History In the Making...Or Already Made?
The attention on Michelle has been focused mainly on whether or not she will not only final-table the Main Event, but break the record for a highest finish by a female. Barbara Enright is currently in sole possession of that record for her historic fifth-place finish in the big one in 1995.
However, with the record fields of the current era, it's not really fair to compare the two accomplishments. If one were to closely examine the finishes of these notable females when compared to the size of the field, one would see that Michelle's run is already historic.
Tiffany Michelle - 18th place*, 2008, outlasted 99.736%
Tiffany Williamson - 15th place, 2005, outlasted 99.733%
Maria Ho - 38th place, 2007, outlasted 99.402%
Barbara Enright - 5th place, 1995, outlasted 98.168%
Annie Duke - 10th place, 2000, outlasted 98.047%
*With only 18 players remaining, Tiffany Michelle is guaranteed to finish 18th place or better.