Overcoming cancer was undoubtedly one of the major events of Kelly (Majam) Elms’ college years.

But she worked to ensure the ordeal wouldn’t come to wholly define her time at the University of Hawaii.

Now close to three months removed from her final game with the Rainbow Wahine softball team, Elms continues to collect accolades for her efforts on and off the diamond as one of 10 Division I nominees, and 30 overall, still in contention for the NCAA Woman of the Year award.

"I wanted people to see me as a hard worker and a competitor and not someone they need to have sympathy on and say, ‘She’s doing well for a cancer patient.’ I just wanted to be doing well, period," Elms said.

The former Rainbow Wahine center fielder and current elementary school teacher will have good reason for an excused absence in October when she attends the awards presentation in Indianapolis as one of the top 30 candidates.

Elms will be joined there by BYU-Hawaii tennis player I-Hsuan (Annie) Huang, one of the 10 Division II representatives.

The initial pool for the award — which recognizes academic achievements, community service and leadership along with athletic accomplishments — included 455 nominees (214 from Division I, 90 in Division II and 151 in Division III).

Elms was then named the Big West Conference’s nominee in July and made the final 30 — 10 from each division — announced on Tuesday. The field will be reduced to nine in September, with the winner announced on Oct. 20 in Indianapolis, when the top 30 candidates will be recognized.

"It’s definitely a huge honor. I’m really excited to represent UH and represent the program," Elms said. "It’s just going to be really fun, regardless of if I win. It’s just great to get to go and see all these awesome people who have done such amazing things in their careers."

Elms ended her UH career as the softball program’s all-time leader in home runs, doubles, runs scored and walks and earned all-conference honors each year. Her 72 career home runs rank ninth in NCAA history.

Along the way, she maintained her standing as the team’s top scholar-athlete the past four years and was named a second-team CoSIDA Academic All-American in May.

She did so while overcoming a knee injury her first year at UH and treatment for thyroid cancer in 2010. After undergoing radiation treatment, Elms didn’t miss a start the next three seasons as a mainstay in center field and as UH’s leadoff hitter.

"I don’t want to forget what I went through. It definitely shaped the way I ended up playing the rest of my career and who I became through all of that," she said.

Along with teaching at Liholiho Elementary, Elms remains active in softball by giving hitting lessons.