Monroe-Woodbury grad named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar

New Paltz - Sophomore Nick Johnson of the SUNY New Paltz men’s swim team was one of 12 male swimmers selected nationwide as an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar. Johnson, a Monroe-Woodbury graduate from Highland Mills, is the second male swimmer from SUNY New Paltz to receive recognition in program history and the second SUNY New Paltz student-athlete to be named an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar this year. In 1992, Black Issues In Higher Education (now Diverse magazine) established the Sports Scholars Award to honor undergraduate students of color who exemplify the standards set by tennis great Arthur Ashe Jr.: scholarship, athleticism and humanitarianism. To be eligible students must 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. More than 600 students were nominated for the award this year. “This is a great honor,” John said. “It is nice to be selected for something like this; it is really quite a shock. I’m very passionate about everything in my life, whether it is athletics or academics, and it is great to see all the hard work pay off.” According to information from the SUNY New Paltz sports information office, Johnson is a rising student-athlete in the SUNY New Paltz men’s swimming program. In his two years at SUNY New Paltz, Johnson has maintained a 3.4 grade point average, while twice qualifying for the Division I Eastern College Athletic Conference Meet in Pittsburgh. At the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championship Meet in February, Johnson swam to a 14th-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley, a sixth place in the 200-yard breaststroke and a fifth place in the 100-yard breaststroke. In doing so, he achieved the third highest individual point total for the men’s team with 30 points. Out of the pool, Johnson has participated in several service programs, including the SUNYAC Community Leaf Rake, Adopt-A-Family and the Student-Athlete Mentor program. More recently, he was selected to attend the 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association Leadership Conference at Disney’s Yacht Beach Club Resort from May 28 through June 1. His swimming coach, Dan Talleyrand, described Johnson as “an ideal student-athlete. “He loves the sport of swimming and is actively committed to the success of the team in and out of the pool,” Talleyrand said. “He is a genuine person with high standards for right and wrong. The fact that two New Paltz athletes are recipients of this prestigious award this year further exemplifies the advances that athletics at New Paltz have continued to take.”