Nancy Best

Kansas State

Sep 18 (Thu)

7 p.m.

Photo by: Mike Greening

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

Position:
Midfielder
Height:
5-7
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Cave Creek, Ariz.
High School:
Cactus Shadows

2018 Clancy A. Herbst, Jr., Student-Athlete Achievement Award
2018 Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention

SENIOR (2018): Best played in 18 of CU’s 20 games. She played a career-high 438 minutes, including a season-high 53 against Marquette. Best recorded one shot, coming against Southern California. She helped solidify the backend, playing in seven of CU’s shutouts. She finishes out her career, having played in 48 matches, averaging 19 minutes per match.

JUNIOR (2017): Best returned from a knee injury suffered late in the 2016 season to appear in 18 matches as a central midfielder. She played 350 minutes and scored her first career goal. She helped CU break the school records for shutouts (14) and goals-against average (0.61) as the Buffs reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She scored a goal in a 6-0 win over UC Riverside on Aug. 27, heading in a corner kick from Hannah Scheid. She played a season-high 47 minutes as a reserve in CU’s NCAA Tournament second-round match at No. 2 North Carolina. The Buffs had a 0.26 GAA and outscored opponents 5-1 when Best was on the field during the season.

SOPHOMORE (2016): Best became a key contributor off the bench, helping CU to reach the NCAA Tournament and finish second in the Pac-12. She appeared in 11 matches as a reserve midfielder and attempted one shot. She saw action in 119 minutes and helped CU outscore its opponents 3-1 when she was on the field. She played a season-high 24 minutes in a 5-0 win over Drexel on Sept. 4 and also saw 23 minutes of action in a win over Iowa on Sept. 11.

REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (2015): Best appeared in one match as a reserve midfielder. She saw seven minutes of action in a 3-0 win over Villanova on Sept. 20.

FRESHMAN (2014): She did not compete in any games as a freshman.

HIGH SCHOOL: A Rookie of the Year at Cactus Shadows, Best helped the Falcons to a runner-up finish at the state championships. As a member of SC del Sol, Best helped lead the club to a Surf Cup Championship in 2012. Under head coach Les Armstrong, SC del Sol finished the 2012-13 season ranked second in the ECNL Champions League.

IN THE CLASSROOM: Best majoring in integrative physiology. In the spring of 2018, she earned the Clancy A. Herbst, Jr., Student-Athlete Achievement Award from the University of Colorado, given annually to a student-athlete that overcomes personal, academic and/or emotional challenges to succeed both academically and athletically. She has had three consecutive semesters with over a 3.0 GPA after suffering a severe concussion in the spring of 2015 that left her struggling for a year with post-concussion symptoms.

PERSONAL: Nancy Lee Best was born on October 25, 1996 to parents Michael and Sherry Best. Her brother Nicholas attends Arizona State University. Best’s great grandfather, Dominic Vairo, was a team captain of the Notre Dame football team and played tight end for the Green Bay Packers in 1934-35. When not playing soccer, Best enjoys riding her two horses. After graduation, Best hopes to become a physical therapist because she’s always been interested in exercise science and how the body works. Best chose Colorado because of the beautiful campus, education, fantastic soccer program and coaching staff.