Record-setting San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup series champion Jimmie Johnson and Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Year Heath Bell of the San Diego Padres will headline the Star of Year award recipients at the 65th annual Breitbard Salute to the Champions Feb. 15 at the Town and Country Convention Center.
The trio tops the list of nine professional and 11 amateur athletes who will be honored on the same evening Paul Lowe, La’Roi Glover, Lincoln Kennedy and John Lynch Jr. will be inducted into the San Diego Hall of Champions Hall of Fame.
Rivers, who tossed for a career 4,710 yards and 30 touchdowns, will be joined by his favorite target Antonio Gates, who also reached a milestone by surpassing 7,000 yards receiving for his career.
Bell, who compiled a 6-1 record with 47 saves and a career-low 1.93 ERA, will be feted along with the Padres’ 2010 Player of the Year, Adrian Gonzalez.
Winning is nothing new to Johnson who dramatically captured an unprecedented fifth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup race series title in the final race of the season.
Other pros who have earned Star of the Year for 2010 are PGA golfer Charley Hoffman, the NFL’s leading rusher Arian Foster, Olympic gold medalist Shaun White and Washington National pitcher Stephen Strasburg.
NCAA tennis champion Bradley Klahn of Stanford, a Poway High graduate, tops the list of amateurs who have been selected Stars of the Year.
Collegiate Volleyball Player of the Year Carli Lloyd (Falbrook) of Cal and fellow Final Four All-Tournament pick Juliann Faucette (Westview) of Texas are joined by U.S.A. Water Polo standout Tanya Gandy (Rancho Bernardo).
Three outstanding athletes from San Diego State—MWC Football Freshman of the Year Ronnie Hillman, 2010 MWC Basketball Freshman of the Year Kawhi Leonard, and MWC Pitcher of the Year Samantha Beasley; three from the University of San Diego—2010 WCC Player of the Year Ali Troost, teammate Amy DeGroot, and outstanding golfer Gunner Wiebe; and Brandon Gregorich, who led UCSD to its second straight NCAA Division II title game, will also be feted.
The evening will also include honoring Steve Wampler as the Challenged Athlete of the Year with special recognition for the Cal State San Marcos NAIA championship women’s cross country team as well as four State championship high school teams and individuals.
Tickets for the Salute to the Champions can be purchased by contacting Kristen Auten at the San Diego Hall of Champions at kristena@sdhoc.com or calling 619-699-2310.
