OXFORD, Ohio — Camber Hayes, a junior soccer midfielder and defender, has been named the female 2023 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year. 

What You Need To Know

  •  Camber Hayes, who is from Maryland, is the first in Miami University and MAC history to receive the award

  •  The award recognizes minority students who are high-achieving in both academics and athletics

  •  Each year, there are nearly 1,000 student-athletes nominated, but only one male and one female are selected as Sports Scholar of the Year

  • Hayes is a two-year captain on the soccer team majoring in biology and pre-med with a 4.0 GPA

Hayes, who is from Maryland, is the first student-athlete in Miami University and Mid-American Conference (MAC) history to receive this distinction. 

The award is a decades-long tradition of recognizing minority students who have distinguished themselves in both academics and athletics.

In addition to athletic ability, Scholars are students of color who have maintained at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA, are at least sophomores and have been active on campus or in their community. 

Each year, there are nearly 1,000 athletes nominated, but only one male and one female are selected as Sports Scholar of the Year.

Hayes joins an elite list of Scholars that includes Robert Griffin III, who played football for Baylor University and won the award in 2011, and 2017 winner Simone Manuel, who went to Stanford University and is a four-time Olympic medalist. 

Athletically, she has been a part of the All-MAC selection three times, earning second-team recognition in 2020 and 2021, and first-team honors in 2022. She is a two-year captain on the team, and helped the RedHawks finish in the top four of their conference for the first time in nine years.

Academically, Hayes is a double-major in biology and pre-medical studies, and holds a 4.0 GPA. She was named in the Academic All-MAC selection in 2021 and 2022. She has also been named to Miami University’s President’s List, which denotes the top 3% of students, for five-straight semesters, along with other academic achievements.

On campus, she is a part of the Miami Scholars Program, the Miami Bridges Program as a volunteer mentor to high-school students from underrepresented populations, the Louis Stoke Alliance for Minority Participation organization that works to high-achieving, underrepresented minority student requirement in STEM undergraduate degrees, graduate school and careers, and she is a leader in the Athletes in Action program. She has also volunteered nearly 300 hours with many charitable organizations.