Marqus Blakely and Apolo Ohno:

Among fans of their sports, both players have broken out this year to become superstars. Ohno was the face of the United States’ Olympic promotion efforts, and after winning three more medals this year is now the record holder for most Winter Olympic medals by an American. Blakely, on the other hand, has become just as decorated in the America East. He is tops in blocks, steals and offensive rebounds, and ranks second in scoring, rebounding and shooting percentage.

Joe Zeglinski and Brian Rafalski:

Both of these guys are veteran leaders on their squads who have been known names since their rookie seasons, when they were named to All-Rookie teams. While Rafalski is a defensive star, Zeglinski can both rebound and score. What Rafalski has that Zeglinski doesn’t, though, is what the Hartford guard wants most of all — a championship win.

Chauncey Gilliam and Lindsey Vonn:

Despite their relative youth, a lot of pressure was placed on these two athletes, and they rose to the occasion. Gilliam is just a sophomore and was asked to replace two graduated superstars in Darryl Proctor and Jay Greene, but that didn’t stop him from leading his team in scoring and finishing fifth in the conference in steals. Vonn, meanwhile, in her first Winter Olympics and at the age of just 25, became the first American woman to ever win the gold medal in downhill alpine skiing.

Gerald McLemore and Hannah Teter:

Talk about potential — these two kids have the chance to take their sports by storm. McLemore is just a sophomore, but he is the face of a squad that has taken everyone by surprise, rising from the bottom of the pack to third in the conference. He is sixth in the America East in scoring and tops in 3-pointers. Teter, meanwhile, is a 23-year-old Olympic medalist. Her silver in the halfpipe helped contribute to the Americans’ unexpected record 37 medals in the Winter Olympics.

Alvin Abreu and Kelly Clark:

These two are … good. Neither is spectacular or a big name, but they’re solid at what they do. At the age of 26, Clark won a bronze in the halfpipe, her first medal since a gold in 2002. Abreu is No. 7 in conference in scoring and eighth in 3-pointers made, but doesn’t rank top 10 in anything else.

Muhammad El-Amin and Shaun White:

You think about El-Amin when you think about scoring in AE basketball, and you think Shaun White when it comes to the halfpipe. They do their thing, and do it well. White spends most of his time on the American tour, but comes out for the Winter Olympics, winning a gold each of his last two times out. El-Amin, after bouncing around junior colleges, has found his place as a scorer with Stony Brook, ranking third in points per game and top 10 in the conference in free throw and 3-point percentages.

John Holland and Ryan Miller:

One plays stellar offense and one plays world-caliber defense, but both have made names for themselves this year by carrying their teams to near, but not quite, the top. Holland is the conference’s top scorer, but he also puts up rebounds and steals. Miller became a name known around the world after being a stopper and leader for the surprising silver-medal winning American ice hockey team.

Tim Ambrose and Shani Davis:

Both Ambrose and Davis have done well, but more could’ve been expected from them. Ambrose is a junior on a team that was supposed to finish third this year. Instead, his team finished dead last and he is just No. 13 in the conference in scoring, though he leads his team in that category. He is also No. 15 in rebounds and No. 7 in assists. Davis won a gold and a silver in speed skating this year, which is a significant accomplishment, but was a non-factor in his other two events.

Greer Wright and Bode Miller:

Give them credit, these guys have had to overcome bad reputations to get to where they are. Greer Wright is a junior transfer on a team that has become known for picking up bad character guys, but overcame that to finish fifth in the conference in scoring and top 10 in rebounds and assists, all without a spot on his record. Miller has been known for his big mouth and bad attitude, but in 2010 made sure there were no questions about his talent, winning a gold, a silver and a bronze in his bid to be known as the top American skier of all time.