Aug. 4, 2008

QUEENS, N.Y. - The Red Storm added to its outstanding 2007-08 academic year with the announcement of the Diverse: Issue's In Higher Education, Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Award winners. St. John's University boasts 23 recipients representing 11 of the Red Storm's 17 NCAA Division I athletic programs. The award, established in 1992, honors those diverse undergraduate student-athletes who excel both academically and athletically.

"For our student-athletes to be recipients of this prestigious award is a well-deserved honor," said Chris Monasch, Director of Athletics. "These men and women have embraced our Athletic Department's concept of `Win, Graduate, Serve,' achieve academically and serve our community well."

This award is inspired by its namesake, tennis legend Arthur Ashe Jr., and his commitment to education, as well as his love for the game of tennis. In addition to athletic ability and achievements on the fields, courses and courts, the award winners must demonstrate academic excellence in the classroom as well service to the community.

Qualifications for this award require students to compete in an intercollegiate sport, complete at least one academic year of course work maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 and be active on their campuses and in their communities.

Below is a list of the Red Storm student-athletes honored with the Arthur Ashe Jr. Award. The following is broken down by team. Class and majors are listed in the parentheses.

Baseball
Chris Anninos (Senior/Biology)
Gil Zayas (Senior/Sport Management)

Fencing
Joanna Guy (Senior/Graphic Design)
Jenai Mapp-Watson (Sophomore/Accounting)
Reka Szele (Junior/Economics)

Lacrosse
Marco Massaro (Sophomore/Undecided)

Men's Basketball
Tomas Jasiulionis (Junior/Finance)

Men's Soccer
Joel Gustafsson (Sophomore/Undecided)
Adam Himeno (Sophomore/Undecided)
Jeff Stepan (Senior/Chemistry)

Men's Tennis
Jordan Talbot (Junior/Sport Management)

Softball
Danielle Estrada (Senior/Theology)

Track
Rakibat Abiola (Junior/Anthropology)
Fayanne Francis (Sophomore/Pharmacy)
Allie Morbitzer (Sophomore/Government & Politics)

Volleyball
Ruisa Scheffel (Sophomore/Undecided)

Women's Golf
Samantha Tejada (Sophomore/Finance)

Women's Soccer
Vaila Barsley (Sophomore/Accounting)
Susan Byrne (Senior/Criminal Justice)
Tatiana Dugan (Sophomore/Biology)
Sarah McGrath (Sophomore/Psychology)
Tara Mendoza (Sophomore/Adolescent Education)
Jessica Simonetti (Sophomore/Undecided)