FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ralph Newell
Email: [email protected]
Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Special Report to be Published April 25 —
Finalists Announced
FAIRFAX, VA (March 20, 2024) — Diverse: Issues In Higher Educationmagazine is pleased to announce the 2024 Arthur Ashe Jr. finalists for Male and Female Athlete of the Year (in alphabetical order):
Male Finalists:
- Marcus Caldeira, West Virginia University, soccer
- Myles Collins, Georgia Institute of Technology, track/cross country
- Chase Griffin, UCLA, football
- Darius Robinson, University of Missouri, football
Female Finalists:
- Gabi Albiero, University of Louisville, swimming and diving
- Charlisse Leger-Walker, Washington State University, basketball
- Madison Scott, University of Mississippi, basketball
- Olivia Womack, University of Mississippi, track/cross country
As the name denotes, the annual Ashe edition is part of our over a quarter-century legacy of recognizing outstanding, young minority men and women who have distinguished themselves in their academic and athletic pursuits.
Further, students named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars must maintain at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average, be at least a sophomore academically, and be active on their campuses or in their communities.
In addition to the Male and Female Sports Scholar of the Year, winners in each individual sport category are recognized in the annual Ashe edition.
This year’s Sport Winners are (in alphabetical order by sport):
- Xavier Rivas, University of Mississippi, baseball
- Dillon Jones, Weber State University, basketball (M)
- Charlisse Leger-Walker, Washington State University, basketball (W)
- Adriana Nieves Papaleo, Arizona State University, beach volleyball (W)
- Alexis Buchert, University of Nebraska, bowling (W)
- Sammie Smith, Oklahoma State University, cheerleading
- Tyler Williamson, Holy Cross, crew (M)
- Vaya Chhabra, Duke University, crew (W)
- Landry Leming, Oklahoma State, dance (W)
- Sarah Hoffmeyer, Delaware State University, equestrian (W)
- Michael Kang, New York University, fencing (M)
- Annika Santos, New York University, fencing (W)
- Kiersten Thomassey, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, field hockey
- Darius Robinson, University of Missouri, football
- Hugo Reginaldo Cepeda Sanchez Aedo Ruiz, Weber State University, golf (M)
- Ashley Menne, Arizona State University, golf (W)
- Sam Phillips, University of Nebraska, gymnastics (M)
- Vanessa Deniz, University of Georgia, gymnastics (W)
- Charles (Charlie) Schoen, Arizona State University, ice hockey (M)
- Amiri Austin, Cleveland State University, lacrosse (M)
- Laura Bonomo, Siena College, lacrosse (W)
- Emma Pereira, University of Mississippi, rifle (W)
- Marcus Caldeira, West Virginia University, soccer (M)
- Elizabeth Cruz, The George Washington University, soccer (W)
- Jalia Lassiter, University of Mississippi, softball
- Jaeden Yburan, New York University, swimming and diving (M)
- Gabi Albiero, University of Louisville, swimming and diving (W)
- Shourya Verma, DePaul University, tennis (M)
- Ana Morett, Weber State University, tennis (W)
- Myles Collins, Georgia Institute of Technology, track/cross country (M)
- Olivia Womack, University of Mississippi, track/cross country (W)
- Brian Luu, New York University, volleyball (M)
- Bailee Middleton, University of Mississippi, volleyball (W)
- Andrew Ore, University of California, Merced, water polo (M)
- Jacqueline Azevedo, University of California, Merced, water polo (W)
- Jenna Hernandez, Central College, wrestling (W)
- Jacori Teemer, Arizona State University, wrestling (M)
The 2023 overall winners were Lyle Yost from The Ohio State University and Camber Hayes of Miami University. Other past Ashe Scholars have included the University of Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson (2011), the University of Tennessee’s Kara Lawson (2003), San Diego State University’s Marshall Faulk (1993), and Stanford University’s Simone Manuel (2017), to name a few who have gone on to achieve great success.
Ashe scholars competing in this year’s March Madness NCAA Basketball Tournament include Jeff Grace III of Nebraska, Nate Santos of Dayton, and LJ Thomas of North Carolina State, on the men’s side; and Ashlyn Zhang of Rice, and Madison Scott (2024 Ashe finalist) and Elauna Eaton, both of Ole Miss, on the women’s side.
The 2024 Male and Female Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year will be announced prior to the April 25 edition.
For 40 years, Diverse: Issues In Higher Education has been America’s premier source of timely news, provocative commentary, insightful interviews, and in-depth special reports on diversity in higher education. Savvy individuals who appreciate the crucial and ever-changing role higher education plays in the lives of students and professionals, and their families and communities, make reading Diverse an enduring habit.
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