Women's Tennis 5/21/2025 11:30:00 AM Chris Brannick

Karyna Yurchenko Wins Prestigious Arthur Ashe Award

Central Oklahoma Junior Student-Athlete Committed To Service Of Others

TEMPE, Ariz. – Central Oklahoma junior Karyna Yurchenko was named the 2024-25 recipient of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's prestigious Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award.

Yurchenko, from Kiev, Ukraine, is a co-captain of the Central Oklahoma tennis team. Yurchenko has been both a leader on and off the courts during her time with the Bronchos. Going 13-7 on the season, Yurchenko and her team won the MIAA Championship to earn their spot in the NCAA Championship. As an individual, Yurchenko went 18-9 in singles play and 17-6 in doubles play this season. Off the court, Yurchenko is a SAAC representative at Central Oklahoma and was named the winner of the Broncho Way Award for her leadership and sportsmanship at UCO.

The Broncho Way is embodied in athletics and academics, but also in service to campus and community – not only here in Edmond but home communities as well. In December of her senior year of high school, Yurchenko found herself fleeing her home as Russian troops invaded her hometown of Kiev. While the journey of her family as refugees in Poland and Germany is itself one of heroism, that's not where it stops for the tennis standout.

At UCO Yurchenko strives to serve not only her community in Edmond – as a student worker and member of multiple organizations on campus – but also her community back in Ukraine. Using the money she makes from her jobs on campus, Yurchenko returns to Ukraine on breaks, organizing and hosting youth tennis tournaments – hoping to help players like herself, whose lives have been impacted by the war, achieve their dreams of studying in America.

Yurchenko also plays Secret Santa for children back in Ukraine, taking up funds through various donations to buy presents for the kids. As well as looking for other ways to help those within her Ukraine community being impacted by the war.

The ITA Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award recognizes outstanding student-athletes in all five divisions (NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and JUCO) at the regional and national level. This prestigious award, which dates back to 1982, is presented to the men's and women's national student-athletes who have exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership, as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements.

Yurchenko is the first recipient of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award for the University of Central Oklahoma.

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Players Mentioned

Karyna Yurchenko: 5' 6"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Karyna Yurchenko
: 5' 6"; Junior