Two Army Olympians, Sgt. Theresa Dewitt and Staff Sgt.
Derrick Waldroup, were selected by the Armed Forces Sports
Council as the 1996 Armed Forces Male and Female Athletes of the
Year. They will be honored January 24 at the U.S. Military
Sports Association Pride of the Nation awards banquet at the
National Press Club and January 25 at the 62nd annual Touchdown
Club Timmie awards dinner both in Washington, D.C.
DeWitt joined the Army in 1991 and was assigned to the Army
Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning, Ga. As a member of the 1996
U.S. Olympic Shooting Team, DeWitt placed fourth in the women's
double trap shotgun shooting competition.
She also won a silver medal at the 1996 USA World Cup in
Atlanta, Ga., and a gold medal at the 1995 Pan American Games in
Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Cincinnati, Ohio native was also a
member of the gold medal-winning women's double trap team at the
1996 World Cup in Lonato, Italy.
A graduate of Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree
in wildlife management, DeWitt began shooting in 1988.
Waldroup climaxed a highly successful 20-year wrestling
career by qualifying for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman
wrestling team. The 198-pound contender finished 7th in Atlanta.
He was on the All-Army wrestling team for 11 years. In that
time, he won 10 Armed Forces Greco-Roman and several free style
championships. At the national level, Waldroup participated in
11 U.S. Wrestling Federation National Championships and is a four-
time gold medalist.
In 1966 the Chicago native was inducted into the Illinois
Wrestling Hall of Fame. Married and the father of three,
Waldroup entered the Army in 1985, taking basic training at Fort
Jackson, S.C.
DeWitt and Waldroup are members of the Army's World Class
Athlete Program.
For further information contact Karen White, Armed Forces
Sports Council, (703) 325-8871.
