University of Wisconsin senior setter Lauren Carlini became the first volleyball player in history to win the prestigious AAU James E. Sullivan Award on Tuesday evening.
Carlini was one of 7 finalists that traveled to New York City this week for the final announcement. 2017 marks the 87th year of the award, which is given annually to the top American amateur athlete in the United States.
Volleyball is the 19th sport (depending on how you delineate the different running and field events) to have an athlete recognized with the award.
Carlini is a 4-time AVCA All-American, including 3 First-Team honors. She was named the 2014 Big Ten Conference Player of the year and is a two-time Big Ten Conference Setter of the Year.
As a senior, she ranked 3rd nationally (and 1st in the Big Ten) with 11.81 assists per set and ended her career with 5,599 assists – second in program history. She ranks first in program history with 74 double doubles in her career. With Carlini at setter, the Badgers went to four consecutive Elite Eight appearances in the NCAA tournament. Carlini is just the second Wisconsin Badger, after former football running back Ron Dayne, to be named a finalist for the award.
2016 FINALISTS
- Ashleigh Johnson, Water Polo – led Team USA to a gold medal at the Olympics in Rio and was named Top Goalkeeper of the tournament
- Lauren Carlini, Volleyball – 4-time All-American at Wisconsin, ranked 3rd nationally in 2016 in assists-per-set
- Ginny Thrasher, Rifle – The 2016 NCAA champion at West Virginia earned the United States’ first gold medal at the 2016 Olympics winning the 10m air rifle
- Kyle Snyder, Freestyle Wrestling – The Ohio State undergrad became the United States’ youngest Olympic wrestling gold medalist in Rio, and also won the NCAA title in the 285 lb. weight class, upending the two-time defending champion Nick Gwiazdowski.
- Kayla Harrison, Judo – won her 2nd Olympic gold medal in 2016 and finished #1 in the world in the -78kg weight class.
- Laurie Hernandez, Gymnastics – A member of the Final Five, She was second at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the all-around. She won silver in the balance beam in Rio and gold as part of the team competition.
- Aly Raisman, Gymnastics – Captain of the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gymnastics teams, Raisman won a gold and 2 silvers in Rio. That made her the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history.
ALL-TIME WINNERS
| YEAR | WINNER | SPORT(S) |
| 1930 | Bobby Jones | Golf |
| 1931 | Bernard Berlinger | Decathlon |
| 1932 | James Bausch | Decathlon |
| 1933 | Glenn Cunningham | Running (middle distance) |
| 1934 | William Bonthron | Running (middle distance) |
| 1935 | W. Lawson Little, Jr. | Golf |
| 1936 | Glenn Morris | Decathlon |
| 1937 | Don Budge | Tennis |
| 1938 | Don Lash | Running (long distance) |
| 1939 | Joe Burk | Rowing |
| 1940 | J. Gregory Rice | Track and field |
| 1941 | T. Leslie MacMitchell | Track and field |
| 1942 | Cornelius Warmerdam | Pole vault |
| 1943 | Gilbert R. Dodds | Running (middle distance) |
| 1944 | Ann Curtis | Swimming |
| 1945 | Doc Blanchard | Football |
| 1946 | Arnold Tucker | Football |
| 1947 | John B. Kelly, Jr. | Rowing |
| 1948 | Bob Mathias | Decathlon |
| 1949 | Dick Button | Figure skating |
| 1950 | Fred Wilt | Running (long distance) |
| 1951 | Bob Richards | Pole vault, decathlon |
| 1952 | Horace Ashenfelter | Running (long distance) |
| 1953 | Sammy Lee | Diving |
| 1954 | Mal Whitfield | Running (middle distance) |
| 1955 | Harrison Dillard | Running (sprint) |
| 1956 | Pat McCormick | Diving |
| 1957 | Bobby Morrow | Running (sprint) |
| 1958 | Glenn “Jeep” Davis | Running (sprint) |
| 1959 | Parry O’Brien | Shot put, discus |
| 1960 | Rafer Johnson | Decathlon |
| 1961 | Wilma Rudolph | Running (sprint) |
| 1962 | Jim Beatty | Track and field |
| 1963 | John Pennel | Pole vault |
| 1964 | Don Schollander | Swimming |
| 1965 | Bill Bradley | Basketball |
| 1966 | Jim Ryun | Running (middle distance) |
| 1967 | Randy Matson | Shot put, discus |
| 1968 | Debbie Meyer | Swimming |
| 1969 | Bill Toomey | Decathlon |
| 1970 | John Kinsella | Swimming |
| 1971 | Mark Spitz | Swimming |
| 1972 | Frank Shorter | Running (long distance) |
| 1973 | Bill Walton | Basketball |
| 1974 | Rick Wohlhuter | Running (middle distance) |
| 1975 | Tim Shaw | Swimming |
| 1976 | Bruce Jenner [a] | Decathlon |
| 1977 | John Naber | Swimming |
| 1978 | Tracy Caulkins | Swimming |
| 1979 | Kurt Thomas | Gymnastics |
| 1980 | Eric Heiden | Speed skating |
| 1981 | Carl Lewis | Running (sprint), long jump |
| 1982 | Mary Decker | Running (middle and long distance) |
| 1983 | Edwin Moses | Running (sprint) |
| 1984 | Greg Louganis | Diving |
| 1985 | Joan Benoit | Running (long distance) |
| 1986 | Jackie Joyner-Kersee | Running (sprint) |
| 1987 | Jim Abbott | Baseball |
| 1988 | Florence Griffith-Joyner | Running (sprint) |
| 1989 | Janet Evans | Swimming |
| 1990 | John Smith | Wrestling |
| 1991 | Mike Powell | Long jump |
| 1992 | Bonnie Blair | Speed skating |
| 1993 | Charlie Ward | Basketball, football |
| 1994 | Dan Jansen | Speed skating |
| 1995 | Bruce Baumgartner | Wrestling |
| 1996 | Michael Johnson | Running (sprint) |
| 1997 | Peyton Manning | Football |
| 1998 | Chamique Holdsclaw | Basketball |
| 1999 | Coco Miller and Kelly Miller | Basketball |
| 2000 | Rulon Gardner | Wrestling |
| 2001 | Michelle Kwan | Figure skating |
| 2002 | Sarah Hughes | Figure skating |
| 2003 | Michael Phelps | Swimming |
| 2004 | Paul Hamm | Gymnastics |
| 2005 | J. J. Redick | Basketball |
| 2006 | Jessica Long | Swimming |
| 2007 | Tim Tebow | Football |
| 2008 | Shawn Johnson | Gymnastics |
| 2009 | Amy Palmiero-Winters | Running (ultra marathon) |
| 2010 | Evan Lysacek | Figure Skating |
| 2011 | Andrew Rodriguez | Football |
| 2012 | Missy Franklin | Swimming |
| 2013 | John Urschel | Football |
| 2014 | Ezekiel Elliott | Football |
| 2015 | Keenan Reynolds and Breanna Stewart | Football and basketball (respectively) |
| 2016 | Lauren Carlini | Volleyball |
With all due respect to all of the nominees, I’m sure they’re all lovely people and certainly are great athletes, but the most dominant amateur athlete in any sport this year was Katie Ledecky. I would love to know why she wasn’t even nominated, much less not being the winner in a landslide.
Ashleigh Johnson should have won the award in my eyes. She was the best player on the best team in the world in the olympics. She is the best goalie I have ever seen
Ledecky was nominated last year, that’s why she wasn’t this year. They recognize achievements outside of athletics as well so that has some influence, still doesn’t explain why at least Manuel wasn’t there
Last year semi-final:
Derrick Henry (Alabama football), Deshaun Watson (Clemson football), Christian McCaffrey (Stanford football), Keenan Reynolds (Navy football), Andrew Benintendi (Arkansas baseball), Ben Simmons (LSU basketball), Nirra Fields (UCLA basketball), Kelsey Minato (Army basketball), Breanna Stewart (UCONN basketball), Ashleigh Johnson (USA Water Polo), Jordan Burroughs (USA Wrestling), Adeline Gray (USA Wrestling), Jamie Greubel Poser (USA Bobsled), Jordan Wilimovsky (USA Swimming), Brittany Bowe (USA Speed Skating) and Simone Biles (USA Gymnastics)
Ledecky didn’t get nominate last year.
On Wisconsin! Very proud of our Badger volleyball player. Very humble in her speech last night. There might have not been any swimmers last night, but go and look at the past winners- many swimmers.
Curious how Michael Phelps won the award in 2003 when he turned pro in 2001? From the award’s website “The AAU Sullivan Award has been given out since 1930 to the nation’s best amateur athlete.”
Come on where is the diversity. Diversity is more important than sporting or academic excellence says you know who . So non mainstream sporting athletes should be winning more awards. And non white athletes should be winning more than half of all the awards.
Katie ledecky doesn’t represent diversity according to some quaters.
I thought sports awards were to be based on results?
I’m all for diversity, but picking people for an award just because of ethnicity and not results seems counter intuitive.
You’re not wrong, but you’re not right either. Lauren Carlini is a fantastic athlete, great person and belongs with these finalists. It’s unfair to assume she is chosen for an award solely because of her race. If we are to assume that every time a non-white person receives an award in this country it’s only “in the name of diversity”, we’re going to have a big problem.
But – it certainly raises eyebrows when some world-class swimmers and divers aren’t even in consideration. It’s most likely a result of “sporting bias” of the selection committee, where certain sports (i.e. football, basketball, volleyball, hockey) are looked at more favorably by the committee – and although swimmers have won in the past,… Read more »
If we are talking about diversity than Simone Manuel needs to be a semi-finalist at least.
They did this for diversity
Also note that, when Ledecky set 5 LC WRs at 2014(the craziest summer in her career I would said), she made the final list next year, didn’t win clearly as you can see the result above.
When she became the first swimmer ever to sweep 200 400 800 1500 free total 5 golds(!) plus 3 WRs at World Championships, she didn’t make the semi-final list.
Lastest story, Rio 4 golds 1 silver 2 WRs…see above, Swimswam wrote it for me.
I should admit I am mad about AAU for how they treated Ledecky/swimming. Or how USA Swimming didn’t do anything to promote our amateur swimmers, this one seem like it requires the athlete’s team to recommended them.
… Read more »
Getting too mad for too much wrong typing…