Crooks Voted Finalist for Prestigious James E. Sullivan Award

NEW YORK – On Wednesday, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) announced Tennessee junior swimmer Jordan Crooks as a finalist for the James E. Sullivan Award, recognizing the nation's most outstanding amateur athlete for the 2022-23 competitive season.

Crooks, who was voted as one of six finalists by fans after being named a semifinalist in July, earned this recognition following a historic sophomore campaign that featured a National Championship, three SEC Championships and a Short Course World Championship. Crooks was also named the 2023 SEC Swimmer of the Year, becoming only the fourth Vol to receive that honor.

The historic season began at the 2022 FINA Short Course World Championships, where he took the gold in the 50 free. In doing this, he tallied the fourth-fastest time in the 50 free SCM ever. Representing his country, he became the first swimmer from the Cayman Islands to medal at a major championship.

Crooks continued his year of success at the SEC Championships, where he medaled in seven events, with four golds and three silvers. His gold medals included sweeping the sprint freestyle after becoming only the second person to swim sub-18 seconds in the 50 free. He led Tennessee to SEC Titles in the 200 medley relay while posting the fastest 50-yard fly split ever (18.90) and in the 400 free relay.

To wrap up his year, Crooks won his first National Championship in the 50 free and became the fourth Vol to win gold in that event. He added seven first team All-American certificates, becoming the first Vol to do this in all of his events since Michael Gilliam in 2001.

Most recently, Crooks competed at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, where he posted top-8 finishes in the sprint freestyles while breaking the Cayman Islands national records and notching 2024 Paris Olympics qualifying times. He finished sixth overall in the 50 free and seventh in the 100 free after placing 19th and 21st, respectively, in those events at last summer's World Championships.

Voting for the James E. Sullivan Award begins on August 9 and runs through August 16 and can be found at Sullivan Finalists Voting. The winner of the 93rd AAU Sullivan Award will be announced during an awards ceremony at the historic New York Athletic Club on Tuesday, September 19.

The AAU James E. Sullivan Award has been presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding athlete at the collegiate or Olympic level in the United States. In addition to athletic excellence, the AAU Sullivan Award aims to recognize the qualities of leadership, citizenship, character, and sportsmanship on and off the playing surface.

Ten swimmers have won the award in its illustrious history. Only two athletes from Tennessee have won the award, with Peyton Manning boasting the honor in 1997 and Chamique Holdsclaw following him in 1998.

The other finalists for the award are Jordan Chiles (UCLA – Gymnastics), Caitlin Clark (Iowa – Women's Basketball), Dylan Crews (LSU – Baseball), Kate Douglass (Virginia – Swimming) and Zach Edey (Purdue – Men's Basketball).

University of Tennessee Athletics

Crooks Voted Finalist for Prestigious James E. Sullivan Award

Players Mentioned

Jordan Crooks

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