POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Three Marist student-athletes – volleyball's Megan Fergus, swimming & diving's Esabelle Gervasio, and baseball's Skyler Pichardo – were named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars.
 
Fergus was a finalist for Marist's Female Sportsperson of the Year Award. She was named First Team All-MAAC as a senior, and was named MAAC Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-MAAC as a freshman. Fergus ranks in the top in 10 in program history in kills (third), attacks (fourth), and tied the program's single-match record for kills against Fairfield in this year's MAAC Championship semifinals. As a senior, her 450 kills were the second-highest total in program history, and she was named First Team All-MAAC. She was named CoSIDA Academic All-District in 2019, and was a member of Marist's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Fergus was named to the MAAC All-Academic Team three times in her career, is a six-time Marist Dean's List honoree, and also served as a Peer Mentor.
 
Gervasio has been named ECAC Diver of the Meet in all three of her years at Marist, has been named MAAC Diver of the Meet each of the last two years, and was named MAAC Rookie Diver of the Meet as a freshman. In 2020, she placed 17^th in the 1-meter dive at the NCAA Zone Championships. Gervasio is a 10-time MAAC Diver of the Week award winner. She is a four-time Marist Dean's list honoree, and a two-year selection to the MAAC All-Academic Team.
 
Pichardo is a three-time selection to Marist's Dean's List, has been selected to the MAAC All-Academic Team the previous two years, and served as a Peer Mentor. He saw action as both a starting pitcher and reliever over the past four seasons, and totaled six wins and 115 strikeouts in 125 innings pitched. He set a career high with 19 appearances in 2018, and was part of the weekend rotation in 2019 when he set career highs for innings pitched (73.2) and strikeouts (61).
 

About The Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars

Diverse: Issues In Higher Education sponsors the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards to honor students of color who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field. Inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe Jr.'s commitment to education as well as his love for the game of tennis, U.S. colleges and universities are invited to participate in this annual awards program by nominating their outstanding sports scholars. In addition to their athletic ability and academic performance, Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars demonstrate a commitment to community service and student leadership.