Raena Eldridge Named Arthur Ashe, Jr. Female Sports Scholar of the Year

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Photo Courtesy: Andy Ringgold/Aringo Photos
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Raena Eldridge of the Texas A&M women’s swimming & diving team was named the Arthur Ashe, Jr. Female Sports Scholar of the Year, announced during a virtual banquet Thursday afternoon by “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education” magazine. Among hundreds of student-athletes nominated, Eldridge was selected for her hard work in the pool, the classroom and in her community.

A scholar and athlete, Arthur Ashe, Jr. sought to expand opportunities for young people. Each year Diverse invites every postsecondary institution in the country to participate in this awards program by nominating their outstanding sports scholars. In addition to their athletic ability, students named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars must exhibit academic excellence as well as community activism.

Raena Eldridge recently graduated from A&M in May with degrees in animal science and genetics, while also earning a business minor. She boasted a 3.979 cumulative GPA through her five years in Aggieland and will begin Vet School at NC State in the fall. Eldridge was A&M’s female nominee for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship, and for the second year in a row, was named the Bill Erwin Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year at A&M’s annual Building Champions Awards. She earned College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Academic All-America honorable mention accolades as a sophomore and garnered first team honors as a junior.

A team captain as a junior and senior, Eldridge was a part of four consecutive SEC Team Championships throughout her career. The Rockwall, Texas, native was a two-time CSCAA All-American and earned All-SEC Second Team honors as a sophomore. Eldridge helped earn big points for the Aggies at SEC Championships as a sophomore, helping the 200 medley relay team reach the podium with a second-place finish, while adding a fifth-place finish with the 200 free relay squad. Individually at SEC Championships, she contributed a pair of top 16 finishes in the 100 back and 50 free that season. Eldridge also swam on winning teams in the 400 free relay and 400 medley relay to help the Aggies win the team title at the 2017 U.S. Open.

Away from the pool and the classroom, Raena Eldridge has served as a Student Technician at the Genetics Research Lab and as a member of the Pre-Vet Society. She was a project leader for the Aggie Research Scholars Program and started SPLASH, a non-profit organization that teaches swimming and swim safety. Eldridge has also contributed her time at Save Our Streets Ministries in Bryan since 2016, mentoring elementary school girls.

As the name denotes, the annual Ashe edition is part of the magazine’s quarter-century legacy of recognizing young, outstanding minority men and women who have distinguished themselves in their academic and athletic pursuits. In addition to their athletic ability, students named 2020 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5, be at least a sophomore academically and be active on their campuses or in their communities.

— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with Texas A&M Swimming and Diving. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.

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Thomas A. Small
Thomas A. Small
3 years ago

Congratulations great job

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