secured their dominance at the top of the most prestigious jumping League standings - one point clear of the Swiss. Spooner jumped off in fantastic style for the win - and his team's faith in him was rewarded as he was nearly 13 seconds faster than the second place finisher.
Results:
Women
1. Lauren Wenger, Water Polo
2. Dawn Harper, Track & Field
3. Lauren Wenger, Water Polo
Team
1. Women's Senior National Team, Water Polo
2. Devin/Britton/Jordan Cox, Tennis
3. U.S. Show Jumping Team, Equestrian
