Spencer Lee is considered one of the top amateur athletes in the nation.
The proof certainly is in the results: two NCAA wrestling titles at Iowa and an All-American career so far at the collegiate level.
The Franklin Regional grad and Hawkeyes junior is now up for an award representative of his exceptional talents.
Lee is one of 33 semifinalists for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.
The award is based on fan voting. Fans can go to aausports.org beginning Monday and vote until Saturday.
The Sullivan winner will be announced April 21 during a ceremony in New York City.
Lee won his first Big Ten title Sunday night to improve to 18-0 for the season. The 125-pounder will be the top seed in his weight class at the NCAA Division I Championships later this month in Minnesota as he goes for a third national title.
Organizers say the award was created “with the intent to recognize amateur contributions and achievements from non-professional athletes across the country.” It is presented to the athlete who “has demonstrated the most athletic success, as well as leadership, character and sportsmanship in the past year.”
Past winners of the Sullivan Award include golf great Bobby Jones, swimmer Anne Curtis, Olympians Carl Lewis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Michael Phelps and Shawn Johnson, former UCLA basketball star Bill Walton and former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning.
Spencer Lee Named Semifinalist for AAU James E. Sullivan Award
— Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling) March 9, 2020
About ?: https://t.co/7Wt5cUurTd
Fan Vote ✔: https://t.co/ZNmvwMso6N#Hawkeyes #FightForIowa pic.twitter.com/FU6PGlRij3
