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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Former University of Iowa Track and Field student-athlete Laulauga Tausaga-Collins (‘21) was named a Semifinalist for the 94th AAU James E. Sullivan Award on Wednesday.
Tausaga-Collins became the first gold medalist for the United States in the women’s discus at the World Athletics Championships in 2023.
The winner is determined by AAU Sullivan Award Committee, AAU Board of Directors, sports media, and past winners. Iowa women’s basketball student-athlete Caitlin Clark was the winner of the 93rd AAU James E. Sullivan Award last year. Former Iowa wrestler, Spencer Lee, is the only other Hawkeye to win the award in school history (2019).
In addition to athletic excellence, the AAU Sullivan Award recognizes the qualities of leadership, citizenship, character, and sportsmanship on and off the field.
Tausaga-Collins was a five time Big Ten Champion at Iowa and won the 2019 NCAA Championship in the women’s discus. She holds program records in five events, including the indoor shot put and weight throw and outdoor shot put, discus and hammer throw.
The Spring Valley, California, native ranks second on the all-time U.S. performer list for discus (69.49 meters). Tausaga-Collins was also a champion at the 2022 NACAC Championships and silver medalist at the 2023 USATF Championships. She was an eight-time All-American in college.
The one-week voting period to determine the six finalists opens to the public today. Fans may vote here.
Voting opens to the public today, Wednesday, Feb. 14, and closes at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, Feb. 21. The public can vote once a day for their choice, up until the voting closes.
This year’s winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, April 23 at the historic New York Athletic Club (NYAC) – the birthplace of the AAU.
ABOUT THE AAU:
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer sports organizations in the country. As a multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports programs. Founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in sports, the AAU philosophy of “Sports For All, Forever” is now shared by more than 720,000 members and 150,000 volunteers across 45 sports programs and 55 U.S. districts. For more information, visit www.aausports.org.