By: Mark Wasik
KENNESAW, Ga. – A total of five Kennesaw State University student-athletes have been chosen as Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine for their outstanding success in academics and athletics this spring. Earning first-team recognition for this year was
Malik Hussie, while
Kourtney Brown,
Michael Benefield,
Devin Barnett and
Quann Shears were all second-team selections.
Hussie, a senior from Newnan, Ga., has posted a 3.77 GPA while majoring in sport management. A member of the Atlantic Sun champion men's track and field team, he won the gold medal in the 200m and 4x400m relay along with a bronze medal in the 400m at this year's conference indoor championship. At the ASUN Outdoor Championships earlier this month, he secured the gold medal in the 4x400m and silver medal in the 400m.
Brown, a redshirt freshman on the Owls' volleyball squad and native of Birmingham, Ala., officially took over as the Owls' starting setter in the sixth game of the ASUN season, and KSU would go 10-3 over the final 13 games with her in the starting lineup. Twice named ASUN Setter of the Week while also picking up Atlantic Sun All-Freshman honors, she averaged 10.6 assists per set. In conference play, that number jumped to 11.2 assists per set, which ranked her second in the league. She is majoring in marketing and has a 3.6 GPA.
Benefield, a junior from St. Pius High School in Atlanta, collected a 3.7 GPA while pursuing his degree in psychology. The running back led the Owls in rushing with 546 yards while finding the end zone six times last season, second-best on the squad. That included a stretch of four-straight 100-yard rushing games, while he scored two touchdowns a game in each of the final three contests. He also caught nine passes for 24 yards.
Barnett, a native of Senioa, is holding a 3.6 GPA while majoring in finance. Another member of the men's track and field team, he was the silver medal at the ASUN Indoor Championships in the heptathlon. He finished third in the decathlon at both the Berry Field Invitational and the ASUN Outdoor Championships.
The final honoree is also from the men's track and field team, as
Quann Shears has posted a 3.66 GPA while working on his graduate certificate in Information Tech Foundations. He recorded five top-5 finishes in the Javelin in six total meets this season. That included a first-place javelin throw at the Jim Green Invitational and a second-place finish at the ASUN Outdoor Championships.
The Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Awards were established to honor minority undergraduate students who best exemplify academic and athletic achievement. To be included, students must compete in an intercollegiate sport, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or more, be at least a sophomore, academically, and be active on their campuses or in their communities.
Inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe, Jr.'s commitment to education as well as his love for the game of tennis, U.S. colleges and universities are invited to participate in this annual awards program by nominating their outstanding sports scholars. In addition to their athletic ability and academic performance, Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars demonstrate a commitment to community service and student leadership.
