STANFORD, Calif. – Connie Ma has been named the national recipient of the the 2024 Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award, the ITA announced Thursday.
The ITA Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award recognizes outstanding student-athletes in all five divisions (NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and JUCO) at the regional and national level. This prestigious award, which dates back to 1982, is presented to the men’s and women’s national student-athletes who have exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership, as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements in ways that embody the legacy of tennis icon and humanitarian Arthur Ashe Jr.
Ma is Stanford’s fifth all-time winner of the Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award and first in nearly 30 years. Other Cardinal winners are Amy Chiminello (1996), Heather Willens (1992), Patty Fendick (1987) and Linda Tates (1984).
On the court, Ma just wrapped up her second career All-America campaign. She picked up a pair of ranked wins as part of a run to the round of 16 at the NCAA Singles Championship in Stillwater, and wrapped up her season with a 40-6 overall record, a team-best 21-2 record in duals, and a 24-5 mark against nationally-ranked opponents. She was tied with Alexandra Yepifanova for second on the team in clinchers (5) and finished the season ranked seventh nationally.
Outside of tennis, the junior human biology major has a commitment to volunteer initiatives and desire to pursue medicine. She has been involved in Cardinal Free Clinics, which is a student-led clinic partnered with Stanford Healthcare, that provides free transitional care to those that don’t have a means of obtaining health insurance, or can’t afford to, as well as anyone else who are impacted by barriers to access. Ma currently works as a Mandarin interpreter, where she helps to bridge the language barrier between Mandarin-speaking patients and their families and medical staff.
More on Ma’s award can be found on the ITA website.
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