June 3, 2002

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest junior Bea Bielik (Valley Stream, N.Y.) has been named the winner of the 2001-02 Honda Sports Award for tennis. The annual award is presented to the top collegiate athlete in 12 different sports.

In honor of Bielik's selection, the Honda Awards Program will donate $5,000 towards the women's athletic fund at Wake Forest University.

Bielik is now a nominee for the Honda-Broderick Cup, which is awarded annually to the nation's outstanding collegiate woman athlete. The twelve winners representing the sports of basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field and volleyball are voted upon through a nationwide ballot distributed to NCAA senior woman administrators.

Bielik and the rest of Sports Award winners will be honored at a banquet in Dallas, Texas on June 17. At that time, the winner of the Honda-Broderick Cup will be announced.

Bielik, the first Honda Award winner in Wake Forest history, captured the 2002 NCAA Singles Championship. She won six straight-set matches and set a new NCAA record for fewest games lost (21). The ACC Player of the Year, she finished the 2001-02 season with a 35-2 singles record, and was ranked No. 1 in both singles and doubles for most of the season. She has been a three-time All-America (2000, 2001 and 2002) in both singles and doubles. Bielik is also the first female NCAA Champion in the history of the Demon Deacon athletic program.

2001-02 Honda Sports Award Winners
(nominees for the Honda-Broderick Cup, awarded to the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year)

Athlete   School   Sport
Bea Bielik  Wake Forest  Tennis
Sue Bird   Connecticut  Basketball
Tara Chaplin  Arizona   Cross Country
Natalie Coughlin  California  Swimming & Diving
Erin Elbe  Georgetown  Lacrosse
Jennie Finch  Arizona   Softball
Virada Nirapathpongorn Duke   Golf
Andree Pickens  Alabama  Gymnastics
Logan Tom  Stanford   Volleyball
Aly Wagner  Santa Clara  Soccer
Autumn Welsh  Maryland  Field Hockey
Angela Williams  Southern California Track & Field