PELLA —Central College women's soccer forward Katie Wang (senior, Brooklyn Park, Minn., Park Center HS) and wrestlers Julian Rodriguez (sophomore, 141 pounds, Escondido, Calif.) and Peyton Hammerich (sophomore, 184 pounds, Princeton, Ill.) were included on an impressive national list of student-athletes nominated for their academic and athletic accomplishments announced by the magazine Diverse: Issues in Higher Education Tuesday

The Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards Program is designed to honor undergraduate students 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 award 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.
           
A four-time varsity letterwinner at Central, Wang is a biochemistry and Spanish double major with a 3.98 cumulative GPA. She was the team's Most Hustle Award-winner in 2019 and earned academic all-conference plaudits in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
           
Rodriguez has a 3.96 GPA as a computer science major. In an abbreviated 2021 season, Rodriguez was 1-4 on the mat. He's 6-14 in his career, including a trio of top-five tournament finishes in the 2019-20 season. He was an academic all-conference honoree this season.
           
An exercise science major with a 3.54 GPA, Hammerich was 4-6 in 2021. He has a 17-19 record for his career and was also an academic all-conference recipient in 2021.

The nominations are whittled down to 10 male and 10 female semifinalists. The process then shrinks the field to four finalists before a male and a female nominee are awarded the title of Arthur Ashe Jr., Sports Scholars of the Year.

On the men's side, football quarterback D'Erig King of the University of Miami (Fla.) was the national winner while Cleveland State University basketball player Mariah White was the female winner.