NC Wesleyan
announces 2008
Athletics Hall of
Fame class
Rocky
Mount,
NC
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Since 1999, North
Carolina Wesleyan
College has honored
37 former athletes,
administrators,
teams, coaches, and
contributors by
enshrining them in
its Athletics Hall
of Fame. These
individuals have
created a higher
standard for
Battling Bishop
athletics and were
selected based on
their outstanding
accomplishments
and/or contributions
to the College.
This year’s class
meets these same
standards and will
comprise the tenth
group of honorees.
The North Carolina
Wesleyan Department
of Athletics is
pleased to announce
that Greg Armand and
Bill Tully of men’s
soccer, Paul Prisco
of baseball,
Priscilla
Rickenbacker of
women’s basketball,
and contributor
Rachel Dix
have been chosen to
comprise its 2008
Hall of Fame class.
“Our annual Hall of
Fame ceremony is
always exciting,”
said Director of
Athletics John
Thompson. “I
consider it a
privilege to honor
those who have
brought such
remarkable success
to North Carolina
Wesleyan
athletics.”
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Greg
Armand enjoyed
tremendous success
as a member of the
Battling Bishop
men’s soccer program
from 1984-87. A
three-time
All-Conference and
First Team
All-Region
performer, Armand
made his mark at
North Carolina
Wesleyan as the
program’s first
two-time
All-American.
His first
All-American award
came during a 1986
junior season that
saw him anchor
Wesleyan’s defensive
efforts. Tallying
five goals and two
assists from the
back, Armand became
the first Bishop in
history to garner
First Team
All-American
accolades. He
mirrored his junior
season as a senior
in 1987, once again
turning in five
goals and two
assists en route to
national
recognition.
Armand completed his
eligibility in 1987
with 20 career goals
and 7 career
assists. That same
season saw him earn
his team’s Most
Valuable Player
award, as well as
Dixie
Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference
Player of the Year
honors. Armand was
the first player in
NCWC soccer history
to be so named, and
he remains one of
only two.
A native of Tampa,
FL, Armand received
two other
significant tributes
at conclusion of his
career when he was
named NCWC’s 1987-88
Male Athlete of the
Year and had his #10
jersey was retired.
It is currently the
only retired number
within the NCWC
men’s soccer
program.
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Bill
Tully
joins his former
teammate as a 2008
inductee. A First
Team All-Conference
and First Team
All-Region
performer, Tully was
the first Bishop in
history to garner
Second Team
All-American honors
in 1986 after
turning in an
astounding 18 goals
and 11 assists for
47 points. All
three were North
Carolina Wesleyan
season records at
the time. Tully
went on to be named
the Battling
Bishops’ Most
Valuable Player that
same season.
The gifted forward
finished his career
in 1987 as the
program’s all-time
leading scorer with
105 points, a record
that he still holds
today. His 37
career goals and 31
career assists were
also Wesleyan
records at the
conclusion of his
career, and both
totals currently
remain in the
top-3 all-time.
Tully is a native of
Freehold, NJ and
currently resides in
Littleton, CO. He
could not be more
excited about his
induction with his
long-time teammate,
exclaiming, “Tell
Greg I’ll see him
there!”
Armand and Tully
combined to lead the
Battling Bishops to
an impressive
61-13-7 record over
four seasons,
including the
program’s first two
NCAA Tournament
appearances (’84,
’87) and the
program’s first
regular season
Conference
Championship (’87).
Having played all
four of their
collegiate seasons
side-by-side, it is
only fitting that
two of the most
influential soccer
players in Bishop
history enter the
Hall of Fame
side-by-side as
well.
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Paul
Prisco
becomes the 11th
Hall of Fame
representative for
North Carolina
Wesleyan’s storied
baseball program.
The Battling
Bishops’ first
two-time First Team
All-American, Prisco
remains one of the
most decorated
catchers in Wesleyan
baseball history.
A native of Hamden,
CT, Prisco enjoyed a
solid four-year
career for head
coach Mike Fox that
spanned the ’84,
’85, ’86, and ’87
seasons. As a career
.329 hitter, he
tallied 160 runs
batted in and 143
runs scored in 155
games. His 37
career homeruns and
116 career walks, in
fact, currently rank
second and fourth in
the Bishops’
all-time record
book. Prisco also
excelled on defense
with a .983 fielding
percentage behind
the plate.
A three-time First
Team All-Conference
selection, Prisco
earned his first
All-American nod
after a 1986 junior
season that saw him
turn in a .380
batting average and
blast 14 homers. He
repeated the honor
1987 as a senior,
hitting .344 with 13
doubles and 43
driven in. He is
one of only three
baseball players in
NCWC history to
garner First Team
All-American
accolades on two
occasions.
The Battling Bishops
turned in an
impressive 154-36-2
overall mark during
Prisco’s tenure. He
helped lead Wesleyan
to three Conference
Championships (’84,
’85, ’87) and one
World Series
appearance (’87),
while the Bishops’
46 total wins during
the 1987 season
remain a program
record.
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Priscilla
Rickenbacker
is proud to
represent the
women’s basketball
and softball
programs as a 2008
Hall of Fame
inductee. In just
two seasons,
Rickenbaker was able
to establish herself
as one of the best
all-around athletes
to ever wear the
blue & gold.
In basketball,
Rickenbacker
averaged 17.1 points
per game from
1980-82 and earned
All-Region,
All-Conference,
All-Tournament, and
Most Valuable Player
honors in the
process. Her
1980-81 season, in
fact, remains one of
the best individual
performances in
program history.
The talented guard
averaged 20 points
and six rebounds per
game that season,
leading her Bishops
to their first
NCAIAW State
Championship in
basketball and their
first overall
winning record at
14-9. For her
efforts, she was
named an
All-American by the
American Women’s
Sports Foundation,
becoming the first
female athlete in
Bishop history to
garner such honors.
Rickenbacker also
made a name for
herself on the
softball diamond.
Not only did she
help the Bishops
sweep the 1981
NCAIAW State
Championships with
wins in both
basketball and
softball, but she
also helped lead
Wesleyan to its
first Dixie
Conference
Tournament
Championship in
1982. Most
impressively, she
did so as her team’s
Most Valuable Player
and as a First Team
All-Conference
performer at second
base, posting a
remarkable .456
batting average.
Rickenbacker’s
Battling Bishops
turned in a 49-10
record during her
two-year tenure with
the team.
A native of
Charlotte, NC,
Rickenbacker earned
her bachelor’s
degree in Physical
Education from North
Carolina Wesleyan in
1985. She went on
to enjoy an
impressive
collegiate coaching
career, serving as
assistant women’s
basketball coach at
such institutions as
Johnson C. Smith
University, the
University of
Wisconsin-Green Bay,
Loyola University of
Chicago, the
University of
Cincinnati, and
Appalachian State
University.
Within the high
school ranks,
Rickenbacker brought
notable success to
North Gaston High
School in Dallas, NC
as head women’s
basketball coach
from 1997-1999.
During the 1997-98
season, she led the
Wildcats to their
first Conference
Championship and
Tournament
Championship since
1977 with an overall
record of 23-2. She
then proceeded to
earn Conference
Coach of the Year
accolades the
following season.
Rickenbacker
recently made the
move back to her
hometown and
currently serves as
an Admissions
Counselor for the
University of
Phoenix. She is
truly grateful to
receive the
recognition of her
alma mater.
“I would like to
thank everyone
involved in this
decision to honor my
career,” stated
Rickenbacker. “But
most of all, I would
like to thank God
for all of the
blessings that He
has bestowed upon
me!”
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Rachel
Dix
rounds out the tenth
induction class as
the first honoree in
the contributor
category. Currently
in her 30th year of
service with the
College, Dix has
proven to be an
indispensable asset
both on campus and
within the
Department of
Athletics.
Dix began her
Wesleyan career in
1978 as an
Administrative
Assistant to the
Vice President of
Finance. After
spending nearly two
years in the
Business Office, Dix
began a 28-year
stint as Bookstore
Manager that
continues today.
During that time,
she has served as a
staff representative
on the NCWC Board of
Trustees Athletics
Committee, as well
as an inaugural
board member with
the Battling Bishops
Club (BBC), the
athletic fundraising
organization of the
College.
The former President
of the North
Carolina Association
of College Stores,
Dix has also served
on the Board of
Trustees for the
National Association
of College Stores,
among other
committees.
Her active
involvement on
campus has earned
her a Distinguished
Staff Member Award,
while her success
professionally has
earned her the
Cambridge Who’s Who
in Women’s Business
award.
Athletics began to
play a major role in
Dix’s career in the
early ‘80s when she
succeeded Debbie
Allison as head
cheerleading coach,
a position that she
held for eight
seasons. In 1986,
Dix led the Bishop
cheerleaders to a
first place finish
among Dixie
institutions at the
conference’s annual
competition at
Christopher Newport
University. The
championship win
remains the only one
to date.
Dix’s
athletic-related
contributions,
however, far exceed
her cheerleading
duties with the
Bishops. In 1980,
for example, she
served as advisor to
the men’s tennis
team in the absence
of a head coach.
Additionally, she
has driven vans and
provided
transportation to
and from athletic
events for nearly
every Wesleyan
team. She continues
to be a tremendous
on-campus advocate
for Wesleyan’s golf
and cheerleading
programs.
The current chair of
NCWC’s Staff Council
and an active member
of the BBC, Dix’s
dedication and
commitment to North
Carolina Wesleyan
have earned her the
love and respect of
Bishop
student-athletes,
coaches, faculty,
and staff. From
running basketball
concessions for ten
years in the ‘90s to
selling souvenirs at
every football game
since its inception,
her induction into
the Athletics Hall
of Fame serves as a
small gesture of
appreciation for all
that she has done
and continues to do
for the Bishops. She
describes herself as
sincerely humbled by
the honor.
“Being selected to
the Hall of Fame is
such a privilege,
and I am truly
honored,” stated
Dix. “The coaches
and student-athletes
that I have had the
pleasure of getting
to know and watch
during my tenure
have brought this
Bishop fan so much
excitement and joy
over the years.”
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The Department of
Athletics extends
sincere
congratulations to
each of the 2008
inductees, whose
contributions to the
overall mission of
North Carolina
Wesleyan College
have been exhibited
in their successes
and
accomplishments. To
these inductees, the
Battling Bishops
offer thanks and
admiration by
bestowing this honor
upon them.
A formal induction
ceremony will be
held during this
year’s Homecoming
festivities on
November 15th.
