Zoe Beard-Fails (31) and Haley Smith (22)
Photo by: Gary Breedlove
Beard-Fails And Smith Named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award Winners
May 10, 2017 | Women's Basketball
FAIRFAX, Va. – Colorado women's basketball player Zoe Beard-Fails and Haley Smith have both been recognized as Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award winners by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. They are the first two CU women's basketball players to earn the award.
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education sponsors the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards to honor undergraduate students who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field. The award was inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe, Jr.'s commitment to education. In addition to their athletic ability and academic performance, Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars demonstrate a commitment to community outreach and student leadership.
"Haley Smith and Zoe Beard-Fails were an absolute blessing to not only the women's basketball program here at CU, but the entire Boulder community," head coach JR Payne said. "They are two of the hardest-working young ladies I have ever had to opportunity to coach. Haley and Zoe have combined academic excellence with a desire to be great on the basketball court and a true commitment to being leaders in our community. I am proud to call these young ladies Buffs for life!"
Beard-Fails is a senior from Herndon, Virginia, and has a 3.304 grade point average while majoring in advertising. She played in 29 games this past season with two starts, averaging 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds.
Off the court, Beard-Fails has earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors three times. She has volunteered with Special Olympics in her hometown and made routine visits to Children's Hospital in Denver. She also participates in the Read With The Buffs program. Beard-Fails is a member of CU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Smith is a senior from Sammamish, Washington, and has a 3.671 GPA in mechanical engineering. She started all 33 games this year and averaged 11.2 points and 6.4 rebounds, earning honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors. During her four years on the floor, Smith scored 1,102 points and grabbed 631 rebounds, becoming the 15th player in CU history with over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. She also served as a team captain.
Off the court, Smith has also earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors three times in her career. She also participates in CU's Student-Athlete Leadership Academy and SAAC. She assists other students in the Engineering Department as a mentor and led an engineering project to design adjustable, ergonomic sideline chairs for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Both Beard-Fails and Smith are set to graduate on Friday.
Colorado finished the 2016-17 with a 17-16 record under Payne, who was in her first season in Boulder. She guided the Buffs to the third round of the WNIT.
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education sponsors the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards to honor undergraduate students who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field. The award was inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe, Jr.'s commitment to education. In addition to their athletic ability and academic performance, Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars demonstrate a commitment to community outreach and student leadership.
"Haley Smith and Zoe Beard-Fails were an absolute blessing to not only the women's basketball program here at CU, but the entire Boulder community," head coach JR Payne said. "They are two of the hardest-working young ladies I have ever had to opportunity to coach. Haley and Zoe have combined academic excellence with a desire to be great on the basketball court and a true commitment to being leaders in our community. I am proud to call these young ladies Buffs for life!"
Beard-Fails is a senior from Herndon, Virginia, and has a 3.304 grade point average while majoring in advertising. She played in 29 games this past season with two starts, averaging 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds.
Off the court, Beard-Fails has earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors three times. She has volunteered with Special Olympics in her hometown and made routine visits to Children's Hospital in Denver. She also participates in the Read With The Buffs program. Beard-Fails is a member of CU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Smith is a senior from Sammamish, Washington, and has a 3.671 GPA in mechanical engineering. She started all 33 games this year and averaged 11.2 points and 6.4 rebounds, earning honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors. During her four years on the floor, Smith scored 1,102 points and grabbed 631 rebounds, becoming the 15th player in CU history with over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. She also served as a team captain.
Off the court, Smith has also earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors three times in her career. She also participates in CU's Student-Athlete Leadership Academy and SAAC. She assists other students in the Engineering Department as a mentor and led an engineering project to design adjustable, ergonomic sideline chairs for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Both Beard-Fails and Smith are set to graduate on Friday.
Colorado finished the 2016-17 with a 17-16 record under Payne, who was in her first season in Boulder. She guided the Buffs to the third round of the WNIT.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's BasketballColorado Women's Basketball: Cooking with the Buffs
Friday, July 18
Colorado Women's Basketball WBIT second Round Press Conference
Sunday, March 23
Women's Basketball: Colorado vs Gonzaga Highlights | Mar 23, 2025
Sunday, March 23
Colorado Women's Basketball WBIT First Round Press Conference
Friday, March 21