Senior defender Julian Beban of the Holy Cross men’s soccer team was named one of ten finalists for the 2026 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year, according to an announcement on Apr. 20.
The award, presented by the EDU Ledger, recognizes minority student-athletes who excel in academics, athletics, and community service. To be eligible for nomination, students must compete in an intercollegiate sport, maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50, be at least a sophomore academically, and participate actively on campus or in their communities.
“Being named a finalist is a great achievement because it highlights all that student-athletes have to offer around their campuses – not solely on the field, but also in the classroom and in their community,” Beban said. “My experience at Holy Cross has been defined by much more than my career on the soccer field, and I’m proud to have the opportunity for this kind of recognition. This recognition also doesn’t exist in a vacuum and wouldn’t exist without my teammates, namely Jeb Snead, who introduced me to the Uplifting Athletes organization that allowed our team to have a meaningful impact in our community.”
Beban played an important role as part of Holy Cross’s defense over four years and served as team captain during his senior year. He appeared in all 18 games with 15 starts last season and ranked fifth on his team with 1,252 minutes played. Throughout his collegiate career he played in 64 games with 53 starts totaling over 4,600 minutes.
Academically, Beban holds a cumulative GPA of 3.73 as a mathematics major and has received multiple honors including Academic All-Patriot League distinction as well as selection to both Academic All-District twice and Patriot League Academic Honor Roll four times.
Beyond athletics and academics, Beban represented Holy Cross at leadership conferences such as Uplifting Athletes Leadership Development Conference and volunteered with several organizations including Life for Life and Team Impact. For his service work he was named to the Allstate NACDA Good Works Team last year.
“Julian’s recognition as a finalist for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year award reflects the standards he maintains,” head coach Matt Brown said. “As a Mathematics major, he has demonstrated the discipline necessary to manage a rigorous academic load alongside his athletic commitments. These qualities will serve him well in his future professional endeavors.”
Other finalists include student-athletes from institutions such as North Carolina Central University (Rodrigo Alves), Wooster (Nick Bostic), Voorhees (Omari Bryson), St John’s (Chukwuebuka Ejiofor), Purdue (Quintin Lowe), St Thomas Aquinas (Henry Ronnberg), North Carolina State (Isaiah Shirley) and Georgia Tech (Hiroshi Tai).
