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March 13, 2003
March 13, 2003
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Duke University women's basketball junior Alana Beard and tennis great Vanessa Webb have each been selected one of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) top 10 female athletes of all time. Beard, a 5-11 wing for the second-ranked Blue Devils, was the only current athlete selected on the male and female lists.
The top 10 list was released last night at the ACC 50th Anniversary Gala in Greensboro, N.C.
The ACC's 50th Anniversary Top 50 Female Athletes are listed below:
ACC Top 10 Female Athletes
1. Mia Hamm.......... North Carolina
2. Marion Jones..... North Carolina
3. Dawn Staley........ Virginia
4. Julie Shea........... NC State
5. Joan Benoit......... NC State
6. Sue Walsh........... North Carolina
7. Alana Beard........ Duke
8. Jen Adams.......... Maryland
9. Vanessa Webb... Duke
10.Charlotte Smith.. North Carolina
Mia Hamm, North Carolina (1989-90, 92-93)
Arguably, the greatest women's soccer player in the world ... Played on NCAA championship teams in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1993 ... Missed the 1991 season while helping U.S. win the first Women's World Cup ... Led four Tar Heel teams to a combined 92-1-2 record ... Unanimous National Player of Year in 1992 and 1993 and ACC Player of Year in '90-92-93 ... Led the nation in scoring in 1990-92-93 ... Set NCAA season scoring record in '92 with 97 points ... Holds NCAA Tournament career and single-game records for goals, assists and points ... Has starred on U.S. National and Olympic Teams throughout her career ... Has scored more international goals than any player in history, male or female.
Marion Jones, North Carolina (1994-1995, 1997)
All-American (Basketball America) in 1997 ... 1997 ACC Tournament MVP ... All ACC-Tournament in 1995 ... All-ACC in 1995, '97 ... ACC All-Freshmen team 1994 ... 1995 NCAA West Regional All-tournament team ... Starting point guard on the 1994 NCAA Championship team ... Career scoring average (16.8) ranks third in UNC history ... In three years at UNC, ranks fifth on the school's career assists list, third in steals and seventh in blocks ... Also an All-American in track at UNC ... Won five medals (three golds) at the 2000 Olympics.
Dawn Staley, Virginia (1989-1992)
1991 Honda-Broderick Cup Award winner ... two-time Champion USA and WBCA Player of the Year and Naismith Player of the Year ... U.S. Basketball Writers Association Player of the Year ... 1991 Sports Illustrated Player of the Year ... 1991 Honda Basketball Sports Award Winner ... two-time U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-American ... three-time Kodak All-American ... two-time Mary Garber Award winner (ACC Female Athlete of the Year) ... two-time ACC Player of the Year ... three-time first-team All-ACC ... 1991 and 1992 NCAA Final Four All-tournament team ... 1991 Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Final Four ... MVP of the 1992 ACC Tournament ... three-time ACC All-tournament team ... currently the head women's basketball coach at Temple University and is also a player for the Charlotte Sting in the WNBA.
Julie Shea, NC State (1977-1980)
Earned All-America honors in 1977, 78, 79 and 80 ... Member of the 1979 and 1980 AIAW National Championship squad ... Named AIAW Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 1980 ... Won the AIAW Individual National Championship in 1979 and 1980 ... Member of the USA Cross Country team in 1977, 78, 79 and 80 ... Recipient of the McKelvin Award in 1980 and 81 (ACC's Outstanding Athlete) ... Winner of the 1981 H.C. Kennett Award (NC State's Outstanding Athlete) and the Alumni Athletic Award ... Received the Broderick Award for Cross Country in 1980 ... ACC Individual Champion in 1979 and 1980 ... All-ACC in 1978, 79 and 80 ... Women's team MVP in 1980 ... Member of Raleigh City Counil from 1995-1999.
Joan Benoit, NC State (1978)
All-American in 1977 and 1978 ... All-ACC in 1978 ... Won Boston Marathon in 1979 and 1983 ... Won the Olympic Marathon at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Sue Walsh, North Carolina (1981-1984)
Member of the 1978 World Games team & 1980 U.S. Olympic Team ... won 10 national championships (4 in 100 back, 3 in 200 back, 3 in 50 back) ... won 50-yard, 100-yard & 200-yard backstroke, 50-yard freestyle & the 200-yard & 800-yard freestyle relay at 1981 ACC Championships ... All-American in the 50-yard, 100-yard & 200-yard backstroke, 50-yard freestyle, 200-yard medley relay & the 200-yard & 800-yard free relays ... that 200 medley relay won the national title ... captured 5 ACC Championship Titles in 1982 & was an All-American in the 50-yard, 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke, 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard IM, 200-yard medley relay and the 200-yard free relay ... in 1983 won six ACC Championship Titles and was named the ACC Meet Most Valuable Swimmer ... All-American in the 50-yard, 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke, 100-yard IM, 200-yard medley relay and 200-yard and 400-yard free relays ... Six ACC Championship Titles in 1984 as well as the ACC Meet Most Valuable Swimmer for the second year in a row ... All-American in the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke, 400-yard medley relay, and the 200, 400, and 800-yard freestyle relay events ... 27-time All-American ... captured 23 ACC Titles ...held the all-time record at UNC for the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard backstroke ... was American record holder in 50 free & 100 free ... two-time CoSIDA/Verizon first-team Academic All-American ... inducted into CoSIDA/Verizon Academic America Hall of Fame in 2002.
Alana Beard, Duke (2000-2002)
In just two years, has become one of the best ACC women's basketball players of all time ... Associated Press first-team All-American and Kodak All-American ... ACC Player of the Year in 2002 ... Consensus National Freshman of the Year in 2001 and ACC Rookie of the Year ... Became the first freshman in ACC history to be named first-team All-ACC as a freshman and once again was named as a sophomore ... Became the first ACC men's or women's player to notch over 600 points, 200 rebounds, 150 assists, 100 steals and 20 blocks in a season in 2001-02.
Jen Adams, Maryland (1998-2001)
All-time collegiate scoring leader with 445 points ... Also the all-time assist leader with 178 ... Owns Maryland's career and single season records for points, goals, and assists ... A member of four national championship teams ... Named All-American and national player of the year three times ... Scored more goals and assists in 2001 than any player in NCAA Division I ... Member of the Australian National Team.
Vanessa Webb, Duke (1995-1999)
National Player of the Year in 1998 & 99 ... a four-time All-American and All-ACC selection ... winner of the 1999 Honda Award ... ACC Female Athlete of the Year ... 1996 ACC Rookie of the Year ... Rolex All-Star in 1998 ... NCAA Individual Champion in 1998 and won the Collegiate Grand Slam Championship at the Riviera All-American in 1996 ... led Duke to four consecutive ACC Championships and the team did not lose an ACC match during her four years ... posted a 161-25 singles record at Duke ... is the all-time singles wins leader.
Charlotte Smith, North Carolina (1992-1995)
1995 ESPN National Player of the Year ... All-American by Kodak, Associated Press and the USWBA, 1995 ... Only UNC player to have her jersey retired ... 1994 Final Four MVP after hitting the winning shot in the NCAA championship game ... ACC Tournament MVP in 1994, '95 ... Two-time All-ACC ... Member of World University Games Team (1995), Jones Cup Team (1995), U.S. Select Team (1994), Junior National Team (1992) ... Third in career scoring (2,094) and second in career rebounding (1,200) at UNC ... Plays for the WNBA Charlotte Sting.