Bielik Named ACC Female Athlete of the Year
7/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
July 18, 2002
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Wake Forest women's tennis player, Bea Bielik, was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Female Athlete of the Year for 2001-2002. Voted on by the Atlantic Coast Sportswriters Association, the junior from Valley Stream, N.Y. earned 21 points to capture the Mary Garber Award, named after the legendary Winston-Salem Journal sportswriter and given to the ACC's top female athlete each year.
Bielik adds the honor to a stack of accolades garnered this year that include the NCAA Singles Title, Omni Hotels National Indoor Title, ITA National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, All-America in both singles and doubles, All-ACC and the Honda Award winner.
"This is very exciting," said Bielik, who is preparing to play in the U.S. Open at the end of August in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. "This tops off a great season with all the accomplishments that our team achieved this season. It is a great honor."
The first female in Wake Forest history to win the ACC Athlete of the Year Award, Bielik set an NCAA Championships record en route to the National Singles Championship with the fewest games lost (21) ever. A three-time All-American, Bielik finished the year ranked No. 1 in the Omni Hotels national singles rankings with a 35-2 singles record - giving her 100 career singles victories.
Wake Forest finished the year ranked eighth nationally with a 24-6 record (6-2 ACC) and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. Fourth year head coach Brian Fleishman was named the ITA Coach of the Year.
For a complete list of past ACC Athlete of the Year Award Winners go to theacc.com.