Knowles is Tribune Sports' Male Athlete of the Year

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

A WIMBLEDON mixed doubles title and appearances in the final of the both the men's singles at the Australian Open and the US Open enabled Mark Knowles to surge to the top of the chart as The Tribune's Male Athlete of the Year.

In a year that saw two track and field athletes fall shy of winning a medal at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics and two professional boxers missed out on their opportunities to win major international titles, Knowles was steady and consistent in his performance on the ATP tennis tour.

The highlight of the year for Knowles came in July when he and German Anna-Lena Groenefeld teamed up to win their first Wimbledon mixed doubles title.

Knowles, 38, has now inked his name on all four Grand Slam titles, although he and his men's doubles partner Mahesh Bhupathi from India missed the opportunity to cash in on another crown at the Australian Open in January and the US Open in September.

In April, Knowles and Bhupathi also reached the final in Barcelona, but they were unable to pull through. Their only victory came at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, Canada.

As a result of failing to win the big ones, Knowles and Bhupathi have severed ties after playing together for the past two years. Knowles will now team up with American Mardy Fish, whom he partnered with to win a title in Memphis.

ii. Fresh from winning the Olympic Games' bronze medal a year ago, Leevan 'Superman' Sands came within .4 inches of returning to the podium at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany in August.

Last year's Male Athlete of the Year slipped to number two when he got dropped from the bronze medal spot by Cuban Alexis Copello in the sixth and final round of the final.

Sands, who celebrated his 28th birthday on the day he qualified for the final, bounced back at the IAAF/VTB Bank World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki, Greece in September with a silver medal.

Sands eventually finished the year with the tenth best mark on the IAAF chart.

iii. Chris 'Fireman' Brown painfully remembered how American David Neville dived across the finish line to deny him a chance to celebrate with an Olympic bronze medal last year.

At the World's, Brown was in an unique position to redeem himself, only to once again be shut out when he ended up in fifth place in the men's 400 final.

Brown, 31, had to settle for third place on this year's Tribune voting list, although he too stormed back at the World Athletics Final for a silver medal.

The national record holder and national champion had the tenth best time all season of 44.81 seconds.

iv. Ramon Miller closed out his two-year sting at Dickinson State by repeating as the NAIA Indoor 200/400 champion as well as the outdoor champion to secure the fourth spot.

Miller, 22, came home and took Brown to the line in placing second at the BAAA's Nationals before he went to the World's and was just shy of reaching the final of the 400 when he posted a personal best of 44.99.

That time put Miller 16th on the IAAF's list, even though he trailed newcomer Latoy Williams (NJCAA indoor bronze medallist and outdoor champion), Brown and Andrae Williams. Both of the Williams from Grand Bahama got injured and was never able to show their true colours.

v. Under new management, Meacher 'Pain' Major rounded out the top five Tribune's list with the three fights he had at the Convention Center in Buffalo, New York.

The 28-year-old lightweight opened up with a sixth round technical knockout over American Kevin Carmody on February 20. Four months later, he returned to the Big Apple where he and American Michael Clark ended up with a "no contest" result.

Apparently, Clark was unable to finish the bout for the vacant NABA lightweight title two minutes and 14 seconds into the first round due to an accidental foul.

But after a protest lodged by his management team, Major was awarded the title and he was elevated to number 15 in the WBA ranking.

Then in November, Major defended the title against American Dorin Spivey, only to be TKOed 52 seconds into the fourth round.

Honourable mention goes to NBA Developmental League players Bennet Davis and Mitchell Johnson; golfers Lemon Gorospe and Keno Turnquest; bodybuilders Joel Stubbs and James 'Jay' Darling; Latoy Williams and Andrae Williams; hurdler Shamar Sands; boxers Jermaine 'Choo Choo' Mackey and Sherman 'the Tank' Williams; Davis Cupper Devin Mullings; swimmer Vereance 'Elvis' Burrows; softball pitcher Edney 'the Heat' Bethel and volleyball player Renaldo Knowles.

Published On:Wednesday, December 30, 2009