Among 5 swimmers and 28 total student-athletes nominated for the prestigious McWhorter Scholarship by the SEC for the 2013-2014 season, Georgia Bulldogs Shannon Vreeland walked away with the women’s honor, matched by Alabama golfer Cory Whitsett.
Vreeland and Whitsett will each earn $15,000 post-graduate scholarships from AT&T and the Allstate Sugar Bowl to continue their educations, while the other nominees will each receive $7,500 toward their postgraduate educations.
The prestigious honor, which is voted upon by the committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from SEC universities, honors a combination of athletic, service, and academic excellence, with two nominees (one male and one female) coming from each school’s varsity athletics programs.
Vreeland’s honors both in the pool and out of the pool are certainly worthy of the honor. She’s a double major in Economics and International Affairs, and plans to graduate in December of 2014. She has also been named the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year for women’s swimming in the 2013-2014 season.
The Kansas City native was a huge part of Georgia’s back-to-back NCAA team championships as both a junior and a senior, and the Bulldog captain placed 2nd at NCAA’s in the individual 200 free as a senior: behind only Missy Franklin of Cal. She also holds three World Championship gold medals from Barcelona, and an Olympic gold medal from London, racing to an Olympic Record in the 800 free relay.
This honor makes Vreeland the 15th swimming winner all-time since this award began in 1986, which is more than any other sport (even when traditional pairs like baseball and softball, or football and volleyball, are combined for equal footing). She’s also the 9th Georgia Bulldog to win the award, 8 of whom have been swimmers.
The 13 other male nominees were: Hall Fess, Arkansas (tennis); TJ Leon, Auburn (swimming & diving)
Bob van Overbeek, Florida (tennis); Andrew Gemmell, Georgia (swimming & diving); Tyler Riggs, Kentucky (soccer); Sean McMullen, LSU (baseball); Tyler Campbell, Ole Miss (football); Malte Stropp, Mississippi State (tennis); Max Storms, Missouri (cross country); Stephen Anderson, South Carolina (soccer); Rick Lamb, Tennessee (golf); Paul-Marc Schweitzer, Texas A&M (swimming & diving); Fitz Lassing, Vanderbilt (football).
The 13 other female nominees were: Kim Jacob, Gymnastics, Alabama (gymnastics); Julia Kucherich, Arkansas (swimming & diving); Jennifer Waxman, Auburn (equestrian); Agata Strausa, Florida (track & field/cross country); Emily Holsopple, Kentucky (rifle); Simone Heyward, LSU (softball); Caroline Rohde-Moe, Ole Miss (tennis); Elisabeth Sullivan, Mississippi State (soccer); Alyssa Diggs, Missouri (soccer); Danielle Au, South Carolina (soccer); Ellen Renfroe, Tennessee (softball); Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar, Texas A&M (soccer/basketball/tennis); Kendra Hendrix, Vanderbilt (soccer).
Past recipients include: 2013 – Barrett Jones, Alabama (football) and Chelsea Oswald, Kentucky (track & field/cross country); 2012 – Michael Roth, South Carolina (baseball) and Wendy Trott, Georgia (swimming & diving); 2011 – Dan Mazzaferro, Auburn (swimming & diving) and Erica Meissner, Auburn (swimming & diving); 2010 – Jordan Anderson, Auburn (swimming & diving) and Phoebe Wright, Tennessee (track & field); 2009 – Bram ten Berge, Ole Miss (golf) and Christine Magnuson, Tennessee (swimming & diving); 2008 – Joseph Sykora, Alabama (golf) and Kristen Hastrup, Auburn (swimming & diving); 2007 – Emeel Salem, Alabama (baseball) and Erika Schneble, Vanderbilt (track & field); 2006 – Rudy Niswanger, LSU (football) and Sarah Lowe, Florida (basketball); 2005 – Rob Robertson, Ole Miss (football) and Lauryn McCalley, Tennessee (swimming & diving); 2004 – Caesar Garcia, Auburn (swimming & diving) and Lauren Imwalle, Alabama (soccer); 2003 – Matt Bonner, Florida (basketball) and Kristin Sterner, Alabama (gymnastics); 2002 – Trey Dyson, South Carolina (baseball) and Tiffany Woolley, Arkansas (softball); 2001 – Scott Westerfield, Mississippi State (football) and Kim Black, Georgia (swimming); 2000 – Joey Pitts, Georgia (tennis) and Lisette Lee, LSU (golf); 1999 – Jeff Zurcher, Kentucky (football) and Jessica Field, Arkansas (volleyball); 1998 – Jeremy Jackson, Mississippi State (baseball) and Shani Abshier, South Carolina (volleyball); 1997 – Andrew DeVooght, Georgia (swimming) and Meredith Willard, Alabama (gymnastics); 1996 – Martin Nyberg, LSU (swimming) and Michelle Palmisano, Vanderbilt (basketball); 1995 – Michael Blanchard, LSU (football) and April Ecke, Mississippi State (cross country); 1994 – Peter Duitsman, South Carolina (soccer) and Tammy Newlon, Mississippi State (basketball); 1993 – Lang Wiseman, Tennessee (basketball) and Aimee York, Mississippi State (volleyball); 1992 – Jeff Laubenthal, Alabama (baseball) and Jenifer Kleyn, Auburn (volleyball); 1991 – Al Parker, Georgia (tennis) and Patty Wiegand, Tennessee (track and cross country); 1990 – Burke Masters, Mississippi State (baseball) and Janice Kerr, Florida (gymnastics); 1989 – Mikael Olander, LSU (track) and Deanne Burnett, Georgia (swimming); 1988 – Danny Hoskins, Ole Miss (football) and Linda Leith, Georgia (swimming); 1987 – Jeff Noblin, Ole Miss (football) and Julie Estin, Alabama (gymnastics); 1986 – John Young, Tennessee (track) and Virginia Diederich, Georgia (swimming).