NEVADA (July 28, 2025) -- The Amateur Athletic Union will induct two athletes into the AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 27, in Laughlin, Nevada, during the annual World Championships Weekend. Tony Rodriguez, 56, of Las Vegas, Nevada, a multi-time AAU world champion powerlifter, record-holder and international strength sports referee, and Mark Ruskoski, 74, of Vineland, New Jersey, a longtime AAU Weightlifting and Feats of Strength athlete, record-holder, coach and international referee, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.  The ceremony will follow a full day of competition at the AAU World Powerlifting Championships and will occur just prior to the AAU World Bodybuilding Championships at Harrah’s Hotel & Casino Laughlin.

Rodriguez began competing in AAU Powerlifting in 1997, has won nine World and 11 national and North America titles, and holds more than 20 AAU American and world records in squat, deadlift and overall total. Additionally, he has refereed more than 30 AAU strength sports meets since 2003, has been an international judge since 2010, and currently serves on the AAU Strength Sports Executive Board of Directors.   

Ruskoski won his first AAU Junior Olympic Weightlifting meet in 1966, and won numerous local, state and regional weightlifting meets in the 1960s and 1970s.  He has also been a Feats of Strength record-holder, referee and meet director, also coached hundreds of lifters and strength sports athletes, winning gold medals in weightlifting and more recently Feats of Strength over five decades of competition.

Additionally, AAU has announced the following AAU Strength Sports national award recipients:

AAU Junior Male Powerlifter of the Year:  Max Sandoval
AAU Senior Male Powerlifter of the Year:  Ray Fougnier
AAU Strength Sports Overall Male Athlete of the Year:  Ray Fougnier
AAU Junior Female Powerlifter of the Year:  Brianna Bowens
AAU Junior Female Weightlifter of the Year:  Liliana Laymen
AAU Junior Female Feats of Strength Athlete of the Year:  Mikaella Bowens
AAU Strength Sports Overall Female Athlete of the Year:  Liliana Laymen
AAU Brother Bennett Award:  Duane Burlingame
AAU Meet Director of the Year:  Mike Meadows
The AAU Martin Drake Legends Award:  Bull Stewart