Manoach Lamarre '09
Springfield, Ohio — In recognition of his academic and athletic accomplishments at Wittenberg University, Manoach Lamarre, class of 2009 from Miami, Fla., has been named a 2007 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar by Black Issues in Higher Education.
The magazine named one male scholar-athlete of the year and one female scholar-athlete of the year in its April 5, 2007 issue. Lamarre, better known by his nickname Manny, was considered for the male award before being named to the second team in track and field. He is the second Wittenberg student-athlete to garner such recognition, following in the footsteps of 2002 NCAA Division III 110-meter hurdles champion Skip Ivery.
"There are lots of students that stand out at Wittenberg. However, Manny is one of those guys whom you meet once, and you never forget," said Forest Wortham, Wittenberg's director of multicultural programs and the WAGE Womyn's Center, who nominated Lamarre for the award. "He's focused, energetic and driven. While he enjoys sports, it's very clear that his education is the primary reason he's in college.
"Underneath that focused exterior beats the heart of a kind and caring individual. In summary, I nominated Manny because he is a good example of what a student-athlete should be, and his grades and positive attitude show it."
Lamarre was a member of both the football and men's track and field teams the last two years. While he was named the football team's 2005 Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year for his contributions in practice, he has made his mark in track and field, primarily as a sprinter. He has earned three All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) honors in his first two collegiate seasons, thanks to back-to-back third-place finishes in the indoor 55-meter dash, in addition to a third in the 2007 outdoor 100-meter dash.
As Wortham noted, however, athletics have been just one small part of Lamarre's college experience. While playing a leadership role in such student organizations as Concerned Black Students, Athletes for Christ and the Pre-Law Club, Lamarre also has written for The Torch, the university's student-run newspaper, worked as a tour guide for the Office of Admission and plans to serve as a Resident Adviser in 2007-08.
Lamarre, who carries a 3.47 cumulative grade point average while majoring in political science, is currently working as an intern at the state attorney's office in Miami, Fla. He also enjoyed great success on campus last fall as a leader of the Connectors Program, a student-centered retention program that focuses on social and academic engagement. The "Connectors" are students who range from sophomores to seniors in good academic standing who volunteer to stay in contact with first-year students. Lamarre worked with international students and was later recognized as one of the most successful "Connectors" of the year.
"Hard work is measured through productivity and success is assessed through acknowledgement," said Lamarre, who hopes to become a lawyer after graduation. "Receiving such a prestigious award is indicative of my qualitative production at Wittenberg University."
Lamarre is complementary of the mentoring he has received at Wittenberg, and he wants nothing more than to pass knowledge on to younger people.
"I want to be a positive role model for my neighborhood peers, as well as the Wittenberg community," Lamarre said.
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