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Franklin Regional grad Spencer Lee honored as country’s best amateur athlete | TribLIVE.com
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Franklin Regional grad Spencer Lee honored as country’s best amateur athlete

Bill Beckner
Bill Beckner
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AP
Iowa’s Spencer Lee was named co-winner of the 90th AAU James E. Sullivan Award, presented annually to the country’s best amateur athlete.

Ever since Spencer Lee stepped onto the Iowa campus, he has dominated opponents.

He is a two-time NCAA champion.

The junior also has taken on a big-time reputation in the wrestling world. He is one of the most popular names in the sport.

Now, the Franklin Regional alum has a big-time award to add to his growing legacy.

Lee on Wednesday night was a co-winner of the 90th AAU James E. Sullivan Award, presented annually to the country’s best amateur athlete.

The 125-pounder shared the award with Sabrina Ionescu, a basketball star at Oregon. It’s just the third time the award has had co-winners.

He is the fifth wrestler to win the Sullivan Award, joining John Smith (1990), Bruce Baumgartner (1995), Rulon Gardner (2000) and Kyle Snyder (2017).

“I am kind of shocked,” Lee said in a livestream of the virtual awards show. “I thought I was like, no chance. These are some incredible athletes. Just being among these athletes is an honor. I thought I was just here for the ride. I haven’t won Olympics yet, but I plan on it. Just to be a part of this group is incredible. I am honored and humbled.”

Lee continues to stack his trophy case. He was the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, the Intermat Wrestler of the Year, the FloWrestling Wrestler of the Year and the NCAA’s Most Dominant Wrestler.

He also won the Hodge Trophy, the wrestling equal to the Heisman Trophy.

Lee was a favorite to win a third national title as he went 18-0 during the regular season and outscored his opponents 234-18. After winning a Big Ten title, he earned the No. 1 seed for the NCAA championships but the event was canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Olympic trials also were postponed. Lee qualified after winning the U.S. Senior Men’s Freestyle National Championship.

An All-American player at Oregon, Ionescu was the No. 1 pick in the recent WNBA Draft. She went to the New York Liberty after being named Associated Press Women’s Basketball Player of the Year.

Others finalists were:

• Evita Griskenas (rhythmic gymnastics), USA Rhythmic Gymnastics

• Grant Holloway (track and field), Florida

• Markus Howard (basketball), Marquette

• Trevor Lawrence (football), Clemson

• Dana Rettke (volleyball), Wisconsin

• Kyla Ross (gymnastics), UCLA

• Megan Taylor (lacrosse), Maryland

• Abbey Weitzeil (women’s swimming), California-Berkeley

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

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Categories: District College | Sports | U.S./World Sports
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