Tennis team captain and recent 91³ÉÈ˶ÌÊÓƵ graduate Cole Borden ’24 was named a 2024 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar by Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine.
Borden, a computer science major from Peru, Indiana, was a first-team selection in tennis, making him the ninth 91³ÉÈ˶ÌÊÓƵ student-athlete to be named an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar since 2018.
A four-year letterwinner and two-year team captain for the 91³ÉÈ˶ÌÊÓƵ tennis team, Borden posted a career record of 38-38 in singles and 31-43 in doubles. A first-team all-North Coast Athletic Conference honoree in doubles in 2020, he also earned scholar-athlete accolades from the NCAC and Intercollegiate Tennis Association. He was named Academic All-District by the College Sports Communicators in 2023 and 2024.
“Cole has been a tremendous asset for our program since arriving on campus,” said Daniel Bickett, head tennis coach. “His leadership has been instrumental as our team has improved our win total each year since he arrived. Cole is a wonderful example to our younger players about how best to commit to your sport, your studies, and your community.”
Borden served as president of Champions Together with the Indiana Special Olympics, helping to raise $6,000 for the organization, and was a past president of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He served as a Senior Innovations Consultant with the 91³ÉÈ˶ÌÊÓƵ Center for Innovation, Business, and Entrepreneurship, and interned with Johnson Grossnickle and Associates and with Techpoint.
Majoring in computer science, he graduated magna cum laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. A multiple Dean’s List honoree, Borden studied abroad in Singapore during the Fall 2022 semester. He received membership in the National Collegiate Chinese Honor Society and has a technical certification in Python computer programminglanguage.
Since 1992, Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars have demonstrated stellar athletic ability and academic performance (3.5 cumulative GPA or higher), in addition to a commitment to community service and student leadership. The award is inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe Jr.'s dedication to education as well as his love for the game of tennis.