Caeleb Dressel, Lydia Jacoby Among 3 Swimmers Nominated for 2021 Sullivan Award

Swimmers Caeleb Dressel, Lydia Jacoby, and Brad Snyder, and water polo player Maddie Musselman are among 38 athletes who have been named finalists for the 91st AAU Sullivan Award.

The award, which was established in 1930, was created to honor the organization’s founder James Edward Sullivan. It is awarded annually to “the most outstanding athlete in the United States.” While the AAU historically has been an organization comprised of amateur athletes, the word “amateur” has been dropped as the lines between amateur and professional athletes blurs. For example, Dressel last year made more than $300,000 in ISL prize money and salary, plus millions more in endorsements. When the award was founded, there was a more distinct line of amateurism – with only amateurs allowed to compete in the Olympics and in many of the major events in other sports like golf and tennis.

The AAU says that they have refocused their approach to just the ‘top athlete’ of the year in order to accommodate Olympic athletes, and now NCAA athletes, who are in many cases no longer amateurs.

The list of 38 athletes will be whittled down to 10 via a process that includes votes from both the media and fans, and one winner will be selected (though in some years there are two honorees).

• Fans can vote here. Voting will close on Monday, September 27 at 11:59PM Eastern Time.

Nominees are usually announced in April, but because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the process and ceremony have been delayed. The presentation of the award will be held at the Rosen Centre in Orlando, Florida on Friday, Oct 22, with a special recognition reception in conjunction with the Orlando Magic later that night.

Caeleb Dressel was one of the stars of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, coming away with 5 gold medals. That included wins in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, 400 free relay, and 400 medley relay.

He was a captain of the American men’s swim team in Tokyo, alongside Ryan Murphy, and won gold in every event he raced except for the mixed 400 medley relay, which placed 5th. He became the fifth swimmer in history to win 5 gold medals at a single Olympic Games. That included new World Records in the 100 fly (49.45) and as the fly leg of the men’s 400 medley relay.

Lydia Jacoby was one of the breakout stars of Team USA at the Olympics. The Alaskan, who became the first swimmer from her home state to qualify for the Olympic Games in swimming, built like a slow roar in the year leading up to the Tokyo Games. As she gradually began to swim more meets in the Lower 48, Jacoby’s presence in national conversations grew. At the Olympic Trials she finished 2nd behind the World Record holder and the defending Olympic champion Lilly King. In Tokyo, Jacoby improved that to a gold medal victory at only 17 years old.

Her story captured the hearts of Americans, given her story of traveling from the small town of Seward, Alaska to find a training pool 2 hours away in Anchorage during the pandemic. Even in the best of times, that pool in Anchorage is the only long course water in the state. It was an underdog story that had Jacoby bloom into the world’s best in front of a global spotlight.

37-year old Brad Snyder, who lost his eyesight from an IED explosion as a member of the US Navy in Afghanistan, competed in his 3rd Paralympic Games in 2020. While his first 7 Paralympic medals, including 5 golds, were won in swimming, in 2020 he added running and cycling to his repertoire and competed in the paratriathlon.

Along with his partner Greg Billington, Snyder won gold in the PTVI classification in Tokyo – his 6th Parlaympic gold medal overall.

The 23-year old Maddie Musselman, meanwhile, starred for the U.S. Olympic Women’s Water Polo Team in Tokyo. The American women roared their way to a gold medal in one of the most dominant performances in Olympic water polo history, including a 14-5 drubbing of Spain in the gold medal match.

Musselman led the Americans with 3 goals in that gold medal match. She tied Maggie Steffens with 18 goals in the tournament as the most for the Americans, and second-most among all players in the tournament. She also ranked 3rd in the tournament in rebounds (9 in 7 matches) and was named the tournament MVP.

The award’s criteria say that it “goes far beyond athletic accomplishments and honors those who have shown strong moral character.”