Female Professional Athlete of the Year

Cindy Parlow

Cindy Parlow is one of the most celebrated women's soccer players in history. The accolades and accomplishments are unprecedented for this Memphis native. She was named the Tennessee High School Player of the Year in 1994, and led her team to a state championship.

Having won the Olympic Gold medal in Atlanta in 1996, she also won every major collegiate award for an individual player, was on two NCAA Championship teams, won a Gold medal at the Goodwill Games in 1998 and held a starting center forward spot on the Women's World Cup championship team that competed and won in 1999.

Cindy is the first player since Mia Hamm to win the prestigious Missouri Athletic Club Award and Hermann Award for the nation's outstanding collegiate soccer player two consecutive years. For the U.S. Women's National Team, she already ranks 22nd on the all-time appearance list and 9th on the all-time leading scoring list.

Cindy's coach at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, commented that she is unquestionably one of the greatest players he has ever coached. That's pretty high praise, considering Coach Anson Dorrance has coached the most successful Division I program in the history of college sports, male or female.