WORLD CHAMPION WRESTLER SAMMIE HENSON AMONG FINALISTS FOR SULLIVAN AWARDWorld Champion freestyle wrestler Sammie Henson (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) is among the finalists for the 69th Annual AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award. Considered the "Oscar" of the sports award, the AAU Sullivan Award Committee announced today the finalists from the elite group of original 23 nominees.
Recognizing athletes who have achieved athletic excellence, exhibited leadership, character, sportsmanship and the ideals of amateurism, the AAU Sullivan Award has been presented annually since 1930 as a salute to founder and past president, and a pioneer in amateur sports, James E. Sullivan.
The winner of the AAU Sullivan Award receives a bronze replica of the original trophy which depicts the figure of a runner carrying a laurel branch mounted on a black pedestal. Voting is completed by the AAU Board of Directors, the United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors, the AAU Sullivan Award Committee, and members of the sports media. This year's AAU Sullivan Award will be announced in mid February after ballots are officially tabulated by the accounting firm, Accurate Business Services of Marietta, Ga.
The other finalists are Elton Brand (basketball), Pat Burrell (baseball), Jenny Chuasiriporn (golf), Tim Couch (football), Chamique Holdsclaw (basketball), Matt Kuchar (golf), Kristin Maloney (gymnastics), Mark Ruiz (diving), Angelo Taylor (track and field) and Rickey Williams (football).
Two Olympic champion wrestlers have won the James E. Sullivan Award: John Smith (1990) and Bruce Baumgartner (1995).
MEET THE AAU JAMES E. SULLIVAN AWARD FINALISTS
ELTON BRAND - BASKETBALL: 1998 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year … averaged a team second best 17.0 points per game and a team best 7.6 rebounds per game, while shooting a team high 65.0 percent from the field, helping lead the 1998 USA Basketball Goodwill Games Team to a 4-1 record and a gold medal finish … Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) pre-season Player of the Year … 1998 honorable mention ACC All-Freshman Team … led Duke in rebounding at 7.3 rebounds per game and was third in scoring 13.4 points per game … native of Peekskill, N.Y.
PAT BURRELL - BASEBALL: Winner of the Golden Spikes Award, awarded annually to the top amateur baseball player in the country … hit .432 with 17 home runs and 47 RBI this past Spring for the University of Miami … led the team in hitting and slugging percentage (.924) … named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Atlantic I Region coming off injured reserve … hit .421 with five homers and nine RBI in the regional leading the Hurricanes to a College World Series berth … went 4-9 (.444) with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI at the 1998 College World Series … native of Boulder Creek, Calif.
JENNY CHUASIRIPORN - GOLF: Finished as the top amateur in the U.S. Open for the second straight year … set a U.S. Open record by firing a four-day amateur low of 290 … member of the U.S. Team that won the Curtis Cup …won the 18th Women's World Amateur Team Championship - posted the tournament's individual best: 71-65-69-71-276 … earned her second straight Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year accolades, her second consecutive first team All-America recognition and was a finalist for Rolex National Player of the Year … top Duke golfer in all 10 tournaments … native of Timonium, Md.
TIM COUCH - FOOTBALL: One of the top college football players in the country … led the Wildcats to an Outback Bowl berth ... Kentucky's first New Year's Day appearance in nearly half a century ... Southeastern Conference (SEC) Player of the Year ... set four NCAA records, 14 SEC records and 26 school records … season highlight: a 39-36 victory at LSU, Kentucky's first win in 21 years on the road against a ranked opponent … finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award (top NCAA quarterback) ... finalist for the Heisman Award … helped raise $600,000 for the University of Kentucky Children's Hospital ... native of Hyden, Ky.
SAMMIE HENSON - WRESTLING: Won the 1998 World Championships at 119 lbs. … won the World title in his first World meet … defeated the Olympic silver medallist in the finals … was the top U.S. wrestling performer in 1998 … placed second at the 1998 Goodwill Games and the 1998 World Cup … USOC Athlete of the Month for September … 1998 U.S. Nationals Champion … 1998 Freestyle World Team Trials Champion … native of Cedar Falls, Iowa.
CHAMIQUE HOLDSCLAW - BASKETBALL: Led Tennessee Lady Volunteers in 1997-98 to an NCAA record 39-0 season, 14-0 in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and a third straight NCAA championship … earned Naismith National Player of the Year award, first-team All-America, NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, SEC Female Athlete of the Year … consensus National and SEC preseason 1998-99 Player of the Year … youngest member and only collegian on the gold medal winning 1998 USA Basketball Women's World Championship Team (9-0) which featured 11 professionals … squad's third leading scorer and rebounder … senior at the University of Tennessee.
MATT KUCHAR - GOLF: Played in his first PGA Tour event at the Bay Hill Invitational, shooting two-over par …currently ranked fourth in the nation in the AP Mastercard-College Golf Foundation Men's Individual Rankings … named Rolex College Golfer of the Month … defeated British Amateur Champion Craig Watson in the inaugural Georgia Cup … top 10 finish at 1998 Masters Golf Championship and finished second at the NCAA Championship … native of Lake Mary, Fla.
KRISTEN MALONEY - GYMNASTICS: International: Led Team USA to two team gold medals (Pacific Alliance Championships and International Team Championships) by winning the individual all-around in each meet ... won gold medal on balance beam at 1998 Goodwill Games ... captured the bronze medal at the Visa American Cup ... International medal count: 7 gold, 3 bronze ... National: U.S. National Champion … won the American Classic for the second consecutive year ... USA Gymnastics Gymnast of the Year ... two-time SportsWoman of the Year ... native of Pen Argyl, Penn.
MARK RUIZ - DIVING: Won the bronze medal in one-meter springboard at the 1998 Goodwill Games … claimed silver medal in the one-meter springboard and bronze medal in the 10-meter platform at the 1998 FINA/USA Diving Grand Prix … won four gold medals and one silver medal at the 1998 U.S. Summer National Diving Championships … won the titles in 10-meter platform, 10-meter synchronized platform and one-meter springboard … men's all-around athlete at the 1998 U.S. Summer National Diving Championships … has qualified for three events at the 1998 Diving World Cup and will dive in more events there than any other American athlete … native of Orlando, Fla.
ANGELO TAYLOR - TRACK & FIELD: 1998 Collegiate Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News … Silver medallist in the 400m intermediate hurdles (47.92) at the '98 Goodwill Games in New York, N.Y. … broke the Georgia Tech record (48.60) in the 400m hurdles, which was set in '91 by '96 Olympic gold medallist Derrick Adkins … NCAA Outdoor Champion in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay … Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Champion in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay … ACC Indoor Champion in 400m and 4x400m relay … sophomore at Georgia Tech University.
RICKY WILLIAMS - FOOTBALL: Leads the nation in rushing yards … broke his own record at Texas in rushing touchdowns … owned or shared 16 NCAA records ... surpassed Tony Dorsett's 22 year old NCAA all-time rushing mark and lifted his career rushing yardage total to 6,279... led Longhorns to a Cotton Bowl berth ... first team All-America ... Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (second consecutive season) … recipient of the Doak Walker Award, which honors the top collegiate running back ... recipient of the Heisman and the Maxwell Awards… native of San Diego, Calif.