Noah Lyles has become a prominent candidate in the distinguished history of the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, which honors the highest level of athletic performance. Athletes competing at the collegiate, Olympic, or elite levels who exhibit exceptional athleticism, leadership, citizenship, character, and sportsmanship have been honored with this esteemed award since 1930.

As one of the thirty outstanding semi-finalists for the 94th AAU James E. Sullivan Award, Noah Lyles left his imprint after winning the men’s 60-meter event at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix circuit. According to a recent update, the 26-year-old sprinter will be joining a superb field of athletes contending for this prestigious honor.

Noah Lyles nominated to make off-track history

The Sullivan Award semi-finalists nominated by their respective institutions, national governing organizations, or agencies were shared on Instagram by @usatf. The post accompanied by pictures of the athletes was captioned, “Cast your votes ✔️ Laulauga Tausaga-Collins, Noah Lyles, and Ryan Crouser are all semi-finalists for the 2024 AAU James E. Sullivan Award! 🤩🏆 Place your votes at the link in our bio until February 21 at 11:59 p.m. ET!”

At the Indoor Grand Prix meeting in Boston, US sprinter Noah Lyles showed off his skills by winning the men’s 60-meter event with a time of 6.44 seconds. He also won three gold medals in the 100, 200, and 4×100 meters at the global Athletics Championships in Budapest last year; And is now aiming to win a global championship in the upcoming Glasgow sprint event.

The six-time World Champion and 200-meter record holder Lyles is not alone on this esteemed list; the first American woman to win a discus world title and the 2023 World Champion Laulauga Tausaga-Collins and Ryan Crouser, a two-time world champion and the current shot put world record holder, are also nominated in the track and field category.

Should any of these exceptional athletes win the prize, they would join the 34 track and field athletes who won the AAU Sullivan Award—the most by any sport.

AAU James E. Sullivan Award’s illustrious track and field alumni

Regarded as the greatest American miler of all time, Glenn Vernice Cunningham was honored with the James E. Sullivan Award in 1933. He was a terrific long- and middle-distance runner. Donald Ray Lash won the award in 1938. He was a successful long-distance runner who captured 12 national titles between 1934 and 1940.

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Within the sprinting community, Michael Johnson is a famous figure who dominated the 200- and 400-meter races in the 1990s, establishing world records in each. He won the title in 1996, while Amy Palmiero-Winters, who is well known for her achievements in para-athletics, won the 2010 James E. Sullivan Award as the best amateur athlete.

The winner of the 94th AAU Sullivan Award will be announced on April 23, 2024, during an awards event held at the New York Athletic Club.

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