Thumbnail Sketches of Sullivan Hopefuls

INDIANAPOLIS — Thumbnail sketches of the 10 finalists for the U.S. Amateur Athletic Union’s 1993 Sullivan Award:

Bruce Baumgartner, 33, Cambridge Springs, Pa. A three-time All-American and 1982 NCAA heavyweight champion at Indiana State, now the wrestling coach at Edinboro University. Won his fourth world title and the U.S. national championship in 1993. The first U.S. wrestler to win three Olympic medals. Sullivan Award finalist in 1986 and 1992.

Brian Boitano, 30, Los Altos. Returned to amateur skating after four years as a professional. Won the Hershey’s Kisses Pro-Am championship, finished second to 1992 Olympic champion Viktor Petrenko at Sudafed Skate America International ’93 and received unanimous first-place votes by all nine judges to win the AT&T; Pro-Am challenge.

Gail Devers, 27, Palmdale. Winner of the 1993 Jesse Owens Award after a comeback from Graves’ disease, set an American record in the 100-meter hurdles and also won the 100-meter dash at the world championships in Stuttgart to become the first woman to win the sprint-hurdles double at a major meet since 1948. Also won the world 60-meter title and the U.S. 60-meter indoor title and 100-meter outdoor championship.

Bobby Hurley, 22, Sacramento. Member of two NCAA basketball championship teams at Duke, where he set an NCAA record of 1,076 career assists. The seventh player taken in the NBA draft, by the Sacramento Kings, and currently recuperating from a serious auto accident.

Dan Jansen, 28, Greenfield, Wis. Finally won a gold medal at the Lillehammer Games after repeated Olympic falls. Set a world speedskating record of 35.92 seconds in the 500 meters in December. He bettered that with a 35.76 time in January. The 1993 World Cup Series overall champion at 500 meters and second at 1,000 meters.

Shannon Miller, 17, Edmond, Okla. Won two gold medals and the all-around silver in the 1992 Olympics, became the second American to win a world championship in gymnastics in 1993. Unbeaten in 1993. Took all-around titles at the Hilton Challenge, McDonald’s American Cup, Coca-Cola Championships and the U.S. Olympic Festival. In September, she was awarded the Master of Sport Award by USA Gymnastics.

Dan O’Brien, 27, Moscow, Idaho. After failing to make the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, won the 1993 U.S. decathlon championship with 8,331 points and bettered that in winning the world championship with 8,817 points. Holds the world record with 8,891 points, and has been ranked No. 1 in the world in the decathlon for the past three years. Set a world record in the heptathlon at the world indoor games last March.

Sheryl Swoopes, 22, Lubbock, Texas. Led Texas Tech to the 1993 NCAA women’s national basketball championship. Averaged 35.4 points and 9.6 rebounds during the NCAA playoffs and was the first person from a team sport to be named Associated Press female athlete of the year. Averaged 28.1 points and 9.2 rebounds for the season.

Jenny Thompson, 21, Stanford. U.S. Swimming’s Swimmer of the Year in 1993. At the Pan Pacific championships, won a record six gold medals in the 50- and 100-freestyle, 100-butterfly and three relays. Holds the world record in the 100-freestyle. Returned to Stanford University after winning two golds and a silver in the 1992 Olympics and led Stanford to its second straight NCAA championship, winning five gold medals.

Charlie Ward, 23, Talahassee, Fla. Quarterbacked Florida State to its first national football championship and was the Heisman Trophy winner. Most valuable player in the Seminoles’ 18-16 Orange Bowl win over Nebraska, passed for 3,032 yards and 27 touchdowns with only four interceptions in 327 attempts. Career record of 20-2 as a starter. Also starting point guard for the Florida State basketball team.