Ebonie Crawford One of Seven UF Student-Athletes Named Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar
Thursday, July 23, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Ebonie Crawford (Decatur, Ga.) was one of seven University of Florida student-athletes who were named 2009 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars.
Softball player Ami Austin (Ormond Beach, Fla.) and soccer player Megan Kerns (Ames, Iowa) led the way with first-team honors. Pole vaulter Natalie Moser (Tampa, Fla.) and jumper Eugene Martin (Gainesville, Fla.) were named to the second team, while Crawford and volleyball player Kristina Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind.) earned third-team accolades. Mid-distance runner LaMarr Davis (Knightdale, N.C.) rounded out the Gators' honors with honorable mention.
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education established the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards in 1992 to honor undergraduate minority students who excel both academically and athletically. Students must have competed in an intercollegiate sport, maintained a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 and be active on their campus or in their communities.
Austin, a sophomore pinch runner for the Gators, is a nursing major who registered a 4.0 GPA for the fall 2008 semester. She was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in her sophomore season and SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll in her first year at UF. The speedster recorded 13 runs in each of her two seasons as a Gator.
Kerns, who recently finished her playing career at Florida, was named to the All-SEC first-team in 2008 and also was placed on the SEC All-Tournament team. She also earned a spot on the NSCAA Scholar All-America third team. The forward finished holding the No. 8 position on UF's career points chart with 22 goals, 18 assists for 62 points. The exercise physiology major was a four-time selection to the conference's academic honor roll as well.
Martin, a senior sports management major, registered 3.5 cumulative GPA as a Gator. He is a three-time recipient of SEC Academic Honor Roll honors and a one-time conference champion of the indoor high jump (2008).
Moser also tallied a perfect 4.0 GPA for the fall 2008 semester. The health education senior won the 2009 NCAA East Regional pole vault event and was UF's nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year. She earned All-America status in 2007 for her indoor pole vaulting performance and was a member of the league's honor roll for three years.
Crawford recently completed her sophomore year with a 3.57 cumulative GPA. She played in 11 games and totaled three rebounds, one steal and two points. The forward earned SEC Academic Honor Roll status for her work in the classroom and was a member of the league's freshman academic team as well. She is majoring in criminology and once aspired to forensic medical examiner.
Johnson, a redshirt junior middle blocker, is a family, youth and community studies major with a 3.27 GPA. She has been named to the league's honor roll every year of her career. She played in 65 games in 2008, registering 63 kills.
Davis, who is studying communication sciences and disorders, was a 2009 outdoor All-American selection as the second leg of the men's 4x400m relay team, which placed fourth overall. The selection was the third for the sophomore as he tallied All-America status as a freshman in the same event, both indoor and outdoor.
| Florida's 2009 Arthur Ashe Scholars | |||||
| Name | Class | GPA | Major | Sport | Award |
| Ami Austin | Sophomore | 3.86 | Nursing | Softball | 1st Team |
| Ebonie Crawford | Sophomore | 3.57 | Criminology | W. Basketball | 3rd Team |
| LaMarr Davis | Sophomore | 3.28 | Comm. Sci & Dis. | M. Track & Field | H.M. |
| Kristina Johnson | Junior | 3.27 | Family, Youth & Comm. | Volleyball | 3rd Team |
| Megan Kerns | Senior | 3.86 | Exercise Physiology | Soccer | 1st Team |
| Eugene Martin | Senior | 3.50 | Sports Management | M. Track & Field | 2nd Team |
| Natalie Moser | Senior | 3.68 | Health Education | W. Track & Field | 2nd Team |
-UF-
