May 7, 2003
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball player Tiffany Hamm was named the area's "Most Outstanding Female Athlete From Outside Western North Carolina" by the Mountain Amateur Athletic Club Sunday at its annual athletic awards banquet. This is the first time Hamm has received this award and the first time a WCU basketball player has been recognized by the organization.
"This is a terrific honor for Tiffany and for the team," said head coach Beth Dunkenberger. "She had an outstanding season and we are very proud of all her accomplishments."
The 2002-03 Southern Conference Player of the Year, Hamm received all-conference honors for the first time in her career after a stellar junior season for the Catamounts. She was twice named the SoCon's Women's Basketball Player of the Week this year and was also WCU's only two-time Arby's/Catamount Student-Athlete of the Month, earning the honor in November and February. Hamm finished the season averaging 13.4 ppg (fifth in SoCon) and 6.4 rpg (10th). She also ranked 12th in the league in field goal percentage (45.9), 10th in free throw percentage at 78.3 percent to tie for eighth on WCU's single-season list, and fifth in defensive boards per game (4.61). Hamm played a key role in the Catamounts gaining their 20th and 21st wins to end the season. She scored a career-high 28 on 11-of-20 shooting with eight rebounds a win over Appalachian State (Feb. 25), then scored a game-high 21, including the last five points of the game to lift WCU to a 58-56 win over Furman in the season finale.
Also a finalist was WCU cross country and track and field performer Caleb Bailey in the "Most Outstanding Male Athlete From Outside Western North Carolina" category. Western Carolina's 2002-03 Male Athlete of the Year was an All-Conference performer in indoor and outdoor track this season. He was an NCAA qualifier in the 800m (indoor) and finished 13th in country at the NCAA meet. He set a WCU indoor record in the 800 to qualify with a time of 1:48.49 (sixth fastest time in the country at the time). Bailey has qualified for NCAA Regionals in the 800m and 1500m during the outdoor season and will compete in Fairfax, Va., on May 30. He was a SoCon Player of the Week in cross country and two-time Player of the Week in indoor track. Bailey led Cats to a 14th place finish at the cross country regional meet (best finish ever for WCU) coming in 41st place overall with a time of 31:25.00.
The Catamount women's basketball team was named a finalist for the "Outstanding Female Team" award for its 21-7 record-breaking season, which ties the program's most wins in a season ever and was their best record since becoming a Division I program in 1981. Their 14-4 finish in the SoCon marks the first time the Lady Catamounts have posted a winning league record. WCU also defeated every conference team at least once during the season for the first time ever and swept five of its league opponents.
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