Record nine student-athletes honored with Arthur Ashe awards
5/4/2011 8:29:00 PM | Athletics, Men's Cross Country, Men's Swimming and Diving, Men's Track and Field, Softball, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Soccer, Women's Swimming and Diving
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A record nine Lehigh student-athletes were recently recognized as recipients of the 2011 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Award as named by Diverse Issues in Higher Education. The winners included Jana Basubas (soccer), Jen Colquhoun (softball), Makura Compton (track and field), Mary Leah DiNisco (lacrosse), Ifeanyi Edochie (track and field), Julie Fernandez (softball), Evans Kosgei (cross country/track and field), Tyler Lareau (swimming) and Paola Simon (swimming).
This marks the third straight year in which Kosgei has received this distinction and the second time for Colquhoun. Lehigh's nine selections are the most in school history and mark the third consecutive year that at least six Mountain Hawks have been recognized.
Basubas earned first team All-Patriot League honors after leading the Mountain Hawks to their first league title and NCAA tournament appearance in 2010. Primarily a defensive midfielder, Basubas impressed at both ends of the field, spearheading a defense which only allowed 21 goals in 20 games, while also netting four goals on the offensive side, including the game-winner against rival Lafayette. Off the field Basubas maintains a 3.33 grade point average as a double major in sociology/social psychology and political science.
A two-time All-Patriot League selection in softball, Colquhoun is currently batting .272 this season, having started 40 games at shortstop for the Mountain Hawks. She ranks among the team leaders with ten extra base hits and is tied for third on the team with 25 runs batted in. Defensively, Colquhoun boasts a .927 fielding percentage. Now a two-time Sports Scholar, Colquhoun is the reigning Patriot League softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and carries a 3.76 GPA as a biochemistry major.
Fernandez is a two-time first team All-Patriot League selection who has been named the league's Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year over the last two seasons. She currently leads the Mountain Hawks with a .359 batting average and 59 hits. She ranks second on the team in doubles, home runs and runs batted in. Fernandez majors in behavioral neuroscience, where she holds a 3.32 GPA.Edochie has been a strong contributor to the Lehigh track and field program. In 2010, he earned first place in the 200 meter dash at the annual Lehigh games. In 2011, he qualified for the semifinals at the Patriot League championships in the 60 meter dash. Edochie also had a solid showing at the Armory Collegiate series this past winter, as he finished in the top half in the 60 meter dash and earned a top eight finish in the 400 meter dash. Edochie carries a 3.47 GPA and is majoring in IDEAS/Industrial Engineering.
Compton has participated in primarily relays, the 60 meter dash and the 400 meter dash this past winter and spring. He was part of a Lehigh 4x400 meter relay team that finished fifth at the Armory Collegeiate Series this past winter. On April 16 of this season, Compton's 4x400 team also took second place at Moravian's Greyhound Invitational. One of his best finishes this season came at the Lafayette Invitational, where he finished in fourth place in the 400 meter dash (51.92). Compton is a Supply Chain Management major and sports a 3.24 GPA in the classroom.
A three-time recipient of this award, Kosgei finished second at the Patriot League Championships and 13th at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals, good enough to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Championships, the first for a Lehigh male athlete under the current 
qualification format. The 2009 Patriot League men's cross country Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Kosgei holds a 3.82 GPA in Lehigh's IBE honors program majoring in computer science and engineering. He is a member of the Academic All-Patriot League team as well as the All-Patriot League and All-Region teams.
qualification format. The 2009 Patriot League men's cross country Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Kosgei holds a 3.82 GPA in Lehigh's IBE honors program majoring in computer science and engineering. He is a member of the Academic All-Patriot League team as well as the All-Patriot League and All-Region teams. Lehigh's backup goaltender, DiNisco appeared in seven games for the Mountain Hawks, making 23 saves and posting a goals-against average of just over ten. DiNisco was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week on April 25 after coming off the bench to make seven saves in Lehigh's April 23 win at Navy. DiNisco majors in global studies where she maintains a 3.30 GPA.
Lareau earned the highest individual finish for Lehigh's swimming and diving teams at the Patriot League Championships, coming in third place in the 100 yard backstroke. His 28 points scored at the Championships ranked him second among Lehigh men. Lareau owns the school record in the 100 yard backstroke and was an All-League selection as a freshman. He owns a 3.20 GPA in the College of Business and Economics.
Simon was the Mountain Hawks' fourth-highest female point scorer at the league championships, contributing nine points to Lehigh's effort. She scored points with individual top-15 finishes in the 100 and 200 yard freestyle events and competed on four Mountain Hawk relay teams. Simon boasts a 3.68 GPA as a finance major.
The Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Award is given to student-athletes of color who exemplify high standards in academics, athletics, and service to the community. The winners must meet the following criteria: have completed one full academic year at their respective institutions, earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher, be an active member of an intercollegiate athletic team, and demonstrated a record of campus or community service.
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