{"id":2140,"date":"2011-12-27T16:30:52","date_gmt":"2011-12-27T21:30:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/inspiringathletes\/?p=2140"},"modified":"2012-01-03T12:31:30","modified_gmt":"2012-01-03T17:31:30","slug":"inspiring-athletes-top-30-christian-sports-stories-of-2011-21-30","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/12\/inspiring-athletes-top-30-christian-sports-stories-of-2011-21-30.html","title":{"rendered":"Inspiring Athletes Top 30 Christian Sports Stories of 2011 (#21-30)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Click “Like” to share this story with your friends!<\/strong><\/p>\n

This year has been packed full of crazy sports stories. From lockouts and conference realignment to abuse scandals and unexpected coaching moves, we\u2019ve seen all things tragic, inexplicable and even a little insane. Thankfully, we\u2019ve also experienced some inspiring stories, many of which have been brought to you by Inspiring Athletes.<\/p>\n

Over the next three days, we\u2019ll bring you what we believe are the Top 30 stories of the 2011 calendar year. This list was produced by a combination of subjective and objective means but should not be considered definitive. In fact, it would be surprising if some great storylines featuring Christian athletes and coaches didn\u2019t make this list due to unintentional oversight. So if you know of a great 2011 story that we didn\u2019t mention, feel free to let us know in the \u201cComments\u201d section.<\/p>\n

Now that we have that out of the way, here\u2019s a look at the Top 30 Christian Sports Stories of 2011, starting with numbers 21 through 30!<\/p>\n

#30 Ben Crane beats Webb Simpson in playoff to take McGladrey Classic title<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It took him 21 months to do it, but Ben Crane finally got his fourth career PGA Tour title with a stunning come-from-behind victory at the McGladrey Classic this past October. At one point Crane was down by eight strokes, but a scorching final round of 63 put him in a playoff with Webb Simpson where Crane was able to secure the victory after one hole.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Inspiring Athletes talked to Crane about his quest to live a life of integrity both on and off the golf course:<\/p>\n

\u201cGod desires us to live with integrity so we can be a light for Him\u2014so we can be a light in a dark world,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that when people live with integrity, they absolutely stand out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Click the links to read more about Ben Crane including a look at his crazier side with the wildly popular \u201cmusical\u201d sensation Golf Boys:<\/p>\n

A conversation with Ben Crane<\/a><\/p>\n

Ben Crane and the Golf Boys<\/a><\/p>\n

#29 Sam Hornish Jr. gets first career NASCAR win at Phoenix<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Photo by John Harrelson\/Getty Images for NASCAR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Four years after making the switch from IndyCar racing to NASCAR, Sam Hornish Jr., finally picked up that elusive first career victory when he took the checkered flag at the Nationwide Series Wyapp 200 in Phoenix.<\/p>\n

In a previous conversation, the three-time IRL champ and 2006 Indy 500 winner told Inspiring Athletes that his mother once thought he\u2019d be a preacher. But Hornish feels like racing is where he\u2019s truly called to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is kind of my own way to minister to people,\u201d Hornish said. \u201cIt\u2019s not necessarily about being the guy that\u2019s up there sharing from a pulpit. But I\u2019ve been able to profess my faith and maybe reach more people than if I had been a pastor.”<\/p>\n

Click the link below to read more about Hornish from the Inspiring Athletes archives:<\/p>\n

Sam Hornish Jr. snags first NASCAR victory<\/a><\/p>\n

A conversation with Sam Hornish Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n

#28 Mark Wilson has career year with two PGA wins, top 20 money list finish<\/strong><\/p>\n

With just two PGA tournaments to his credit heading into the 2011 season, Mark Wilson made a quick splash by collecting career wins #3 and #4 within the first five weeks. Wilson won the Sony Open in Hawaii on January 16 and followed that up with a victory at the Waste Management Phoenix Open on February 7.<\/p>\n

Those victories set the tone for a 19th place finish on the PGA money list and just over $3 million in winnings. He was also one of just seven Tour players to collect two wins during the 2011 season.<\/p>\n

Back in May, Inspiring Athletes caught up with Wilson who talked about the greater purpose for his success on the golf course:
\n\u201cI\u2019m always trying to keep God\u2019s agenda in mind,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cSome days it\u2019s easier to do that than others, but even when we fall and fail in this game, we have to remember that people are watching. How we carry ourselves in the tough times might be the reason why someone wonders what\u2019s going on in our lives. It might make them want to investigate it. Hopefully they\u2019ll see that the peace comes from Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Click the link below to read more about Wilson from the Inspiring Athletes archives:<\/p>\n

A conversation with Mark Wilson<\/a><\/p>\n

#27 Mark Teixeira hits 300th career home run<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Photo by Robert Rogers\/MLB Photos via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On June 30, New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira became the 130th player in Major League Baseball history to hit 300 home runs. He finished the season with 314 career home runs and now ranks 19th among active players.<\/p>\n

According to Teixeira, his faith is a key component to his success, but not in the way that most might think:<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving a relationship with Christ makes me a better player,\u201d Teixeira said. \u201cIt allows me to handle situations better. It allows me to treat people better and it allows me to have a better mental attitude towards baseball. I\u2019m not going to kill myself when I don\u2019t get a hit and that makes me better. Because when you put too much pressure on yourself, it\u2019s harder to play.”<\/p>\n

Click on the link below to read more from Teixeira:<\/p>\n

A conversation with Mark Teixeira<\/a><\/p>\n

#26 K.J. Choi donates portion of TPC winnings to tornado relief<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stop me if this story sounds familiar: PGA golfer K.J. Choi wins a tournament and donates a portion of his winnings to (fill in the blank here). Yes, Choi did it again in 2011, this time after outdueling David Toms to win the prestigious PLAYERS Championship.<\/p>\n

The South Korean pro pledged $200,000 to tornado relief for various towns in Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana. Choi has previously made significant donations to various churches across the country and other charitable organizations. The 2011 PLAYERS title was his eighth career PGA Tour victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn an interview with Links Players International<\/a>, Choi talked about how he became a Christian and how his faith helps him on the golf course. \u201cMy belief and faith in God is very strong now,\u201d he said. \u201cOnly when you have faith can there be belief in God.\u201d<\/p>\n

#25 Andy Dalton leads TCU to historic Rose Bowl victory, undefeated season<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Back on January 2, TCU gave Bowl Championship Series officials some serious heartburn with its 21-19 Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin. The Horned Frogs finished the season 13-0 but ultimately had no chance at a national championship with Auburn defeating Oregon a week later in the pre-determined BCS title game.<\/p>\n

TCU\u2019s improbable run was led by quarterback Andy Dalton who capped his career with 219 yards passing, a touchdown throw and a touchdown run to be named the Rose Bowl\u2019s Offensive MVP. Dalton, who is now the starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, once told Beyond The Ultimate<\/a> that his bigger purpose in life is to glorify God.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing I have realized when growing in my faith is that I can\u2019t be passive in my relationship with God,\u201d Dalton said. \u201cIt is truly a relationship and I need to keep up with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

#24 Nebraska assistant football coach Ron Brown leads pre-game prayer at Penn State<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>When Nebraska visited Penn State on November 12, it was more than just a football game. It was a stark reminder of the tragic revelations from the preceding week when revelations of sexual abuse at Penn State rocked the nation.<\/p>\n

In a moment of solidarity, Nebraska assistant coach Ron Brown led a powerful 90-second pre-game prayer at the 50-yard line with both teams and both coaching staffs amid a virtually silent crowd of over 105,000 fans.<\/p>\n

Read more about this story by clicking on the link below:<\/p>\n

Ron Brown leads prayer at Penn State<\/a><\/p>\n

#23 Case Keenum breaks NCAA passing records<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>When Case Keenum lost his senior season to injury against UCLA last year, many assumed the Houston Cougars quarterback would move on to the NFL. Instead, Keenum decided to come back for a sixth year of eligibility thanks to a medical hardship.<\/p>\n

It turned out to be a great decision. Keenum led Houston to a 12-1 season and an invitation to play Penn State in the Ticket City Bowl. But most will remember Keenum for the incredible numbers he put up that resulted in numerous NCAA FBS records including career passing yards (18,685), career total offense (19,572) and career touchdowns (152).<\/p>\n

In an interview with FCA\u2019s Sharing the Victory magazine<\/a>, Keenum talked about his motivation for playing the game with excellence:<\/p>\n

\u201cGod calls us to use our abilities to our greatest potential for His glory, and that includes whenever we step on the field,\u201d Keenum said. \u201cIt\u2019s not to beat the guy next to you; it\u2019s to recognize it as an opportunity from God to reveal His glory.<\/p>\n

#22 Tamika Catchings named MVP, falls short in WNBA Playoffs<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Veteran WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings was finally able to scratch \u201cMVP\u201d off her lengthy checklist of accomplishments. But unfortunately, Catchings fell short of her ultimate goal when the Atlanta Dream defeated her Indiana Fever 2-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals.<\/p>\n

Earlier in the season, Catchings was named one of the 15 greatest players in the WNBA\u2019s 15-year history. Still, those accolades mean nothing in comparison to her relationship with Christ, a relationship that she began taking more seriously while playing college ball at the University of Tennessee.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a huge chunk that was missing in my life that I was filling with basketball,\u201d Catchings said. \u201cBasketball was my god. I couldn\u2019t go to church because I had practice and you lose that balance that you grew up with. So after my injury (my senior year), I got back to going to church and then one thing after another, my faith continued to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Click on the link below to check out a video interview Inspiring Athletes conducted with Catchings during the 2011 WNBA regular season:<\/p>\n

A video conversation with Tamika Catchings<\/a><\/p>\n

#21 Morgan Shepherd turns 70, still \u201cRacing With Jesus\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>On October 12, Morgan Shepherd celebrated his 70th birthday. Certainly he was joined by thousands of others who reached that same milestone this year. But Shepherd is the only 70-year old driving full-time in NASCAR.<\/p>\n

Known for the iconic \u201cRacing With Jesus\u201d logo that boldly decorates the hood of his car, Shepherd is by far the oldest driver in any of the three major divisions. Despite getting caught up in a wreck at the next-to-last race in Phoenix, several teams chipped in to insure that he could finish the season in Homestead and complete a full 35-race schedule.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still have great passion and a love for the sport,\u201d Shepherd said. \u201cUndoubtedly the Lord wants me to be out here because I wouldn\u2019t be out here and able to do it (otherwise). I don\u2019t (physically) run out of gas. I can withstand the heat better than anybody out there. God has kept me tough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Click on the link below to read more about Shepherd and what some others from within the NASCAR community had to say about him:<\/p>\n

NASCAR wishes Morgan Shepherd a happy 70th birthday<\/a><\/p>\n

Check out stories #11-20 from this Top 30 list by clicking HERE<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Click “Like” to share this story with your friends! This year has been packed full of crazy sports stories. From lockouts and conference realignment to abuse scandals and unexpected coaching moves, we\u2019ve seen all things tragic, inexplicable and even a little insane. Thankfully, we\u2019ve also experienced some inspiring stories, many of which have been brought…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":418,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[383,387,3,384,388,6],"tags":[872,665,94,879,876,58,880,345,56,7,396,90,741,296,203,10,25,619,72,8,878,877,27,780,874,869,870,344,873,92,871,881,78,875,29],"class_list":["post-2140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-baseball","category-basketball","category-christian-athletes","category-football","category-racing","category-sports","tag-andy-dalton","tag-atlanta-dream","tag-ben-crane","tag-case-keenum","tag-cincinnati-bengals","tag-david-toms","tag-houston-cougars","tag-indiana-fever","tag-k-j-choi","tag-major-league-baseball","tag-mark-teixeira","tag-mark-wilson","tag-mcgladrey-classic","tag-mlb","tag-morgan-shepherd","tag-nascar","tag-nationwide-series","tag-nebraska-cornhuskers","tag-new-york-yankees","tag-nfl","tag-penn-state-abuse-scandal","tag-penn-state-nittany-lions","tag-pga","tag-ron-brown","tag-rose-bowl","tag-sam-hornish","tag-sony-open","tag-tamika-catchings","tag-tcu-horned-frogs","tag-the-players-championship","tag-tpc","tag-ucla-bruins","tag-webb-simpson","tag-wisconsin-badgers","tag-wnba"],"yoast_head":"\nInspiring Athletes Top 30 Christian Sports Stories of 2011 (#21-30) - Inspiring Athletes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/12\/inspiring-athletes-top-30-christian-sports-stories-of-2011-21-30.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Inspiring Athletes Top 30 Christian Sports Stories of 2011 (#21-30) - Inspiring Athletes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Click “Like” to share this story with your friends! This year has been packed full of crazy sports stories. From lockouts and conference realignment to abuse scandals and unexpected coaching moves, we\u2019ve seen all things tragic, inexplicable and even a little insane. 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This year has been packed full of crazy sports stories. From lockouts and conference realignment to abuse scandals and unexpected coaching moves, we\u2019ve seen all things tragic, inexplicable and even a little insane. Thankfully, we\u2019ve also experienced some inspiring stories, many of which have been brought…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/12\/inspiring-athletes-top-30-christian-sports-stories-of-2011-21-30.html","og_site_name":"Inspiring Athletes","article_published_time":"2011-12-27T21:30:52+00:00","article_modified_time":"2012-01-03T17:31:30+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/inspiringathletes\/files\/2011\/12\/BenCrane_CPI2-150x150.jpg"}],"author":"Chad Bonham","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/12\/inspiring-athletes-top-30-christian-sports-stories-of-2011-21-30.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/12\/inspiring-athletes-top-30-christian-sports-stories-of-2011-21-30.html","name":"Inspiring Athletes Top 30 Christian Sports Stories of 2011 (#21-30) - Inspiring Athletes","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/12\/inspiring-athletes-top-30-christian-sports-stories-of-2011-21-30.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/12\/inspiring-athletes-top-30-christian-sports-stories-of-2011-21-30.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/inspiringathletes\/files\/2011\/12\/BenCrane_CPI2-150x150.jpg","datePublished":"2011-12-27T21:30:52+00:00","dateModified":"2012-01-03T17:31:30+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/#\/schema\/person\/95c3e9443bb9bfa81645d8daef1193c1"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/12\/inspiring-athletes-top-30-christian-sports-stories-of-2011-21-30.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/12\/inspiring-athletes-top-30-christian-sports-stories-of-2011-21-30.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/12\/inspiring-athletes-top-30-christian-sports-stories-of-2011-21-30.html#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/inspiringathletes\/files\/2011\/12\/BenCrane_CPI2-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/inspiringathletes\/files\/2011\/12\/BenCrane_CPI2-150x150.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/2011\/12\/inspiring-athletes-top-30-christian-sports-stories-of-2011-21-30.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Inspiring Athletes Top 30 Christian Sports Stories of 2011 (#21-30)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/","name":"Inspiring Athletes","description":"Beliefnet Voices - Chad Bonham","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspiringathletes\/#\/schema\/person\/95c3e9443bb9bfa81645d8daef1193c1","name":"Chad Bonham","description":"Chad has been working in mass media for over 20 years. Chad\u2019s professional journey began at the University of Tulsa where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (1993) while working extensively in athletic media relations and serving as a sports editor for The Collegian. Since then, he has written extensively for such publications as Relevant, CCM, Christian Retailing, New Man, Charisma, Today\u2019s Christian, Ministries Today, Breakaway, Brio, Sports Spectrum, Christian Single, Faith & Friends, Sharing the Victory and Gospel Today. He has authored, co-authored or ghost written and edited 13 books including Life in the Fairway (New Leaf Press), Glory of the Games (Cross Training), Wrestling with God (River Oak), Spiritual Journeys (Relevant) and the four-part Fellowship of Christian Athletes Core Value Series; Excellence, Teamwork, Serving and Integrity (Regal Books). Chad is currently working on five new books including Sooner Legacy, Husker Legacy and Lessons From Sooner Football (Cross Training) as well as The Faith of Stock Car Racing (Judson Press). When he's not writing, Chad lends his efforts to various independent television and film projects. He was the coordinating producer for Choosing Life (2010) and Life Happens (2011). Chad is currently serving as producer on a forthcoming documentary about Super Bowl champion Brian Kinchen. 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