Phillip Simpson, Tiffany Martin and Marissa Limsiaco Earn Top USMA Athletic Honor
Record-Setting Wrestler, Track & Field Star and Women’s Tennis Standout Receive Army Athletic Association Trophy
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Wrestler Phillip Simpson, track and field standout Tiffany Martin and tennis record setter Marissa Limsiaco have been chosen as the winners of the prestigious 2005 Army Athletic Association Trophy, the highest athletic honor given by the United States Military Academy.
The award, signifying the top male and female athlete of the graduating class, will be presented Friday during West Point’s annual Awards Convocation at Eisenhower Hall. The Army Athletic Association Trophy is awarded to the male and female cadet who displayed the “most valuable service to intercollegiate athletics during a career as a cadet. “This year marks the 101st anniversary of the AAA Trophy, which was first awarded to football player Horatio Hackett in 1904.
Simpson is a four-year letterman on Army’s wrestling team who will leave the Academy as the program’s all-time leader in wins. The Nashville, Tenn., native capped his brilliant Army career by finishing as runner-up at the 2005 NCAA Championships at 149 pounds. The school’s first-ever three-time NCAA All-American, Simpson compiled a career winning percentage of .876 (134-19).
The first Army wrestler ever to win three EIWA crowns in a career, Simpson went 4-1 at this year’s NCAAs en route to his second-place finish. Simpson exhibited his versatility as a wrestler over the years. That adaptability paid off this year when he became only the fourth wrestler in the 101-year history of the EIWA to win titles at three different weight classes when he won the 149-pound crown this past March.
Simpson authored a 29-2 record as a senior, including an unblemished 12-0 mark in dual matches. He also compiled an impressive 9-2 mark opposite ranked opponents. In addition to graduating from West Point as Army’s all-time leader in wins (134), Simpson leaves the Academy ranked second in pins (54). The four-year standout became the first four-time New York state champion in the event’s 36-year history. He won three All-Academy titles during his career and compiled a gaudy 50-4 mark in dual matches (.926 winning percentage).
Simpson, the first wrestler to cop the AAA Trophy since Jarrett Mathews in 1998, showed consistency throughout his career by winning at least 29 bouts every season. He set an Academy freshmen record by winning 37 bouts. Simpson went 37-8 and immediately made his mark on the Black Knight program. The 37 wins are the fourth-most in a single season. He equaled that mark as a sophomore, going 37-3 at 141 pounds and compiling a 6-1 mark at the NCAA Championships. Simpson authored a 31-6 record at 157 pounds during his junior season before putting together this year’s 29-2 campaign.
Simpson, who earned the Mike Natvig Award for the fourth straight year as the most outstanding Army wrestler, met or surpassed the 11-pin plateau each year. His 20 pins during his plebe year were tops in the EIWA and were the second highest single-season total at Army.
“Phillip had a great career at West Point, and he has been a great ambassador to the sport of wrestling here, “beamed Chuck Barbee, Army’s head wrestling coach. “It has been a pleasure to work with him over the past four years; he always gave 110 percent of his effort during every match. Phillip’s consistency every time out separated him from other wrestlers. I am very pleased that he has been recognized with this honor.”
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Simpson and Martin, both human and regional geography majors, and Limsiaco, a systems engineering major, will receive their diplomas during Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 28.
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