Northwestern University Athletics
Abelsky, Mehta Semifinalists for Arthur Ashe Scholar Award
3/2/2016 4:01:00 PM | Women's Soccer, Women's Fencing
EVANSTON, Ill. – Two Northwestern student-athletes were named semifinalists for the 2016 Arthur Ashe Sports Scholars award on Wednesday.
Junior fencer Julia Abelsky and senior soccer player Nandi Mehta are two of 15 female semifinalists for the award. The award was established in 1992 by the magazine Diverse: Issues in Higher Education to "honor undergraduate students of color who exemplify the standards set by tennis great Arthur Ashe Jr." The winners (one male, one female) will be profiled in the magazine's April 21 edition.
To be nominated, students must play an intercollegiate sport, have a cumulative GPA above 3.2 and be active on their campuses or in their communities. Approximately 1,000 male and female student-athletes from across the country were nominated.
Past recipients of the award include: Baylor University's (2011) Robert Griffin III, Heisman Trophy winner and Washington Redskins quarterback; the University of Tennessee's (2003) Kara Lawson, ESPN analyst who played for the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs; San Diego State University's (1993) Marshall Faulk, NFL Hall of Famer; and the University of Kansas' (1996) Jacque Vaughn, former head coach of the NBA's Orlando Magic.
Abelsky fences for the women's sabre team. She was 40-17 in bouts in 2015-16, including a 12-0 finish at the Vassar Duals. Serving the community is nothing new for Abelsky, who was named to Georgia's 20-Under-20 for community service in high school. Abelsky's major is Material Science and Engineering, and she has been profiled for her work on invisibility.
Mehta just completed her final season as a midfielder for Michael Moynihan's squad. She started all 22 games for the 'Cats in 2015. Mehta had one assist and two goals on the year, including a game-winning goal in overtime against Rutgers. In addition to her stellar play on the field, Mehta was also named a Sportsmanship Award honoree. Mehta is an economics and international studies double major, and is pursuing a certificate in managerial analytics.
Junior fencer Julia Abelsky and senior soccer player Nandi Mehta are two of 15 female semifinalists for the award. The award was established in 1992 by the magazine Diverse: Issues in Higher Education to "honor undergraduate students of color who exemplify the standards set by tennis great Arthur Ashe Jr." The winners (one male, one female) will be profiled in the magazine's April 21 edition.
To be nominated, students must play an intercollegiate sport, have a cumulative GPA above 3.2 and be active on their campuses or in their communities. Approximately 1,000 male and female student-athletes from across the country were nominated.
Past recipients of the award include: Baylor University's (2011) Robert Griffin III, Heisman Trophy winner and Washington Redskins quarterback; the University of Tennessee's (2003) Kara Lawson, ESPN analyst who played for the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs; San Diego State University's (1993) Marshall Faulk, NFL Hall of Famer; and the University of Kansas' (1996) Jacque Vaughn, former head coach of the NBA's Orlando Magic.
Abelsky fences for the women's sabre team. She was 40-17 in bouts in 2015-16, including a 12-0 finish at the Vassar Duals. Serving the community is nothing new for Abelsky, who was named to Georgia's 20-Under-20 for community service in high school. Abelsky's major is Material Science and Engineering, and she has been profiled for her work on invisibility.
Mehta just completed her final season as a midfielder for Michael Moynihan's squad. She started all 22 games for the 'Cats in 2015. Mehta had one assist and two goals on the year, including a game-winning goal in overtime against Rutgers. In addition to her stellar play on the field, Mehta was also named a Sportsmanship Award honoree. Mehta is an economics and international studies double major, and is pursuing a certificate in managerial analytics.
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