Nine Olivet College student-athletes named Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholars

FAIRFAX, Va. – Nine Olivet College student-athletes were recently recognized by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education as a 2020 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar for their dedication to academics and athletics. Olivet's honorees are Riley Bennett, Griffin Hammond, Liam Kinjorski, Kea Kunz, Karina Marin, Cameron Ramos, Yul Snell, Samantha Torres and Rachel Webb. Hammond, Kunz, Snell and Torres also earned this honor in 2019. To view the complete list of honorees, click here. The honorees were recognized in the May 28 issue of the Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine.

To be considered for the award, minority student-athletes must have a 3.20 or higher cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale, be at least a sophomore, been an active member of an intercollegiate athletic team during the 2019-20 academic year, and demonstrate service to the campus or community.

An insurance and risk management major, Bennett is a first-team pick on the baseball team. During his time at Olivet, he earned three varsity letters. Bennett started all 91 games of his Comet career at shortstop, and some of his career stats were .310 batting average, 53 runs, 102 hits and .437 slugging percentage. He was named to the Dean's List three times, and was a 2017-18 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Academic Honor Roll selection.

A business administration major, Hammond is a second-team selection on the soccer team. He has participated in several community service projects, include Walk for Warmth, volunteered at Grace Episcopal Church during the town's festival to sell egg rolls, assisted with transporting homeless people back to shelters after they spent the night at the church, served as a volunteer youth soccer coach and mentored fellow classmates who struggle with classes and behavioral issues. Hammond has earned Dean's List honors three times and was named to the 2017-18 MIAA Academic Honor Roll. On the soccer field, he is a three-year letter winner and seen action in 28 contests.

A history major, Kinjorski is a first-team choice on the wrestling team. He is a member of The League of Extraordinary Historians and volunteers at various historical societies and in the Olivet College Archives. On the wrestling mat, Kinjorski has a 22-13 record in two seasons. Eighteen of his wins have been pins. He was selection to the 2018-19 MIAA Academic Honor Roll, and is a two-time National Wrestling Coaches Association selection.

A biology major, Kunz is a first-team pick on the swimming & diving team. Her community service projects include the college's semi-annual Service Day and volunteers on campus to take care of the science department's teaching animals. In addition in her home state of Hawaii, Kunz has participated in beach clean-ups, volunteered at local nursing homes to do window cleaning and trash pick-up and made blankets for residents at Kahuku Hospital. In the pool, she competes primarily in the breaststroke events. Kunz holds the ninth-fastest in school history in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:13.78. She is a Dean's List student and two-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll honoree.

An exercise science major, Marin is a second-team selection on the softball team. Her volunteer work has been serving as an instructor at youth softball camps. On campus, Marin is a vice president of Love Your Melon, which spends time raising awareness to pediatric cancer. She is also a part of the President's Leadership Institute and Phi Epsilon Kappa, and serves as a resident advisor. Marin has earned two varsity letters, playing in 36 games with a .289 batting average. She is a three-time Dean's List honoree and was selected to the 2018-19 MIAA Academic Honor Roll.

An exercise science major, Ramos is a first-team choice on the basketball team. His volunteer activities include the Special Olympics and helping with a field day event at Fern Persons Elementary School. Ramos is a member of the Olivet College Global Citizen Honors Program. On the basketball court, he has played in 31 games and scored 40 points over the last two seasons. Ramos has been named to the President's List three times and was a 2018-19 MIAA Academic Honor Roll selection.

A criminal justice major, Snell is a first-team pick on the football team. He has volunteered to read to students at Fern Persons Elementary School, participated in the college's semi-annual Service Day and volunteered at Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit and Alicia Helping Hands. Snell was named the criminal justice department's Outstanding Freshman in 2018, and earned Dean's List honors four times. He has been a part of the football team for the last three seasons and has played in eight games.

A criminal justice major, Torres is a third-team selection on the soccer team. She has volunteered during the college's semi-annual Service Day. She was named to the 2017-18 and 2018-19 MIAA Academic Honor Roll and the college's Dean's List four times. In three seasons on the soccer pitch, Torres has seen action in 44 games, with 28 starts. She has tallied 11 points on three goals and five assists.

An accounting major, Webb is a first-team choice on the golf team. She is a fellow of the Olivet College President's Leadership Institute and certified with Volunteer in Tax Assistance, which is a national program that provides tax services at no cost for qualified individuals. Webb was selected to the Olivet President's List once and the Dean's List twice. On the golf course, she has a 99.0 stroke average over 28 career rounds.