FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ralph Newell
Phone: 703.385.2981
Email: [email protected]
Finalists Announced
FAIRFAX, VA (April 15, 2025) — Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine is pleased to announce the 2025 Arthur Ashe Jr. finalists for Male and Female Athlete of the Year (in alphabetical order):
Male Finalists:
- Jayo Adegboyo, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Track/Cross Country
- Cameron Brown, University of California, Merced, Basketball
- Blaise Threatt, Weber State University, Basketball
- Dylan Williams, Georgia State University, Soccer
Female Finalists:
- Emma Malabuyo, University of California, Los Angeles, Gymnastics
- Marissa Mastracco, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Soccer
- Kiki Rice, University of California, Los Angeles, Basketball
- Jaida Ross, University of Oregon, 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.
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.
The 2024 overall winners were Olivia Womack from the University of Mississippi and Darius Robinson from the University of Missouri. Other past Arthur 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.
Always contending at the highest levels, the following Ashe scholars competed in this year’s March Madness NCAA Basketball Tournament: Kiki Rice – UCLA, Landry Williams – Oklahoma State, Adalia McKenzie – Illinois, Jayda Curry and Merissah Russell – both of Louisville, Madison Scott – Mississippi and Jayda Brown – Vanderbilt on the women’s side; and Chukwuebuka Ejiofor – St. John’s, AJ Redd – Illinois, Eduardo Klafke and Jaemyn Brakefield – both of Mississippi, Miles Keefe and Jordan Williams – both of Vanderbilt, and Dante Bass, Corey Hines, and Ubong Okon – all of Alabama State on the men’s side.
Winners from each sport category nominated will also be announced prior to the June 5 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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