The 2018 recipients of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards were announced by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education on March 8. Among the 40 sports scholar finalists and semifinalists, University of Connecticut’s Danielle Bordes and Washington University in Saint Louis’ Ross Brown were the two swimmers selected.
Bordes, a sprint freestyler, is a member of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) All-Academic Team and placed 16th in the 100 fly at the AAC Swimming and Diving Championships in February. Bordes contributes to her community through her numerous efforts to assist the homeless.
Brown, also a sprint freestyler, received his eighth All-American honor after his swims at the 2018 DIII NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships and the 2018 University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships. Brown finished 5th in the 100 free (45.53) and 6th in the 50 free (20.76), and is an active member in both Campus Kitchen, which provides meals for those in need, and Relay for Life, which fundraises for cancer patients.
The award, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, honors undergraduate students who have excelled in both academics and athletics and demonstrate a commitment to community activism. Other winners were bowlers, cheerleaders, golfers and gymnasts, along with athletes of many other sports. Track and field and soccer tied for the most award recipients, with three each. Winners were from various schools and divisions and declared a wide variety of majors.
Applicants for the award must be active members of an intercollegiate team, maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2 and demonstrate a record of service to the campus or the community. Athletes are nominated for the award by their schools.
The complete list of sports scholar award recipients can be found here.
The complete list of Men’s and Women’s First and Second teams can be found below.
