News: Potomac Falls Recent Grad Patricia Mook Receives $10K Sullivan Award Scholarship

(June 26, 2013) - Potomac Falls High School recent grad Patricia Mook is one of two applicants out of 2,300 nationwide to receive a $10,000 AAU High School Sullivan Award scholarship.

It was announced June 14 that Mook -- who played varsity basketball and volleyball at Potomac Falls for four years and ran track this spring -- and Josh Stamp received the top awards of $10,000 each. Mook will use her scholarship at Emory University where she will play basketball.


Additional winners of $2,500. Include Sidney Beckman, Kirby Given, Maite Moscoso and Brian Allen Baehl, Wade Bjorn Miller and Shane Ringkob. The funds will be distributed to the College or University that these AAU athletes attend in the Fall of 2013.

The Committee members, Willie Brown, Chair, Carolyn Lambert, Peg Adams, Diane George and Saunya Williams, Henry Forrest, President, and all of the AAU officers and staff send congratulations to all of the recipients.

The Scholarship Award is funded this year by EASTBAY, CHAMPION, several AAU Districts, including CENTRAL, the Founding Sponsor, NIAGARA, CONNECTICUT, GEORGIA & OZARK AAU, AAU Sport Committees – BOYS & GIRLS BASKETBALL, ATHLETICS and other AAU volunteer donors. The Application for the 2014 Award will be available on the AAU SULLIVAN website in October 2013.

About the AAU High School Sullivan
This award is to honor High School athletes in a particular sport who show outstanding athletic abilities, leadership skills, a well-rounded individual, great sportsmanship and strength of character; not only during sporting events but in their community as well. The AAU High School Sullivan Award will be presented to one female athlete and one male athlete.

The Man - James E. Sullivan (1862-1914) 
The AAU Sullivan Award was established in 1930 to honor James E. Sullivan, a founder and past president of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Recognized as a pioneer in the amateur sports movement, Sullivan is credited with developing the current concept of the playground and organized recreation of the present day. Accordingly, he and others opened the first public playground and gymnasium in New York City in 1906.

Born in New York City, Sullivan was a founder of the Public School Athletic League of New York, which now serves as a forerunner for other cities in this country. He also was one of the organizers of the Outdoor Recreation League and served as its second president. His administrative and leadership qualities were tested outside of athletics when he served as a member of the New York Board of Education from 1908-1912.

Sullivan served as president of the Metropolitan Association of the AAU (New York) and later served as president of the New Jersey Athletic Club. Sullivan served as the Commissioner of Athletics for the 1904 St. Louis Exposition and three subsequent expositions in Jamestown, Va., Portland, Ore., and San Francisco, California.

 In recognition of his services as director of the 1904 Olympic Games, Sullivan was presented the Olympic medal by the International Olympic Committee, the only American other than President McKinley to be so honored at the time. He also served as the Commissioner of the Olympic Games in Athens, London, and Stockholm. For his service to amateur athletics at the Olympiads, Sullivan received the decoration of the Golden Cross of Knights of the Royal Order of the Savior from King George of Greece, Knight Royal Order of Wasa from King Gustave of Sweden and Olympic decoration of the Golden Eagle from the Imperial German Olympic Commission.