It was a night to celebrate athletic excellence and strength of character. The 95th AAU Sullivan Award was held last week at the New York Athletic Club to honor the nation’s top collegiate, Olympic, and elite athletes. In a building deeply connected to sports history, luminaries from sports came together to honor this year’s finalists: Cooper Flagg (basketball), Lee Kiefer (fencing), Ilia Malinin (figure skating), Ashton Jeanty (football), Trey Augustine (ice hockey), and Lexi Rodriguez (volleyball). Out of all the deserving nominees, this year’s Sullivan was awarded to volleyball star Rodriguez.
Kiefer made history at the Paris Olympics, winning her second consecutive individual gold medal in foil and leading the foil team to the first-ever fencing team gold for U.S. women. Following surgery, she resumed competing this year, making the podium at a World Cup event a few weeks ago. “After the Olympics, no matter if you come home with medals or not, it’s a big adjustment,” said Kiefer. “There are still spots, like this ceremony, where you can celebrate all of that hard work.”
Rodriguez graduated from the University of Nebraska last December and is now playing professionally, having finished her first season with LOVB Pro just two days prior to the Sullivan Award ceremony. “I grew up watching Lauren Carlini and Kathryn Plummer (volleyball athletes and previous Sullivan winners)…so this is very cool,” said Rodriguez. “Especially, I’m in a position (libero) that doesn’t always get the most recognition in volleyball.”
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“It’s been great to spend some time here and meet this group of athletes,” said Augustine, who is deeply appreciative of the fan support for his Michigan State team. He hopes to play on a U.S. Olympic team, so meeting a champion like Kiefer was insightful.
Several past Sullivan Award winners were in attendance, among them Paralympic swimmer Jessica Long, who won 18 years ago. “The Sullivan Award for me as a 15-year-old girl changed so much for my career and my life,” said Long. “I’m the first Paralympian to have won this award, and I take that with such great pride and honor. … There are so many incredible Paralympic stories that I get really excited for the world to hear.”
Six-time Olympic medalist Joyner-Kersee, winner of the 1986 Sullivan Award, spoke about what the AAU meant to her as a young athlete. “AAU provided a community, a way to connect,” she said. “This journey is a journey of opportunity.”