DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle Athletics Department announced the ERAU Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year at the 2020 Virtual Athletic Awards Banquet on Friday evening. Men's basketball player Elijah Jenkins and women's basketball player Nikki Tucker earned the department's highest yearly honor. Jenkins and Tucker were selected from a group of current Embry-Riddle student-athletes who submitted applications and were interviewed by a committee comprised of ERAU students, faculty and staff, and were presented with the Steve & Vicky Ridder Scholarships at the conclusion of the banquet.
 
A commitment to academic achievement, campus and community involvement, personal holistic growth and a drive to excel in sport exemplifies the spirit of Steve and Vicky Ridder and the scholarship that bears their names. Each head coach is asked to submit a nominee that represents the ERAU athletics department ideal package - the student-person-player - and those nominees must then submit an essay describing the ways in which they exude the aforementioned characteristics.
 
Jenkins completed his junior season with the ERAU men's basketball team this season, playing 27 games and starting 26 for the Blue and Gold. The Atlanta, Georgia native shot 45.1 percent from the field, averaging 13.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He also grabbed 23 steals on the season. 
 
Jenkins boasts a 3.97 GPA with a major in Mechanical Engineering and minors in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics. A three-time Sunshine State Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient, Jenkins was also named a 2018-19 ERAU Athletics Eagles of Excellence Scholarship winner and became just the second CoSIDA Academic All-American selection in program history this season when he was named to the third team. He has also been named to the Dean's List of the College of Engineering in every semester at Embry-Riddle, and in 2018-19, Jenkins was named to the NABC Honors Court.
 
Last year, Jenkins won the Kyle Mas Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for men's basketball and was able to secure an internship with Carrier in their commercial refrigeration department. This summer, Jenkins accepted an internship with Boeing as an Environmental Control Systems intern. He was named team captain as a sophomore last season, which led to his organizing numerous community engagement opportunities for the team, including volunteering with the Special Olympics and at local basketball camps. Jenkins also helped initiate the Eagle Study Connection, a service to help student-athletes receive help with academics, including one-on-one tutoring with study mentors. In each of his first two years he spoke to over 1,300 elementary school students and fans at ERAU's annual "Food Brings Hope" night, and he is scheduled to speak at this year's Blue and Gold Gala.
 
"Since his very first day on campus, Elijah Jenkins has been as impressive as any student-athlete that we have ever had in our men's basketball program," ERAU Head Men's Basketball Coach Steve Ridder said. "He has been an outstanding basketball player, but more importantly, he has established himself as an impact leader by example, earning the trust and respect of his teammates, coaches, and all who know him. Elijah is a special human being who has been blessed with amazing gifts that he continually shares and utilizes to help others. The greatest gift one can give is the gift of their time to serve others and Elijah shares his time infinitely – as a tutor, friend, mentor, teammate, brother, and son. He is the perfect ambassador for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University."
 
Tucker just completed her junior season as a member of the ERAU women's basketball team. The Marshall, Michigan native started all 27 games for the Blue and Gold, leading the time in minutes played at 33.4 per game. She also led the team in rebounding (7.1 rpg), ranked second in scoring (13.8 ppg) and assists (2.7 apg), and picked up 28 steals.
 
Tucker boasts a 4.0 GPA in Aerospace Physiology and was named to the SSC Commisioner's Honor Roll each of the past two seasons. She is also a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and was an ERAU Athletics Eagles of Excellence Scholarship award winner in 2018-19. Recently, Tucker was recognized by the Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurology as the recipient of the Aerospace Physiology Outstanding Academic Achievement Award.
 
While at Embry-Riddle, Tucker has made her impact felt in the community in a number of ways, including working with the Special Olympics and serving as a member of the Autism Advocacy Network. She has also taken the time to volunteer at local elementary schools as well as schools in Costa Rica during a team trip.
 
"Nikki is a well-rounded student who has a high level of time management skills," ERAU Head Women's Basketball Coach Lisa Wilson said. "She has to, because she is majoring in Aerospace Physiology with a pre-med track and plans to continue her education by pursuing a degree as a Physician's Assistant after graduating. Between maintaining a 4.0 GPA and doing her clinical rotations at local hospitals, Nikki is also a Study Mentor with the Eagle Study Connection, all while becoming the fastest player to reach 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in program history. Besides being a stellar academic student and a 'do-it-all' player on the court, Nikki has made an irreplaceable impact on our program as a person. She is extremely responsible and handles everything that is thrown at her. Her leadership, work ethic, and commitment have been at such a high level and she is truly a special young woman. I cannot say enough about Nikki Tucker and the impact she has made on our program, the campus, and this community. She is the 'Total Package' and a true role model for excellence."