Olympic and Collegiate Stars Named 93rd AAU James E. Sullivan Award Finalists
NEW YORK (August 9, 2023) – Six athletes, each at the top of their respective sports, have been named finalists for the 93rd AAU James E. Sullivan Award.
The athletes, voted as finalists from a group of 25 semi-finalists, are:
- Caitlin Clark, Basketball, University of Iowa
- Dylan Crews, Baseball, USA Baseball / LSU
- Jordan Chiles, Gymnastics, USA Gymnastics / UCLA
- Jordan Crooks, Swimming, University of Tennessee
- Kate Douglass, Swimming, USA Swimming / University of Virginia
- Zach Edey, Basketball, Purdue University
Voting opens to the public today, Wednesday, August 9, and closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 16. The public can vote once a day for their choice at https://bit.ly/93rdSullivanFinalists
The winner of the 93rd AAU Sullivan Award will be announced during an awards ceremony at the historic New York Athletic Club on Tuesday, September 19.
The AAU James E. Sullivan Award has been presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding athlete at the collegiate or Olympic level in the United States.
In addition to athletic excellence, the AAU Sullivan Award aims to recognize the qualities of leadership, citizenship, character, and sportsmanship on and off the playing surface.
“It’s an honor to announce this incredible class of finalists, each of whom positively represent their sport,” said Jo Mirza, AAU President. “The AAU is one of the largest multi-sport organizations in the world, and we’re proud to provide an inclusive platform that allows athletes of all sports to compete for the AAU Sullivan Award.”
Caitlin Clark was the consensus National Player of the Year in women’s collegiate basketball. She also earned unanimous first-team All-Big Ten honors and Big Ten Tournament MVP. She helped lead the Hawkeyes to their first National Championship appearance in program history with a 40-point triple-double over No. 1 South Carolina. She became the first player in Division I women’s basketball history to record more than 1,000 points and 300 assists in the same season and was awarded both the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year and Dawn Staley Guard of the Year awards – the first student-athlete to win the Dawn Staley Award in three consecutive seasons.
Dylan Crews was named the winner of the 2023 Golden Spikes Award, given by USA Baseball to a player who exhibits exceptional on-field ability and exemplary sportsmanship. He was named the SEC Player of the Year for the second-straight season and was drafted No. 2 overall by the Washington Nationals this summer. He was named both a 2022 and 2023 Consensus First-Team All-American and was also named to the 2023 College World Series All-Tournament team. Crews finished No. 1 in the nation in runs scored (100), No. 1 in walks (71), No. 2 in on-base percentage (.567), No. 2 in base hits (110) and No. 3 in batting average (.426).
Jordan Chiles won the 2023 NCAA uneven bars and floor exercise titles in her final collegiate gymnastics competition before resuming training for the 2024 Olympic Games. Chiles won a team silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and claimed team gold and two individual event silver medals at the 2022 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in England. She was named the 2023 College Gym News Sportswoman of the Year, Gymnastics Now’s 2023 NCAA Women’s Gymnast of the Year and the 2023 West Region Gymnast of the Year by the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association.
Jordan Crooks etched his name into history during the SEC Swimming Championships when he clocked a 17.93 time to win the 50 free; the mark is the second-fastest time in NCAA history and made him just the second person ever to swim sub-18 seconds in the event. During the 2022-23 year, he became National Champion, SEC Champion, and World Champion in the 50 free. He also earned All-America First Team honors in all seven of his events at the NCAA Championships. For his feats, he was named the 2023 SEC Swimmer of the Year and SEC Co-Commissioner’s Trophy winner.
Kate Douglass is a rising star in the world of swimming. She’s a 28-time All-American and 15-time NCAA Champion with the University of Virginia. She just won four medals with Team USA at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in late July, including a gold in the 200m individual medley. She’s also a 2020 Olympic bronze medalist and two-time Honda Sport Award winner as the top female collegiate swimmer (2022, 2023). During the 2023 NCAA Championships she won three individual events, setting the American, NCAA, and US Open records in the 200-yard IM, the 100-yard butterfly, and the 200-yard breaststroke.
Zach Edey swept all major National Player of the Year Awards in men’s collegiate basketball after a statistically-dominant season. He averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists per game. He earned the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given to the nation’s top center, and the Pete Newell Award, given to the nation’s top post player. He was named Big Ten Player of the Year and was a first-team All-Big Ten honoree. He led the country in double-doubles (27) and was second in rebounds per game, and he became the first player in NCAA history with 750 points, 400 rebounds, 70 blocks and 50 assists.
The winner of the 93rd AAU Sullivan Award will join a renowned list of recipients. Last year, Olympian Carissa Moore won, becoming the first surfer to take home the honor. Other prior winners include Michael Phelps (swimming), Michelle Kwan (figure skating), Carl Lewis (track & field), Shawn Johnson (gymnastics), Peyton Manning (football), and Breanna Stewart (basketball).
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CONTACT:
Kelsey Burr, AAU Public Relations Manager
kelsey@aausports.org
Cell: 407-225-5692
ABOUT THE AAU:
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs. Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by more than 750,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 45 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts. For more information, visit www.aausports.org.
