From USOC Communications:
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Standout performances at the London 2012 Paralympic Games garnered track & field athlete Tatyana McFadden (Clarksville, Md.) and archer Jeff Fabry (Tulane, Calif.) Athlete of the Month recognition, while the cycling mixed H1-4 team of Muffy Davis (Salt Lake City, Utah), Oz Sanchez (San Diego, Calif.) and Matt Updike (Denver, Colo.) were named Team of the Month for September, the United States Olympic Committee announced today.
McFadden earned four medals - including three gold medals - at the Paralympic Games. She raced to gold in the 400-, 800- and 1,500-meter T54, and then collected bronze in the 100-meter T-54. McFadden's four medals in London bring her total Paralympic Games medal count to 10.
Meanwhile, Fabry won the first U.S. Paralympic gold medal in archery since 1984, and the first Paralympic or Olympic Games gold medal in archery since 1996. In his semifinal match for the individual compound W1, Fabry accidentally dropped his bow in the second set, causing the strings to come off and the bow to come apart. He spent the third set retrieving his backup bow, resulting in three zero scores. Against all odds, Fabry came back to win his spot in the gold-medal final, 7-3. In the final, Fabry faced top-seeded David Drahoninsky of the Czech Republic. Undaunted and using his repaired primary bow, Fabry shot his way to victory and the gold medal with a 6-2 win.
In the final road cycling event at the Paralympic Games, the mixed H1-4 relay team made of Davis, Sanchez and Updike won the gold medal. Davis, coming off of two individual gold medals, was aiming for her third in the team event when she lost the chain on her bike in one of the opening laps. Despite a delay of more than 30 seconds, the U.S. finished 43 seconds ahead of Italy to claim the top podium spot.
Paralympic cycling standout Davis and Paralympic swimming star Kelley Becherer (Sheboygan, Wis.) earned second and third place in the female vote. On the men's side, Paralympic track & field sensation Raymond Martin (Jersey City, N.J.) finished runner-up, while track & field hurdler Aries Merritt (Bryan, Texas) took third. The men's quad doubles tennis team of Nick Taylor (Wichita, Kan.) and David Wagner (Hillsboro, Ore.) earned second in the team competition, while the U.S. Baseball 18U National Team rounded out the voting in third.
Each National Governing Body may nominate one female, one male and one team per discipline. A voting panel selects the winners from the pool of nominees with online fan voting via Twitter accounting for 10 percent of the total vote.
FEMALE
1. Tatyana McFadden, Paralympic Track & Field
2. Muffy Davis, Paralympic Cycling
3. Kelley Becherer, Paralympic Swimming
MALE
1. Jeff Fabry, Paralympic Archery
2. Raymond Martin, Paralympic Track & Field
3. Aries Merritt, Track & Field
TEAM
1. Muffy Davis, Oz Sanchez and Matt Updike, Paralympic Cycling
2. Nick Taylor and David Wagner, Men's Quad Doubles Tennis
3. U.S. Baseball 18U National Team
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