[Stardust]

Considering the explosion of athletic opportunities over the last four decades, and the extraordinary women who have taken advantage of them, compiling a list of the top 10 female athletes of the Title IX era was a monumental undertaking. Paying homage to the original aim of the legislation -- increasing gender-equity in higher education -- we narrowed the pool of candidates with the stipulation that each had to have competed in a sport for at least one year at the college level. Doing so removed a host of worthy athletes such as Mary Lou Retton, Picabo Street and Venus Williams, but it opened up spots for many other women who also deserve accolades. After soliciting input from editors, producers and writers from the magazine and website, we present the top 10 female athletes of the last 40 years. Let the debate begin.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multime...z1yhZMxkZ5

[Stardust]

#10
Teresa Edwards
No female basketball player has been on more Olympic teams than Teresa Edwards, who played in five Games (1984, 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000). She's won four gold medals and a bronze (in 1992). As point guard at Georgia, Edwards led the Bulldogs to two Final Four appearances and was a two time All-America. She was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx in 2003, but only played for two seasons.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multime...z1yhZdFjpe

[Image: http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/ph...ards.2.jpg]

[Stardust]

#9
Kerri Walsh (left) and Misty May-Treanor
Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh are arguably the best beach volleyball team ever. The duo paired up for the 2001 season, and dominated the AVP and FIVB beach volleyball tours -- they won 89 straight games during the 2003-2004 season before winning their first of two Olympic gold medals.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multime...z1yhZkcVVU

[Image: http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/ph...-walsh.jpg]

[Stardust]

#8
Cheryl Miller
As a women's collegiate basketball player, there was very little Cheryl Miller did not achieve. A four-time All America, three-time Naismith College Player of the Year award winner, two-time NCAA Tournament MVP and Wade Trophy winner during her years at Southern Cal, Miller has been called the best player the game has ever had. On a larger stage, she helped lead the U.S. to a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Her outrageous athletic ability and knack for the game had a certain flair to it, allowing her to help lift the game to a higher level.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multime...z1yhZsw798

[Image: http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/ph...miller.jpg]

[Stardust]

#7
Joan Benoit-Samuelson
When the women's marathon was added to the Olympics in 1984, Joan Benoit-Samuelson became the first female gold medalist. Despite battling the warm weather of Los Angeles and lingering pain from arthroscopic knee surgery, Benoit-Samuelson came through the tunnel of the L.A. Coliseum first to win the event in 2:24:52. Just a year later, she set an American record of 2:21:21 in the Chicago marathon that stood for 18 years. She continued to run even after her elite years were over -- her 1998 New York City Marathon time qualified her for the 2000 Olympic Trials.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multime...z1yha00482

[Image: http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/ph...uelson.jpg]

[Stardust]

#6
Florence Griffith-Joyner
At the 1988 Olympics, all eyes were on Flo-Jo not just for her style, but also for her athletic performance. She won gold in the 100 and the 200 meters in world record times, both of which still stand. Flo-Jo died of a heart seizure a decade later.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multime...z1yha6tbHJ

[Image: http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/ph...Joyner.jpg]

[Stardust]

#5
Mary T. Meagher
After being denied the opportunity to compete at the Olympics in 1980 due to the boycott, Mary T. Meagher broke the world records in the 100m and 200m butterfly in 1981. Those world records, both of which stood for nearly 20 years, are considered two of the most dominating swims ever. Meagher finally got her shot at Olympic glory in 1984, where she collected three gold medals in the 100m and 200m fly and the 4x100m medley relay.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multime...z1yhaE2EL9

[Image: http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/ph...her(2).jpg]

[Stardust]

#4
Annika Sorenstam
Annika Sorenstam is hailed as one of the most successful female golfers ever. During her 17-year career as a professional, she racked up 90 tournament wins, and still sits atop the LPGA's career money list. One of her crowning moments game in 2003, when she became the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multime...z1yhaMlwZL

[Image: http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/ph...enstam.jpg]

[Stardust]

#3
Diana Taurasi
After a stellar college career, in which she led UConn to three straight NCAA championships, Diana Taurasi took her aggressive style of play to the WNBA, forcing everyone to pay attention. Taurasi won Rookie of the Year her first season and has been named to the All-WNBA First Team and WNBA All-Star team five years. In 2009, Taurasi was named WNBA MVP and Finals MVP. She also helped the U.S. to Olympic gold in 2004 and 2008.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multime...z1yhaTck6L

[Image: http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/ph...aurasi.jpg]

[Stardust]

#2
Mia Hamm
Born in 1972, the same year Title IX was passed, Mia Hamm is the definition of a Title IX baby. Hamm was named to the U.S. women's soccer team at 15, making her the youngest national team player in history. She helped the team win two World Cup titles and two Olympic gold medals during her 17-year national-team career, and brought incredible visibility to women's soccer. Hamm was also one of the founders of the first women's professional soccer league, which folded after three seasons. She retired from soccer in 2004 as the all-time leading scorer in international play, male or female, with 158 goals.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multime...z1yhac1E2W

[Image: http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/ph...a-hamm.jpg]

[Stardust]

#1
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jackie Joyner-Kersee is considered by some to be the greatest female athlete of the 20th century. Just 10 when Title IX was passed, she developed into an elite athlete at the beginning of a new era for women's sports. She embodied the identity of a female athlete, and was a role model for women all over the world. Joyner-Kersee won six medals over the span of four Olympics, including three gold in the heptathlon and long jump. At UCLA, Joyner-Kersee was a track and basketball star, scoring more than 1,000 points in her career.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multime...z1yhamHUKb

[Image: http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/ph...kersee.jpg]

[garathnormanmtts]

Congrats to those wonderful women of athletes