Sanchez Named Arthur Ashe Award Finalist

FAIRFAX, Va. – Eastern Illinois senior track athlete Bridget Sanchez was named one of ten female finalists for the 2012 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award.  The winners will be profiled in the May 24, 2012 edition of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine.  Ten male and ten female finalists were selected from over 600 outstanding minority student-athletes nominated by their respective institutions. 

Sanchez holds a 4.00 GPA in psychology and has been a four-year member of the Panther track and field team competing in sprints.  Sanchez helped EIU win four straight OVC Indoor track and field championships along with three straight OVC Outdoor track and field championships in her career.  She is a multiple time All-OVC award winner and ranks in several career top ten sprint categories.  Earlier this month Sanchez was presented the first EIU Athletic Director's Award at the EIU Scholar/Senior Banquet.  In addition to her success in the classroom and on the track, Sanchez is actively involved in the community.

To be included, students have to compete in an intercollegiate sport; maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2; and be active on their campuses or in their communities.  This year the NCAA partnered with Diverse magazine to present this standout class of scholar athletes and approximately 600 male and female students from across the country were nominated. 

This year's ten female finalists include Sanchez, Catherine Chan, a swimmer at Brooklyn College; Chelsea Garcia, a softball player at Oklahoma State; Karissa Garcia, a soccer player at Pepperdine; Altrese Hawkins, a volleyball player at Memphis; Iman Kennedy, a volleyball player at UMBC; Krista Lopez, a soccer player at Oklahoma State; Jamila McKinnis, a volleyball player at Stillman College; Beth West, a soccer player at Texas A&M; and Miranda Wilson, a track athlete from Miami, Fla.