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 107th 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
