Arthur Ashe, Jr., Sports Scholars Awards Honor 25 Spartans

April 6, 2017

Fairfax, Va.----- For the second consecutive year, a record number of San Jose State University student-athletes of color were honored as 2017 Arthur Ashe. Jr., Sports Scholars by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

Twenty-five (25) Spartans from the sports of baseball, women's basketball, men's cross country, football, gymnastics, men's soccer, women's swimming and diving, women's track and field, and women's volleyball fulfilled the award requirements of being a student of color, maintaining at least a 3.20 cumulative grade-point average, have sophomore standing or higher and being active in community activities.

San Jose State's total honorees are two more than the school's 23 award winners in 2016, more than any West Coast college or university, and the most for a Mountain West member.

"We thank Diverse: Issues in Higher Education for honoring our outstanding San Jose State scholar-athletes. To be attached to the legacy of Arthur Ashe, Jr., and what he personified is very meaningful," says Eileen Daley, San Jose State University senior associate athletics director for academics and student support.

"We are proud of the number of student-athletes to earn this award and especially Tim Crawley who was named one of the four finalists for this year's award as the top male sports scholar."

Crawley, one of the most honored student-athletes for academics in San Jose State history, was selected as the top football student-athlete among the 110 honored in his sport. This is the third consecutive year Crawley was honored by the Arthur Ashe, Jr., Sports Scholars program. University of Kentucky soccer player Paul Sime was named the Arthur Ashe, Jr., Male Sports Scholar of the Year.

Besides Crawley, 15 San Jose State student-athletes were honored for a second or third time. Taylor Solorio, a kinesiology major, received her third Arthur Ashe, Jr., Sports Scholar recognition as a first-team women's swimming and diving team honoree.

Now in its 25th year, the awards program is named in honor of Arthur Ashe, Jr. (1943-1993), an African-American men's Wimbledon and U.S. Open tennis champion who devoted much of his adult life to identifying and providing solutions to end discrimination in all facets of life.

Name	Sport - Award	Major
Megan Au	Women's Swimming & Diving -- Second Team	Undeclared
Paris Baird	Women's Basketball -- First Team	Psychology
** Brenna Bushey	Women's Swimming & Diving -- Second Team	Public Relations
** Jade Childs	Women's Track & Field -- Fourth Team	Business Management
** Jonathan Colunga	Men's Soccer -- Second Team	Spanish
** Tim Crawley	Football -- Male National Finalist	Business Management Information Systems
** Kylie Fonseca	Women's Swimming & Diving -- First Team	Psychology
** Chris Gonzalez	Football -- Fourth Team	Business Accounting
Chandler Hawkins	Football -- Third Team	Kinesiology
** Jamie Hirai	Volleyball -- First Team	Business Accounting
** Nicole Iloanya	Women's Track & Field -- Third Team	Political Science
** Kelsey Johnson-Upshaw	Women's Track & Field - First Team	Kinesiology
** Myzhanique Ladd	Women's Basketball -- Honorable Mention	Radio, TV & Film
** Alex Manigo	Football -- Fourth Team	Business Management Information Systems
Josh Nashed	Baseball -- Third Team	Business
Josh Oliver	Football -- Fourth Team	Undeclared
Jonathan Partida	Men's Socccer --Second Team	Hospitality Management
Stephanie Relova	Women's Gymnastics -- Second Team	Business Management
Raul Rodarte	Men's Cross Country -- Third Team	Communication Studies
** Julie Sam	Volleyball -- First Team	Hospitality, Tourism & Event Management
*** Taylor Solorio	Women's Swimming & Diving -- First Team	Kinesiology
** Jack Veasey	Baseball -- Second Team	International Business
** Rachol West	Women's Basketball -- Third Team	Early Childhood Education
** Kaitlin Won	Women's Gymnastics -- Second Team	Kinesiology
Jeanette Zambrano	Women's Track & Field -- Fifth Team	Kinesiology
** - two-time award winner
*** - three-time award winner