Bielik, Bush Win Palmer, Crisp Awards
7/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
July 24, 2002
Bea Bielik, who won the 2002 NCAA women's tennis singles championship, and Dave Bush, Wake Forest's record-setting first team All-American relief pitcher, were named the winners of the Marge Crisp Award (WFU's female student-athlete of the year) and Arnold Palmer Award (male student-athlete of the year) for 2002.
Bielik and Bush will be formally recognized at the Wake Forest-Virginia football game on Sept. 28.
A rising senior, Bielik collected many awards in 2002 including the Honda Award, given to the top collegiate women's tennis player, the ITA National Player of the Year award and she was first team All-American in both singles and doubles. She won the NCAA singles title in record-setting fashion, losing just 21 games in the tournament and beating Florida's Jessica Lehnoff in the finals. That victory, her 100th career win, earned her an automatic spot in the U.S. Open later this summer.
"This is very exciting," Bielik said. "This tops off a great season with all the accomplishments that our team achieved this season. It is a great honor."
Bush, who finished his four-year career at Wake Forest as the school's all-time leader in saves (38) and the ACC's all-time leader in appearances (142), was a second-round draft pick by the Toronto Blue Jays. This past spring, Bush led Wake Forest to a 47-13-1 record. He produced an ERA of 1.64, a record of 8-1 and 13 saves in 2002. He was named first team All-ACC and All-American. Making Bush's story more impressive, he overcame a life-threatening blood clot last winter prior to his senior year.
Bush is the second straight Deacon baseball player to win the award, following Cory Sullivan, who won the honor in 2001.