Via USA Wrestling 
Colorodo Springs, CO - March 7, 2017 
Vote for Olympic wrestling champs Kyle Snyder, Helen Maroulis for AAU James E. Sullivan Award

2016 Olympic wrestling champions Kyle Snyder and Helen Maroulis have been named as semifinalists for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award.

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 contributions and achievements across the country of amateur athletes.

Fans can vote for Kyle Snyder and Helen Maroulis starting today (Monday, March 6), through Monday, March 13th at 11:59 p.m.

VOTE FOR KYLE SNYDER AND HELEN MAROULIS FOR SULLIVAN AWARD
https://aausullivan.secure-platform.com/a/gallery?...

Please remember: You can vote once every 24 hours.

After a first round of online voting, six finalists will be announced and proceed to a second round of voting. The six finalists will be honored at New York Athletic Club on Tuesday, April 11th, 2017 in New York City, when the winner of the James E. Sullivan Award will be announced.
 

Kyle Snyder, Wrestling, Sullivan Award semifinalist 

At age 20, Snyder became the youngest wrestling gold medalist in U.S. history during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Adding to his Olympic gold, Snyder defeated two-time champion Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) to claim his first NCAA championship for Ohio State.

Kyle Snyder's 2016 Achievements

- 2016 Olympic gold medalist at 97 kg in men's freestyle wrestling in Rio
- Youngest U.S. Olympic wrestling champion ever at age 20
- 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion at 97 kg, beating 2012 Olympic champion Jake Varner in the Championship Series
- 2016 NCAA champion for Ohio State in New York City, N.Y., defeating two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski of NC State in the finals, generally regarded as the greatest NCAA heavyweight final ever
- Freestyle World Cup champion with a perfect 4-0 record in the dual meets representing Team USA
- Third in the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in Russia, regarded as the toughest Open international freestyle event of the year
- Third in the German Grand Prix in Germany
- Third in the Medved International in Minsk, Belarus

Helen Maroulis, Wrestling, Sullivan Award semifinalist

A gold medalist in the 53kg women's freestyle wrestling at the 2016 Olympic Games, Maroulis is the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport. She defeated arguably the greatest women's wrestler in history, three-time Olympic champion and 13-time World Champion Saori Yoshida of Japan.

Helen Maroulis 2016 Acheivements
-Won a gold medal at 53 kg in women's freestyle wrestling at the 2016 Olympic Games
- Became the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling
- Defeated arguably the greatest wrestler in history, three-time Olympic champion and 13-time World champion Saori Yoshida of Japan in the Olympic finals by a 4-1 margin
- Had not lost a wrestling bout over a two year period, going back to September of 2014
- Won the gold medal at 53 kg at the First Olympic Games World Qualifying event in Ulaanbataar, Mongolia, which qualified the USA to compete in her weight class at the Rio Olympic Games
- Won the title at 53 kg at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials to qualify for her first U.S. Olympic Team
- Won her match at the 2016 Beat the Streets Gala event in Times Square in New York City, pinning Samantha Stewart of Canada
- Won a Special Wrestle-off for the 2016 Pan American Qualifier Team in Iowa City, Iowa, beating three-time US World Team member Whitney Conder in the finals

Only three wrestlers have ever won the James E. Sullivan Award, Olympic champions John Smith (1990), Bruce Baumgartner (1995) and Rulon Gardner (2000).

The other Sullivan Award semifinalists this year include Aly Raisman (gymnastics), Ashleigh Johnson (water polo), Brianna Turner (basketball), Deshaun Watson (football), Ginny Thrasher (shooting), Jackie Galloway (taekwondo), Kayla Harrison (judo), Kyle Lewis (baseball), Lauren Carlini (Volleyball), Laurie Hernandez (gymnastics), Lonzo Ball (basketball), Malik Monk (basketball), Matt Centrowitz Jr. (track and field), Maverick McNealy (golf), Steele Johnson (diving) and Vashti Cunningham (track and field).

Share this with your friends and colleagues and encourage them to also vote for Kyle Snyder and Helen Maroulis for the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's best amateur athlete.