Fargas an Ideal Candidate for NCAA Woman of the Year Award
8/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S TENNIS
CHICAGO - Patricia Fargas is a shining example of what it means to succeed as a DePaul Blue Demon student-athlete at every conceivable level.
And now comes her greatest recognition, being one of 57 Division I student-athlete honorees eligible for the prestigious 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
"It was a huge surprise," said Fargas who graduated in June and is living in London and working for an assets management company. "I received an email from my athletics academic advisor and was not sure what it meant.
"I decided to go into her office, and it was then when I realized that it was very important and extremely special. I smiled and told her I was so thankful and so happy for this wonderful, amazing nomination."
A total of 147 student-athletes from Division I, II and III advance to the next stage of the selection process. The Woman of the Year selection committee will select the top 10 honorees in each division in early September. The selection committee will then choose and announce the nine finalists (three from each division) at the end of September.
The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will cast votes among the nine finalists to determine the 2015 Woman of the Year. The top 30 will be honored and the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year will be named at the annual ceremony in Indianapolis on Oct. 18.
"This nomination means a lot because it really sums up all the effort and sacrifice I have put in all of my life to become the person I am today," Fargas said. "This nomination is very fulfilling because it truly proves that hard work eventually pays off.
"I am very fortunate to have been part of the DePaul community---and thanks to the university, my teammates, coaches and friends, I have been able to grow even more as a person."
Now in its 25th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award recognizes graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.
"Patricia was a beacon of positive energy from the moment she walked into the Athletic Center and became a Blue Demon," said DePaul Senior Associate Athletics Director Kathryn Statz. "Her accomplishments were earned through hard work, going beyond her comfort zone and taking advantage of every moment.
"It was a very proud moment when we nominated her for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year program and for me personally as part of the Big EAST's selection process when she was put forward as one of the conference nominees.
"Patricia brought her own style of enthusiasm, grace and perseverance to our program and left it better than she found it. I hope very much that other female student-athletes in our program learn of her accomplishments and recognize that they too can achieve at a very high level while maintaining their own point of view and culture."
Fargas led the Blue Demons to back-to-back BIG EAST Championships the last two years. An All-BIG EAST performer, she helped DePaul advance to the second round of the NCAA Championship for the first time in school history this past season.
She compiled a 24-7 singles record in 2014-15 and became the first DePaul player to advance to the ITA Midwest Regional twice in her career. A four-time ITA Scholar-Athlete, Fargas was also named to DePaul's Dean's List in every quarter.
"I was really excited for her," said DePaul women's tennis coach Mark Ardizzone. "She is and was such an unbelievable representative of what our program is all about.
"There are so many qualities that make her an idea NCAA Woman of the Year candidate. But the key characteristic is passion. Patricia doesn't do anything without putting all her heart and effort into whatever it is. She's so dependable, so enthusiastic, so committed, so driven and so accountable. A lot of people have those qualities, but not her passion that is so hard to see."
Fargas is the fourth Blue Demon to receive this distinction. In 2004 when each state nominated honorees for the award, softball pitcher Sarah Martz was selected. Beginning in 2006 when conferences selected their honorees, women's basketball players Khara Smith (2006) and Allie Quigley (2008) were chosen.
"Patricia was a great player because of her tenacity," Ardizzone said. "She didn't have the biggest serve or hardest shots. She had to work so much more than other kids to have her success. That just made her work even harder and be a better competitor. I appreciated that so much."
And Fargas appreciated everything that Ardizzone did for her.
"Mark taught me a lot of extremely important values that many people take for granted but that are very hard to find around world," said Fargas who was born and raised in Barcelona. "He is extremely conscientious and has taught me that everything in life can be achieved if you work your hardest, never make any excuses and always have a positive attitude.
"These values can also be seen throughout the DePaul community with professors, teaching assistants, maintenance workers, the athletic department and so much more. Everyone works towards one goal, and that is the nurturing and educating of the student-athlete."
In addition to the NCAA honor, Fargas won the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Excellence Award for women's tennis that recognized academic and athletic achievement as well as community service.
Fargas said she wanted to recognize an unforgettable role model.
"Jeanne has truly been my inspiration and the woman that I want to become in the future," Fargas said of DePaul Athletics Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto. "She is a true fighter! She has the ability to always have a smile on her face no matter what is happening around her, and this is not easy to find in all human beings.
"Jeanne has been my role model, and she is more committed to DePaul and her job than most people can imagine. She embraces what she does because she loves it. Her love for DePaul and every one of us has helped me realize the importance of being good to everyone, smiling, working hard and respecting one other.
"With Jeanne's fight and her incredible strength, I have come to realize that if we don't fight for our goals and objectives, we will never succeed in anything. That has been the key to my success on and off the tennis court."
Fargas has connected in London with another former Blue Demon tennis standout, Selma Salkovic.
"I was introduced to a tennis club by Selma," Fargas said. "The recruiting process was actually pretty hard as I had to play some matches for the club to evaluate my talent.
"They decided to take me for their doubles and singles leagues. These leagues are actually very well respected nationally and we get to play every weekend from March to July pretty much like in the U.S.
"It has been amazing to have her here because she has really been a huge help in meeting people and getting introduced to the lifestyle in London."
There was a moment last season that will always bring a smile to Ardizzone's face.
"She was able to win a huge match for us in a battle against Michigan State," Ardizzone said. "It was tied at 3-3, and of course, the match came down to her. Ignoring a pulled stomach muscle and a very tough crowd, she was able to pull through.
"In the tie-breaker as all her teammates were watching, she did celebrate one point too early. She won her sixth point and you need seven in a tie-breaker. She put her hands up and smiled at her teammates. I think right when she saw they weren't reacting, she remembered she needed one more point.
"In typical Patricia fashion, she regrouped and went right back to work to get that last point. Then came that great celebration with her teammates."
Players Mentioned
