web Charlotte

June 5, 2009

FAIRFAX, Va. – Every year, Diversity in Education honors student-athletes of ethnic origin and this year the Charlotte 49ers had 16 student-athletes from six sports honored on the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars list.

Charlotte’s women’s track and field team led the way with five selections and the lone finalist in senior sprinter Lamarra Currie. The A-10 Indoor and Outdoor en’s track and field squad also had four honorees. Women’s tennis picked up three nods, while the 49er softball team had a pair of selections. The Niner men’s tennis and women’s basketball teams rounded things out with one honoree a piece.

“We’re very proud of how hard our student-athletes work in the classroom and on the playing field alike,” commented Lisa Hibbs, the Director of the Athletic Academic Center.

Charlotte’s tracksters owned nine of the 16 spots as the Niner track and field squad took home Atlantic 10 team titles on both the men’s and women’s side during both the indoor and outdoor seasons.

Sophomore Darius Law and senior Lamarra Currie picked up first team honors, while sophomores Derrick Eure and Jason Roberts each earned second team nods. On the third team was sophomore Korel Mack while a quartet of sophomores in Ebonie Cunningham, Yvonna Hines, Shanice Jones and Keara Thomas rounded out the track honorees by picking up honorable mention selections.

Law qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 200 and 400 meter dash and set the indoor and outdoor school records in the 400 meter dash en route to indoor Male Track Performer of the Year honors and Indoor and Outdoor Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year hardware. Law boasts a perfect 4.0 GPA and was a first-team CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District selection and is a Pre-Accounting major.

Currie also qualified for the NCAA Championships in two events (100 and 200 meter dash) and has been honored multiple times on the year for her on the track and academic achievements. The Apex, N.C. native picked up Indoor and Outdoor Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors on top of the NCAA Ethnic Minority and Atlantic 10 Postgraduate Scholarships. Currie owns a perfect 4.0 GPA and was a first-team CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District selection. Currie graduated in May with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.

Eure and Roberts also had sensational seasons for the Niners. Eure finished third at the outdoor Atlantic 10 Championships, en route to a bronze medal. Eure was a second-team selection and majors in History.

Roberts was named the Men’s Field Performer of the Year and set the school record in the discus throw. He also picked up A-10 Outdoor Academic All-Conference honors. He picked up second-team honors and is a Business major.

Mack picked up a third-team selection as the Niner hurdler picked up All-Conference honors with his second-place finish in the 110 meter hurdles. Mack picked up a third-team nod and majors in Mechanical Engineering.

Cunningham led off the 49ers 4x400 meter relay squad that took home gold at the A-10 Outdoor championships. She also posted the top 300 meter time of the indoor season at Virginia Tech and was the second-best 400 meter sprinter during the indoor campaign. Cunningham was an honorable mention selection and majors in Exercise Science.

Hines turned in the best 500 meter time of the year during the indoor season while also being one of the team’s top 400 meter dash competitors. She is a History major and was an honorable mention selection.

Jones set the indoor school record in the 600 meter run and posted the team’s top time in the 400 meter hurdles during the outdoor season. Jones is an Exercise Science major and picked up honorable mention honors.

Thomas was an All-Conference performer during the 2008 Cross Country season as the Niner women took home runner-up honors at the 2008 A-10 Cross Country Championships. During the indoor track and field season, Thomas ran the lead leg of the A-10 Championship meet record setting distance medley relay. A native of Haverhill, Mass., Thomas was Charlotte’s top steeplechaser during the outdoor season. Thomas is a Pre-Kinesiology major and picked up honorable mention honors.

“"I'm proud to have so many team members honored with Arthur Ashe awards and to have a finalist so soon after having the national award winner. It shows we are developing well rounded student-athletes that are not only successful on the track, but who also have bright futures as valuable members of their communities beyond graduation,” said head track and field coach Bob Olesen.

Women’s tennis had a trio of honorees in sophomore Gabi Vergara, junior Candace Cunningham and senior Koren Fleming. Charlotte’s women’s tennis squad was one of 57 women's tennis programs to be honored by the NCAA on its APR list. Charlotte finished third at the Atlantic 10 tournament.

Vergara owns the school record for doubles wins in a season with 27, while also chipping in fifteen wins in singles action on the year. Vergara was an honorable mention selection and is a Mechanical Engineering major.

Cunningham completed her junior season with Charlotte with 12 singles and seven doubles victories. She won seven matches for Charlotte in spring match play as well. Cunningham was a second team selection and is an Exercise Science major.

Fleming finished her senior season as the team captain and broke the school record for doubles wins in a season by one pair with 26 victories with Vergara. Fleming was a second-team All-Atlantic 10 performer on the year and finished with 59 career doubles victories, tied for fifth-most in program history. Fleming graduated on May 10 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and was a second team honoree.

“I am extremely proud of these young ladies. They all had a great year on the court and in the classroom. This is a great honor for them,” said head women’s tennis coach Michaela Gorman.

Charlotte’s softball team had a pair of selections in sophomores Kendra McCall and Tenaya Tucker. The duo aided the Niners to a third-place finish at the Atlantic 10 tournament and a 33-16 mark.

McCall saw action in 40 games on the year as the sophomore tallied 12 runs and 16. McCall is an Elementary Education major an picked up a second-team nod.

Tucker picked up All-Region honors following a breakout 2009 season. She drove in 29 runs on the year and recorded 53 hits at the plate and led the Niner squad with 308 putouts from her catcher’s post. Tucker is majoring in Psychology and was also a second-team selection.

“I am incredibly proud of Tenaya and Kendra for making the commitment to succeed in the classroom and on the softball field. Receiving an award such as the Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar is a tremendous compliment to the hard work and effort they make on and off the field,” said head softball coach Aimee DeVos.

Men’s tennis picked up one selection in sophomore Chris Huynh. The Niners finished fifth at the Atlantic 10 tournament in April.

Huynh was the only player to record double-digit singles and doubles wins for the second straight season for the 49ers men’s tennis squad. He also recorded seven wins for Charlotte in singles play at number-six and teamed with senior Brad Clinard for 10 wins at number-two doubles in the spring. Huynh was a third-team selection and is majoring in Pre-Kinesiology.

“Chris has worked hard in the classroom since coming to Charlotte last year and has done a fine job for us on the court as well. We’re proud of him and his accomplishments. He is a very deserving young man of this award,” said head men’s tennis coach Jim Boykin.

Senior Jabrenta Hubbard picked up a second-team selection for the 2009 Atlantic 10 champion women’s basketball squad.

Hubbard, the 49ers back-up point guard, saw action in 20 games last season on the 49ers A-10 Championship team. She scored a season-high seven points with three assists and two steals in the 49ers 91-43 win over Charleston Southern last December. Hubbard, who will attend graduate school this Fall, graduated in May with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology.

“Jabrenta has been a model student-athlete since arriving in Charlotte. I have marveled at her ability to balance basketball and her academics and do them both at such a high level. The greatest compliment typically comes from your peers, and our team continually puts her at the top of their list when they speak of respect among each other,” said head women’s basketball coach Karen Aston.

Annually, the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award is given to a NCAA athlete who best exhibits academic excellence and community activism. To be included, students must compete in an intercollegiate sport, maintain a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.2 and be active on campus or in their communities.