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The George Alderton Athlete of the Year Award is given annually to one male and one female student-athlete. The award is named for George Alderton, a former sports editor of the Lansing State Journal, who is credited with bestowing Michigan State's athletic teams with the "Spartan" nickname in 1926.

2009 Winners

2009
Franklin Gomez
Wrestling

MALE WINNER: Franklin Gomez, Wrestling

Spartan wrestler Franklin Gomez solidified his status as one of the nation's elite in 2009 when he won MSU's 25th individual national title. The 133-pounder became the 19th wrestler in MSU history to be crowed a national champion when he defeated No. 2 seed Reece Humphrey of Ohio State, 5-4, on March 21 in St. Louis.

As a junior in 2008-09, Gomez finished the year with a staggering 27-2 mark. On Feb. 8, Gomez defeated Michigan's Zac Stevens, 18-6, starting a 14-match winning streak that carried him through the national championship bout. Entering the NCAA Championships, Gomez defeated five ranked opponents while his two losses, also to ranked opponents, were each one-point decisions. Considered the nation's toughest wrestling conference, Gomez won all four bouts at the Big Ten Championships by at least three points to capture his second consecutive individual title.

Gomez's credentials in the classroom are equally impressive as his statistics on the mat. In addition to earning Academic All-Big Ten honors this season, the native of the Dominican Republic also garnered National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic accolades.

2009
Nicole Bush
Cross Country/
Track & Field

FEMALE WINNER: Nicole Bush, Track and Field/Cross Country

Nicole Bush had arguably one of the best overall seasons in Michigan State history during both the cross country and outdoor track and field seasons, setting the standard for the MSU track and field/cross country program. On the cross country circuit in 2008, she won the individual Big Ten title, earned All-America honors and was named both Big Ten and Great Lakes Regional Athlete of the Year.

Bush carried her success from cross country into the outdoor track and field season, excelling in the steeplechase. Bush won the conference title with a Big Ten meet-record time of 9:41.97, finishing 17 seconds ahead of the next closest competitor. Bush followed that with an NCAA Mideast Regional Championship after running a Cardinal Park-record 9:57.66, earning a trip to the NCAA Championships in the steeplechase, her third appearance at the national championships in the event.

1982 Ron Scott Hockey	1982 Molly Brennan Track	1983 Ron Scott Hockey	*1983 Judy Brown Track
1984 Carl Banks Football	1984 Deanne Moore Softball	1985 Sam Vincent Basketball	1985 Kelly Becker Volleyball
1986 Mike Donnelly Hockey	1986 Lorenzo White Football	1986 Scott Skiles Basketball	1986 Mary Schoenle Swimming
1987 Don McSween Hockey	1987 Odessa Smalls Track	1988 Todd Krumm Football/Baseball	1988 Michelle Ingalls Gymnastics
1989 Bobby Reynolds Hockey	1989 Julie Farrell-Ovenhouse Diving	1990 Kip Miller Hockey	1990 Percy Snow Football
1990 Julie Farrell-Ovenhouse Diving	1991 Steve Smith Basketball	1991 Julie Farrell-Ovenhouse Diving	1992 Anthony Hamm Cross Country/Track
1992 Misty Allison Cross Country/Track	1993 Brian Smolinski Hockey	1993 Jodi Blotcher Gymnastics	1994 Emilio Collins Wresting
1994 Susan Francis Track	1995 Shawn Respert Basketball	1995 Karen Winslow Soccer	1996 David Morgan Wrestling
1996 Val Sterk Volleyball	1997 Reid Friedrichs Soccer	1997 Sevatheda Fynes Track & Field	1998 Chad Alban Hockey
1998 Jill Lusher Field Hockey	1999 Mateen Cleaves Basketball	1999 Mike York Hockey	1999 Carrie Carpenter Softball
2000 Mateen Cleaves Basketball	2000 Emily Bastel Golf	2001 Ryan Miller Hockey	2001 Summer Mitchell Swimming & Diving
2002 Paul Terek Track/Field	2002 Emily Bastel Golf	2003 Charles Rogers Football	2003 Michelle Carson Cross Country
2003 Jamie Krzyminski Cross Country/ Track & Field	2004 Jeff Smoker Football	2004 Jamie Krzyminski Cross Country/ Track & Field	2005 Nick Simmons Wrestling
2005 Kristin Haynie Basketball	2006 Brad Gebauer Track & Field	2006 Liz Shimek Basketball	2007 Sara Brown Golf
2007 Jeff Lerg Hockey	2008 Jeff Lerg Hockey	2008 Sara Brown Golf	2009 Franklin Gomez Wrestling
2009 Nicole Bush Cross Country/ Track & Field