EDINBURG – University of Texas-Pan American student-athletes Alejandra Gutierrez, Adriana Espinoza, Dawne Hill and Oziel Ortiz were all named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award Winners on Tuesday.

The awards, named for the late tennis player and social activist, focus on minority athletes who succeed in the classroom, as well as on the field of play.  Gutierrez and Espinoza, both members of the UTPA women’s golf team were two of just six women’s golfers in the nation to receive the honor.  Gutierrez has an overall grade point average of 3.4, while majoring in International Business.  Espinoza has a 3.2 overall GPA while majoring in Art.

Ortiz was a first-team selection in baseball.  The sophomore shortstop from Brownsville has a 3.3 GPA in Biology.  Hill, a senior from McAllen was an honorable mention selection for track and field.  Hill has a 3.2 GPA in Social Work.  Hill recently broke the school record for the hammer throw with a toss of 149’ 6”.

“We are honored to have four student-athletes from the University of Texas-Pan American to be named as recipients of this very prestigious honor,” said Athletic Director William Weidner.  “It is indeed an appropriate tribute to their dedication and commitment as true student-athletes.  This recognition also represents further proof of our athletic departments continued effort to strive for excellence in both the athletic and academic arenas.”

Arthur Ashe, during a 1990 national video conference broadcast titled "The Black Athlete: Winners or Losers in Academia," pointed to such people as actor/activist Paul Robeson and Dr. Charles Drew as examples of what the teaming of scholarship with athleticism can achieve.  In that spirit, Black Issues In Higher Education established the Ashe Sports Scholars Awards. This year's male and female athletes of the year - James Greer of Howard University and Christiana Nwofor of Oberlin College - along with the other scholar athletes continue a tradition Black Issues began recognizing in 1993.

“The entire Athletic Department is so very proud of Alejandra, Adriana, Dawne and Oziel,” said UTPA Athletic Academic Coordinator Chris Uchacz.  “The Arthur Ashe Jr. Sport Scholar award is an extremely prestigious honor that is afforded to the most accomplished student-athletes in the United States.  This recognition combined with all of their academic accomplishments are further confirmation of the ability that our student-athletes possess in the classroom and in the athletic arena.  To have four UTPA student-athletes chosen as recipients is truly amazing.”