Elizabeth Betterbed

Classroom

Betterbed has ranked No. 1 in class at the U.S. Military Academy since her freshman year and carries a 4.235 GPA. She heads into her final year ranked No. 1 overall in class; No. 2 academic, No. 3 military and No. 8 physical. She is a two-time CoSIDA/ESPN District I academic selection and a 2008 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic first team pick. She is a three-time member of the Patriot League academic honor roll. She posted the highest GPA among women’s soccer players in the league the past two years. She has made the Dean’s List every semester. Her awards include the Superintendent’s Award for Excellence and Meritorious Winner, Mathematical Contest in Modeling and the Phi Kappa Phi Scholastic Achievement Award. She is editor for the Undergraduate Journal of Social Sciences. She is a candidate for Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year after being named to the conference academic honor roll since her freshman year.

Character

Betterbed was recently named Deputy Brigade Commander, the second highest rank in the Corps of Cadets which numbers 4,400. She has also held following positions in the Corps of Cadets: Team Leader, First Sergeant for the Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company and Executive Officer for the Summer Garrison Regiment. She is well respected by her peers in the Corps of Cadets as well as by teammates on the pitch along with the Academy Administration.

Community

Betterbed is a Big Sister to a local elementary school student in nearby Highland Falls (2007-present). She volunteered at Trompo Magico Children’s Museum in Guadalajara, Mexico, during spring of 2009 while spending a semester abroad studying Spanish at Monterrey Tecnologico as part of West Point’s study abroad program (SAP). She has been a camp counselor at the Muscular Dystrophy Association camp in Gig Harbor, Washington (July 2008). She taught English at Uijeongbu Community Center in South Korea (June 2008). She’s a Black and Gold Leadership Forum “Core” Member (2007-present).

Competition

Betterbed heads into her third year in a starting role, moving to attacking midfielder this year after playing on the defensive end of the field last year. Army’s 12 shutouts in 2008 were one shy of a school record. Betterbed helped set a school and Patriot League mark of six regular-season shutouts. She was a second team Patriot League selection on defense last year along with being named to the all-tournament team after leading Army to the title and automatic NCAA bid (first in school history) following a 1-0 overtime win over host and top-seeded Navy in the championship game. Betterbed converted a penalty kick to tie in a shootout in the fifth round of the semifinals vs. Bucknell to force sudden death as Army outlasted the Bison 5-4 to advance to the championship finals. The three-year letterwinner is Army’s go-to-player when game is on the line.