Ike Diogu, men's basketball -- In the dark cloud that was the men's basketball season, sophomore Ike Diogu was the silver lining that made the future skies look clear. An honorable mention All-American, Diogu lead the Pac-10 in scoring and was ninth overall in the country, averaging 22.6 points per game.
Diogu currently has the best active streak in the nation with 59 straight games in double digits for scoring. The best news for the Sun Devils -- Diogu will be back next season on a team that will have the experience it lacked this year to take another run at the NCAA Tournament.
Kylan Loney, women's basketball -- Loney was the leader on a young, yet explosive ASU women's basketball team. The junior led the Sun Devils to their fifth-straight postseason appearance, the longest streak in school history.
Loney was a leader both on and off the court, as she led the team in assists for the second year in a row. Loney also garnered plenty of honors, as she was named a first team All-Pac-10 selection and a Pac-10 all academic honorable mention. Loney's most defining moment of the season came against rival UA where she scored a career-high 32 points.
Dustin Pedroia, baseball -- He's short, he's all out, and he is quite possibly the best shortstop in the country. Junior Dustin Pedroia's stats do all the talking: .419 batting average [Pac-10 leader], 57 runs scored [Pac-10 leader], .514 on base [Pac-10 leader] and 20 doubles [Does it need to be said again?].
As hard as it is to dominate a game from the leadoff position, Pedroia seems to do it all the time. This season he has already had 22 multi-hit games in 43 games played. Defensively, he makes plays from the shortstop position that several other guys in college baseball would not even dream of making.
Phelan Wright, softball -- The four-year starter headed into the 2004 season as the unquestioned leader of the ASU offense, and has not disappointed. Wright is having another magnificent year, as she is currently batting .382 with 13 home runs and 46 RBIs.
Wright broke ASU's all-time career home run record against Missouri on March 10, and is just two home runs away from breaking her own record of 15 home runs in a season. The third baseman is 27th in the nation in slugging percentage at a .741 clip, and leads the team with 27 walks. Wright is currently in the running for national softball player of the year honors, the third-straight time she has been one of 25 finalists for the award.
Ashley Kelly, gymnastics -- Kelly was perhaps the most prolific ASU athlete of all this spring. The sophomore tied a school-record by earning five consecutive all-around victories, and was the NCAA national champion on the balance beam. Head coach John Spini called her the best beam worker in his tenure at ASU, which has lasted just under three decades. She was named an All-American in four events, and scored more perfect 10s (five) than marks under 9.8 this season.
Through it all, Kelly has remained humble and even more awed by her accomplishments than followers of the Sun Devils.
Ryan Bader, wrestling -- There is no question that Ryan Bader was the season standout for ASU's wrestling team, and should be for the next two seasons.
Bader was nationally ranked as one of the top three wrestlers in his weight division for most of the year. He took home his second-straight Pac-10 title early this spring and earned his first All-American honor at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis two weeks later. For his accomplishments, Bader was named the team's Most Valuable Player.
As a sophomore, Bader has two years of eligibility left and has the opportunity to end his career at ASU as one the greatest wrestlers the program has ever produced.
Joona Puhakka, diving -- Let's start this off by saying if there was one person on this campus who has a legitimate shot at a medal in this year's upcoming Olympics it is this Finnish sophomore.
This season Puhakka was nearly perfect in the 1-meter and 3-meter and at the NCAA Championships he won the national championship in the 3-meter, adding to last year's 1-meter championship. He was also the Pac-10 diver of the year [Pac-10 champ in 1- and 3-meter events] for the second year in a row.
Let's face it. If you looked up "stud" in the dictionary it would be Puhakka's face staring right back at you.
Trisha Tumlinson, diving -- This season the junior college transfer made tremendous strides in the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard. Yet Tumlin-son's most impressive performances were on the platform.
On the platform, Tumlinson finished second at the NCAA Championships, and was the Pac-10 champion in the 3-meter and platform events, earning her female Pac-10 Diver of the Year honors. Tumlinson figures to be a favorite for the national championship in the platform next season.
Jackie Johnson, track -- On a team stacked with upperclassmen, freshman Jackie Johnson was this year's big star. The Yuma native had three wins this season in three separate events -- the 55m hurdles, 60m hurdles and the high jump. Throw in a second place finish in a long jump competition earlier this year, and you have the makings for what could be the best track athlete to ever leave Tempe.
Johnson is also the team's best chance for a medal at the upcoming Olympics, where she is expected to compete for a spot on Team USA for the heptathlon.
Chez Reavie, golf -- Reavie had the most dominant season of his career this year, as he added eight more top finishes to his resume, brining his four-year total to an amazing 24 top 10 finishes.
Reavie was named a first team All-Pac-10 selection, and most recently, finished second at the Pac-10 Championships in Tucson. Going into the conference championships, Reavie had an amazing 70.84 scoring average, and is looking poised to win his first collegiate tournament in the upcoming NCAA West Regionals.
Lauren Colalillo, tennis - One of just three upperclassmen on the women's tennis team, Colalillo brought stability to the lower half of the singles lineup. She teamed with freshman Kady Pooler to form a lethal doubles combination.
The junior from Toronto, Canada had an impressive 11-3 singles record in duals this year, one of just three Sun Devils with a winning duals record. Colalillo and Pooler were the only ASU team to win a match at the Pac-10 Championships, defeating UA's Kasia Jakowlew and Debbie Larocque, 8-6, in the first round of the doubles draw.
Katie Davis, water polo -- It is a safe assumption that ASU's water polo team will not see a player like Katie Davis for quite some time. Davis will finish her two-year career at ASU as the program leader in goals, points, steals and shots. In fact, Davis' 86 goals scored makes her the only Sun Devil to ever score more than 60 career goals. In addition, her 101 steals in a season is a record that is unlikely to be matched for a while.
Coach of the year:
Mark Bradshaw, diving -- Bradshaw followed up winning last year's national diving coach of the year, with yet another impressive season. Bradshaw was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year for both the men and the women and may have a shot at another national honor as well. In his stable this year are two Pac-10 champions, a national champion and a national runner up.
Ask Bradshaw about his success, and he will divert the credit elsewhere to his divers. But it is hard to argue with the success the former Olympian has had coaching in the last three years, as at least one of his divers has taken home a Pac-10 victory each season.
Reach the editor at christopher.drexel@asu.edu.
