SIDNEY -- The Montana Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) board has decided to postpone the annual Little Sullivan Awards banquet and AAU convention, which was scheduled for May 9 at Fairmont Hot Springs, due to the coronavirus pandemic. No make-up date has been scheduled at this time.
Each year, four male and four female student-athletes are nominated as finalists for the award, which is presented at a banquet during the annual convention. This year's male finalists are Oregon State basketball record-holder Tres Tinkle, Carroll College basketball standout and all-American Dane Warp, Dickinson State all-American wrestler Gresh Jones and Montana Western all-American linebacker Jason Ferris.
The female finalists are Butte swimming sensation Catherine Russo, Montana Lady Griz star McKenzie Johnston, UM golf standout Teigan Avery and North Dakota State track and field champion Paige Harris.
Due to the postponed event, voting for the Little Sullivan Award finalists has been extended to Sunday, May 31. All current card-holding adult Montana AAU members, plus Montana media representatives, are eligible to vote for this year’s winners by emailing selections to mtaau.reg@gmail.com.
The Little Sullivan Award was created by the late David and Ella Rivenes of Miles City. David Rivenes served as the national AAU President and held numerous positions within the Montana AAU and Miles City sports communities. The Rivenes created the Little Sullivan Award to honor outstanding male and female athletes in the Treasure State that display qualities of athletic excellence, leadership, character, sportsmanship and ideals of amateurism, according to the Montana Amateur Athletic Union.
