FAIRFAX, Va. -- Sixteen student-athletes from Washington State University were selected as Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars for 2018. The names and photographs of all this year's Sports Scholars are included in the April 5 issue of Diversity Issues in Higher Education magazine.
Beginning in 1992, the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards honor undergraduate students who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field. Inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe Jr.'s commitment to education and his love for the game of tennis, U.S. colleges and universities are invited to participate in this annual awards program by nominating their outstanding young men and women student-athletes. The selection criteria for the annual Sports Scholars teams is: must be a student of color, be an active member on an intercollegiate sports team, maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2, and have a demonstrated record of service to the campus or in the community.
One male and one female student-athlete are selected as the national Sports Scholars after the overall nominations are narrowed down to 20 semifinalists per gender and then three finalists per gender. WSU junior Ray Littles, a track and field competitor, was one of the 2018 semifinalists. The honors are divided into first team, second team, third team, fourth team, and honorable mention selections by sport and by gender.
The 2018 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sport Scholar Award winners from WSU are listed below. The complete list of this year's Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars can be viewed at http://diverseeducation.com/.
Beginning in 1992, the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards honor undergraduate students who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field. Inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe Jr.'s commitment to education and his love for the game of tennis, U.S. colleges and universities are invited to participate in this annual awards program by nominating their outstanding young men and women student-athletes. The selection criteria for the annual Sports Scholars teams is: must be a student of color, be an active member on an intercollegiate sports team, maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2, and have a demonstrated record of service to the campus or in the community.
One male and one female student-athlete are selected as the national Sports Scholars after the overall nominations are narrowed down to 20 semifinalists per gender and then three finalists per gender. WSU junior Ray Littles, a track and field competitor, was one of the 2018 semifinalists. The honors are divided into first team, second team, third team, fourth team, and honorable mention selections by sport and by gender.
The 2018 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sport Scholar Award winners from WSU are listed below. The complete list of this year's Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars can be viewed at http://diverseeducation.com/.
Washington State University's 2018 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars
First Team
Name Sport GPA Year Major Hometown
Katherine Dittmann Track & Field 4.00 Jr. Psychology Snohomish, Wash.
Ciera Kelly Swimming 4.00 Jr. Pre-Dentistry Juneau, Alaska
Ray Littles Track & Field 3.82 Jr. Sports Science Issaquah, Wash.
Jasmine Margetts Swimming 3.68 Jr. Environ. Science Torrance, Calif.
Second Team
Name Sport GPA Year Major Hometown
Elyse Bennett Soccer 3.76 So. Biology De Pere, Wis.
Malachi Flynn Basketball 3.48 So. Undecided Tacoma, Wash.
Jake Nienhuis Track & Field 3.40 Jr. Education Issaquah, Wash.
Breya Wynne Track & Field 3.68 Rs-So. Business Mrkt. Compton, Calif.
Third Team
Name Sport GPA Year Major Hometown
Brandon Arconado Football 3.25 Sr. Business Chino Hills, Calif.
Anthony Castillo Football 3.25 Sr. Management Kent, Wash.
Ja'Maun Charles Track & Field 3.22 Jr. Mgmt. Info. Systems Pleasanton, Calif.
Alexis Dirige Volleyball 3.27 So. Psychology San Francisco.
Jordyn Tucker Track & Field 3.57 So. Biomedical Eng. Monrovia, Calif.
Fourth Team
Name Sport GPA Year Major Hometown
Maddy Haro Soccer 3.91 Jr. Communication Corona, Calif.
Honorable Mention
Name Sport GPA Year Major Hometown
Adreonia Bradley Track & Field 3.57 Rs-Jr. Business Tacoma, Wash.
Kelsee Crenshaw Soccer 3.65 Sr. Apparel & Merch. Marysville, Wash.