San Jose, Calif.—For the second consecutive year, San José State University women's water polo player Riley Agerbeek leads a list of 16 Spartan student-athletes of color who were named Arthur Ashe Jr., Sports Scholars by Diverse Issues.
Agerbeek, a senior from El Cajon, Calif., received the top honor for the sport of women's water polo and was named one of 10 finalists for the Female Athlete of the Year. She was also the 2020 top scholar-athlete of color for women's water polo. She is the first Spartan student-athlete to repeat as a top scholar-athlete of color in his/her sport and is one of four to receive honor – Tim Crawley, football (2017); Stephanie Relova, women's gymnastics (2019); and Michelle Taikeff, women's water polo (2019).
The justice studies major is a 2021 San Jose State University President's Scholar. She was named to the Phi Kappa Phi honor society in 2020. Agerbeek is the #2-goal scorer on the 2021 women's water polo team heading into this weekend's Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship tournament with a personal single-season best 20 goals. She is in her fourth semester on the SJSU Student Athlete Advisory Council and has volunteered at the Spartan Food Pantry.
Other Spartans honored include – Kai Bohannon and Evelin Meza, women's track & field; Jalend Dinwiddie, Andrew Jenkins, and Tre Jenkins, football; Jadan Gonzalez and Antonia Malate, women's golf; Alexus Jackson, women's soccer; Kiley Lingenfelter and Sarah Smevog, beach volleyball; Willy Miranda, men's soccer; Makayla Englestad and Janessa Lozano, softball; Cecil Ebiwok, men's track and field; and Bailey Stubblefield, women's water polo.
Englestad and Lozano are four-year receipients of the award. Six student-athletes are being honored for the second time in his/her career – Agerbeek, Bohannon, Dinwiddie, Jenkins, Lingenfelter, and Miranda. More than 460 student-athletes from all NCAA and NAIA divisions were honored in 2021.
San José State was second to Arizona State for the most Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars among Mountain West and Pacific-12 Conference universities.
The award is named after the late tennis great 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. The awards program now is in its 29th year.
Student-athletes of color who possess a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average, are a sophomore standing or higher, contributing members to their team and are active in community activities are eligible to be nominated.
"We are proud of our outstanding student-athletes that have earned this prestigious honor," said Eileen Daley, San José State Deputy Director of Internal Operations/SWA. "It has been an unbelievably challenging year for them dealing with all of their commitments while living through a pandemic."
Over the past six years, San José State student-athletes of color have received 129 Arthur Ashe, Jr., Sports Scholar Awards.
2021 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholars
Riley Agerbeek, Women's Water Polo – Sport Winner, finalist for Female Athlete of the Year
Kai Bohannon, Women's Track & Field – First Team
Jalend Dinwiddie, Football – Second Team
Cecil Ebiwok, Men's Track & Field – Third Team
Makayla Englestad, Softball - Second Team
Jadan Gonzalez, Women's Golf – First Team
Alexus Jackson, Women's Soccer - Third Team
Andrew Jenkins, Football – First Team
Tre Jenkins, Football - Fourth Team
Kiley Lingenfelter, Beach Volleyball
Janessa Lozano, Softball - Second Team
Antonia Malate, Women's Golf – First Team
Evelin Meza, Women's Track & Field - Third Team
Willy Miranda, Men's Soccer – First Team
Sarah Smevog, Beach Volleyball
Bailey Stubblefield, Women's Water Polo
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