MKRob Sports

Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow was selected the SEC Male Athlete of the Year today in vote of the league’s athletics directors.

Tebow also won the award in 2007-08, joining Alistair Craig (Arkansas, cross country/track), Danny Wuerffel (UF, football) and Shaquille O’Neal (LSU, basketball) as the only student-athletes to win the award back-to-back.

Tebow led the Gators to a 13-1 record and their second BCS Championship in three years this past season. He won the Maxwell Award in 2007 and 2008, becoming only the second player to earn the award in consecutive years.

Georgia gymnast Courtney Kuppets was honored as the SEC Female Athlete of the Year. Gators softball pitcher Stacey Nelson was nominated.

The other male nominees were: Andre Smith, Alabama (football); Blake Strode, Arkansas (tennis); : Matt Targett, Auburn (swimming); Knowshon Moreno, Georgia (football); Bruno Agostinelli, Kentucky (tennis); Louis Coleman, LSU (baseball); Michael Oher, Ole Miss (football); Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State (basketball); Devan Downey, South Carolina (basketball); John Patrick Smith, Tennessee (tennis); D.J. Moore, Vanderbilt (football).

Past UF winners include: Ryan Lochte (swimming, 2005); Nicole Haislett (swimming, 1994); Dara Torres (swimming, 1988); Tracy Caulkins (swimming, 1984)