James E. Sullivan Award

The AAU James E. Sullivan Award, presented by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), is awarded annually to "the most outstanding athlete at the collegiate or Olympic level in the United States".^{[1][lower-alpha 1]}

AAU James E. Sullivan Award
Awarded for	The most outstanding athlete at the collegiate or Olympic level in the U.S. who demonstrates qualities of leadership, citizenship, character and sportsmanship on and off the field.
Country	United States
Presented by	Amateur Athletic Union
First awarded	1930
Currently held by	Caitlin Clark
Website	aausullivan.org

The award was established in 1930 in honor of the organization's founder and past president, James Edward Sullivan. Based on the qualities of leadership, character, and sportsmanship, the AAU Sullivan Award "goes far beyond athletic accomplishments and honors those who have shown strong moral character".^[1] Finalists are selected from public nominations following a review by the AAU Sullivan Award Executive Committee.^[2] Approximately 10 semi-finalists are chosen,^[2] and the eventual winner is determined by votes from various members of the nationwide news media, former winners and AAU personnel.^[3][4] More recently, a portion of the winner's vote has been determined by the general public.^[5][6] Recipients are eligible for subsequent awards, and in 2023, Caitlin Clark became the first repeat winner.^[2][7] In 1999, 2015, 2019, and 2020, the award was shared between two co-recipients.

The inaugural winner of the award was golfer Bobby Jones, winner of 13 majors between 1923 and 1930.^[8][9] The first female recipient, in 1944, was swimmer Ann Curtis, who won more national AAU championships than any other woman.^[10] 34 track and field athletes have won the AAU Sullivan Award—the most by any sport.

• 
  Golfer Bobby Jones won the inaugural award in 1930.
• 
  Wilma Rudolph received the accolade in 1961.
• 
  Track athlete Carl Lewis received the award in 1981.
• 
  Peyton Manning won the award in 1997.
• 
  Figure skater, Michelle Kwan, took the honor in 2001.
• 
  Swimmer and most decorated Olympian of all time Michael Phelps won the award in 2003.
• 
  Olympic gold-medalist, Shawn Johnson, won the award in 2008.
• 
  Quarterback Keenan Reynolds was awarded the 86th AAU James E. Sullivan Award.
• 
  Caitlin Clark won the award in 2022 and 2023, the first ever 2x winner.

Winners

Award Year	Winner	Sport(s)	Reference
1930	Bobby Jones	Golf	[11]
1931	Bernard Berlinger	Decathlon	[12]
1932	James Bausch		[13]
1933	Glenn Cunningham	Running (middle distance)	[14]
1934	William Bonthron		[15]
1935	W. Lawson Little, Jr.	Golf	[16]
1936	Glenn Morris	Decathlon	[17]
1937	Don Budge	Tennis	[18]
1938	Don Lash	Running (long distance)	[19]
1939	Joe Burk	Rowing	[20]
1940	J. Gregory Rice	Running (long distance)	[21]
1941	T. Leslie MacMitchell	Running (middle distance/cross country)	[22]
1942	Cornelius Warmerdam	Pole vault	[23]
1943	Gil Dodds	Running (middle distance)	[24]
1944	Ann Curtis	Swimming	[25]
1945	Doc Blanchard	Football	[26]
1946	Arnold Tucker		[26]
1947	John B. Kelly, Jr.	Rowing	[27]
1948	Bob Mathias	Decathlon	[28]
1949	Dick Button	Figure skating	[29][30]
1950	Fred Wilt	Running (long distance)	[31]
1951	Bob Richards	Pole vault & decathlon	[32]
1952	Horace Ashenfelter	Running (long distance)	[33]
1953	Sammy Lee	Diving	[34]
1954	Mal Whitfield	Running (middle distance)	[35]
1955	Harrison Dillard	Running (sprint)	[36]
1956	Pat McCormick	Diving	[4]
1957	Bobby Morrow	Running (sprint)	[37]
1958	Glenn Davis		[38]
1959	Parry O'Brien	Shot put & discus	[39]
1960	Rafer Johnson	Decathlon	[40]
1961	Wilma Rudolph	Running (sprint)	[41]
1962	Jim Beatty	Running (middle and long distance)	[42]
1963	John Pennel	Pole vault	[43]
1964	Don Schollander	Swimming	[44]
1965	Bill Bradley	Basketball	[6]
1966	Jim Ryun	Running (middle distance)	[45]
1967	Randy Matson	Shot put & discus	[46]
1968	Debbie Meyer	Swimming	[47]
1969	Bill Toomey	Decathlon	[48]
1970	John Kinsella	Swimming	[49]
1971	Mark Spitz		[11]
1972	Frank Shorter	Running (long distance)	[50]
1973	Bill Walton	Basketball	[6]
1974	Rick Wohlhuter	Running (middle distance)	[51]
1975	Tim Shaw	Swimming	[52]
1976	Caitlyn Jenner [lower-alpha 2]	Decathlon	[54]
1977	John Naber	Swimming	[3]
1978	Tracy Caulkins		[55]
1979	Kurt Thomas	Gymnastics	[56]
1980	Eric Heiden	Speed skating	[57]
1981	Carl Lewis	Running (sprint) & long jump	[58]
1982	Mary Decker	Running (middle and long distance)	[59]
1983	Edwin Moses	Running (sprint)	[60]
1984	Greg Louganis	Diving	[61]
1985	Joan Benoit	Running (long distance)	[62]
1986	Jackie Joyner-Kersee	Running (sprint)	[63]
1987	Jim Abbott	Baseball	[64]
1988	Florence Griffith-Joyner	Running (sprint)	[63]
1989	Janet Evans	Swimming	[21]
1990	John Smith	Wrestling	[21]
1991	Mike Powell	Long jump	[65]
1992	Bonnie Blair	Speed skating	[66]
1993	Charlie Ward	Basketball & football	[26]
1994	Dan Jansen	Speed skating	[67]
1995	Bruce Baumgartner	Wrestling	[68]
1996	Michael Johnson	Running (sprint)	[69]
1997	Peyton Manning	Football	[26]
1998	Chamique Holdsclaw	Basketball	[66]
1999	Coco Miller		[70]
	Kelly Miller
2000	Rulon Gardner	Wrestling	[71]
2001	Michelle Kwan	Figure skating	[29]
2002	Sarah Hughes		[11]
2003	Michael Phelps	Swimming	[11]
2004	Paul Hamm	Gymnastics	[56]
2005	JJ Redick	Basketball	[6]
2006	Jessica Long	Swimming	[72]
2007	Tim Tebow	Football	[73]
2008	Shawn Johnson	Gymnastics	[56]
2009	Amy Palmiero-Winters	Running (ultra marathon)	[74]
2010	Evan Lysacek	Figure skating	[75]
2011	Andrew Rodriguez	Football	[76]
2012	Missy Franklin	Swimming	[77]
2013	John Urschel	Football	[78]
2014	Ezekiel Elliott		[79]
2015	Keenan Reynolds		[80]
	Breanna Stewart	Basketball
2016	Lauren Carlini	Volleyball	[81]
2017	Kyle Snyder	Wrestling	[82]
2018	Kathryn Plummer	Volleyball	[83]
2019	Sabrina Ionescu	Basketball	[84]
	Spencer Lee	Wrestling
2020	Simone Biles	Gymnastics	[85]
	Caeleb Dressel	Swimming
2021	Carissa Moore	Surfing	[86]
2022	Caitlin Clark	Basketball	[87]
2023			[7]

Notes

1. In North American English, athletics is synonymous with sports in general, making the terms athlete and sportsperson synonyms. In many other forms of English, notably British English, athlete refers strictly to a participant in the sport of athletics.
2. Jenner changed her name from Bruce to Caitlyn after to her gender transition in 2015.^[53]

References

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82. "Ohio State wrestling champion Kyle Snyder wins Sullivan Award". ESPN. April 19, 2018. Archived from the original on June 19, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
83. "Stanford's Kathryn Plummer wins Sullivan Award as top amateur athlete in US". San Francisco Chronicle. April 16, 2019. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
84. "Sabrina Ionescu & Spencer Lee Crowned 90th AAU James E. Sullivan Award Co-Winners Presented by Eastbay" (Press release). Amateur Athletic Union. April 29, 2020. Archived from the original on May 11, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
85. Rieder, David (October 22, 2021). "Caeleb Dressel Announced as Recipient of James E. Sullivan Award". Swimming World. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
86. "Olympic Gold Medalist Carissa Moore Wins the 92nd AAU James E. Sullivan Award" (Press release). Amateur Athletic Union. December 8, 2022. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
87. "Iowa Basketball Star Caitlin Clark Wins 93rd AAU James E. Sullivan Award" (Press release). Amateur Athletic Union. September 19, 2023. Archived from the original on February 1, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2023.

External links

• Official website