ORLANDO, Fla. (April 22, 2020) - The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) announced today that the ceremony for the 90th AAU James E. Sullivan Award presented by Eastbay – originally scheduled to be held at the historic New York Athletic Club – will now take place virtually due to safety concerns related to COVID-19.
 
The announcement of the winner of the 90th AAU James E. Sullivan Award will take place the night of Wednesday, April 29 starting at 8 p.m. ET on Facebook.com/SportsStoriespodcast . Each athlete will have the opportunity to participate in a one-on-one interview with Sport Stories’ host, Denny Lennon, before the winner is presented live on the podcast.
 
The finalists for the title of the top amateur athlete of the year are as follows: Evita Griskenas (rhythmic gymnastics), Grant Holloway (track and field), Markus Howard (men’s basketball), Sabrina Ionescu (women’s basketball), Trevor Lawrence (football), Spencer Lee (wrestling), Dana Rettke (women’s volleyball), Kyla Ross (gymnastics), Megan Taylor (women’s lacrosse) and Abbey Weitzeil (women’s swimming).
 
“We recognize the challenging times that we are living in, but we are looking forward to the collaboration with Sports Stories with Denny Lennon to present this prestigious award and to give hope to young athletes everywhere,” said AAU President and CEO Dr. Roger J. Goudy. “The AAU’s mission is to provide a venue for amateur athletes to promote good sportsmanship and good citizen no matter if they are on the court or not and in this unprecedented time that mission is now more important than ever.”
 
Denny Lennon, a longtime AAU member, is the host of “Sports Stories with Denny Lennon” (SSDL) video podcast episodes.  SSDL has interviewed sport greats such as WBA Lightweight World Champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, AAU President/CEO Dr. Roger J. Goudy, Emmy Award winning Los Angeles Lakers broadcaster Chris “Geeter” McGee and USOC/FIFA Medical Advisor Bert Mandelbaum. The video and audio podcasts can be streamed via YouTube, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Spotify. Lennon also produces Facebook Live Shows, which is where the 90th AAU James E. Sullivan Award can be viewed: Facebook.com/SportsStoriesPodcast.
 
The AAU James E. Sullivan Award presented by Eastbay has been presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. Representatives from the AAU created the AAU 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).
 
 
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ABOUT THE AAU:
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest- non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs. Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by nearly 700,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 41 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts.
 
For more information, visit www.aausports.org | Instagram: @AAUSports | Twitter: @TheRealAAU | YouTube: youtube.com/TheRealAAUvideo | Facebook: facebook.com/realAAU
 
ABOUT EASTBAY:
Since 1980, Eastbay has been dedicated to providing high school athletes with the footwear, apparel, and equipment they need to take their game to the next level. As part of Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE:FL), Eastbay is focused on serving athletes who know what it takes to win, both on and off the field, through its direct mail catalog and eastbay.com. Through product selection, insider knowledge, and a range of athletes and experts, Eastbay delivers the tools athletes need to win their style of play and post-game looks.
 
Additional information may be found at eastbay.com | Instagram: @officialeastbay | Twitter: @eastbay | YouTube: youtube.com/eastbay | Blog: blog.eastbay.com | Facebook: facebook.com/eastbay | App: iOS and Android