In the NCAA Division II championship game on March 24, Anthony Atkinson scored the final 10 points for Barton, including a game-winning layup at the buzzer, as the Bulldogs claimed their first NCAA title over undefeated Winona State. Barton came back from seven points down with 39 seconds remaining to capture the victory and snap Winona State's 57-game winning streak.

The ESPYS, now in their 15th year, is an award show presented by ESPN to celebrate the best moments of the year in sports.

Atkinson and his parents, along with Bulldogs coach Ron Lievense and his wife, will represent Barton at the ceremony, which will be held at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Calif., and will be broadcast at 9 p.m. on July 15. Voting began Tuesday on the ESPN Web site www.espys.tv and is open to the public.

Barton's finish is up against Kevin Harvick's .02-second Daytona 500 win, Curlin's Preakness victory, and the Los Angeles Dodgers' 10-inning win last September, which featured four consecutive home runs to tie the score in the ninth inning.