Cardinals Have 22 Athletes Honored by Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars

Gabriela Leon makes an approach to the pole vault

Cardinals Have 22 Athletes Honored by Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars

April 29, 2022 | General, Men's Basketball, Swimming & Diving, Men's Tennis, Women's Basketball, Women's Volleyball, Academic Services, Track & Field

Gabi Leon wins Female Sports Scholar of the Year

By: Nancy Worley

The magazine Diverse: Issues In Higher Education published its annual Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars special report edition today with University of Louisville track star Gabriela Leon being named the 2022 Arthur Ashe Female Sports Scholar of the Year. In all, 22 minority athletes from the University of Louisville were recognized for their work in the classroom.

As the name denotes, this edition is a part of a decades-long tradition of recognizing outstanding minority young men and women who have distinguished themselves in their academic and athletic pursuits. In addition to their athletic ability, the students named 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars are students of color who have maintained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5, are at least sophomores academically, and have been active on their campuses or in their communities. Of the nearly 1,000 scholar-athletes nominated, one male and one female athlete will be selected as Sports Scholar of the Year.

In addition to their athletic ability, the students named 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars are students of color who have maintained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5, are at least sophomores academically, and have been active on their campuses or in their communities.
Gabriela Leon is one of 20 student-athletes nationally to be honored as a 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sport Scholars recipient by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. The publication selected 10 female and male honorees out of over 1,000 nominees for the distinction.

Leon closed out her indoor career as two-time NCAA Indoor All-American after recording a height of 4.41m (14-5.5) for second-team honors at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships. The Grand Rapid, Mich. native set the women's indoor pole vault school record for the second time this season with a runner-up bar of 4.46m (14-7.5) at the 2022 ACC Indoor Championships. Her qualifying mark of 4.46m (14-7.5) ranked fifth nationally and third in the ACC. The seven-time All-ACC honoree recorded a top-three finish in six of seven meets this season, top-five finishes at all five ACC Indoor Championships, and a top-five pole vault finish in 29 of 31 career indoor meets.

In the classroom, Leon boasts a 3.814 career GPA as an Exercise Science - Health and human Performance major. The redshirt senior is a four-time ACC Academic Honor Roll honoree and a member of the 2021 USTFCCCA Outdoor All-Academic Team, 2021 All-ACC Academic Outdoor Track and Field Team, and All-ACC Academic Indoor Track and Field Team in 2020 and 2021. Leon was also one of 54 recipients for the 2022 Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarship Award.

The top women (in alphabetical order) are:
Bryanna Brown, Lincoln University, Basketball
Natalie Chou, University of California, Los Angeles, Basketball
Logan Eggleston, University of Texas at Austin, Volleyball
Arianna Fisher, University of Missouri, Track/Cross Country
Mia Gordon, Miami University, Field Hockey
Sophie Jaques, Ohio State University, Ice Hockey
Gabriela Leon, University of Louisville, Track/Cross Country
Ivana Shah, University of Akron, Golf
Cecily Stoute, University of Georgia, Soccer
Kinsley Washington, University of California, Los Angeles, Softball
The top men (in alphabetical order) are:
Trammell Anthony, Shenandoah University, Football & Basketball
DeWayne Carter, Duke University, Football
Nakobe Dean, University of Georgia, Football
Andrei Duarte, Georgia State University, Tennis
Jacob Haines, New York University, Swimming
Isaiah Holmes, University of Miami, Track/Cross Country
Tyler Johnson, Ohio State University, Track/Cross Country
Aaron Mateo Olmos, Oregon State University, Wrestling
Shea Pitts, University of California, Los Angeles, Football
Jordan Wright, Vanderbilt University, Basketball

Louisville Honorees

Men's Basketball – First Team
Dre Davis

Men's Basketball – Second Team
Roosevelt Wheeler

Men's Swimming & Diving
Nick Albiero
Santiago Aguilera

Men's Tennis
Alejandro Wesbrooks

Women's Basketball – First Team
Merissah Russell
Kianna Smith

Women's Basketball – Second Team
Ahlana Smith

Women's Soccer – First Team
Sarah Hernandez

Women's Soccer – Third Team
Morgan Bentley

Softball – First Team
Elana Ornelas

Softball – Second Team
Rebecca Chung
Makayla Hurst

Softball – Third Team
Taja Felder

Women's Swimming & Diving – First Team
Gabi Albiero
Olivia Livingston
Maria Sumida

Women's Swimming & Diving – Second Team
Tristen Ulett
Liberty Williams

Women's Track & Field – First Team
Gabriela Leon (Sport Winner)

Women's Track & Field – Fourth Team
Tiana Bazie

Volleyball – First Team
Amaya Tillman