Franklin Regional grad Spencer Lee to receive Sullivan Award in person Saturday

Iowa senior wrestler Spencer Lee was honored virtually in April as a co-winner of the prestigious AAU James E. Sullivan Award, which recognizes the nation’s most outstanding amateur athlete.

Now he will actually get his hands on the award.

Covid-19 is still ravaging the country with spikes in positive cases, but it has not stopped Iowa from playing football in the Big Ten.

Lee, a Franklin Regional alum, will be presented the Sullivan Award Saturday afternoon prior to the Hawkeyes’ home football game against Wisconsin at Kinnick Stadium.

The presentation, set for around 1:30 p.m., will be shown live at hawkeyesports.com.

A two-time NCAA champion, Lee shares the award, which has been around since 1930, with Oregon basketball standout Sabrina Ionescu. This is just the third time the award has had co-winners.

The 125-pounder is the fifth wrestler to win the Sullivan, joining John Smith (1990), Bruce Baumgartner (1995), Rulon Gardner (2000) and Kyle Snyder (2017).

Lee also won the 2020 Hodge Trophy, wrestling’s answer to the Heisman Trophy.

He went 18-0 during the regular season and outscored his opponents, 234-18. After winning a Big Ten title, he earned the No. 1 seed for the NCAA Championships but the event was canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak.

He also was named NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler and Big Ten Wrestler of the Year.

The Olympic trials also were postponed. Lee qualified after winning the U.S. Senior Men’s Freestyle National Championship.

Months after its announcement, @LeeSpencerlee36 to be Presented @TheRealAAU Sullivan Award: https://t.co/VQ6js2tBzB#Hawkeyes #FightForIowa pic.twitter.com/sYORPtkCI0

— Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling) December 11, 2020