ARISTEGUIETA RECIPIENT OF ARTHUR ASHE JR SPORTS SCHOLAR AWARD

6/3/2009

TAMPA – University of South Florida men’s soccer player, Francisco Aristeguieta was named an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Award honoree on Monday afternoon.


Aristeguieta was the only male athlete in Florida to receive the award.



“Francisco has been a vital part of the USF soccer program,” said USF head coach George Kiefer. “He’s set a standard not only on the field, but off the field with his hard work and dedication to everything he does.”



Aristeguieta, the only USF recipient, earned a Fall and Spring GPA of 4.0 and has an overall GPA of 3.92.



“I am very glad,” said Aristeguieta. “I owe Justin Miller and my coaching staff a lot of credit, who help me day by day and guide me to do my best.



The rising senior from Caracas, Venezuela native has been a team captain for two years and played in all 23 games in 2008. A midfielder who finished the season with two goals against No. 11 Notre Dame (2-1) in the BIG EAST Semifinals, assisted the Bulls to their first BIG EAST Tournament Championship and helping the Bulls’ to an appearance in the Elite Eight. He was named to BIG EAST All-Tournament Team and the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 3 team.



“Francisco is a great student-athlete,” said Justin Miller, Assistant Athletic Director of Academics and Student-Athlete Development. “He is a plenary example of what it means to be a member of the USF men’s soccer team. It has been very rewarding to see him develop at USF and I expect great things from him in the future.”



The May 28 edition of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education featured the recipients of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Awards.



Diverse: Issues In Higher Education established the Sports Scholars Awards to honor undergraduate students of color, who have made achieving both academically and athletically a winning combination.