As he prepares to compete at the European U23 Championships this week, California track & field discus ace Mykolas Alekna was greeted with the news of yet another major accolade Wednesday as he was named a semifinalist for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) James E. Sullivan Award. This prestigious honor, which has been presented annually since 1930, is granted to the most outstanding athlete at the collegiate or Olympic level in the United States.
 
Alekna, who is eligible for the award because he competes at a U.S. institution, is one of 25 semifinalists ranging across 16 sports this year. He is the first Cal semifinalist since swimmers Abbey Weitzeil and Ryan Hoffer both appeared on the list in 2020, and he is one of just two track & field athletes (along with Olympic and World champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone).
 
Six finalists will be chosen via a fan vote, after which the award will be presented at the New York Athletic Club on Thursday, Sept. 19. Individuals can vote for Alekna once per day from now until 8:59 p.m. PT on Wednesday, July 19. The voting portal is available here.
 
Alekna's remarkable first two years with the Golden Bears have already cemented him as one of the greatest athletes to ever wear a Cal track & field uniform. A world silver medalist and European champion, the young Lithuanian owns the top-five throws (and nine of the top 10) in collegiate history; he currently ranks third in this season's world standings. Following his first full year of competition, in which he posted the farthest discus mark by any teenager in history, he was named the European Athletics Golden Tracks Men's Rising Star and the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania's Best Male Athlete of the Year, as well as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) West Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year. Alekna followed that up with a mark of 71.00m (232-11) in his sophomore season for an official European and unofficial world U23 record, earning his second straight semifinalist nod for The Bowerman, collegiate track & field's highest honor. In spring competition alone, he has set 10 meet records and three facility records to date.
 
93rd Annual James E. Sullivan Award Semifinalists (Name, Sport, Institution)
Amit Elor, Wrestling, USA Wrestling
Anastasija Zolotic, Taekwondo, USA Taekwondo
Angel Reese, Basketball, LSU
Aria Fischer, Water Polo, USA Water Polo/Stanford
Brock Bowers, Football, Georgia
Caitlin Clark, Basketball, Iowa
Caleb Williams, Football, USC
Devon Witherspoon, Football, Illinois
Dylan Crews, Baseball, USA Baseball/LSU
Gordon Sargent, Golf, Vanderbilt
Jessie Diggins, Cross-Country Skiing, U.S. Ski and Snowboard
Jordan Chiles, Gymnastics, USA Gymnastics/UCLA
Jordan Crooks, Swimming, Tennessee
Jordan Stolz, Speed Skating, U.S. Speed Skating
Kate Douglass, Swimming, USA Swimming/Virginia
Logan Eggleston, Volleyball, Texas
Madison Chock and Evan Bates, Figure Skating, U.S. Figure Skating
Maya Brady, Softball, UCLA
Mykolas Alekna, Track & Field, Cal
Rose Zhang, Golf, Stanford
Sakura Kokumai, Karate, USA Karate
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Track & Field, USA Track & Field
Ta'Niya Latson, Basketball, Florida State
Zach Edey, Basketball, Purdue
 
 
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