Brittany Bowe Represents US Speedskating as a Finalist for AAU James E. Sullivan Award
Kearns, Utah (PRWEB) March 16, 2016 -- The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) announced today that Brittany Bowe (Ocala, Fla.) has been named one of seven finalists for the prestigious AAU James E. Sullivan Award. The award has been presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.
"Being named a finalist for the AAU Sullivan Award is one of the highest honors I've received throughout my athletic career,” Bowe said. “To be associated with such a prestigious award is humbling and if selected as the winner, I will carry the award with the same amount of pride as I do when I'm racing in the red, white and blue.”
Last weekend at the ISU World Cup Final in Heerenveen, Bowe went a perfect four-for-four in races and finished the season as the Grand World Cup Champion, the overall 1000-meter Champnion and the overall 1500-meter. Over the course of the 2015-16 ISU World Cup season, she won 20 medals including 10 first place finishes.
At the 2016 World Sprint Championships on Feb. 28 in Seoul, Korea, Bowe won her second consecutive title and became just the third U.S. woman to win back-to-back World Sprint titles. At the 2016 World Single Distances Championships on Feb. 12-14 in Kolomna, Russia, Bowe won three medals – silver in the 500m, bronzes in the 1000m and 1500m – and was the only skater to win three individual medals.
On Nov. 15, 2015 in Calgary, she broke the 1500-meter world record, a record that had stood for 10 years and at the time was the longest-standing women’s speed skating world record. A week later in Salt Lake City, she set a new world mark in the 1000-meters.
Earlier in 2015, Bowe skated to gold medals at the World Single Distance Championships in the 1000-meter and 1500-meter events, as well as the silver in the 500-meter. In addition, for her performance in the 1000-meter at the World Single Distances Championships, Bowe was awarded the 2015 Oscar Mathisen Award, awarded annually for most outstanding speed skating performance of the season.
“Being a finalist for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award is a unique privilege for all our finalists,” said Melissa Willis, AAU Sullivan Award National Chair. “Our seven finalists this year embody the extraordinary success and high character athlete this award was created to honor.”
The AAU Sullivan Award has been presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. Representatives from the AAU created the Sullivan Award with the intent to recognize amateur contributions and achievements from non-professional athletes across the country.
World renowned golfer Robert “Bobby” Jones received the inaugural award in 1930 and swimmer Anne Curtis became the first female to accept the award in 1944. Other notable athletes to win the award include famed Olympians Mark Spitz (1971), Carl Lewis (1981), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1986) and Michael Phelps (2003). Former UCLA basketball star Bill Walton (1973) and University of Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning (1997) have also earned the prestigious honor.
"As one of the largest multi-sport organizations in the nation, this award is really the epitome of what the AAU represents,” said Dr. Roger Goudy, President/CEO of the AAU. "Part of the mission of the AAU is to provide a venue for amateur athletes to promote good sportsmanship and good citizenship. Each of our six finalists – and the winners that came before them – truly embodies that mission.”
Joining Bowe as a finalist for the 86th AAU Sullivan Award is Derrick Henry (Alabama football), Keenan Reynolds (Navy football), Breanna Stewart (UCONN basketball), Mikaela Foecke (Nebraska volleyball), Jordan Burroughs (USA Wrestling) and Simone Biles (USA Gymnastics).
Voting is open to the public at http://www.aausullivan.org. Finalist voting opens today and will close on March 23. The AAU James E. Sullivan Award presentation will be held at the New York Athletic Club on Sunday, April 10.
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About US Speedskating
From Pond to Podium, we are US Speedskating. We grow and nurture a sport where all ages can experience the thrill of speed and the camaraderie of the skating community. US Speedskating is responsible for the development of speed skating from grassroots to the highest elite racing programs. US Speedskating is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union as the governing body for the sport of speed skating in the United States. The Organization has won 86 Olympic medals to-date, making it one of the most successful sports in U.S. Olympic history. US Speedskating is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, on Facebook and at http://www.usspeedskating.org.
About the AAU:
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest- non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs. Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by nearly 700,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 35 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts. For more information, visit http://www.aausports.org.
Matt Whewell, US Speedskating, http://www.usspeedskating.org, +1 (801) 417-5374, [email protected]
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