Twelve CIAA student-athletes named Arthur Ashe Scholars

May 7, 2005

Twelve CIAA student-athletes have been named 2005 Arthur Ashe Sports Scholars by Black Issues in Higher Education. The award was established to honor undergraduate students of color who have achieved both academically and athletically.

Inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe Jr.’s commitment to education as well as his love for the game of tennis, Sports Scholars must exhibit athletic ability, academic excellence and community activism. To be included, students have to compete in an intercollegiate sport; maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2; and be active on their campuses or in their communities.

Seven Fayetteville State University student-athletes were named to the team. The list includes senior Jonathan Biddle and junior Barry McCauley, football, senior Tyreece Brown, basketball, senior Ryan Shaffer, golf, seniors Melissa Davis and Ebony Banks, bowling, and senior Angela Williams, softball.

This is the second year Davis and Williams have received this honor.

Biddle and McCauley are members of the Broncos’ football team that won three consecutive Western Division Championships. Both are very active in campus projects. Brown, a guard on the basketball team, reached the CIAA Finals before losing to eventual National Champions Virginia Union University. Brown is involved with the Department’s mentor program that helps newly assigned student-athletes with study assignments and getting adjusted to campus life.

A member of the Physical Education Majors (PEM) Club, Williams assisted in community projects involving older adults. Davis is actively involved with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority’s projects and is the organization vice president. Both Banks and Shaffer assisted in the Read A Book Program at the local recreation center.

Two Johnson C. Smith University athletes, women’s tennis player Amber Nicole Shoecraft and men’s tennis player Michael C. White were selected.

The number three player on the Golden Bulls team, Shoecraft finished in the top four of her flight at this year’s conference tournament. The second team AA sports scholar she was a captain of this year’s team. She is a junior mathematics major.

White, most valuable player of the 2005 team, recently graduated as a cum laude graduate with a 3.4 grade point average in mathematics. The All- CIAA conference player led the men’s team as a captain this year as the Golden Bulls finished as conference tournament runners-up after a six year string of championships that set a school record. He was also second team AA sports scholar.

North Carolina Central University sophomore pitcher Clarisse Steans, a native of Macon, Georgia, boasts a 3.68 overall grade point average as a Chancellor's Scholar majoring in Physics. She was named the CIAA Softball Player of the Year after leading the Lady Eagles to the CIAA Western Division Championship with a conference record of 21-1. Steans set NCCU single-season records with 194 strikeouts and 26 victories, while throwing every pitch in 266 innings this season. She also broke the NCCU career record in strikeouts (342) and victories (41).