Saint Aug’s Sikes Receives Top CIAA Women Awards

May 24, 2011

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Basketball superstar Allison Sikes (Sr./Richmond, Va.) of Saint Augustine’s College posted double-doubles in points and rebounds routinely during an illustrious four-year career. On Tuesday, Sikes garnered a double-double of another kind – she was named 2011 CIAA Woman of the Year and CIAA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Sikes accepted both trophies during the CIAA Coaches Award Program at the Newport News Marriott at City Center. She is the first person to win the league’s inaugural Woman of the Year honor, created by the Senior Woman Administrators this season to recognize a female student-athlete for her athletic and academic achievement. Sikes is now eligible for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, which will be named later this year.

To be eligible for the conference’s woman award, a female student-athlete must have a 3.2 grade point average or higher, exhausted her college eligibility and graduated by the summer of 2011. Sikes graduated magna cum laude from Saint Augustine’s College in May.

“This means more to me than any other award,” said Sikes, the 2011 CIAA women’s basketball player of the year and three-time All-CIAA pick. “It shows I am more than just a basketball player. It is especially great being the first woman to win it.”

The league announced last week that Sikes was the top female scholar-athlete. She is the second straight student-athlete from Saint Augustine’s College to earn an individual academic award from the conference. Track standout Orolando Duffus was the 2010 CIAA Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

“I can’t believe it,” Sikes said about winning both awards. “This year has uplifted me in ways I never dreamed of. I appreciate the support of my family, the Saint Augustine’s College family and the CIAA family.”

Rachel Bullard, who completed her first season as Lady Falcon head women’s basketball coach, says she was blessed to coach Sikes.

“Allison is phenomenal,” Bullard said. “I got to see a little bit of greatness in her as a player and as a person. She exhibits a level of perseverance that we should all have. Her accolades are very well deserved.”

The awards cap a banner year for Sikes, who earned numerous conference, regional and national athletic and academic honors this season. Sikes was named Heritage Sports Radio Network Division II women’s basketball player of the year this season, and is a two-time CoSIDA All-District academic team member. She made the CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic team three consecutive years.

Sikes is the second Lady Falcon to win CIAA women’s basketball MVP since 1983. She is the third player from Saint Augustine’s College to make the All-CIAA women’s basketball team three times. She was named CIAA women’s basketball rookie of the year in 2008.

Her senior season, Sikes ranked second in the CIAA in scoring (17.0 points per game) and first in steals (3.1 per game) while grabbing 7.2 rebounds. She finished her spectacular four-year career with 1,452 points, 878 rebounds, 279 steals and 233 assists. A psychology major, Sikes finished with a cumulative 3.61 GPA which helped the Lady Falcons win back-to-back highest GPA honors in women’s basketball her junior and senior seasons.