Northwestern State University Athletics

Patel, a standout for the Lady Demon tennis team from 1988-91, made the 1991 Academic All-America at-large team encompassing six spring sports. She won the 1991 Southland Conference McDonald Scholarship recipient for posting the highest cumulative grade point average among all senior female graduates at conference institutions, and was NSU's 1990-91 Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. A three-year Academic All-SLC  selection, Patel finished with a 3.92 GPA as a summa cum laude graduate in business administration and marketing.

Her playing credentials were equally impressive. The team captain of 1991 squad finished third on the Lady Demon career singles victory list (56-23) and fourth on school's career doubles list (63-22). A Portsmouth, England native, Patel was the 1988 Southland Conference No. 2 doubles champ (with Jane Paterson), and posted a 14-4 record at No. 3 singles as a freshman in 1988.

Patel helped the Lady Demons win 1989 SLC championship, as runner-up in No. 3 singles (14-3). She was one of three Lady Demons on the 1991 Volvo Tennis Scholar Athlete Team, and was a repeat selection. Only 35 women around the country made the 1991 team and NSU and Indiana were the only schools with three representatives. Patel is a British Airways pilot.