AP tabs Johnson Athlete of Year

There was little recognition outside the racing world when Jimmie Johnson won his first NASCAR championship.

Same with his second, and again with his third.

But four straight championships? That’s a different story.

Johnson, the first driver in NASCAR history to win four consecutive titles, earned mainstream recognition Monday when he was honored as the Male Athlete of the Year by members of the Associated Press.

Johnson received 42 votes from editors at U.S. newspapers that are members of the AP. Tennis star Roger Federer (30 votes) and Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt (29) were the only other athletes with double-digit totals.

For Johnson, the first race car driver to be named the AP’s Athlete of the Year in its 78-year history, the award is the validation he’s been waiting for since he began his historic run in 2006.

“We’d been wondering the last few years, ‘When is this going to hit?’ ” he said. “It seems like the answer is now. The wave is finally peaking, and we don’t know where it’s going to take us.”

Associated Press

Eastern finishes No. 13 in poll

College football: Eastern Washington is ranked 13th in the final NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Sports Network poll.

The Eagles, who suffered a first-round playoff loss and finished the season 8-4, entered the playoffs ranked 13th.

Villanova was crowned the No. 1 team in the Sports Network poll after winning the FCS title Friday with a 23-21 victory over Montana.

Montana slipped one place to No. 2 in the final poll. Weber State, which also advanced to the playoffs, finished No. 17.

Zags hang on in Top 25 poll

Men’s basketball: Kansas will be spending at least one more week atop the Associated Press poll, a spot it has held all season, and Gonzaga will have at least one more week in the national rankings.

The Jayhawks (10-0), who beat Michigan 75-64 in their only game last week, saw their lead over Texas trimmed a bit. They received 55 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel, six less than it had a week earlier.

Gonzaga, which lost to No. 7 Duke on Saturday, dropped 10 spots to No. 25. Washington moved up two spots to No. 22. Gonzaga is 24th in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll. UW is 19th.