Gophers' Gable Steveson named semifinalist for AAU Sullivan Award

Steveson returned to the mat for the U in 2024 and picked up right where he left off.

Minnesota's Gable Steveson reacts after his match at 285 pounds in the finals during the sixth session of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Saturday, March 19, 2022, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich. | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Gable Steveson has a chance to add another accolade to his long list of accomplishments.

The Gophers heavyweight wrestling standout was named a semifinalist for the AAU Sullivan Award on Tuesday. The AAU Sullivan Award is given to the "most exceptional athlete at the collegiate, Olympic or other similarly elite level in the United States." The award also recognizes an athlete's character and their quality of leadership, citizenship and sportsmanship.

Steveson returned to the Gophers this season to use his final year of eligibility after taking the leap to professional wrestling after winning his second straight heavyweight national title in 2022. With the Gophers, Steveson is a two-time national champion at heavyweight, a three-time Big Ten champion, a two-time Hodge Trophy winner — awarded to the best college wrestler — and he was named the Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year following his second title run in 2021-22.

Steveson also won the Olympic gold medal at heavyweight in the Tokyo Olympics.

At the U, Steveson has the best winning percentage in program history with a 96-2 career mark. That includes his 11-0 record this season, where in every match he's picked up extra points, including two pins and eight technical falls. Seven of his 11 matches have come against ranked opponents, including four matchups within the top 10. He's been dominant.

Steveson is among 39 semifinalists for the AAU Sullivan Award, which hasn't been won by a Minnesotan since Rochester, Minn., natives Coco and Kelly Miller shared the award in 1999. Iowa women's basketball standout Caitlin Clark, who went on to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft in 2024, was the first back-to-back winner of the award in 2022 and 2023.

In addition to Steveson, other finalists for the 2024 award include Aaron Brooks (Penn State, wrestling), Abbas Karimi (para swimming), Ace Bailey (Rutgers, basketball), Ashton Jeanty (Boise State, football), Bobby Finke (USA swimming), Charlie Condon (Georgia, baseball), Cole Hocker (Oregon, track and field), Dylan Harper (Rutgers, basketball), Frederick Richard (USA gymnastics), Grant Holloway (USA track and field), Gretchen Walsh (Virginia, swimming), Ilia Malinin (USA figure skating), Jackson Koivun (Auburn, golf), Jacob Fowler (Boston College, hockey), Jarryd Wallace (para track and field), Jessie Warren (USA softball), Juju Watkins (Southern Cal, basketball), Julia Lopez Ramirez (Mississippi State, golf), Julie Letai (USA speedskating), Katie Ledecky (USA swimming), Lee Kiefer (USA fencing), Lexi Rodriguez (Nebraska, volleyball), Maddie Zimmer (Northwestern, field hockey), Mondo Duplantis (track and field), Noelle Malkamaki (para track and field), Olivia Babcock (Pittsburgh, volleyball), Paige Bueckers (Connecticut, basketball), Phia Gladieux (Penn State, field hockey), Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin, swimming), Roderick Townsend (para track and field), Ryan Crouser (USA track and field), Ryder Dodd (USA water polo), Stephen Nedoroscik (USA gymnastics), Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA track and field), Tahj Brooks (Texas Tech, football), Tatyana McFadden (para track and field), Travis Hunter (Colorado, football) and Trey Augustine (Michigan State, hockey). There is a one-week voting period to determine the finalists for the award.

Voting is open now and continues through Feb. 25. You can vote for Steveson and the other finalists here.

After the finalists are determined, the winner of the award will be announced at a ceremony on April 15.