Sikes, Paul Named Wake Forest's Top Student-Athletes For 2006-07
Deacon seniors earn Marge Crisp Award and Arnold Palmer Award

June 21, 2007

WINSTON-SALEM - Michelle Sikes, a multiple All-American track athlete and a Rhodes Scholar, and Todd Paul, the most successful tennis player in the history of the program, received the Marge Crisp and Arnold Palmer Awards, respectively, as Wake Forest's most outstanding female and male student-athletes for 2006-07.

 

Sikes recently capped an outstanding collegiate career by being crowned NCAA champion in the 5,000-meters. Sikes smashed an NCAA Championships record and a Wake Forest school record with her time of 15:16.76. She became the first female from Wake Forest to win an NCAA crown in track and she is the first Demon Deacon track athlete, male or female, to win an NCAA title since 1996.

 

Equally successful in the classroom, Sikes was named a Rhodes Scholar and ACC Postgraduate Scholar earlier this year. The Lakewood (Ohio) native has been nominated by the conference office for NCAA Woman of the Year.

 

Sikes, who holds school records in the 3,000-, 5,000- and 10,000-meters, earned All-ACC honors five times in 2006-07 including cross country, two times in indoor track and two times in the outdoor season. She earned All-American honors this past year in the indoor 3,000- and 5,000-meters and in the outdoor 5,000-meters.

 

Paul won more career singles matches (107) than any player in Wake Forest history, notching the historical 107^th victory against Clemson in the ACC Tournament. He also helped accumulate 82 victories in doubles, tying for the fourth-most in school history.

 

As a senior, Paul earned Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American honors in both singles and doubles while leading the Demon Deacons to the NCAA round of 16 for the first time in school history. He teamed with Mariusz Adamski to make the NCAA Tournament semifinals after the duo beat the No. 1-ranked doubles team from Georgia on the Bulldogs' home court.

 

Paul is the first Deacon tennis player to earn All-American honors three times as well as earning All-ACC honors four times. The 2004 ACC Rookie of the Year, Paul is considered the best men's tennis player in Wake Forest history.

 

Sikes is the first track athlete to win the Marge Crisp Award since Janelle Kraus in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Paul is the first tennis player ever to win the Arnold Palmer Award.

 

 

Arnold Palmer Award Winners

The Arnold Palmer Athlete of the Year Award is presented annually to the Wake Forest University male athlete whose athletic achievements best represent the standards of excellence of the Wake Forest male athletic programs.

 

1964         Frank Christie                Basketball and Baseball

1965         Brian Piccolo                 Football

1966         Bob Leonard                  Basketball

1967         Paul Long                      Basketball

1968         Jack Lewis                    Golf

1970         Charlie Davis                 Basketball

1971+       Win Headley                  Football

1971+       Charlie Davis                 Basketball

1972         Jim Simons                   Golf

1973         Eddie Payne                  Basketball

1974         Tony Byers                   Basketball

1975         Curtis Strange                Golf

1976         Jay Haas                      Golf

1977         Bill Armstrong                Football

1978         Rod Griffin                     Basketball

1979         Gary Hallberg                Golf

1980         James McDougald          Football

1981         Frank Johnson               Basketball

1982         Kenny Duckett               Football

1983         Bill Merrifield                  Baseball

1984         Anthony Teachey           Basketball

1985         Delaney Rudd                Basketball

1986         Gary Baldinger               Football

1987         Tyrone Bogues               Basketball

1988         Bill Masse                     Baseball

1989         Mike Elkins                   Football

1990         Ricky Proehl                  Football

1991         Steve Brown                 Football and Track and Field

1992         Rodney Rogers              Basketball

1993         Rodney Rogers              Basketball

1994         Randolph Childress         Basketball

1995         Randolph Childress         Basketball

1996         Rusty LaRue                  Football, Men's Basketball

1997         Tim Duncan                   Basketball

1998         Nolan Swanson             Cross Country/Track and Field

1999         Jon Palmieri                   Baseball

2000         Dustin Lyman                 Football

2001         Cory Sullivan                Baseball

2002         Dave Bush                    Baseball

2003         Josh Howard                 Basketball

2004         Bill Haas                       Golf

2005         Chris Paul                     Basketball

2006         Ryan Plackemeier          Football

2007         Todd Paul                      Tennis

+ denotes co-winners

 

 

Marge Crisp Award Winners

The Marge Crisp Athlete of the Year Award is presented annually to the Wake Forest University female athlete whose athletic achievements

best represent the standards of excellence of the Wake Forest female athletic programs.

 

1980         Jane Jackson                 Basketball

1981         Charlotte Grant               Golf

1982         Charlotte Grant               Golf

1983         Dawn Powers                Cross Country/Track & Field

1984         Pamela Pounds              Volleyball

1985         Janice Collins                Basketball

1986         Karen Dunn                   Cross Country/Track & Field

1987         Amy Privette                 Basketball

1988         Alice Neal                     Basketball

1989         Karen Noble                  Golf

1990         Jennifer Mitchell              Basketball

1991         Tina Lane                 Cross Country/Track & Field

1992         Diane McKeon               Tennis

1993         Tracy Connor                 Basketball

1994         Nicole Levesque            Basketball

1995         Stephanie Neill               Golf

1996         Catrina Bindel                Track & Field

1997         Laura Philo                    Golf

1998         Janelle Kraus                 Track & Field/Cross Country

1999         Janelle Kraus                 Track & Field/Cross Country

2000         Janelle Kraus                 Track & Field/Cross Country

2001         Jenny Everett                Field Hockey

2002         Bea Bielik                      Tennis

2003         Kelly Doton                    Field Hockey

2004         Kelly Doton                    Field Hockey

2005         Kelly Dostal                   Field Hockey

2006         Maeke Boreel                Field Hockey

2007         Michelle Sikes               Track & Field/Cross Country