Crystl Bustos named USA Softball Player of the Year

Staff Writer

Dec. 18, 2008 4:30 PM PT

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Three-time Olympian Crystl Bustos of Canyon Country was named USA Softball Player of the Year by the Amateur Softball Assn. on Thursday.

Bustos, who attended Canyon High, retired from international softball following Team USA’s loss to Japan in the final of the Beijing Games in August -- but not before going 11 for 22 with six home runs and 10 RBI in the tournament.

While in Beijing, Bustos broke the existing Olympic records for homers (five) and slugging percentage (1.318). She also scored 12 runs, which tied the RBI record she set during the 2004 Athens Games.

-- Kevin Baxter

Sports Now

Kevin Baxter

Kevin Baxter writes about soccer and other things for the Los Angeles Times, where he has worked for 27 years. He has covered seven World Cups, four Olympic Games, six World Series and a Super Bowl and has contributed to three Pulitzer Prize-winning series at The Times and Miami Herald. An essay he wrote in fifth grade was voted best in the class. He has a cool dog.

Crystl Bustos named USA Softball Player of the Year

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