March 24, 2011

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Track & field athlete Josh Nadzam and volleyball player Lauren Rapp have been nominated for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship and football player Marcus Davis and softball player Samantha DeMartine have been nominated for the Brad Davis Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship by the University of Kentucky.

The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship has been presented by the Southeastern Conference since 1986 to the league’s top male and female scholar-athletes.            

The SEC Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship was named for former Associate Commissioner Brad Davis.  Davis succumbed to cancer on March 2, 2006.  He had been a member of the SEC staff since 1988, first serving as an assistant commissioner until 1994 when he was promoted to associate commissioner.
The Southeastern Conference will name the 2010 recipients of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship on April 6 in conjunction with National Student-Athlete Day.  The Davis Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship winners will be announced on April 5.
Highlights of the Wildcats’ nominees include:
 
Josh Nadzam, Track and Field (Male McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Nominee)

• Will earn B.A. degree in Social Work in December 2011
• Dean’s List and SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient
• U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team (2010)
• Three-year letter winner in Cross Country, Indoor Track and Field and Outdoor Track and Field
• Inducted into the UK Frank G. Ham Society of Character
• Recipient of UK Athletics Department “Catspy Award” for community service
• Member of SEC Community Service Team for track & field
• The Monaca, Pa. native is the son of Wendy Nadzam

 
Lauren Rapp, Volleyball (Female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Nominee)

• Will earn a B.A. degree in Elementary Education in May 2011
• Dean’s List, Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient
• Two-time Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America All-District Team
• Member of UK chapter of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
• 2010 team captain and was first-team All-SEC and All-South Region
• Second-team All-SEC in 2008 and 2009
• Inducted into the UK Frank G. Ham Society of Character
• Volunteered at the East Seventh Street Community Center, UK’s Children’s Hospital and Lighthouse Ministries
• The Indianapolis, Ind. native is the son of John and Leslie Rapp.

                              
Marcus Davis, Football (Male Davis Community Service Nominee)

• Earned a B.A. degree in Journalism in December 2010
• Recipient of the Arthur Ashe Award, given to African-American student-athletes with an exemplary grade point average
• Inducted into the UK Frank G. Ham Society of Character
• Member of SEC Academic Honor Roll in all four seasons at UK
• Three-year letter winner
• President of UK’s Athletes in Action chapter as a senior and active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes
• Participated in Read across America and has volunteered at youth sports clinics, spoke at local churches and was part of a mission trip to Nicaragua.
• The Union, Ky. native is the son of Miles and Eugenia Davis

 
Samantha DeMartine, Softball (Female Davis Community Service Nominee)

• Will earn a B.S. degree in Kinesiology and Health Promotion in December 2011
• Member of the Dean’s List and SEC Academic Honor Roll
• Inducted into the UK Frank G. Ham Society of Character
• Finalist for the Sullivan Award, given by the AAU for exemplary athletic abilities as well as showing leadership, sportsmanship and character
• Four-year starter for the Wildcats at catcher
• Volunteered her time with UK’s Children’s Hospital, American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House, Salvation Army and Special Olympics of Central Kentucky.
• She was active in the SEC’s “Together We Can” food drive and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
• Recipient of the 2010 UK Darrel A. Van Meter Award, given to students who display unselfish spirit and commitment to community service
• The Marlboro, N.Y. native is the daughter of Douglas and Mary DeMartine

The SEC Office will be releasing each of its institution’s nominees periodically until the April 6 winners are announced.  The schedule is as follows:
                Alabama – McWhorter:  Greg McElroy, football (male); Kayla Hoffman, gymnastics (female) / Davis:  Dan Armstrong, swimming & diving (male); Jessica Allaway, rowing (female).
                Arkansas – McWhorter:  Luke Laird, track & field (male); Michelle Stout, gymnastics (female) / Davis:  Chris Nott, tennis (male); Britni Williams, soccer (female).
                Auburn – McWhorter:  Dan Mazzaferro, swimming & diving (male); Erica Meissner, swimming & diving (female) / Davis:  Justin Hargett, baseball (male); Addison Ragsdale, soccer (female)
                Florida – McWhorter:  Michael Yuan, swimming & diving (male); Ali Crabb, track & field/cross country (female) / Davis:  Bobby Walsh, swimming & diving (male); Megan Bush, softball (female)
                Georgia – McWhorter:  Mark Dylla, swimming & diving (male); Chelsea Nauta, swimming & diving (female) / Davis:  Asaph Levy, track & field (male); Bridget Lyons, track & field/cross country (female)
                Kentucky – McWhorter:  Josh Nadzam, track & field (male); Lauren Rapp, volleyball (female) / Davis:  Marcus Davis, football (male); Samantha DeMartine, softball (female)
                LSU – March 25
                Ole Miss – March 28
                Miss. State – March 29
                South Carolina – March 30
                Tennessee – March 31
                Vanderbilt – April 1

National Student-Athlete Day was created in 1987 by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS) and Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society, and presented by the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

National Student-Athlete Day is held each April 6 to celebrate outstanding student-athletes who have achieved excellence in academics and athletics while having made significant contributions to the community. It is also a time to recognize those parents, teachers, coaches and school systems which make it possible for young people to find the balance between academics and athletics.    

Each year, the SEC, in conjunction with AT&T, an SEC Corporate Champion sponsor, provides the league’s male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients with a $15,000 post-graduate scholarship.  The 22 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $7,500 post-graduate scholarship.  The Davis Award recipients each receive a $6,000 post-graduate scholarship, provided by the SEC.  The 22 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $3,000 post-graduate scholarship.
The award recipients are chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from the 12 SEC institutions and are honored at the SEC Spring Meetings in Sandestin, Fla. on June 3.               

Last year’s McWhorter Award recipients were Auburn swimmer Jordan Anderson and Tennessee track & field athlete Phoebe Wright.  The Davis Award recipients were Georgia track & field athlete John Egan and Auburn gymnast Krissy Voss.