Olympic, World & NCAA Champions Headline Class of Finalists for 92nd AAU James E. Sullivan Award

ORLANDO, Fla., November 22, 2022 (Newswire.com) - Five athletes, each at the top of their respective sports, have been named finalists for the 92nd AAU James E. Sullivan Award.  

The athletes, voted as top finalists from an initial group of 19 nominees, are: 

• Jocelyn Alo, Softball, University of Oklahoma
• Jordan Burroughs, Wrestling, USA Wrestling
• Ivan Melendez, Baseball, University of Texas
• Carissa Moore, Surfing, USA Surfing
• Bryce Young, Football, University of Alabama

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.  

Jocelyn Alo is NCAA Softball's all-time home runs leader, with 122 home runs in her legendary career. The native of Hau'ula, Hawaii, helped Oklahoma to back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022. In both seasons, Alo was named USA Softball and Big 12 Collegiate Player of the Year. 

Jordan Burroughs has won seven World and Olympic gold medals, more than any other U.S. wrestler. Burroughs, a Sicklerville, New Jersey native, won Olympic gold in the 74kg class of freestyle wrestling at the 2012 London Olympics. His medal tally includes six World Championship golds, one Olympic gold, eight Pan American golds, and four U.S. Open golds.

Ivan Melendez was the Consensus National Player of the Year in college baseball in 2022. After leading the University of Texas to the College World Series in 2021, the El Paso, Texas native returned to school and hit .387 with 96 hits, 94 RBIs and 32 home runs, winning the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy, issued annually to college baseball's player of the year.  

Carissa Moore is a five-time World Champion and two-time Triple Crown of Surfing champion but may be best remembered as the first Olympic gold medalist in the women's short board event at the 2020 Tokyo Games. The Honolulu, Hawaii native was inducted into the Surfers' Hall of Fame in 2014 and is the first surfer in history to win a World Surf League title and Olympic gold medal in the same year.

Bryce Young is the first Heisman Trophy winner to also be a Sullivan finalist since Tim Tebow in 2007. The native of Pasadena, California, became Alabama's fourth Heisman Trophy recipient since 2009, as he led the Crimson Tide back to the national title game. He was recognized as college football's Player of the Year by the Associated Press and The Sporting News, and also won the Maxwell Award, which recognizes college football's top player, in 2021.   

The winner of the AAU Sullivan Award will join a renowned list of recipients. Last year, Olympians Simone Biles and Caeleb Dressel were crowned co-winners. Other prior winners include Carl Lewis (track and field), Michael Phelps (swimming), Michelle Kwan (figure skating), Shawn Johnson (gymnastics), Peyton Manning (football), and J.J. Redick (basketball).

This year's winner will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 8.

Source: Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)