LaTanya Harris

UNC Asheville senior LaTanya Harris recently proved that athletic ability and academic prowess are truly a winning combination. The track-and-field sprinter was named to Diverse magazine’s Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars 2006 Track Team, which honors undergraduate minority students who excel on and off the athletic field. More than 600 students were nominated for the highly competitive award, which was inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe’s commitment to education and sportsmanship.

“This accomplishment allows me to realize that I can be successful both on the track and in the classroom, as well as with any other activity I may take on,” said Harris.

Harris, a psychology major from Loxahatchee, Fla., will attend North Carolina Central University School of Law this coming fall. She made the Big South Presidential Honor Roll for three years and been part of two Big South All-Academic teams for track and field. As vice president of UNC Asheville’s chapter of Psi Chi, a national psychology honor society, Harris spearheaded efforts to raise over $1,000 for Hurricane Katrina victims. She also serves on UNC Asheville’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee and Black Student Association.

As one of the best sprinters in UNC Asheville’s history, Harris is the first UNC Asheville women’s track-and-field athlete to advance to a National Collegiate Athletic Association regional meet. She recently qualified for the NCAA Regional Track and Field Championship in May. Coached by Dean Duncan, she has won two Big South 400-meter dashes and finished second in the Big South’s 2005 Indoor Meet 200-meter dash and the Outdoor Meet 400-meter dash.

“It takes a lot of discipline and perseverance to do what Tanya has done,” said Janet Cone, UNC Asheville athletics director. “She proves that it is possible to get a great education, compete at a high level and still have a life in the community. We often talk to athletes about excelling in three areas-- on the track, in the classroom and throughout the community. Tanya is by far a winner in all of these.”