Two Fredonia senior student-athletes have been selected as 2017 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars.
Diverse: Issues in High Education chose to honor Khee Nance (Dunkirk/Dunkirk) and Alexis Cheatham (Lockport/Lockport) for their athletic and academic achievement during their collegiate careers.
Each was chosen to the Fourth Team in the sports in which they were nominated -- Nance in softball and Cheatham in women's basketball. Nance, who also played basketball, had a 3.23 grade-point average last fall and a 3.26 overall GPA while majoring in Psychology. Cheatham had a 3.54 last fall to raise her overall GPA to 3.34 while majoring in Accounting and Finance.
Nance will continue her studies in the fall at Ithaca College, where she will be working on a masters in Sports and Exercise Science with a concentration in Sports Psychology. Cheatham plans to work for an accounting firm while she prepares to take the Certified Public Accountant exam.
"I am very humbled and honored to receive this award," Nance said. "It means a great deal in terms of my academic and athletic achievement. This award proves that my hard work and dedication to academics and two sports doesn't go unnoticed and to be seen along with thousands of other athletes around the country is pretty remarkable. Also I know how hard my teammate works as well so it meant a lot for us to be honored together receiving this award."
"The award means a lot," Cheatham said, "(and) to be chosen along with my teammate, out of all the athletes around the country, is special."
This is the 25th year Diverse has sponsored the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards as a way of honoring undergraduate students who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field. Inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe, Jr.'s commitment to education as well as his love for the game of tennis, U.S. colleges and universities are invited to participate in this annual awards program by nominating their outstanding sports scholars.
In addition to their athletic ability and academic performance, Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars demonstrate a commitment to community service and student leadership.
