Cayman Islands and University of Tennessee swimmer Jordan Crooks has made it to the semi-finals – but this time, he’s not at a swim meet.
Crooks, who in December became Cayman’s first medallist at a major championship when he was crowned world champion in the short course metres (SCM) 50 freestyle, was named among 24 semi-finalists for the 93rd James E. Sullivan Award by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) on July 12.
The Sullivan Award is presented annually to the most outstanding amateur athlete (competing at the collegiate or Olympic level) in the United States based on qualities in sport and beyond such as leadership, character and sportsmanship, according to the official website.
Previous winners include all-time swimming great Michael Phelps (2003), Olympic champion gymnast Simone Biles (2021, joint), and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning (1997).
Voting for the award opened to the public on July 12, with once-daily votes permitted here until the deadline at 11:59 p.m. EST on 19 July.
Following that voting period, the nominees will be whittled down to a list of just six finalists in advance of an awards ceremony at the New York Athletic Club on 19 September, where the winner will be announced.
Crooks notched a time of 20.46, the fourth fastest ever recorded in the SCM 50 freestyle, en-route to his gold medal at last year’s FINA World Swimming Championships in Melbourne before finishing up his sophomore season in Tennessee with an NCAA title in the 50-yard freestyle in March.
Just a month prior to that national championship, Crooks also became only the second person in history to crack the 18-second barrier in the 50-yard freestyle (17.93) at the 2023 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championships, where he medalled in seven events before being named SEC Swimmer of the Year.
Also in contention for this year’s award is another NCAA champion swimmer, Kate Douglass, as well as NCAA women’s basketball stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
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