IMG Academy Announces 2022 Inaugural Women in Sports Committee Scholarship Class

On Monday, June 27, 2022, 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: 

Alessandra Carranza

ntor: Dany Garcia
Sport: Golf
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV

Tiana Welbon

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

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 

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.