WORLD CHAMPION WRESTLER STEPHEN NEAL NAMED TOP-TEN FINALIST FOR AAU JAMES E. SULLIVAN MEMORIAL AWARD 
   World freestyle wrestling champion Stephen Neal (Bakersfield, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) has been named by the Amateur Athletic Union as a top ten finalist for the 70th Annual AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award, sponsored by LamisilAT which recognizes the top amateur athlete in the nation.  
 Neal won a gold medal at 286 pounds at the Freestyle World Championships in Ankara, Turkey in October 1999. He was named the 1999 International Freestyle Wrestler of the Year by FILA, the international wrestling federation. His performance led the United States to a strong second-place team finish. 
 The Sullivan Award recognizes athletes who have achieved athletic excellence, exhibit leadership, character, sportsmanship and the ideals of amateurism.  It has been presented annually by the AAU since 1930 as a salute to founder and past president, James E. Sullivan. 
 The ten first-round finalists will be reduced to the top five and their names will be released in mid-February.  From the top five names, the National winner will be formally announced in late March in New York City. 
 The other first round finalists are Christian Ahrens (rowing); Mark Ruiz (diving); Matt Busbee (swimming), Mateen Cleaves (men's basketball); Ron Dayne (football); Luke Donald (men's golf); Jason Jennings (baseball); Kelly & Coco Miller (women's basketball) and Stacey Nuveman (softball). 
 Considered the "Oscar" of sports awards, the AAU James E. Sullivan Award has been presented to many prominent athletes, including last year's recipient, basketball player Chamique Holdsclaw.  
 Two wrestlers have won this prestigious honor: John Smith (1990) and Bruce Baumgartner (1995). A wrestler has been a Top-Ten Finalist for the last three years, and for 17 of the last 20 years. 
 Neal defeated two-time World bronze medalist Andrei Shumilin of Russia in the gold-medal finals, 4-3. He won five matches on the way to the title. 
 He won a gold medal in every tournament he entered in 1999, and ended the season with an 18-1 freestyle record. Neal was the 1999 Pan American Games champion and defeated 1998 World Champion Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba in the gold medal finals, 8-7. 
 Neal also won his first career gold medals at the 1999 Freestyle World Team Trials and the 1999 U.S. Nationals. He was named Outstanding Wrestler at the U.S. Freestyle National Championships, after defeating veteran Tom Erikson in the gold medal finals. At the World Team Trials, Neal stopped 1998 World Team member Kerry McCoy in the best-of-three series. Neal was also the 1999 University Nationals freestyle champion. 
 Neal was named 1999 U.S. Olympic Committee Male Wrestler of the Year for his outstanding international season. 
 He was also the 1999 NCAA Div. I champion for Cal-State Bakersfield as a senior, his second straight NCAA title. He was the winner of the 1999 Dan Hodge Trophy, awarded by W.I.N. magazine to the best college wrestler. Neal now serves as an assistant wrestling coach at Cal-State Bakersfield. He is originally from San Diego, Calif. 
 The award is sponsored by LamisilAT Cream, the best way to cure your athlete's foot. LamisilAT Cream is manufactured and marketed by Novartis Consumer Health, which is headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, and is a leading consumer pharmaceuticals and food company.