The Sports Corp Salutes The Best of Sports In Colorado Springs in the last year and the rich traditions of a city with its own, unique sports identity in the state of Colorado.   

Among the top stories was this major wrestling achievement:

* The U.S. Greco-Roman Wrestling National Team wins the World Championship by a point over Russia, and Springs-based athletes Brad Vering (silver medal at 163 pounds) and the Army's Dremiel Byers (bronze at 264.5 pounds) are stars in the first-ever world title for America.

The other top sports stories, as selected by the Colorado Springs Sports Corp, were:  

* As the New Year looms, the United States Olympic Committee has yet to announce its decision on staying put in Colorado Springs as its national headquarters, or relocating Olympic House elsewhere in the nation. The USOC moved its headquarters to the city in 1978.

* The Air Force Academy football team, under new head coach Troy Calhoun, roars back to prominence with a 9-3 campaign, second-place MWC finish, and a post-season bowl date against California on December 31 in the Armed Services Bowl at Fort Worth. AFA has sold over 11,000 tickets for the game.

* Air Force basketball coach Jeff Bzdelik guides the Falcons to a 26-9 season, a semifinal loss to Clemson in the NIT at Madison Square Garden, then resigns to accept the head coaching spot at the University of Colorado. Assistant Jeff Reynolds is named the new AFA head coach.

* The 2007 State Games of America attracts a record 10,803 athletes from 47 states, including 6,550 from Colorado. Fifteen sports set new SGA records for participation, including 1,107 figure skaters. A record 10,007 fans jammed the opening ceremony at the Colorado Springs World Arena on August 2 to see Olympian and World Champion skater Michelle Kwan light the Games' flame. The event produced over $11 million in economic impact for the city. A record 90 sponsors support the national event, along with 2,000 local volunteers. The Sports Corp will host the 2009 event and bid for the 2011 Games in March, 2008.

* USA Boxing selects Colorado Springs as the home of the U.S. Olympic Boxing team as it prepares for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The Springs-based team gets gold medals from Rau'shee Warren (112 pounds) and Demetrius Andrade (152) pounds at the AIBA World Championships in Chicago a month after setting up camp at the Olympic Training Center. The Sports Corp and El Pomar Foundation host a welcome reception for the team on October 15 at the Penrose House.

* The Sports Corp hosts the 2007 U.S. National Boxing Championships for men and women, with a sellout crowd of some 900 watching the finals at the Antlers Hilton Hotel on June 8.

* The Air Force Ice Hockey team chalks up an Atlantic Hockey Association title and is selected for the NCAA Tourney, where the Falcons lose a 4-3 heartbreaker to WCHA champion Minnesota at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The Falcons finish at 19-16-5 and junior Eric Ehn wins All-America honors and is a top three finalist for the Hobey Baker Award after finishing second in the nation in scoring.

* The Colorado Springs Sport Hall of Fame staged by The Sports Corp, welcomes the Class of 2007, including Olympic swimming champion Amy Van Dyken, Air Force Football Hall of Famer Brock Strom, ice hockey coaching legend Bob Johnson, former Sky Sox star and Rockies' hitting coach Alan Cockrell, volleyball All-American Anita Moss, and the 1956 Colorado Springs High School state championship football team. More than 500 people attend the dinner and ceremonies at the World Arena on October 24.

* Japanese driver Nobuhiro Tajima breaks a course record at the 85th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb's Unlimited Division on July 21 with a time of 10:01.41 in his 2007 Suzuki XL7, hitting a top speed of 127 MPH on the way to the 14,115-foot summit. Leonard Vasholtz, in his final Hill Climb, won his 18th event title in the Open Division. He's the winningest driver in the history of the fabled race.

* The Colorado Springs Sky Sox set a new franchise attendance mark of 274,408 fans in their 20th season in 66 openings at Security Service Field, eclipsing the old mark of 269,904 in 2001. The per-game average was 4,158 and the team had five games with an attendance of over 7,000, two of them over 8,000 as the Pacific Coast league set a new attendance mark of 7,413,505 fans. A total of 18 Sky Sox players finished the season with the parent Rockies as they reached the World Series.

*  The World Arena hosts the 2007 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, Feb. 7-10 for skaters from across the globe. Kimmie Meissner of the USA wins the Ladies' competition and Evan Lysacek of the USA wins the Men's Event.

* Ken Ralph is named the Athletic Director at Colorado College on July 24, taking the reins from Julie Soriero, who accepted the same position at MIT after eight years with the Tigers. (three as AD). Ralph came from RPI where he had been the AD since 2002. The new Tiger athletics boss is warmed by the announcement on October 11 of a record $10 million grant to the College from the El Pomar Foundation that includes significant funds for the school's nationally-ranked ice hockey team scholarships and a renovation of the athletic department's offices and support facilities in the El Pomar Sports Center.

* The University of Colorado-Colorado Springs men's basketball program is resurgent under new head coach Russ Caton with a 16-12 record after previous seasons with marks of 5-22, 1-26 and 5-22. The CU Board of Regents approved a plan for a new 1,400-seat events center, which will host the basketball home games, currently being played in the 400-seat Lions' Den…the new, expanded facility will be ready in late 2009.

* Colorado College tight end Nolan Swett earned football All-America honors in Division III and first team All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference laurels in the school's first year in the SCAC. Swett (Tucson, Ariz.) set a school record with 65 receptions for 869 yards, then caught three passes, one for a TD, as the USA beat Mexico, 37-19 in the 2007 Aztec Bowl.

* The UCCS women's volleyball team made the NCAA Tourney and chalked up a 20-12 mark, including a 9-0 record at home. The Lions lost the RMAC title to Nebraska-Kearney, 3-1, and to Metro State in the Regional by 3-0.

* Longtime Colorado Springs resident Art Berglund is selected for induction into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame. Berglund has been a major figure in ice hockey for five decades, serving USA Hockey in a multitude of positions with Olympic and National teams. He managed the Broadmoor World Arena for 13 years and is in the Colorado College Athletics Hall of Fame after starring at CC.

* The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes hosts the 2007 World Youth & Student Games for over 300 blind athletes from 27 nations in Colorado Springs, July 12-16. The international field competes in goalball, judo, swimming and track and field at Colorado College, the Olympic Training Center, and St. Mary's High School.

* Saudi Arabian IOC Member Prince Nawaf Faisal Fahd Abdulaziz vists Colorado Springs on August 14 as the guest of USOC President Emeritus Willam J. Hybl and the Sports Corp. He visits the OTC and attends a private dinner at The Broadmoor in his honor, hosted by Hybl.

* Olympian Sheila Taormina wins the United States Sports Academy's prestigious Jim Thorpe Award in ceremonies at Penrose House in Colorado Springs. The three-sport star (pentathlon, triathlon, swimming) trains in Colorado Springs for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

* Cheyenne Mountain High (15-2-2) win the State 4A Girls' Soccer championship with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over Regis

* Cheyenne Mountain High School wins state championships in both Boys and Girls Class 4A Tennis competition.

* Colorado Springs Christian School wins the State 3A Girls Volleyball crown with a 3-1 win over Classical Academy at the Denver Coliseum. It was the school's fourth straight state crown in what is now a dynasty in the making.

* Falcon High School drops a 21-13 decision to Berthoud in the State Class 3A football championship game at Liberty High School. The Falcons ended with a 13-1 mark, their first winning season since 2000.

* USA Roller Sports stages its 25th Annual Outdoor Speed Skating National Championships in Colorado Springs, June 1-6, with banked track events at the 7-11 Velodrome and road events elsewhere in the city. Berths at the World Championships and Pan American Games are for the winners.

* Sellout crowds of over 300 attend the Sports Corp Football Kickoff, Ice Hockey Faceoff, and Baseball Hot Stove League Luncheons at the Garden Pavilion of the Penrose House. Guest speakers include ESPN baseball analyst Dave Campbell, football coaches Troy Calhoun (AFA), Dan Hawkins (CU), Bob Bodor (CC), Scott Downing (UNC) and hockey coaches Scott Owens (CC) and Frank Serratore (AFA).

* USA Archery and The Sports Corp host the 123rd National Target Championships at Memorial Park, August 6-11, for 460 athletes including some international competitors from eight additional nations.

* The city hosts competition in the Motorola World Racquetball Championship at the Lynmar Racquet & Health Club and the Downtown YMCA. The September 12-16 event included the top professionals from around the world on the International Racquetball Tour.