
Gabriela Leon Named 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar
April 07, 2022 | Track & Field
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville track and field athlete 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.
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Georgia's Nakobe Dean was selected as the 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year, while Ohio State's Sophie Jaques was named 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Female Sports Scholar of the Year.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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For the latest information on Louisville Cross Country/Track and Field, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram and Twitter account at @uofltrackxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/uofltrackxc.
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Georgia's Nakobe Dean was selected as the 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year, while Ohio State's Sophie Jaques was named 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Female Sports Scholar of the Year.
Â
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.
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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.
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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.
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For the latest information on Louisville Cross Country/Track and Field, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram and Twitter account at @uofltrackxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/uofltrackxc.
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