FAIRFAX, VA - Siena Athletics carried a strong presence with 17 student athletes honored as 2024 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine, with athletes from nine different athletic teams honored.
 
After recording a school record 23 student athletes honored in 2023, the department saw double-digit athletes honored for the third straight year. Now in its 32nd 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 3.50 or better, and be active both on their campus and in their community. This year, over 1,000 student athletes from across the country were nominated.
 
The department boasted a Sport Winner for the third straight year and the sixth time overall, with senior Laura Bonomo named the Sport Winner for Women's Lacrosse as part of her second Arthur She Jr. sport Scholar recognition. Siena also featured its first men's basketball honorees since 2009 in sophomore Killian Gribben and Steven Lazar, as well as a pair of three-time honorees in women's tennis senior Shelby Madeiros and women's soccer senior Melina Ortiz.
 
The full list of Siena's 2024 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar honorees is as follows:
 

• Manoela Barcellos, Jr. Women's Golf - 1st Team (2nd selection) – Applied Mathematics, 3.92 GPA
• Laura Bonomo, Sr. Women's Lacrosse - Sport Winner - 1st Team (2nd selection) – Marketing, 3.95 GPA
• Jade Gautier, Sr. Women's Tennis - 1st Team (2nd selection) – Marketing, 3.93 GPA
• Laia Giralt, Jr. Women's Tennis - 1st Team (2nd selection) – Data Science, 3.98 GPA
• Killian Gribben, So. Men's Basketball - 2nd Team (1st selection) – Actuarial Science, 3.75 GPA
• Bianca Kennerley, So. Water Polo - 1st Team (1st selection) – Political Science, 3.61 GPA
• Steven Lazar, Sr. Men's Basketball - 1st Team (1st selection) – Biology, 3.89 GPA
• Shelby Madeiros, Sr. Women's Tennis - 2nd Team (3rd selection) – Psychology, 3.79 GPA
• Melina Ortiz, Sr. Women's Soccer - 1st Team (3rd selection) – Political Science, 3.98 GPA
• Miguel Plaza, So. Men's Soccer - 2nd Team (1st selection) – Marketing, 3.69 GPA
• Olga Sawinska, Jr. Volleyball - 2nd Team (1st selection) – Biology, 3.52 GPA
• Jesper Schone Vogtengen, Jr. Men's Soccer - 2nd Team (2nd selection) – Business, 3.52 GPA
• Iona Snape, So. Women's Soccer - 3rd Team (1st selection) – Mathematics, 4.0 GPA
• Alexa Wilson, Sr. Women's Tennis - 1st Team (1st selection) – Political Science, 3.98 GPA
• Henrik Winkelmann, Jr. Men's Soccer - 2nd Team (1st selection) – Business Analytics, 3.98 GPA
• Niko Zagar, Jr. Men's Soccer - 1st Team (1st selection) – Health Science, 3.86 GPA
• Nikola Zdenkova, R-Fr. Women's Basketball - 2nd team (1st selection) – Business, 3.5 GPA

 
 A total of 128 Siena student athletes have now been honored as Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars since 2007.