Siena College saw six student-athletes recognized as 2019 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars by Diverse: Issue in Higher Education magazine. Among the Saints honored were women's track and field's Meghan McDonough, softball's Lauren Sabihon, women's golf's Abigail Chai-Onn, and men's tennis's Sagar Bains, Alexandros Giannakitsidis and Guillermo Torres.
Five of the six honorees are receiving the award for the first time in their collegiate careers, while McDonough takes home Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar accolades for the third straight year. Siena boasts six honorees for the second straight academic year, with a record 11 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars taking home awards in 2017 & 2016, while eight did so in 2015 and seven in 2014.
Now in its 27th year, Diverse first established the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Award in 1992 to honor undergraduate students of color who exemplify the standards set by the tennis legend. A scholar and an athlete, Ashe sought to expand opportunities for young people.
Each year, Diverse invites every post secondary institution with intercollegiate athletics in the U.S. to submit nominations for their outstanding sports scholars. In addition to their athletic ability, students named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars must exhibit academic excellence as well as community service. To be eligible to be named an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar, diverse student athletes must have reached at least sophomore standing academically, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or better, and be active both on their campus and in their community. This year, approximately 1,000 student athletes from across the country were nominated.
A native of Northport, New York, McDonough has seen action in 14 events during her 2018-19 season, including five in both cross country and indoor track and four in the ongoing outdoor track campaign. Competing in the 1500 and 3000 mater runs this spring, the senior earned a pair of seventh place finishes, running a 5:21.14 at the Wagner College Invitational on March 23 and a season-best 5:05.08 at the 2019 Bobbi Palma UAlbany Spring Classic on April 18. A two-time member of the MAAC All-Academic Team, McDonough holds a 3.55 cumulative GPA, achieving a 3.78 during the Fall 2018 semester. She is set to graduate this month with a degree in computational physics.
Finishing up her junior season, Sabihon is one of just two softball Saints that have started in every game so far this season. The outfielder ranks third on the squad with a .295 batting average, lading the team in at-bats and stolen bases and sitting second in runs, hits, doubles and home runs. Representing her program for the fifth time in the last six years by receiving the award, she holds a 3.78 cumulative GPA, earning a place in Siena's 4.0 Club for a perfect mark during the Fall 2018 semester. A past member of the MAAC All-Academic Team, MAAC Academic Honor Roll, ECAC Presidential Honor Roll and NFCA All-America Scholar list, Sabihon is pursuing a degree in psychology, and is a member of Siena's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
The first member of Women's Golf to be honored on the list since 2014, Chai-Onn concluded a strong season with a breakout performance at the 2019 MAAC Women's Golf Championship in Lake Buena Vista, Florida last month. The sophomore shot 232 at the 54-hole event to finish tied for sixth place individually, earning her first career All-Championship Team honors. Chai-Onn competed in 10 events on the season, earning three top-10 finishes and compiling an average score of 79.10. A 2019 MAAC All-Academic Team member, the english major holds a 3.72 cumulative GPA, achieving a 3.74 during the Fall 2018 semester.
Helping to mark the first time in athletic department history that three Saints from the same team have been honored at Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars, Bains spent the season playing from the No. 1 singles spot, finishing with a 6-9 overall record and a 2-4 mark in MAAC play. The Chandigarh, India native aided the Saints in coming within one win of advancing to this year's MAAC Championship. Putting forth an 8-6 record when part of a doubles squad. A member of this year's MAAC All-Academic Team, the sophomore holds a 3.78 cumulative GPA in finance, putting forth a 3.94 mark for the Fall 2018 semester.
Competing from the No. 5 spot in singles matches and No. 3 in doubles, Giannakitsidis posted records of 0-1 and 2-3 in each. Competing from the top doubles team along with Bains, the junior advanced to the Draw B singles final and took home the title in the Draw D singles championship at the Hofstra Invitational last fall. A two-time member of the MAAC All-Academic Team, the Boksburg, South Africa native holds a 3.7 cumulative GPA, including a 3.74 mark for the Fall 2018 semester. A finance major and member of SAAC, Giannakitsidis was Siena's male Leo Dufort Student Athlete of the Month for November 2018.
Playing at the No. 2 singles place and in the top doubles team for the Saints this season, Torres went 6-7 and 6-9 in each, tying Bains for the most singles wins on the team. The sophomore proved victorious in three of his final four singles matches of the season, winning four singles bouts in MAAC events throughout the year. A 2019 MAAC All-Academic Team honoree, Torres holds a 3.97 GPA in biology, earning a spot in Siena's 4.0 club with a perfect academic mark for the Fall 2018 semester.
2019 marks the seventh consecutive year that Siena has seen student athletes honored as Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars. Sabihon and Torres were both placed on the First Team for their respective sports, while Bains, Giannakitsidis and Chai-Onn were named to the Second Team and McDonough was put on the Fourth Team.
