2021 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports-Scholar Awards (DiverseEducation.com)
FAIRFAX, Va. – Diverse: Issues in Higher Education announced the 2021 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports-Scholar Awards with George Washington University’s Gabriele Simonti (Sr., Florence, Italy/Giuseppe Peano) and Chris Lee (So., San Diego, Calif./The Bishop’s School) earning recognition. This is the 29th anniversary of the awards that began in 1992.
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education sponsors the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards to honor students of color who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field. 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.
A Psychology major and the 2021 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Men’s Water Polo Sports-Scholar of the Year, Simonti recorded six goals, two assists, eight steals, a pair of ejections drawn and six field blocks during the COVID-19 abbreviated 2020/Winter 2021 season for the Colonials as George Washington reached the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Championship semifinals.
As a junior in 2019 after transferring from Orange Coast Community College, he racked up 40 goals, 19 assists, 41 steals, 11 ejections drawn and 30 field blocks as the Colonials reached the MAWPC Championship title game. He was recognized on the Spring 2019 GW Athletics Academics Dean’s List and claimed Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-Academic Team notice.
At Orange Coast Community College in 2017 and 2018, he posted 38 goals with 21 assists and 53 steals as a sophomore in 2018 to help the Pirates reach the Southern California Regional Finals and a No. 3 state ranking in the final California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) poll. He scored 54 goals and added 29 assists with 50 steals during first collegiate season.
While in high school, he competed on the club Rari Nantes Florentia and helped the squad finishing in third place twice at the Italian National Championship and helped his team land in the top eight five straight years (2012-2016).
An International Affairs major, Lee did not compete during the Winter 2021 season for George Washington. As a freshman in 2019, he recorded 20 goals, 15 assists, 20 steals, 15 ejections drawn and seven field blocks.
Simonti and Lee – who were the only men’s water polo players selected with Riley Agerbeek (San Jose State University), Baily Stubblefield (San Jose State University) and Georgia Vargas (Siena College) earning recognition among women’s competitors – are the sixth and seventh George Washington water polo athletes to garner Ashe accolades. Noah Brown (2018), Isher Gill (2018), Matthew Taylor (2017, 2018), Alastair Berry (2017) and Madeline Goodell (2018) previously earned recognition.
To be included, minority students need 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. Over 1,000 outstanding minority student-athletes were nominated by their respective college or university Sports Information Office to receive Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar honors. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Office of Inclusion partnered with Diverse Education to support the standout class of scholar-athletes.
