June 20, 2016 Article from GOBLUERAIDERS.COM

FORMER BLUE RAIDER EARNS POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP

NAYARA MORAES HONORED BY C-USA

@MTAthletics

photo of Nayara MoraesIRVING, Texas - Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod named Middle Tennessee's Nayara Moraes as one of the 14 recipients of the Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship Awards today.

Moraes represented the Blue Raiders in women's tennis from 2011-2015 and holds the program record for most singles wins at MT with 91. Her career singles winning percentage of .700 (91-39) puts her at fourth all-time amongst Blue Raiders. In her final season of competition, Moraes had a singles record of 24-3 and winning percentage of .889, giving her the highest win percentage in a single season (minimum of 20 matches). She is also tied for fifth all-time in doubles wins with 69.

The Santos, Brazil, native obtained a degree in business management at Middle Tennessee while becoming a three-time member of the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and earning ITA Scholar Athlete Honors as well as the President's Award at MT. Moraes was a member of the Chi Alpha Honor Society and was named to the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars in 2014. She plans to obtain her MBA from Middle Tennessee.

This is the eighth year the award has been named for Dr. Castañeda, who served Rice University for 46 years as an educator, coach and Faculty Athletics Representative before he passed away in November 2008. The conference annually awards the $4,000 Postgraduate Scholarships to graduates as selected by the C-USA Faculty Athletics Representatives and approved by the Board of Directors.

2016 JIM CASTAÑEDA POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS:

Alexis Betancourt, Softball, Charlotte
Robin Spiegel, Men's Soccer, FIU
Derek Moise, Football, Florida Atlantic
Diamond Every, Women's Track & Field, Louisiana Tech
Jack Hopkins, Men's Soccer, Marshall
Nayara Moraes, Women's Tennis, Middle Tennessee
Kedron Sowells, Men's Track & Field, North Texas
Edwin Logan Teal, Men's Swimming, Old Dominion
Solomiya Zinko, Women's Tennis, Rice
Mary Pursell, Volleyball, Southern Miss
Elaine Simon, Women's Tennis, UAB
Cameasha Turner, Women's Basketball, UTEP
Carly Neal, Women's Soccer, UTSA
Rachel Engle, Volleyball, WKU