Leilani Bender

Princeton Women’s Rugby hosts Dartmouth on November 4, 2023.

Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast

Photo by: Beverly Schaefer

Position:
Flanker
Height:
5-8
Class:
Senior
High School:
Punahou
Hometown:
Honolulu, Hawaii

Honors
Second Team All-NIRA (2023)
2x NIRA All-Academic Team (2024, 2023)
Chris Sailer Leadership Award Recipient (2024)
Sarah Apgar '02 Cup Recipient (2024)
Best Defensive Player (Spring 2024)

2022-23 : Served as a tri-captain

2021-22: Played in six games during fall season and 4 tournaments including USA Rugby 7s Collegiate Championship in the spring season ... Academic All-Ivy ... defensive player of the season for the fall season ... Player of the Match in the fall ... Webmaster in the fall and President in the spring.

Before Princeton: Four years of varsity water polo ... 2018 first team goalie for varsity water polo ... 2019 MVP for varsity water polo ... three-time ILH varsity champion for water polo ... two-time Hawaii water polo ODP team goalie ... three years of swimming ... Presidential Scholar Candidate ... AP Scholar with Distinction ... Math team president ... student government secretary.

Personal: Daughter of Andrea and Anthony Bender ... has a younger sister Sophie ... majoring in civil and environmental engineering ... member of Natives at Princeton and Princeton University Climbing Team.