LCSC’s Baishakhi earns prestigious ITA/Arthur Ashe Award

05-12-08

Lewis-Clark State College tennis player Shefat Baishakhi (shown left), a junior from Dhaka, Bangladesh, was named the NAIA women’s recipient of the ITA/Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship. 

The award goes to a player who exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership as well as scholastic, extracurricular, and tennis achievements. Baishakhi led a fundraising effort for victims of a typhoon in her home country during the fall. She also plays No. 1 singles for the Warrior women. 

She will be honored, along with all winners from NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA winners, during a reception at the U.S. Open in New York in August. 

Baishakhi is the second Warrior to earn the honor. Pei Yuin Keng won the award in 2004. 

Baishakhi and senior Ali Faris of Male, The Maldives, were honored at the NAIA national tennis tournament banquet on Sunday night at LCSC’s two winners of the Character of Champions Award. 

Also, junior Cedric Dufour of Evian, France; Faris, and Kaylan Crane, a senior from Spokane, were honored as NAIA Scholar-Athletes for having GPAs of 3.75 or better. Crane was one of four student-athletes who had a perfect 4.0 GPA.