PA Native and Franklin Regional Graduate is up for the Sullivan Award

[Descat1]

Spencer Lee Named Semifinalist for AAU James E. Sullivan Award

Spencer Lee has been named a semifinalist for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.

Fans can vote for semifinalists by visiting aausports.org. Voting opens Monday, March 9 and closes Friday, March 13. The award winner will be announced April 21 at a ceremony in New York City.

Representatives from the AAU created the AAU James E. Sullivan Award with the intent to recognize amateur contributions and achievements from non-professional athletes across the country. The AAU Sullivan Award is presented to the athlete who has demonstrated the most athletic success, as well as leadership, character and sportsmanship in the past year.

World renowned golfer Robert “Bobby” Jones received the inaugural award in 1930 and swimmer Anne Curtis became the first female to accept the award in 1944. Other notable athletes to win the award include famed Olympians Carl Lewis (1981), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1986), Michael Phelps (2003) and Shawn Johnson (2008), former UCLA basketball star Bill Walton (1973) and University of Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning (1997). Most recently, ESPNW Player of the Year and NCAA Volleyball National Champion Kathryn Plummer was crowned the 89th AAU James E. Sullivan Award winner for her accomplishments in 2018.

Here is the link: https://aausports.wyng.com/AAUSullivanAwardSemifinalists

Great for a PA high school wrestler and great for the sport of wrestling if one of our guys could win. I guess you can vote once a day.

 

[nittinsc]

Not the only wrestler who's a semifinalist.

https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestli...akomihalis-named-Sullivan-Award-semifinalists

I voted for Gray.

 

[pawrestlersintn]

Yianni's had a tough redshirt year. Looks like the right side of his head got hit by a frying pan. Either that, or they photoshopped something out of the picture.

 

[nittinsc]

Kind of resembles Shane Sparks

 

[nittinsc]

"USA Wrestling nominated Adeline Gray, who became the first U.S. wrestler to win five World gold medals, with her victory at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. Spencer Lee of the University of Iowa, and Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell University were nominated by other organizations."

Not sure who nominated Spencer, but I think Yiannni was nominated by the NY Bar Association.

 

[LorenzoFan]

Only one of the three wrestlers really deserve it.

 

[El-Jefe]

Only one of the three wrestlers really deserve it.

And when she wins, Cornell's attorneys have the appeal already drafted.

 

[bigs22]

Can someone make the case that Spencer and Yianni deserve this award over Bo? Let alone all our Senior World Champions? I’ll take Adeline.

 

[LorenzoFan]

Bo does not deserve it, neither does Yanni or Lee. Both Go and Yanni have lost domestically and Lee hasn't been testing himself on the toughest circuit.

 

[bigs22]

Bo does not deserve it, neither does Yanni or Lee. Both Go and Yanni have lost domestically and Lee hasn't been testing himself on the toughest circuit.

Agreed. I’m saying Adeline, Tamyra, J’den, Dake > Bo > Yianni, Spencer.

 

[STAND with PRIDE]

Agreed. I’m saying Adeline, Tamyra, J’den, Dake > Bo > Yianni, Spencer.

JDen, Dake??? Thought this award was for amateurs?

 

[bigs22]

JDen, Dake??? Thought this award was for amateurs?

Amateur =/= Collegiate. Amateur sports includes college, but also many of the Olympic sports. Wrestling included. Hence why Adeline Gray is on the list, along with some Team USA Taekwondo, diving, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, speed skating etc.

So yes, Senior level freestyle and Greco wrestlers are “amateur.” In fact Bruce Baumgartner won this award at age 35.

 

[STAND with PRIDE]

Amateur =/= Collegiate. Amateur sports includes college, but also many of the Olympic sports. Wrestling included. Hence why Adeline Gray is on the list, along with some Team USA Taekwondo, diving, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, speed skating etc.

So yes, Senior level freestyle and Greco wrestlers are “amateur.” In fact Bruce Baumgartner won this award at age 35.

Gotcha, I always thought the difference was that amateurs could not profit from their sport, which clearly isnt true.

 

[BoHunter0210]

Gray gets my vote!

 

[bigs22]

Gotcha, I always thought the difference was that amateurs could not profit from their sport, which clearly isnt true.

It’s a bit of a gray area (probably exacerbated by “Professional” wrestling). But I think the definition is largely or entirely without pay, so whatever the broad definition of largely equates to.

 

[nittinsc]

last day to vote