- Posted in All University
- Category: AthleticsCampus News
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA – The academic honors keep rolling in for Lincoln University senior Bryanna Brown (New York, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin).
The women's basketball player was named first runner-up to the 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Female Scholar of the Year. She will be honored as one of the Top 20 Arthur Ashe Sports Scholars in the Diverse: Issues in Higher Education special report edition on April 28.
"We are very proud of Bryanna, as she continues to be acknowledged on a National level," said Janice Washington, Lincoln University head women's basketball coach. "As the sole semifinalist that attends an HBCU, Bry has truly represented for "the culture." She has dedicated herself to being great, being grateful and giving back. She is such an active part of our campus community and embraces all the characteristics you want in a student-athlete. Being the first runner up for this prestigious award is an amazing honor for Bryanna."
In addition to their athletic ability, the students named 2022 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars are students of color who have maintained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5, are at least sophomores academically, and have been active on their campuses or in their communities. Of the nearly 1,000 scholar-athletes nominated, one male and one female athlete will be selected as Sports Scholar of the Year.
University of Georgia football player Nakobe Dean, a senior mechanical engineering major and standout with 71 tackles and 13 pressures, was named the Male Scholar Athlete after leading the Bulldogs to the 2021 National Championship. Off the field, he has been involved in numerous community service project.
The Female Scholar Athlete was Sophie Jacques, a senior civil engineering major at The Ohio State University. She led off Division II defensive players nationally with 39 points on 15 goals and 24 assists en route to helping lead the Buckeyes to the NCAA Division I National Championship.
Brown was the only scholar-athlete from an Historical Black College and University (HBCU) and the only one from a NCAA Division II program. The Top 20 features 10 male and 10 females. She continues to make Lincoln history as the first Lincoln University student-athlete to earn Arthur Ashe Jr. honors.
She was also the first Lincoln University student-athlete to be named to the Academic All-American Team, selected by CoSIDA, and the first LU women's basketball player to be named CoSIDA Academic All-District.
She was named the CIAA Player of the Year, CIAA Tournament MVP, and earned second-team All-Region from the Division II Collegiate Commissioners Association.
Brown led the conference with 17.2 points per game while making league-best 2.5 three-pointers per game on a league-high 33.5 percentage. She has led the team in scoring 18 times this season and was a three-time CIAA Player of the Week honoree.
In the conference tournament, en route to leading the Lions to its first-ever CIAA championship, Brown averaged 22 points including a team-best 28 points in the title game.
A finance major with a 3.95 grade point average, Brown earned the CIAA Lowe's Senior CLASS award last season. She is very involved in community service, individually or with her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta. She has participated in the Bethel Gospel Assembly Thanksgiving Food/Clothing Drive, Lincoln University campus cleanups, and the MLK Jr. Community Breakfast.
She has participated in DST winter clothing drives and a voting initiative. She also was inducted into Lincoln's inaugural Chi Alpha Sigma national scholar-athlete society class. Brown is also a two-time Church Mutual 'Protecting the Greater Good' honoree.
