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NEW YORK (April 16, 2019) - Stanford junior outside hitter Kathryn Plummer was announced as the winner of the 89th AAU James E. Sullivan Award presented by Eastbay in a ceremony Tuesday night at the New York Athletic Club hosted by ten-time Olympic medalist and past Sullivan award winner Carl Lewis. 

Plummer is the second-ever volleyball player to take home the award after Wisconsin’s Lauren Carlini won the 87th. She beat out other top amateur athletes including Mikaela Foecke (volleyball), Rachel Garcia (softball), Townley Haas (swimming), Aleia Hobbs (track & field), Morgan Hurd (gymnastics), Luke Maye (basketball) and McKenzie Milton (football).

“I feel on top of the world. I feel very humbled because the other seven people that where a part of this class are amazing athletes and amazing people,” said Kathryn. “To be a part of the group of winners that have received this award is an extremely humbling experience because those are the people that I looked up to and now I have become one that others can look up to.”

Two-time NCAA National Champion, Plummer garnered several Player of the Year honors, including ESPNW, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), Volleyball.mag, Pac-12 and the AVCA Pacific North Region. She also was selected as The Honda Sports Award Winner for Volleyball and named to the AVCA All-America First Team, VolleyballMag.com All-America First Team, AVCA All-Pacific North Region First Team, All-Pac-12 Conference First Team. This past year, she was appointed to the NCAA All-Tournament Team, along with being named the Co-MVP for the tournament.

“Kathryn represents everything great about amateur athletics. She is not only a phenomenal athlete, but her character, leadership and citizenship on and off the court are the epitome of what this award represents,” said Dr. Roger J. Goudy, President and CEO of the AAU. “Part of the mission of the AAU is to provide a venue for amateur athletes to promote good sportsmanship and good citizenship. Our winners – as well as our finalists and semifinalists – embody that mission and are truly an inspiration to youth athletes around the world.”

The AAU Sullivan Award has been presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. Representatives from the AAU created the Sullivan Award with the intent to recognize amateur contributions and achievements from non-professional athletes across the country, including famed Olympians Michelle Kwan (2001), Michael Phelps (2003), Paul Hamm (2004) and Shawn Johnson (2008); University of Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning (1997), Penn State guard John Urschel (2013); 200m backstroke world record holder Missy Franklin (2012) and University of Wisconsin setter Lauren Carlini (2016).
 
Also honored during the ceremony was multi-sport star Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias, who received the 3rd AAU Gussie Crawford Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously. W.L. Pate, President of Babe’s Foundation accepted the award on her behalf.
Visit aausullivan.org for more information.