GUILFORD'S TOP STUDENT-ATHLETES HONORED AT YEAR-END BANQUET

Greensboro, NC (04/25/01) -- Guilford College recognized its top student athletes April 25 at its annual athletic awards banquet held in Guilford's Founders Hall. Senior basketball player David Zelickson (Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Country Day) and junior Amy Evans (New Bern, NC/New Bern) each received two of the eight departmental prizes. The Quaker Club-sponsored event also honored the top players from each of Guilford's 10 teams.

Zelickson, a two-year captain, received the Richard Joyce Sportsmanship and the Quaker Club Ideal Male Student-Athlete prizes. He averaged 2.5 points in 13.1 minutes per game in his final season and helped Coach Butch Estes' Quakers to a school-record nine Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) wins and the club's first league tournament appearance in six years. Zelickson concluded his playing career as the Quakers' Division III leader in three-point attempts (328) and ranked second in made trifectas (103), and fourth in assists (159). A two-time selection to Guilford's Student-Athlete Honor Roll, he also received the basketball team's Coaches Award this season. Zelickson graduates May 5 with a business management degree.

Evans, a two-sport standout, garnered Guilford's Best Undergraduate Female Athlete Award for the second time and also received the Quaker Club Ideal Female Student-Athlete Award. She picked up the soccer team's Most Valuable Player prize after leading the team in scoring and earning All-ODAC honors for the third straight season. A team captain, she became Guilford's career scoring leader in 2000 and enters her final season with 47 goals and 10 assists for 104 points in 55 career matches. As a three-year starting guard on the basketball team Evans earned honorable mention all-league laurels and the team's Best Defensive Player Award. She helped the Quakers to their first ODAC Tournament championship and into the second round of the NCAA Division III Championships. Evans averaged 7.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in her finest basketball season and ranked among the league leaders in steals and assists. She also represented herself well in the classroom where she earned dean's list recognition and selection to Guilford's Fall and Spring Student-Athlete Honor Rolls.

Senior golfer Clint Fields (Siler City, NC/Jordan-Matthews) claimed the department's Best Senior Male Athlete Award after earning All-ODAC honors for the third time in four seasons. He ranks fifth on the Quakers' nationally ranked golf team in stroke average (77.78) and finished 20th at the 2001 ODAC Championships. Fields received the Nereus C. English Athletic Leadership Award, Guilford's highest athletic honor, in February.

Teammate Savio Nazareth (Orlando, FL/Phillips) took home the Best Undergraduate Male Athlete prize. Guilford's top player all season, he claimed his third medalist award of the year at the ODAC Tournament with a two-day 147. In addition to his All-ODAC Tournament laurels, Nazareth received the ODAC's Player of the Year Award and was one of four Quakers on the all-conference team. His 72.62 stroke average in 21 rounds ranks second in school history. He stands third among Division III players in the Golfstat Cup rankings and 130th among all college divisions. Nazareth transferred to Guilford last fall after two All-American seasons at Brevard Community College.

Senior basketball player Arden Miller (Landenberg, PA/Sanford School) claimed the Best Senior Athlete Award. She followed up an honorable mention All-American season in 1999-2000 with another strong campaign as her team won the ODAC Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. Miller led Guilford's scorers and rebounders for the second year in a row and received second team All-ODAC honors. She won the ODAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player prize and was one of 10 finalists for the Jostens Trophy, presented annually to the nation's top Division III basketball student-athlete. Miller graduates May 5 ranked fourth on Guilford's career scoring (1,322 points) and rebounding (766) lists. She also holds school records for career free-throw percentage, career three-point attempts and single-game three-point percentage.

Sophomore Luke Kempton (Greensboro, NC/Page) became the third straight baseball player to win the athletic department's George Wynne Most Improved Athlete Award. The Quakers' starting first baseman, Kempton raised his batting average by 101 points in 2001 and ranked fourth among the club's regular hitters with a .359 average. He finished second on the team with 31 runs batted in, nine doubles and three home runs - all career highs. A left-handed hitter, he led the team and ranked sixth in the ODAC with 51 hits. Kempton made just one error in 297 chances in the field and picked up the baseball team's Most Valuable Player and Gold Glove Awards.

In addition to honoring the eight departmental award winners, the banquet recognized the following individual team award winners:

Baseball

Most Valuable Player (MVP)- Luke Kempton

McBane Hitting Award - Zach Whicker (Jr., Kernersville, NC/East Forsyth)

Most Valuable Pitcher - Eric Pelletier (Sr., S. Deerfield, MA/Northfield-Mt. Hermon)

Men’s Basketball

MVP - Todd Ashworth (Sr., High Point, NC/SW Guilford)

Best Defensive Player - Jaron Randall (Sr., Trenton, NJ/Princeton Day School)

Coaches Award - David Zelickson

Women’s Basketball

Best Team Player - Erin Beacham (Jr., Atlanta, GA/Lovett)

Best Defensive Player - Amy Evans

Most Improved Player - Jennie Keichline (Fr., Cary, NC/East Chapel Hill)

Football

Golden Helmet Award - Luke White (Jr., Greensboro, NC/Southern Guilford)

Golf

MVP - Savio Nazareth

Men’s Lacrosse

MVP - Kevin Dawyskiba (Sr., Norwell, MA/Norwell)

Unsung Hero - Jason Capen (Jr., New Baltimore, MI/University-Liggett)

Women’s Lacrosse

Co-Most Valuable Offensive Players - Kate Allen (Sr., Cumberland, RI/Lincoln), Kathryn Ragin (Fr., Pawleys Island, SC/Hyde School (ME))

Most Valuable Defensive Player - Kirsten Dexter (Jr., Highland, MD/River Hill)

Most Improved Player - Emily Hulburt (Fr., Richmond, VA/Governor's School)

Men’s Soccer

MVP - Noam Sorek (Jr., Atlit, Israel/Ort Hiriat Bialik)

Most Improved Player - Eric Edwards (Fr., Malone, NY/Franklin Academy)

Women’s Soccer

MVP - Amy Evans

Most Improved Player - Sarah Beddoe (Fr., Fredericksburg, VA/Monroe)

Excellence in Leadership Award - Jenny Akman (Sr., Washington, DC/Georgetown Day)

Volleyball

Best Offensive Player - Jennifer Pue-Gilchrist (So., Garner, NC/Leesville Road)

Best Defensive Player - Jennifer Pue-Gilchrist