April 18, 2006
Cullowhee, N.C. - Seven student-athletes from Western Carolina University have been honored as 2006 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sport Scholars as chosen and named by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. Headlining the selections for Western this year are two repeat-honorees in Natasha Moore (women's soccer) and Tiffany Mack (women's track & field), with the duo joined by women's track & field athletes Sharhonda Bell, Asia Davis, and Raquel Ramseur, Travis Hill from football, and Ogden Hansford from the men's track & field team.
Western's seven selections marks the most of any team in the Southern Conference as three schools from the league were represented. Elon was second with two student-athletes honored (softball, track & field), with Georgia Southern (softball) and Davidson (women's basketball), rounding out the SoCon's representation.
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, formerly Black Issues in Higher Education, established the Sports Scholars Award in 1992 to honor undergraduate students of color or minority who have made achieving both academically and athletically a winning combination. The award was inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe Jr.'s commitment to education, as well as his love for the game of tennis. To be eligible, student-athletes must compete in an intercollegiate sport, maintain a cumulative grade point average of a least 3.20 and be active on their campuses and communities.
Moore (Fountain Inn, S.C.), a senior on the 2005 Southern Conference champion Catamount women's soccer team, earned the Sports Scholar mention on the third team for the second-straight season. She concluded her career at Western ranked in the career top 10 in goals (9th, 12), game-winning goals (t-7th, 4), assists (t-9th, 9) and points (9th, 33), and is just one of two Catamounts to ever record a hat trick in a single game. A three-time selection to the Southern Conference's TIAA-CREF Fall All-Academic team, Moore is majoring in communications and boasts a 3.414 grade point average.
Mack (Salisbury, N.C.) was named to the women's track & field first team for the second consecutive season. This season, she currently holds the second-quickest time in the women's 100-meter hurdles, just behind fellow honoree, Davis (Charlotte, N.C.), who additionally holds the SoCon's best time in the 400-meter hurdles, thrice qualifying for the NCAA East Regional this outdoor season. Mack is double-majoring in criminal justice and Spanish, with a minor in business administration and law and holds a 3.823 GPA, while Davis is majoring in finance and accounting with a 3.244 grade point average.
Ramseur (Charlotte, N.C.), who like Davis earned All-SoCon honors during the indoor conference championships back in February, joined her junior teammate on the school-record setting 4x100-meter relay team this outdoor season. As an individual, Ramseur currently leads the SoCon's 400-meter dash performance charts, while also ranking second in the 200-meter dash. In the classroom, Ramseur maintains a 3.275 GPA while majoring in marketing with a minor in sociology. Bell (Charlotte, N.C.), who joined Mack on the first team, leads WCU in the women's hammer throw this outdoor season with a distance of 42.34 meters (138-11) while also holding a 3.708 in Biology. On the men's side of the Catamount track & field team, Hansford (Mooresville, N.C.) competed mostly during the indoor season, running hurdles and middle distance events. He holds a GPA of 3.697 while majoring in entrepreneurship & marketing.
Hill (Rock Hill, S.C.), who was named to the third team, played in eight of the nine games for the Catamount football team a year ago, recording 20 total tackles, including 12 solo stops. He recorded four tackles in a game three times, including at Georgia Southern and in wins at Chattanooga and at home versus Wofford. On the year, he tallied one sack for a six-yard loss, and also recovered a fumble from his linebacker position. Hill holds a grade point average of 3.267 while majoring in business.
Collectively, Bell, Davis, Mack, and Ramseur were all also named to the SoCon's TIAA-CREF Fall All-Academic team representing the WCU women's track team, with Hansford and Hill also earning the honor from the conference for men's track and football.
For more information on Diverse, or a complete listing of the 2006 Arthur Ashe, Jr., Sports Scholar program awards, please visit www.diverseeducation.com.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Natasha Moore (Third Team)
WOMEN'S TRACK and FIELD
Sharhonda Bell (First Team)
Tiffany Mack (First Team)
Asia Davis (Fourth Team)
Raquel Ramseur (Fourth Team)
FOOTBALL
Travis Hill (Third Team)
MEN'S TRACK and FIELD
Ogden Hansford (Second Team)
