By Alexander Gagnon
 
One of the oldest sports in human history, wrestling has been a classic test of athletic prowess. Five wrestlers have won the AAU James E. Sullivan Award in the past 93 years. They’ve found their success in more recent years, with all wrestling winners happening from 1990 to the present day. Let’s look at these champions of the mat and see what makes them such a talented group of premier athletes.
 
John Smith - 61^st Winner, 1990

 
The Oklahoma native became the first wrestler to ever win the AAU Sullivan Award in 1990, and was a dominant force in the 62kg weight class. A prolific college wrestler at Oklahoma State, Smith would win two NCAA DI Wrestling Championships in 1987 and 1988. His college record of 154-7-2 included a 90-match undefeated streak.
 
He would take that momentum and transfer it to the international stage seamlessly. Smith would win four World Championship gold medals in five years, and tack on two Olympic gold medals at the 1988 and 1992 games. He is the only American wrestler to win six consecutive World and Olympic championships as a competitor. After retiring from competition, he became a five-time NCAA DI wresting team championship coach with his alma mater.
 
Notable Finalists: Five-time Olympic gold medalist and 63^rd AAU Sullivan Award winner Bonnie Blair (speedskating) and Basketball Hall of Famer Teresa Edwards
 
Bruce Baumgartner – 66^th Winner, 1995
 

Only three athletes have had more AAU Sullivan Award finalist appearances than Baumgartner, who finally won the award in 1995 during his sixth time as a finalist. A former NCAA champion at Indiana State in 1982, Baumgartner would translate that success into a long career. Baumgartner was dominant for nearly two decades of competition across collegiate, national, and international tournaments.
 
A staple of the 130kg weight class through four different Olympiads, he medaled in each of them from 1984-1996.  This included golds at the 1984 and 1992 Olympic Games. He also was a nine-time World Championships medalist, including winning the gold in 1986, 1993, and 1995. He is a member of the International Wrestling Federation Hall of Fame.
 
Notable Finalists: Eight-time World Champion Michael Johnson (Athletics) and Five-time World Champion Shannon Miller (Gymnastics)
 
Rulon Gardner – 71^st Winner, 2000
 

The only Greco-Roman wrestler to win the AAU Sullivan Award, Gardner took home the award in recognition of his accomplishments at the 2000 Olympic Games. In a historic match against Aleksandr Karelin, who had not lost a match in over a decade, Gardner came out on top to take the gold medal in the Super Heavyweight division. He continues to be one of only three American men to win an Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling.
 
He followed his historic feat up with a World Championship in 2001. Gardner would win a bronze medal in Athens in 2004, the last major championship medal he would receive.
 
Notable Finalists: Four-time Olympic gold medalist Lenny Krayzelburg (swimming) and Four-time Olympic medalist Lisa Fernandez (softball)
 
Kyle Snyder - 88^th Winner, 2017

 
The three-time World Champion has been one of the best heavyweight wrestlers for the last decade. A three-time NCAA champion with Ohio State, Snyder has found success at all levels of the sport. Winning the 2015 World Championship before his 20^th birthday, Synder would also lay claim to the world title in 2017 and 2022.
 
He has a staggering 181-17 record as a senior freestyle wrestler, including a near 40 match win streak that spanned December 2021 until September 2023, nearly two years of domestic and international competitions. He also won Olympic gold in 2016, and a silver in 2020.
 
Notable Finalists: Four Continents gold medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani (ice dancing) and NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament MVP Joel Berry II
 
Spencer Lee – 90^th Winner, 2019
 

A dominant force in the college wrestling scene, the former Iowa Hawkeye won three NCAA championships in 2018, 2019, and 2021. With a collegiate record of 98-6, Lee had a 58-match win streak against some of the best collegiate wrestlers of the modern day. He also has dominated in U.S. competition as a two-time U.S. National Champion.
 
While injuries have kept him from participating in some international events, he picked up his first international gold medal in eight years by winning the 2024 Pan American Championships in February. He’ll be looking to keep the international success going this year at the 2024 Olympic Games.
 
Notable Finalists: Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Athing Mu (Athletics) and Two-Time Olympic gold medalist Maddie Musselman (Water Polo)
 
94^th AAU Sullivan Award
The 94^th AAU Sullivan Award Ceremony is just around the corner, as April 23^rd is quickly approaching. Check this link to see the six finalists vying for this year’s honor.