Three Middle Tennessee student-athletes have received national recognition as 2014 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars finalists by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine.

Ebony Rowe

Jordan Parker

Nayara Moraes

Nayara Moraes, tennis; Jordan Parker, football; and Ebony Rowe, basketball, were the Blue Raiders’ three honorees among a field of 32 total finalists chosen from more than 600 candidates nationwide.

The Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar award recognizes undergraduate student-athletes of color who exhibit academic excellence as well as community service.

To be included, students must compete in an intercollegiate sport, maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2 and be active in service to their campuses and/or in their communities.

All three of MTSU’s student-athletes earned a spot on the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar teams of their respective sports.

Moraes, a junior, holds 65 career wins, which ranks ninth in program history. She has amassed a team-best 22 overall victories this season and is 12-5 in singles action.

As a business administration major, Moraes, a native of Santos, Brazil, boasts a 3.352 GPA.

Parker, a sophomore,, played in 11 games this past season as a running back and led the Blue Raiders with 745 rushing yards. He scored six touchdowns and added 14 receptions to lead all backs.

The Lawrenceville, Ga., native has a 3.745 GPA as an undeclared major.

Rowe, a senior, is a previous Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar honoree and recently was named as a Capital One Academic All-America Second Team member, Conference USA All-Academic, All-Conference and All-Tournament selection.

A native of Lexington, Ky., Rowe was voted the league’s Player of the Year and the C-USA Tournament Most Valuable Player. Rowe is a physics major with a 3.74 GPA.

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine, based in Fairfax, Va., focuses on critical news, information and commentary on the full range of issues concerning diversity in American higher education. It was launched in 1984 as Black Issues in Higher Education, then was renamed and expanded its coverage in 2005 to address the needs of African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, people with disabilities, senior citizens, LGBT and other underrepresented groups in higher education.

The magazine established the Sports Scholars Awards in 1992 to honor undergraduate students of color who exemplify the standards set by tennis great Ashe, a scholar and athlete who sought to expand opportunities for young people.

You can learn more about the magazine at its companion website, http://diverseeducation.com.

— MTSU Athletics (GoBlueRaiders.com)