The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) has announced the names of the fourteen finalists for the 72nd Annual AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award which recognizes the top amateur athlete in the nation.     Three of the finalists are amateur wrestling stars: men's Greco-Roman wrestler Matt Lindland (Oregon City, Ore./Sunkist Kids), women's freestyle wrestler Toccara Montgomery (Cleveland, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) and men's Greco-Roman wrestler Brandon Paulson (Golden Valley, Minn./Minnesota Storm).     All three wrestlers claimed silver medals at their weight classes at the 2001 World Championships of Wrestling. All three wrestlers are finalists for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award for the first time. Montgomery becomes the first women's wrestler to be named as a Sullivan Award finalist.    Wrestling is the only sport with three finalists. The only other sport with more than one finalist was track and field, which had two finalists.    Narrowed from a field of 30 nominees, the first-round finalists will be reduced to five athletes and their names will be released in mid-March. From the five names, the National winner will be formally recognized in early April.     The other finalists are Tony Azevedo (waterpolo), Natalie Coughlin (swimming), Michelle Kwan (figure skating), Stephen Lopez (taekwondo), Ryan Miller (hockey), Mark Prior (baseball), Jason Reed (rowing), Sean Townsend (gymnastics), Allen Webb (track and field), Angela Williams (track and field), and Roy Williams (football).     The reigning James E. Sullivan Award winner is Greco-Roman wrestler Rulon Gardner, who received the award after winning a gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games. Three wrestlers have won the award, considered one of amateur sport's top honors: John Smith (1990), Bruce Baumgartner (1995), Rulon Gardner (2000).    Lindland claimed a silver medal at 85 kg/187.25 pounds at the World Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships in Patras, Greece.    Montgomery won a silver medal at 68 kg/149.75 pounds at the World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.    Paulson captured a silver medal at 54 kg/119 pounds at the World Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships in Patras, Greece.    The award, given to the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States, is based on qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship and the ideals of amateurism. Both athletic accomplishment and strong moral character are considered by a 800 member panel of AAU board of directors, the U.S. Olympic Committee board of directors, the AAU Sullivan Committee, past Sullivan Award winners, and a select members of the sports media.     "These individuals exemplify the best amateur athletes in all of sport with their commitment to sportsmanship, community, and education," said AAU President Bobby Dodd. "The AAU represents 34 sports from the grass roots to the national level and they are the role models for our athletes to follow."   Considered the "Oscar" of sports awards, the AAU James E. Sullivan Award has been presented to prominent athletes of our time including last year's recipient Olympic Golf Medalist, Rulon Gardner. Others include: Chamique Holdsclaw (1998), Peyton Manning (1997), William "Bill" Bradley (1965), Dan Jansen (1994), Janet Evans (1989), Jim Abbott (1987), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1986), Greg Louganis (1984), and the late Florence Griffith-Joyner (1988).     The AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award has been presented annually by the AAU since 1930 as a salute to founder and past president of the AAU, and a pioneer in amateur sports, James E. Sullivan. The winner of the AAU Sullivan Award receives a bronze replica of the original trophy that depicts the figure of a runner carrying a laurel branch mounted on a black pedestal.     MATT LINDLAND    Lindland won a silver medal on the Olympic level for the second straight season, after claiming an Olympic silver medal at 76 kg/167.5 pounds at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Lindland moved up one weight class in 2001, and was still able to qualify for the gold-medal finals. His performance helped lead the USA to a third-place finish as a team at the World Greco-Roman Championships, its best-ever performance.    Lindland had an impressive performance at the World Championships. He won four matches to qualify for the championship match. His quarterfinal victory was a commanding 11-0 technical fall over talented Evgeniy Erofaylov of Uzbekistan. His semifinal victory was also impressive, a 5-2 decision over Alexandre Menshikov of Russia. Lindland was defeated in the gold-medal match by Olympic bronze medalist Mukhran Vakhrangadze of Georgia, 2-1 in overtime.     He claimed three other gold medals during the 2001 season: the Takhti Cup in Iran, the U.S. National Championships and the World Team Trials. He was named Outstanding Wrestler at the U.S. National Championships in Greco-Roman.    Lindland beat Olympians in the finals of both the U.S. Nationals and the World Team Trials. At the U.S. Nationals, he defeated 2000 Olympian Quincey Clark for the title. At the World Team Trials, he defeated 1992 and 1996 Olympian Dan Henderson in the finals.    Lindland is an entrepreneur in his native Oregon, and is involved in a number of businesses. He wrestled in college for the Univ. of Nebraska and Clackamas CC.    TOCCARA MONTGOMERY    She was one of two U.S. silver medalists, leading the USA to a seventh-place team finish. It was her first Senior World Championships appearance, earning her spot on the U.S. team as an 18-year-old high school senior.    Her only loss at the World Championships came in the gold-medal finals to six-time World Champion Christine Nordhagen-Vierling of Canada, 4-1. She pinned her other four opponents in the tournament, dominating the action in every match.    During the 2001 year, Montgomery claimed seven gold medals at major Senior women's events. She won the Yasar Dogu Tournament in Turkey, the Manitoba Open in Canada and the Sunkist Kids International in the USA. Domestically, she was also the U.S. Nationals and World Team Trials champion, as well as the Hoover/Geller Keystone Open champion and the University Nationals champion. Montgomery won Outstanding Wrestler awards at the U.S. Nationals and the Sunkist Kids International Open.    During the 2001 season, Montgomery defeated three past Women's World Championships. She beat Nordhagen-Vierling in the finals of the Sunkist Kids International Open in October. Montgomery also defeated 2000 World Champion Kristie Marano of the United States at both the U.S. Nationals and the World Team Trials. She also scored a victory over 1999 World Champion Sandra Bacher of the United States at the U.S. Nationals.    Montgomery also claimed a silver medal at the Junior World Championships. She qualified for the U.S. Junior World Team by winning the FILA Junior Nationals title, her second straight Junior World team appearance.    She was named the 2001 International Women's Wrestler of the Year by FILA, the international wrestling federation. Montgomery becomes the first U.S. women's wrestler to win this prestigious award and only the third American to win a FILA International Wrestler of the Year honor, joining men freestyle wrestlers John Smith (1995) and Stephen Neal (1999).    Montgomery also received a number of other top wrestling honors. She received the 2001 USA Wrestling Championship Belt Series for Senior women, recognizing the most successful and active women's wrestler on the Senior level. She was also the winner of the 2001 TheMat.com/ASICS Girls High School Wrestler of the Year award, recognizing the top U.S. high school female wrestler.    Montgomery is now a freshman at Cumberland College in Kentucky, competing on its women's varisty wrestling team. In June, she completed her high school career at East Technical High School in Cleveland.    BRANDON PAULSON    Paulson, like Lindland, won his second career World-level silver medal. He also captured an Olympic silver medal at 52 kg/114.5 pounds at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. This was Paulson's first appearance on a U.S. World team since his medal performance at the Atlanta Games. His performance helped