Pair of Athletes From Area in Running for USOC Honor

Joseph Griffo of Burbank and field hockey player Ben Maruquin of Ventura were among 55 men and 51 women honored as athletes of the year by their respective governing organizations, the U.S. Olympic Committee announced Thursday. Those named are eligible for the USOC SportsMan and SportsWoman of the Year awards, to be presented in January.

Other athletes honored by their sports include Carl Lewis from men’s track, swimmers Summer Sanders and Mike Barrowman and tennis players Jim Courier and Pam Shriver.

In addition to the Olympic Games and Pan American Games sports organizations, top athletes also were named by the USOC’s Affiliated Sports Organizations as well as the organizations for the Disabled in Sports. Griffo was named male athlete of the year by the Dwarf Athletic Assn., which is under the auspices of the Disabled in Sports organization.