AAU BOYS' JUNIOR NATIONAL BEACH VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 23rd AAU Boys' Junior National Beach Volleyball Championships is taking place this weekend! This event, which is open to all male AAU Members meeting the age requirements, will be held in Santa Monica, CA from September 3rd – 4th, 2016 and will feature competition for boys' ages U14, U16, and U18. Winners of the U18 and U16 school divisions will qualify to participate in the ISF World Championships in Tahiti! For more information, CLICK HERE

AAU ANNOUNCES 2016 STRENGTH SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

The Amateur Athletic Union today released the names of the 2016 AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame inductees and the recipient of the 2016 AAU Strength Sports Brother Bennett Award.

"Our 2016 Hall of Fame class of inductees is comprised of outstanding U.S. and international competitors," says Martin Drake, Chairman of AAU Strength Sports. "This year, we reviewed submissions from several of our long-time international participants, and several U.S. powerlifting competitors were also at the top of the list for consideration. We will officially induct these athletes into the Strength Sports Hall of Fame at this year's World Championship Weekend in September in Las Vegas."

The list included multi-time Brazilian and world powerlifting and strength sports champion Flavio Danna, who has brought Brazilian teams to AAU world powerlifting championships in the United States for more than 20 years, and has set numerous national and international records in the powerlifts and other specialty lifts like the curl, and repetition bench press, in various federations.

Also to be inducted are the husband and wife team of Martin and Karin Heindl of Austria. Karin began powerlifting at the age of 40 after years of fitness training; she competes in a variety of powerlifting federations and is also a national referee, working at the scoring tables for European and World competitions. Karin has set 18 open world records, and more than 60 masters world records in the 114 and 123 lb. classes.

Her husband Martin began powerlifting at age 32, becoming a national and world champion and official; in 2003, he founded a new powerlifting federation which would become World United Amateur Powerlifting (WUAP), directing numerous world and European championships. Martin has competed multiple times as a raw lifter at the AAU World Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships, setting five open and 43 masters world records, plus European records in three weight classes (148 lbs., 165 lbs. and 181 lbs.).

Coby Carden, of Oklahoma, is another AAU Strength Sports drug-free athlete and 2016 Hall of Fame inductee. First competing with AAU in 1974, Coby has competed at every weight class between 132 lbs. and 198 lbs., and has won dozens of national and world titles. As a police officer, he also won the national police and fire powerlifting championship multiple times, and the IPF world police and fire championships and has set multiple national and world records in competition. His most recent title was earlier in 2016, at 198 lbs.

2016 Hall of Fame inductee Bill Croft, from North Carolina, is another powerlifter with nearly 40 years of competition. He is a multi-time drug-free national and world champion who began participating with AAU Powerlifting in 1978. Bill has won more than 70 titles in the 165 lb. class received the Best Lifter award 25 times and has set 74 records since 1999 at the World, American, and State level.

Longtime Washington state powerlifter Andrew Bull Stewart will receive the 2016 AAU Strength Sports Brother Bennett Award for his decades of continuous support of strength sports competition and healthy lifestyle training. Originally from Mississippi, Bull starred in football and track in high school and college, eventually moving to Seattle in 1994 to pursue a career as a trainer, coach, and motivational speaker. He won his first world power lifting championship in Redding, England in 1988, and has won multiple national and world titles, set numerous world records, and still holds the heaviest world record total recorded in AAU. He is also a former Northwest USA Strongest Man. "Bull has trained thousands of men and women, including athletes at all levels," says Martin Drake. "He is the perfect representative of AAU Strength Sports, always giving of himself for the betterment of others."

KEEP TRACK & FIELD FUN NO MATTER WHAT AGE YOU ARE

AAU introduces our Open and Master division for track and field in which all track and field events are offered. Men and women who have a current AAU Membership and are ages 19 and up are eligible. The Open age groups are in five year increments starting from 19-23 and 24-29. The Masters age groups are in four year increments starting at 30 (30-34,35-39,40-44,45-49 etc.). The Open and master calendar will offer many opportunities for great competition, AAU medals, awards and titles and exciting spectator support. A great opportunity for adults, coaches and parents to show the younger athletes that you are never to old to be concerned with your fitness. The exciting Olympic year has ended and the AAU open and master calendar encourages potential elite athletes to continue competing for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Please check the AAU Open and Master Calendar for meet opportunities.

Meet directors interested in hosting an Open and Masters meet must pay an additional $20 license fee for adult competition. Meets must follow all AAU eligibility and membership rules. If an open and master competition is being held within a district or regional meet, separate youth and adult licenses are required.

2016 CROSS COUNTRY NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - TALLAHASSEE, FL

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THE 2016 DON & PAT KAVADAS MEMORIAL TRACK AND FIELD AWARD

There is still time to submit nominations for the 2016 Don & Pat Kavadas Memorial Track and Field Award. This award is presented annually at the AAU National Convention to a volunteer who has provided outstanding service to the Youth Athletics Program.

Recipients should meet the award criteria and nomination forms must be received by Monday, September 5, 2016. Submit forms to Joan Duncan, National Convention Awards Coordinator, in the following manner:

Email: joan@aausports.org or Mail: PO Box 22409 - Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830

WHAT A SUCCESS!

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of all our District Sports Directors the 2016 AAU Junior Olympic Games was a huge success!

Over 12,000 athletes competed, representing 47 states and 50 AAU Districts. Nearly 50 national records were broken with dozens of other amazing performances! Visit www.aauathletics.org for complete competition results, athlete interviews, and competition photos.