AAU Elects Three Athletes to AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame, Athletes of the Year, Brother Bennett Recipients Also Announced

Amateur Athletic Strength Sports announced today three new inductees into the Amateur Athletic Union Strength Sports Hall of Fame, as well as the 2018 AAU Strength Sports Athletes of the Year in three different strength sports disciplines. 

The AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame class of 2018 inductees are Glen Tenove from California; Andrew “Bull” Stewart of Washington state; and Bob Boyles of Missouri.
Glen Tenove holds numerous world records in powerlifting and Feats of Strength in the 242, 275 and 308 lb. divisions in the 55-59, 60-64 and Open age categories.  He also holds five Guinness World Records, has run four marathons and accomplished numerous athletic achievements in a career of accolades.

Andrew “Bull Stewart began his powerlifting career with AAU in the late 1970s.  He retains the highest powerlifting total in AAU history at 2200 lbs., and has broken numerous records.  A past Brother Bennett award recipient and AAU international powerlifting judge, he has also actively promoted AAU-sanctioned events in Washington State, and brought the largest teams to the AAU World Championship Weekend in 2015, 2016 & 2017.

Bob Boyles has competed in AAU Powerlifting and Bodybuilding since 1974.  He’s won numerous Best Lifter awards in consecutive AAU World Championships, served as a certified strength and conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association for 24 years, and has owned and operated Body Image Personal Training Gym in St. Joseph, Missouri for more than 20 years.        

This year’s AAU Strength Sports Athlete of the Year competition was keen, with numerous athletes in some of the divisions.

The 2018 AAU Strength Sports Athletes of the Year
2018 AAU Feats of Strength/Combine/MAS Junior Male Athlete of the Year: Trevor Whitehead
2018 AAU Feats of Strength/Combine/MAS Junior Female Athlete of the Year: Kelli Born
2018 AAU Feats of Strength/Combine/MAS Senior Male Athlete of the Year: Jacob Sanchez
2018 AAU Feats of Strength/Combine/MAS Senior Female Athlete of the Year: Jody Roberts
 
2018 AAU Weightlifting Junior Female Athlete of the Year: Damiyah Smith
2018 AAU Weightlifting Senior Male Athlete of the Year: Danny Henry
 
2018 AAU Powerlifting Junior Male Athlete of the Year:  Evan Pittman
2018 AAU Powerlifting Junior Female Athlete of the Year: Isabella Martin
2018 AAU Powerlifting Senior Male Athlete of the Year: Raymond Fougnier

2018 AAU Strength Sports Overall Athletes of the Year
This year, the judging panel also selected one Overall Male and one Overall Female Athlete of the Year from among all Athlete of the Year nominations.  

Jody Roberts, of New Mexico, was named the 2018 Overall Women’s Strength Sports Athlete of the Year, while Evan Pittman, of Arizona, was named the 2018 Overall Men’s Strength Sports Athlete of the Year. Roberts dominated women’s Feats of Strength competition in 2017, setting nine American and world records with five DNA lifts at the World Championships -- the highest FOS standard ever recorded in competition for a man or woman.  In 2017, Pittman became the only powerlifter in history to break world powerlifting records in nine different weight classes (77 through 165 lbs.) and won the Junior Olympic Games Allsports combine for the fourth time in four tries; 85 of Pittman’s 111 world powerlifting records have been in AAU competition.

2018 AAU Strength Sports Brother Bennett Award    
The 2018 Brother Bennett Award, AAU Strength Sports highest honor, will go to Ray Anderson and Bill Weinstock, two men who have been instrumental in the growth of Feats of Strength as an AAU Strength Sport discipline over the past six years.  Weinstock helped introduce Feats of Strength events into AAU, and assisted in incorporating the standards of the Allsports Combine and MAS wrestling as FOS events.  Anderson has served as meet director for national and world championship meets, advised on new FOS competition events, and has been responsible for adding numerous athletes to AAU through FOS. 
All award recipients will be honored at the annual AAU Strength Sports World Championships weekend in Laughlin, NV, September 28-30.