MSU junior goaltender Ryan Miller is a preliminary finalist for the 2001 James E. Sullivan Award, presented annually to the nation’s top amateur athlete by the Amateur Athletic Union. The union announced the 14 finalists, representing 11 sports, on Wednesday. The athletes emerged from a group of 30 nominees that was announced last month.

No hockey player has ever won the award.

Miller won the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s outstanding player last season. He compiled a 31-5-4 record, 1.32 goals against average, .950 saves percentage and broke the 70-year-old NCAA record with his 17th career shutout on Feb. 10. He now has 24.

“Things worked out really well for me last year,” Miller said earlier this month. “A lot of the past (Sullivan) winners are tremendous athletes that everybody respects. So just to be kind of named for an award that some of those people hold the title of, is pretty amazing.”

Other preliminary finalists for this year’s Sullivan Award include figure skater Michelle Kwan, baseball pitcher Mark Prior and football safety Roy Williams. The group of 14 will be pared to five finalists in March and the winner will be announced in New York City in April.