Laie, HI—Brigham Young University Hawaii women’s tennis player Hewenfei (Elwen) Li Boud has been named one of nine finalists for the 2011 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. Boud, the ITA Senior Player of the Year, is one of only three finalists from Division II of the NCAA.
Boud was a major presence on the tennis court, in the classroom and in the community for the Seasiders. She earned Pacific West Conference All-Academic honors three consecutive years (2009-11) and was the Pacific West Women’s Tennis Scholar of the Year four years in a row. She was named to the Dean’s List nearly every semester and graduated magna cum laude.
She was ranked as high as second nationally in singles and earned top honors in doubles competition her freshman and senior seasons. She helped BYU-Hawaii to second place at the NCAA Division II Women’s Tennis Championships in 2008 and 2010 and a third-place team finish in 2009. Additionally, she was named the Pacific West Conference Player of the Year and the conference tournament MVP in 2010. From 2007 to 2011, her record in singles was 105-3 and her record in doubles was 106-4.
Boud was also a member her school’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a volunteer teacher for community junior tennis groups and a volunteer who conducted seminars for elementary students on health and wellness. She also helped build playgrounds for student housing facilities and helped the BYU-Hawaii Student Association with soccer field renovations. As a leader, Li was named vice president of her school’s pre-med club. She was also a volunteer counselor with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, responding to calls on mental illness issues.
The NCAA 2011 Woman of the Year award will be presented Oct. 16 in Indianapolis. The nine finalists, along with the other honorees who made the Top 30, will be invited to Indianapolis for the festivities. The award weekend will include a community service project that gives honorees the opportunity to interact with young girls in the city of Indianapolis and serve as role models for them. The NCAA will also host a reception in their honor.
The NCAA’s Woman of the Year Award, now in its 21st year, honors female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academic achievement, athletic excellence, community service and leadership. Every NCAA member institution is encouraged to honor its top graduating female student-athlete by submitting her name for consideration. Each conference assesses the eligibility of its members’ nominees and selects at least one student-athlete to represent the conference.
To be eligible for the award, a female student-athlete must have completed eligibility in her primary sport by the end of the 2011 spring season, graduated no later than the end of the summer 2011 term and achieved a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.5. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics selects the national winner from the nine finalists.
