IMG Academy Announces 2022 Inaugural Women in Sports Committee Scholarship Class

Committee to also grant NCSA All in Awards to female student-athletes seeking to play at the college level

BRADENTON, Fla., June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, IMG Academy, a leading academic and athletic development institution, announced the six recipients of its inaugural Women in Sports Committee scholarship program.

Formed in 2022, the IMG Academy Women in Sports Committee was established to develop programs and initiatives for improving accessibility and participation of young women in sports. Committee members include Cari Champion, Dany Garcia, Lindsay Davenport, Lindsey Vonn, Michele Tafoya, and Robin Roberts.

This year, IMG Academy and the Committee identified scholarship candidates across a number of sports who met certain IMG Academy and Committee criteria. Committee members then narrowed the list of submissions to six finalists and each selected a student-athlete to honor with a full scholarship. Scholarships will begin Fall 2022 and continue through the individual's high school graduation at IMG Academy.

"We are honored to welcome this inaugural class of scholarship recipients alongside our Women in Sports Committee members," remarked Brent Richard, President, IMG Academy. "After a long and thorough process, we've selected six incredible young women, and we look forward to being a part of their high school journey."

The six recipients of the 2022 Women in Sports Committee Scholarship are:

IMG Academy Class of 2027

Alessandra Carranza
Mentor: Dany Garcia
Sport: Golf
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV

Tiana Welbon
Mentor: Cari Champion
Sport: Track and Field
Hometown: Germantown, MD

IMG Academy Class of 2025

Azariah Smith
Mentor: Robin Roberts
Sport: Basketball
Hometown: Nassau, Bahamas

Olivia Doyen
Mentor: Lindsey Vonn
Sport: Lacrosse
Hometown: Prior Lake, MN

Sophia Cedeno
Mentor: Michele Tafoya
Sport: Tennis
Hometown: Lakeland, FL

IMG Academy Class of 2024

Sienna Dauer
Mentor: Lindsay Davenport
Sport: Basketball
Hometown: Fairview, PA

Additionally, the Women in Sports Committee will grant All in Awards from IMG Academy's leading college recruiting services provider, Next College Student Athlete (NCSA), to female student-athletes seeking to play at the college level. Each All In Award recipient receives NCSA's most comprehensive recruiting membership at no cost, providing highly-personalized support and guidance to ensure they successfully navigate the college recruiting process and find a college that is the right fit for them. 

"At NCSA, we see the positive impact of sports on young women every day as we guide the next generation of female student- athletes on their path to college," said NCSA President Lisa Strasman. "The Women in Sports Committee All in Award allows us to help even more female student-athletes find the right college fit, continue to play the sport they love, and earn a meaningful degree."

Last year, NCSA granted more than 3,000 All in Awards worth over $10M to deserving student-athletes. Currently, about 1/3 of All In Award recipients are female; NCSA has committed to increasing that number by 25% by the end of 2023.

About IMG Academy
IMG Academy is one of the world's leading multi-sport training and educational institutions. IMG Academy helps countless youth, adult, collegiate and professional athletes reach their full potential in and out of sport by providing world-class teaching and coaching, tailored programs and professional facilities. IMG Academy also serves as a training and competition venue for amateur and professional teams, a host site for a variety of events, and a hub for sports performance research and innovation.

Beyond its campus in Bradenton, Florida, IMG Academy+ provides online mental and nutritional performance coaching and education for student-athletes around the world.

Additionally, IMG Academy's leading college recruiting services provider, Next College Student Athlete (NCSA), is the world's largest and most successful collegiate athletic recruiting network. NCSA leverages proprietary technology and data with professional expertise and personal relationships to connect tens of thousands of college-bound student-athletes to more than 35,000 college coaches nationwide across 37 sports each year.

For more: www.imgacademy.com | www.imgacademy.com/plus  | www.ncsasports.org

CONTACT: Lauren Pulte, 248-885-2607, [email protected]

SOURCE Next College Student Athlete (NCSA)