FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ralph Newell
Phone: 703.385.2981
Email: [email protected]
Announcing the 2025 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male and Female
Sports Scholar of the Year
FAIRFAX, Va. — Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine is pleased to announce the 2025 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male and Female Sports Scholar of the Year.
2025 Male Winner: Jayo Adegboyo, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Track and Field
Runners Up:
- Cameron Brown, University of California, Merced, Basketball (1st runner up)
- Blaise Threatt, Weber State University, Basketball (2nd runner up)
- Dylan Williams, Georgia State University, Soccer (3rd runner up)
2025 Female Winner: Jaida Ross, University of Oregon, Track and Field
Runners Up:
- Kiki Rice, University of California, Los Angeles, Basketball (1st runner up)
- Marissa Mastracco, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Soccer (2nd runner up)
- Emma Malabuyo, University of California, Los Angeles, Gymnastics (3rd runner up)
As the name denotes, the annual Arthur Ashe edition is part of our magazine’s over a quarter-century legacy of recognizing young, outstanding minority men and women who have distinguished themselves in their academic and athletic pursuits.
Student-athletes named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5, be at least a sophomore academically, and be active on their campuses or in their communities.
Of the nearly 700 scholar athletes nominated, Diverse: Issues In Higher Education has named Adegboyo and Ross the 2025 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male and Female Sports Scholar of the Year for best exemplifying the standards of scholarship, athleticism, and humanitarianism.
Adegboyo, a senior majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology, is a sprinter in track and field at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He is a member of the bronze-winning 4x400m team that set a new school record during the 2023-2024 season. He also posted the second fastest time in school history in the 400 meters at the America East Conference Championships.
Off track, he volunteers at the University of Maryland Medical Center's Trauma Resuscitation Unit (TRU) and the Howard County Food Bank. He also serves as a mentor to younger peers in the chemistry, biology, and physics departments and conducts research to investigate how metabolic nutrients arrange inside cells to discover markers for cancer cells vs. normal cells.
Ross, a senior majoring in prevention science at the University of Oregon, placed fourth at the Paris Olympics in shot put, as the highest placing American. As an NCAA Champion (shot put) and Pac-12 Champion (shot put + discus), she owns four of the top five throws (shot put) in collegiate history and is the Pac-12 Women’s Field Athlete of the Year.
Off-the-track she volunteers in physical education programs at various elementary schools and as an assistant track and field coach at a local high school. She speaks frequently at community events and participates in Team IMPACT— a non-profit that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams, creating a long-term, life-changing experience for everyone involved.
Both Ross and Adegboyo balance community service and the rigors of top-tier NCAA intercollegiate play with academic achievement at the highest level — they will be profiled in the June 5 edition of Diverse.
Other information:
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.
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.
Published since 1984, Diverse: Issues In Higher Education is the nation’s only daily online and print newsmagazine dedicated exclusively to diversity issues in higher education.
Visit us online and subscribe at www.diverseeducation.com.
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