The Other P.O.Y.'s

By Arash Markazi

Wisonsin cross country runner Simon Bairu Damian Strohmeyer/SI

Jason Garey
MARYLAND '05

For a player who can create scoring opportunities every time he touches the ball, Garey couldn't generate much interest from college coaches coming out of high school. Only Maryland showed genuine interest from the beginning. Garey has repaid the Terps by becoming one of the most lethal forwards in the nation (second in the country with 21 goals and 51 points). His knack for finding the back of the net helped Maryland earn the third seed in the NCAA tournament. "It's not about what your résumé says before college," he says, "it's about what you do when you get here."

Tony Azevedo
STANFORD '05

The greatest American water polo player deserves better than this, doesn't he? Doesn't he? He has earned more than a little blurb at the end of another story about a big-time college football player, but you'll never hear him complain. Despite playing a sport that's often ignored, his accomplishments grab your attention like a Tara Reid red-carpet photo. He is a two-time Olympian and a probable four-time national player of the year, and was named by Men's Journal as one of the world's top 20 athletes (No. 7) alongside the likes of Michael Vick, Ronaldo and Kevin Garnett. Azevedo shattered Stanford's career goals record early in his junior season and has powered the Cardinal to three NCAA finals and two championships, scoring a total of 10 goals in those title matches. The son of a water polo coach, Azevedo is one of the smartest players in the game and one of the strongest, often carrying two or three opponents on his back on his way to another goal.

Simon Bairu
WISCONSIN '06

Bairu has always moved quickly. The two-time Big Ten Cross-country Athlete of the Year had lived on three continents by the time he was four years old. (His parents, from Eritrea and Ethiopia, migrated from Saudi Arabia to Greece before settling in Saskatchewan.) After steadily improving during his career with the powerhouse Badgers, who have been the national runners-up in each of his three seasons, Bairu last week reached the pinnacle, winning the NCAA championship.

Issue date: December 2, 2004