Maranda Smith Finalist for 2010 Arthur Ashe Jr. Overall Sports Scholar Award
Tuesday, April 13, 2010 | Gymnastics
Florida redshirt senior gymnast Maranda Smith has been named one of 10 female finalists for the 2010 Arthur Ashe Jr. Overall Sports Scholar Award. Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine, will profile the top sports scholars from around the country in its April 29th issue.
Smith led the 2009 Gator gymnastics team to a fourth-place finish in NCAA Super Six competition. She picked up three All-America honors as a junior (all-around, vault and floor exercise) and turned in her collegiate-best all-around total of 39.45 in 2009 NCAA Championships Session I team qualifying competition. At last weekend's NCAA North Central Regional, Smith tied for first in floor exercise and uneven bars with 9.9's in both events. She also earned 2010 All-Southeastern Conference second team honors after tying for second in the league championships' floor competition.
Smith is majoring in anthropology with a minor in communications studies and is a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, then Black Issues in Higher Education, first established the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Award in 1992 to honor undergraduate students who excel on the field and in the classroom. To be nominated, students have to compete in athletics, maintain a minimum 3.20 grade-point average, and be active in their community or college campus.
The Female Overall Sports Scholar Finalists for 2010
Maranda Smith (University of Florida): Gymnastics
Katrina Gaudier (Drexel University): Softball
Aundeah Kearney (Princeton University): Track/Cross Country
Kirin Mushtaq Khan (Mills College): Crew
Marcia Newby (University of Georgia): Gymnastics
Margaret Antwinette Smith (Dartmouth College): Basketball
Nana Bulaba Sang-Bender (Syracuse University): Track/Cross Country
Windy Santa Cruz (Valparaiso University): Track/Cross Country
Danielle Stallings (Spelman College): Soccer
Breanna Thornton (University of Missouri ): Soccer
Next up, the No. 2 seeded University of Florida gymnastics team will appear in Session II of the NCAA Championships' semifinal competition on Thursday, April 22 at 7 p.m. in Gainesville, Fla.
Tickets for the 2010 NCAA Gymnastics Championships are on sale now
- on-line at GatorZone.com
- at the Gator Ticket Office (located at Gate 1 of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium)
- by mail
