University of Nebraska Sports Information
Lincoln — The Amateur Athletic Union has announced that former Nebraska wrestler Brad Vering is a finalist for the 2007 James E. Sullivan Award, an honor given each year to the nation’s top amateur athlete.
AAU officials, U.S. Olympic Committee members and college sports information directors are among those who vote, but this year fans can cast their ballot online at usatoday.com or text AAUVOTE11 to 44636 for Vering. The fan votes count one-third toward the final tally. Voting ends March 10, with the winner announced April 1.
Vering was chosen by the U.S. Olympic Committee as its 2007 Wrestling Male Athlete of the Year after winning a silver medal at 84 kilograms (185 pounds) at the World Championships last September. Vering’s performance was the top by a U.S. wrestler at the competition as he led the U.S. Greco-Roman team to its first world title.
A native of Howells, Neb., Vering became the seventh national champion in Husker history as he defeated Iowa State’s Zack Thompson in a tiebreaker, 2-1, in the finals of the 197-pound bracket in 2000. He is fourth all-time on Nebraska’s career win chart with a 124-26 mark from 1997-2001. Vering was a three-time All-American and won the Big 12 Championships twice in his career.
The other Sullivan Award finalists are: Brian Duncan (football), Tim Tebow (football), Jeff Lerg (ice hockey), Robert Pillow IV (basketball), Philippa Raschker (track and field), Angela Tincher (softball), Jonathan Horton (gymnastics), Thomas Finchum (diving) and Jamie Lovemark (golf).
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