USC's Mikee Anderson-Mitterling on THE SHORT LIST for the the 2005 US Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards

Mikee Anderson-Mitterling, USC 2006 (Marshall School of Business), and his Team Mate, Dave Hughes, have made the THE SHORT LIST for the the 2005 US Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards.

“US Sailing has announced the U.S. sailors who have been short listed for its 2005 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards. Established in 1961 and sponsored by Rolex Watch, U.S.A. since 1980, the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards recognize outstanding on-the-water achievement in the calendar year just concluded. Widely regarded as the sport's ultimate recognition for U.S. sailors, these awards have honored such sailing standouts as Betsy Alison, Dave Curtis, Dennis Conner, Courtenay Dey, JJ Isler, John Kostecki, Jody Swanson and Ted Turner, all of whom have won the coveted award multiple times.

Nominees for US Sailing's 2005 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year are: Kiel Week 470 Men's Champion Mikee Anderson-Mitterling (Coronado, Calif.); Laser North American Champion and World University Games Gold Medalist Andrew Campbell (San Diego, Calif.); Snipe World Champion Augie Diaz (Miami, Fla.); Kiel Week 470 Men's Champion David Hughes (San Diego, Calif.); J/24 and Thistle National Champion Mike Ingham (Rochester, N.Y.); Etchells World Champion Jeff Linton (Tampa, Fla.); A-Class Catamaran World and North American Champion Pete Melvin (Huntington Beach, Calif.); 2.4 Metre World Champion Nick Scandone (Fountain Valley, Calif.); and Star North American and Snipe National Champion George Szabo (San Diego, Calif.).

Nominees for US Sailing's 2005 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year are: Yngling Women's World Champion and winner of the Women's Match Racing World Championship, Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.); Laser Radial World Champion and winner of the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships, Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.); and Laser Radial World Bronze Medalist Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.).” -- Marlieke Eaton

For additional information on the accomplishments of each nominee this year, please visit www.ussailing.org/awards/rolex

Source: SCUTTLEBUTT 1988 -- December 15, 2005 (www.sailingscuttlebutt.com)
Scuttlebutt is a digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions,
features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.

USC's Reggie Bush wins Heisman Trophy

NEW YORK (AP) -- Reggie Bush took slow, deliberate steps to the podium -- a gear most people didn't know he had.

Then he began his acceptance speech with a huge sigh of relief and a hand over his heart.

Bush may have been the only one in the packed room with any doubt about who would win the Heisman Trophy because once again, the sensational Southern California tailback left the competition far, far behind.

Bush was voted the nation's best college football player in a landslide Saturday night over Texas quarterback Vince Young and USC quarterback Matt Leinart, last year's winner.

Flashing uncanny acceleration and ability to change direction, the junior has conjured up memories of Gale Sayers, drawn comparisons to Marshall Faulk, Barry Sanders and Tony Dorsett, and is the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in April's NFL draft.

"Oh man, this is amazing," Bush said, a row of former winners lining the stage behind him. "It's truly an honor to be elected to this fraternity. I've been in college for three years and it's the first time I've been invited into a fraternity."

Bush received 2,541 points to finish 933 points ahead of Young, with Leinart a distant third. Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn was fourth.

The 784 first-place votes received by Bush was the second-most in Heisman history, topped only by another famous USC runner -- O.J. Simpson, who had 855 in 1968. Bush was first in all six regions and appeared on 99 percent of the ballots, also a Heisman record.

"I was in shock because Vince Young and Matt are such great players," Bush said.

Bush and Leinart will be the first Heisman winners to play in a college game together when USC goes for a third straight national title against Texas in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 4.

"It's a special opportunity," Bush said. "It'd be even more special if we win this game."

Bush and Leinart are the third teammates to win the award in consecutive seasons and the first since Army's Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis did it in 1945-46.

When Bush's name was called, he bent over in his chair, clasped his hands and slowly headed for the podium after hugging his mother, stepfather and brother.

Dressed in a three-piece pinstriped suit, Bush choked back tears while thanking his family "for their unconditional love and support throughout my life."

This year's Heisman race appeared tight for much of the season, with Bush making a big statement in mid-October against Notre Dame. He ran for 160 yards and three touchdowns in South Bend, and provided the final push Leinart needed to score the winning TD in the closing seconds of a classic 34-31 victory.

But Bush was relatively low-key after the Notre Dame game and Young seemed to have pulled ahead, with talk that two candidates from USC would cancel each other out.

That was until Nov. 19, when Bush left Fresno State repeatedly grasping at air and onlookers grasping for superlatives to describe a performance that had to be seen to be truly appreciated.

He ran for 295 yards, racked up 513 all-purpose yards -- the second-highest total in NCAA history -- and USC escaped with a 50-42 victory.

If there was still any doubt Bush was best, he dispelled it against UCLA, running for 260 yards and two touchdowns in a 66-19 victory. Only the lopsided score kept Bush from doing even more damage.

Asked for a Heisman moment from the season, Bush said, "I don't think I can pick one."

Of course not. He's already ripped off 36 plays of at least 20 yards this season.

As the Trojans completed another perfect regular season, it seemed a foregone conclusion Bush would become the fifth USC tailback to win the Heisman, following Mike Garrett, Simpson, Charles White and Marcus Allen.

The 200-pounder from Spring Valley, Calif., just outside of San Diego, ran for 1,658 yards this season, a dizzying average of 8.9 yards per carry, while leading the nation in all-purpose yards with 217.9 per game.

USC now has produced seven Heisman winners, matching the record held by Notre Dame, and an unprecedented three in four years, starting with quarterback Carson Palmer in 2002.

Now Bush will have to make the kind of decision Leinart did last season: Stay in school or go.

Leinart surprised many by returning to USC for his senior year when he could have entered the NFL draft and become an instant millionaire.

"Matt, what more can I say?" Bush said. "Your decision to come back has changed my life."

By staying, Leinart made a run at joining Ohio State's Archie Griffin as the only other two-time Heisman winner, and helped USC extend its winning streak to 34 straight games, heading into the Rose Bowl.

Leinart said he voted for Bush first, Young second and left his third-place vote blank.

"I knew I was going to get third," Leinart said. "I wanted to go on stage as a past winner because I knew I wasn't going to win. The right guy won."

Bush has said he'll decide about the NFL after the BCS title game.

Young, also a junior, appears to have a bright NFL future, though he isn't quite the can't-miss prospect Bush and Leinart have been labeled.

Young said he intends to stay at Texas for another year -- and perhaps another shot at the Heisman.

"Right now, I feel like I let my guys down," Young said. "Right now, I feel like I let my family down."

Bush's career has been in a steady ascent since he arrived at USC. He rushed for 537 yards as a freshman and 908 as a sophomore, when he finished fifth in the Heisman voting.

Heading into the 2005 season, Bush was determined to show he was more than just a scatback with fancy moves. He worked out with San Diego Chargers star LaDainian Tomlinson, harder than he's ever worked before.

He returned to school bigger and stronger and, on a team filled with All-Americans, became the No. 1 attraction in the nation.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)