The Master’s University senior Hannah Ulibarri has been named the Dr. LeRoy Walker Student Athlete of Character Award winner by the NAIA.

The Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award for student-athletes is one of the most prestigious awards in the NAIA and was created in association with the National Sports Foundation, a group of sports organizations that promote and recognize sportsmanship. Dr. Walker was a former president of the NAIA and president emeritus of the U.S. Olympic Committee. The award honors outstanding student-athletes for their academics, athletics, leadership and dedication to living the core values of Champions of Character.

A member of The Master’s University women’s golf team, Ulibarri was participating in the first round of the NAIA National Championship last May at Eagle Crest Golf Club in Ypsilanti, Mich. After signing her scorecard and going back to her hotel room, she realized she wrote the wrong score down for one hole on her card. That night she reached out to a tournament official who told her the penalty for signing a card that has the wrong score is disqualification. She knew that, but strongly believed she had to do what was right.

She was disqualified.

For those who know Hannah, her actions that night after her round were not surprising. As she wrote, she has “made it a priority to exemplify good sportsmanship by treating my competitors as friends to encourage rather than enemies to conquer.

“It is only fair that everyone has the means and opportunity to put forth their best performance so that the victor can be truly celebrated and can experience the joy of seeing their hard work pay off,” Ulibarri wrote. “If I can act or speak in a way that contributes to this goal, I feel that it is my duty as a representative of Christ and as an athlete to do so, even if it comes at my personal expense.”

Congratulations Hannah Ulibarri, and thank you for representing The Master’s University and The Master’s way.