May 3, 2018
SAN DIEGO – Five members of the San Diego State Track & Field Team received the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports-Scholar Award. Je'Neal Ainsworth, Lakin Hatcher, Tyra Lea, Monique McPherson and Jasmine Young received the award, which is given to students of color who exhibit academic excellence and community activism.
Ainsworth (Long Beach, Calif.), a junior studying criminal justice, has a 3.32 cumulative GPA. A standout triple jumper for the Aztecs, Ainsworth has finished in first or second in five of her seven triple jump competitions this season. She was named to the Mountain West All-Academic Team in 2017.
Hatcher (Woodstock, Md.) sports a 3.22 GPA as a biology major. The junior set a new PR in the 400 meter dash last weekend, finishing in 54.89, topping her previous best time by over a second. She helped the Aztecs finish in second in the 4x400 relay (3:40.72) at the 2018 Mountain West Indoor Championships and is a two-time Mountain West All-Academic honoree.
Lea (Raleigh, N.C.) will be pursuing a doctorate of Physical Therapy at the University of Washington next fall. She has been named to the Mountain West All-Academic team three times, been named a Mountain West Scholar Athlete twice and has been an All-Mountain West Outdoor honoree three times. Last year, she was part of a record-breaking 4x400 indoor relay team (3:40.16)
McPherson (Old Harbour Bay, Jamaica) holds a 3.21 GPA as a public administration major. She came to SDSU from Wayland Baptist where she was a seven-time All-American, a national champion in the 600m and a second team Academic All-American. With the Aztecs, she helped set a new school record in the 4x400 indoor relay (3:40.16) and was a two-time conference champ in that event.
Young (San Diego, Calif.), a political science major with a 3.40 GPA, was named a Mountain West Scholar-Athlete in 2015 and was a Mountain West All-Academic honoree in 2017.
To receive this award, student-athletes have to compete in an intercollegiate sport; maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20; and be active on their campuses or in their communities.
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education sponsors the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards to 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 as well as 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 sports scholars. In addition to their athletic ability and academic performance, Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars demonstrate a commitment to community service and student leadership.