Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine recently announced the Top 20 male and female
semifinalists for the 2017 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award, and The American has six student-athletes on the lists.
Each year
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education invites postsecondary institutions to participate in this awards program by nominating their sports scholars. In addition to their athletic ability, students named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2; and be active on their campuses or in their community.
Past Ashe scholars include: Baylor University’s Robert Griffin III (2011); the University of Tennessee’s Kara Lawson (2003); San Diego State University’s Marshall Faulk (1993); and the University of Kansas’ Jaque Vaughn (1996).
Nominated by their respective institutions, these students were chosen from over 1,200 minority student-athletes. The winner of the award will be announced at a luncheon on April 11 at the University of Richmond. Dr. Bernard Franklin, Executive Vice President of the NCAA, will participate in the program.
Male Semifinalists
| Name |
Sport |
Institution |
| Andrew Watson |
Tennis |
Memphis |
Female Semifinalists
| Name |
Sport |
Institution |
| Danielle Bordes |
Swimming & Diving |
UConn |
| Cheyenne Creighton |
Basketball |
Memphis |
| Valentina Herrera |
Golf |
Cincinnati |
| Olga Martinez-Manso |
Tennis |
USF |
| Lindsey Stickrod |
Softball |
Memphis |
In addition to being named semifinalists, Watson, Bordes, Creighton, Herrera and Stickrod were also named
national team winners in their respective sports for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar special report, which will be published on April 6. UConn junior Leah Lum, who was named the national winner for women’s ice hockey, will also be featured in the April 6 report.