Air Force Academy

Sept. 11, 2008

USAF Academy, Colo. - Former Air Force fencer Elizabeth Enyart has been selected as an independent nominee for the NCAA's 18th annual Woman of the Year award. The nominees represent all three divisions and have excelled in academics, athletics, leadership and community service.

A Bend, Ore., native, Enyart graduated in 2008 from the Academy as a behavioral sciences major with a minor in French. Enyart is the Academy's first-ever women's fencer to earn honorable mention All-American honors (2006). She was a three-time NCAA qualifier in 2005, '06, '07. Competing in the Western Region, she was all-region in 2007 and 2008, and was the regional women's epee champion in both 2006 and 2007. While at the Academy, she accumulated an impressive 67-25 career record (.730 avg.). In 2006, she was the Junior Olympics runner-up in women's epee. For her AFA career, she finished in the top three of her events 14 times, six of which were first-place finishes. In 2008, she made the Division I national championships for the first time ever, finishing 17th overall in the nation.

Academically, she was named to the Academy's superintendent's list twice. She made the dean's list every semester and was named to the commandant's list three times for military excellence. Enyart has been fencing over 12 years both at the club level and at the Academy. She was a squadron commander, flight commander, element leader, and a group service non-commissioned officer. She was also chosen for Cadet Summer Research at the Gladstone Institute of neurological diseases.

Her community service involved working at the school for deaf and blind to learn about differences in cognitive abilities of "persons with disabilities." Enyart has done over 230 hours of community service during her Academy career. Currently, she is making a plan to start women's schools in West Africa, and promote music programs among local youth (starting in a village called Bargny - a suburb of Dakar.

The NCAA has announced the 130 conference and independent nominees for its 18th annual Woman of the Year award. The nominees represent all three divisions and have excelled in academics, athletics, leadership and community service.

To be eligible for this honor, female student-athlete must have earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and competed during the 2007-08 academic year. Each individual must have completed intercollegiate eligibility in her primary sport by the end of the 2008 spring season and carry a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.5.

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/portal/home?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/NCAA/Media+and+Events/Press+Room/News+Release+Archive/2008/Announcements/NCAA+ANNOUNCES+HONOREES+FOR+2008+WOMAN+OF+THE+YEAR