The AAU has announced its semifinalists for the 94^th Annual James E. Sullivan Award, and three world-class wrestlers have been nominated for the honor for this year: women’s freestyle stars Adeline Gray and Amit Elor and men’s freestyle star David Taylor.

The AAU Sullivan Award honors the most outstanding collegiate, Olympic or similar level athlete in the United States. It has been presented annually by the AAU since 1930. Based on the qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship, and the ideals of amateurism, the AAU Sullivan Award goes far beyond athletic accomplishments and honors those who have shown strong moral character.

Gray, Elor and Taylor are among the 30 semifinalists from a variety of Olympic and collegiate sports.

Online voting has begun and will run through Wednesday, February 21 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Voters must select one of the 30 athletes from the list of semifinalists. You can vote once per day, every day through the deadline.

Vote for AAU James E Sullivan Award

A bit about each of the wrestling semifinalists.

Adeline Gray

Six-time Senior World champion (most of any U.S. woman wrestler)
Nine-time World medalist (tied for most of any woman wrestler)
2020 Olympic silver medalist, and two-time Olympian
Ten-time World and Olympic medalist (most of any U.S. woman wrestler)
Won a 2023 World bronze medal – returned to competition less than a year after giving birth to twins

Amit Elor

2023 Senior World champion (her second straight Senior World title)
Also won two UWW age-group World titles in 2023, U23 and U20 World Championships
Also won three World titles in 2022 – Senior, U23 and U20 World golds
First wrestler in World history to win three UWW World titles in back-to-back years
Has won eight UWW freestyle World titles in her career (6 age group, 2 Senior)

David Taylor

2023 Senior World Champion (his third career Senior World title)
2020 Olympic Gold Medalist
In the 2023 World finals, pinned 2016 Olympic champion and 3x World champion Hassan Yazdani of Iran in 5:57
Boasts five career World and Olympic medals (four gold, one silver)

There have only been five wrestlers to ever win this prestigious honor: John Smith (1990), Bruce Baumgartner (1995), Rulon Gardner (2000), Kyle Snyder (2017) and Spencer Lee (2019).

The other semifinalists this year are: Bo Nix (football), Brennan O’Neill (lacrosse), Caitlyn Clark (basketball), Cameron Brink (basketball), CJ Nickolas (taekwondo), Cory Thiesse (curling), Dejah Milipola (softball), Eli Dershwitz (fencing), Emery Lehman (speedskating), Ethan Champlin (volleyball), Frederick Richard (gymnastics), Izzy Scane (lacrosse), JuJu Watkins (basketball), Kate Douglass (swimming), Katie Ledecky (swimming), Kiki Milloy (softball), Laulauga Tausaga-Collins (track and field), Madisen Skinner (volleyball), Noah Jaffe (para swimming), Noah Lyles (track and field), Payton Wilson (football), Rose Zhang (golf), Ryan Crouser (track and field), Ryan Murphy (swimming), Sara Hughes (beach volleyball), Travis Hunter (football), Zach Edey (basketball),

Vote for AAU James E Sullivan Award

Vote online for wrestlers Adeline Gray, Amit Elor and David Taylor for AAU James E. Sullivan Award by Feb. 21

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