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Bay Area's Best Will Be Honored

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By JOEY JOHNSTON

jjohnston@tampatrib.com

Published: January 18, 2009

TAMPA - For the 48th time, the Sports Club of Tampa Bay will honor the area's best and brightest sports achievers at its annual awards banquet.

At this year's event - at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at Higgins Hall - six athletes will be inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame.

It's a group with Olympic gold medals, a Super Bowl ring and a World Series appearance.

This year's Hall of Fame inductees:

•Brooke Bennett - She won a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics (800-meter freestyle swimming), then captured two golds at the 2000 Sydney Olympics (400 and 800 free).

•James "Mudcat" Grant - The native of Lacoochee was 145-119 with a 3.63 ERA in 14 seasons as a major-league pitcher. His best year was 1965 (21-7, 3.30 ERA) when he helped the Minnesota Twins to the American League pennant. He was 2-1 in the seven-game World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

•Nicole Haislett - The Lakewood High graduate won three gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She was the first American under 1:58 in the 200-meter freestyle and she held the American record until 2003. At the University of Florida, she was named SEC Female Athlete of the Year.

•Bernie Little - The most successful owner in Unlimited Hydroplane racing history. His Miss Budweiser team won 134 of 354 hydroplane races, along with 22 points championships and 14 Gold Cup titles. Little died in Lakeland on April 25, 2003.

•Hubert Mizell - Former sports editor and columnist with the St. Petersburg Times. Named Florida sportswriter of the year eight times. A regular at events such as the Masters (40 times) Super Bowl (32), NCAA Final Four (30), World Series (25), Daytona 500 (23), Kentucky Derby (22) and Olympic Games (10). He resides in Gainesville.

•Doug Williams - The first-round draft choice of the Bucs in 1978, he led the franchise to three NFC playoff berths in four seasons. Became quarterback of the Washington Redskins and Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXII. He just finished his fifth season as a personnel executive with the Bucs.

The Sports Club also will present awards in the following categories:

•Outstanding Amateur Female Athlete (finalists) - Freedom High multisport athlete Sarah Cardozo, Olympic hurdler Damu Cherry and Northeast High swimmer Megan Romano.

•Outstanding Amateur Male Athlete (finalists) - Plant High baseball player Mychal Givins, Brandon High wrestler Eric Grajales and Olympic sailing silver medalist Zach Railey.

•Outstanding Amateur Female Team (finalists) - Bayshore Christian volleyball, HCC tennis and Plant High volleyball.

•Outstanding Amateur Male Team (finalists) - Brandon High wrestling, Eckerd College basketball, Plant High football, Wharton High soccer and USF soccer.

•Outstanding Professional Athlete (finalists) - Boxer Nate Campbell, hydroplane racer Marc Granet, PGA golfer Ryuji Imada, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Michael Jenkins and Minnesota Twins outfielder Denard Span.

•Outstanding Amateur All-Star Team (finalists) - Citrus Park baseball (12-and-under) and Town 'N Country baseball (9-year-old).

Bucs running back Warrick Dunn is scheduled to receive the Outstanding Citizen Award. MVP awards will be presented for the Bucs, Lightning and Rays. Awards are also given for Florida Sports Personality and Community Service. Meanwhile, the Coca-Cola Golden Helmet Awards will be given to the top high school football players in Hillsborough County.

Tickets to the event are $60 and can be purchased from the Web site ( www.tampasportsclub.org). Ten-person sponsorship tables are available for $900 and $1,200. Proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay, area college athletics and area amateur athletics.

For more information, contact banquet chairman Gil Swalls at (813) 257-1733 or gswalls@ut.edu.

Reporter Joey Johnston can be reached at (813) 259-7353.

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