For the fourth year, black Issues In Higher Education is proud to present our Arthur Ashe Jr. Athlete of the Year to two outstanding students.

All of the students on the following pages were nominated by their colleges as outstanding scholar athletes. To be included, students need to compete in an intercollegiate sport; maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2; and be active on their campuses or in their communities.

After graduating from a small west Texas high school, Natasha W. Taylor had few doubts about her ability to succeed as a student-athlete in college. Her skills as a basketball player had won her an athletic scholarship to West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) in Canyon, Texas and her prowess in the classroom had earned her the seventh-place academic ranking in a class of seventy at Childress High School in Childress, Texas.

Though Taylor recognized that she would have to improve her ballhandling skills and develop a tougher mental approach to her game, she strongly believed that her academic skills and self-discipline would prove more than sufficient for success in the college classroom at WTAMU. "I am motivated to achieve. I've always set out to do well in school," Taylor said.

Named as one of two Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars for 1996-97, Taylor has fulfilled the promise she showed as a student at Childress High School. A graduating senior who has majored in Kinesiology, Taylor compiled a 3,605 cumulative grade point average by the beginning of the current semester. After four seasons on the school's nationally-ranked Lady Buff basketball team, Taylor became the team's second al-time scoring leader with 1,877 points.

"She's a wonderful person and a great athlete. Natasha's as fine a representative of this institution as anyone," said Ed Harris, athletic director at WTAMU. Twenty-two year-old Taylor has established an impressive legacy as a scholar-athlete. She was named to the 1996-97 Division II Kodak Women's All-America Basketball First Team and to the GTE/College Sports Information Directors Academic All-America Third Team. Taylor has made both WTAMU's President's list and Dean's List for academic achievement.

Dr. Bruce Brasington, associate professor of history at WTAMU, said Taylor displayed an exceptional level of commitment to her studies in a Western Civilization course he taught. "She stands out in a class. Natasha's easily the best student-athlete I've taught," said Dr. Brasington, a ten-year college teaching veteran.

Taylor said it was easy to stay motivated academically partly because her teammates have all prided themselves in excelling in the classroom. The nine members of the Lady Buff team had an overall 3.0 grade point average during the 1996 fall semester, according to Bill Kauffman, WTAMU sports information director. "We seem to have a competitive spirit among us that pushes us to do well in the classroom," Taylor said.

Taylor's commitment to her studies and basketball is matched by a devotion to community service. She has served in the Texas Panhandle Mentor Program and she volunteers as a Campfire Girls leader and a reading tutor in Canyon's public elementary schools. In addition to basketball and studying, Taylor has stayed busy raising her young son, DeVaun McNeely. Taylor's mother, Ella Mae Taylor, moved form Childress, a two-and-a-half hour drive form WTAMU, to Canyon to help her daughter raise her grandson, according to Natasha Taylor. Taylor has a younger sister and a younger brother.

As for the future, Taylor said she plans to work at least a year in the physical therapy field before enrolling in a physical theraphy master's degree program.--Ronald Roach They are students the entire nation can be proud of. The two winners of the 1997 Arthur Ashe Jr. Athlete of the Year, Natasha Taylor and Kelvin Saulsberry have met even higher standards. Natasha has maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.6 and Kelvin a 3.9 white competing at very high levels and contributing to their communities. Black Issues In Higher Education salutes Natasha and Kelvin -- and all the scholar athletes on these pages.

For the first time in ten years, the Rust College men's basketball team, the Bearcats, qualified for the Division III national championship tournament. Though the Bearcats lost in the first round of tournament play, the team ended their season with a gratifying 17-8 record.

While Rust College officials cite the on-court leadership of the team's most valuable player Kelvin Saulsberry as an important factor in the Bearcat's return to the division III national tournament, they are equally proud of his leadership in the classroom. Saulsberry, the Bearcat's leading scorer and rebounder this past season, has turned in a top-notch academic performance during his three years as a student at Rust. By the end of the 1996 fall semester, Saulsberry, a business marketing major, had a cumulative grade point average of 3.901.

He's done a super job both on the court and off," said Rodney Stennis, head coach of the men's basketball team. Saulsberry, a senior, is one of two arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars chosen by Black Issues in Highes Education for the 1996-97 academic year. Saulsberry has attended Rust College, which has roughly 870 students, on an academic scholarship. Saulsberry says Rust College, which is based in Holly Springs, Mississippi, has provided an ideal academic and social environment for him over the past few years. The native of Byhalia, mississippi, says he chose to attend Rust College because it was close to his hometown and was a small nurturing school. "I liked it because it's a place where you know everyone and you get a a lot of encouragement form the teachers and administrators," Saulsberry said.

While Division III schools provide no athletic scholarships for student-athletes, Coach Stennis said he had recruited Saulsberry when the young scholar was a high school student in nearby Byhalia. "I saw that he had a lot of potential to grow and develop as a player. In my program, I look for the kids who are doing well in school because they're the ones you can shape and provide guidance to," Coach Stennis said.

Saulsberry went on to become valedictoria of his high school class of seventy and secure an academic scholarship to Rust. "My parents had always stressed that I get an education. They told me that is was the key to a better life," Saulsberry said. Joyce Mayfield, assistant professor of management and accounting at Rust, said Saulsberry did well enough in her introductory accounting courses to later serve as an accounting tutor to younger students taking the introductory courses. "He has excelled in the classroom. He's very disciplined. The other students respect him, and they go to him to get help," Mayfield said.

Saulsberry said he has enjoyed the opportunity to play basketball for Rust. "The experience was great for the discipline I got from competing at the college level," he said. He says he is applying to graduate programs in business. Saulsberry wants to eventually launch a computer-related business in his hometown. "I want to see my community do well." Saulsberry said.

COPYRIGHT 1997 Cox, Matthews & Associates