MERCED, Calif. - Sprinter Clarisel Lopez Obeso of the University of California, Merced women's track team was named one of ten female finalists for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year award, as announced by the EDU Ledger. There are also ten male finalists.

In addition to their athletic ability, those named 2026 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars have maintained at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average, are at least sophomores academically, and participate in community service. With over 900 scholar-athletes nominated, one male and one female athlete will be selected as Sports Scholar of the Year.

Lopez Obeso is the only NCAA Division II women's finalist and the only finalist overall on the West Coast. She joins female finalists from Cincinnati, Auburn, BYU, Arkansas Pine Bluff, Hobart and Williams Smith Colleges, Morgan State, and Johns Hopkins.

The Lemoore, Calif., native is UC Merced's all-time record-holder in the 100m dash, 200m dash, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay, and the long jump. She set all of her program-records in the 2024 and 2025 California Pacific Conference Championships and won gold medals in all five of her individual events over the two-year stretch. She was also named Cal Pac Female Athlete of the Year in 2025 and set the championship record in the 100m dash with a time of 12.12 seconds. Lopez Obeso is set to make her debut in the CCAA Championships April 30-May 2.

Earlier this year, Lopez Obeso earned a second place finish in the long jump at the Wildcat Invitational and placed tenth in the 200m dash at the Kim Duyst Invitational.

Academically, Lopez Obeso has maintained a 3.95 GPA and recently earned UC Merced's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. The award was given to Lopez Obeso as she holds the highest GPA among all of UC Merced's graduating student-athletes. She will be graduating this May with a bachelor's degree in public health, completing her degree in just three years.

The 2X Chancellor's List member was also a 2025 CSC Academic All-District Team selection and an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar. She earned a 4.0 GPA in the fall.

Lopez Obeso is dedicated to her community as well. Here in Merced, the soon to be graduate attends park clean-ups and participates in the Merced Christmas Parade. Back in Lemoore, Lopez Obeso volunteers at nursing homes to polish the elderly's nails and volunteers at her local church to help with food distribution and cleaning. She also makes an effort to continuously donate food, clothes, and hygiene products, and finds joy in writing letters to those in hospitals with the hope of bringing positivity and hope to their journeys.

The EDU Ledger will release its annual Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars special report edition on June 4, 2026. The edition is part of our decades-long tradition of recognizing outstanding young men and women who have distinguished themselves in their academic, athletic, and civic pursuits.

The Top 10 women (in alphabetical order) are: 

• Winnie Chiang, University of Cincinnati, Golf
• Joleigh Crye, University of Cincinnati, Swimming & Diving 
• Caroline Fredenburg, Auburn University, Equestrian
• Juliette Laracuente-Huebner, University of Cincinnati, Track/Cross Country
• Clarisel Lopez Obeso, University of California, Merced, Track/Cross Country
• Hailey Morrow, Brigham Young University, Softball
• Makaila Riedel, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Soccer
• Jada Smith-Padmore, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Squash
• Tyrah Weems, Morgan State University, Volleyball
• Alice Yu, Johns Hopkins, Volleyball

Last year's overall winners were Jaida Ross from the University of Oregon and Jayo Adegboyo from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Other past Arthur Ashe Scholars have included the University of Wisconsin's Russell Wilson (2011), the University of Tennessee's Kara Lawson (2003), San Diego State University's Marshall Faulk (1993), and Stanford University's Simone Manuel (2017), to name a few who have gone on to achieve great success.

Lopez Obeso is the third finalist in UC Merced history along with women's water polo's Jacqueline Azevedo in 2024 and men's basketball's Cameron Brown in 2025.