March 21, 2000
University of Kentucky seniors Tiffany Wait and Jason Bell havebeen chosen for a Southeastern Conference post-graduate scholarship andare finalists for the 1999-2000 H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Scholar-Athlete ofthe Year Award, Commissioner Roy Kramer announced Tuesday.
Wait, a native of Hot Springs, Ark., is in her second year atUK’s School of Pharmacy. She was named to the SEC Academic Honor Rollthree straight seasons and earned a spot on the inaugural SEC Good WorksTeam and UK’s Society of Character for her contribution on thebasketball court, in the classroom and in the community.
The 5-11 forward played five seasons at Kentucky and became thesixth all-time leading scorer with 1,442 career points. She averaged 12points and three rebounds per game as a Wildcat and broke the schoolrecord for most games played in a career with 121.
Bell, a native of Louisville, Ky., was named to the All-SEC andAll-MAC Academic Honor Roll each of the past two seasons. Last year,Bell was awarded the prestigious Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar Award. Hewas also a finalist in 1999 for the Boyd McWhorter Award.Bell led UK in goals this season with eight and was second on the squadin points with 20. He scored both goals for the Cats in the 1999 MACChampionships game against Northern Illinois, UK’s first MAC title.
Each finalist will receive a $5,000 scholarship forpost-graduate studies. The SEC Faculty Athletics Representatives BoydMcWhorter Selection Committee will choose the outstanding male andfemale student-athletes and receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship,provided by the Alltel Corporation.
“These student-athletes have shown everyone what it takes to bea winner in every aspect of life,” Commissioner Kramer said. “We areproud to salute these fine student-athletes and hope that they can be anexample for others to follow.”
The SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards were first presentedin 1986. The award was renamed the H. Boyd McWhorter SECScholar-Athlete of the Year in May 1990 to honor the former commissionerwho served the conference from 1972-86.
The award will be presented to the two winners in June at the SECSpring Meetings in Destin, Fla.
FEMALE WINNERS
SCHOOL Name - Sport - HometownALABAMA Elizabeth Johnston - Golf - Benton, La.ARKANSAS Jessica Dailey - Track/Cross Country - Fayetteville, Ark.AUBURN Sarah Wentworth - Gymnastics - Neosho, Mo.FLORIDA Beth Dieter - Softball - Orlando, Fla.GEORGIA Shannon Ogg - Golf - Littleton, Colo.KENTUCKY Tiffany Wait - Basketball - Hot Springs, Ark.LSU Lisette Lee - Golf - Kenner, La.OLE MISS Irena Mihailova - Tennis - Skopje, MacedoniaMISSISSIPPI STATE Pia Josefsson - Golf - Knivsta, SwedenSOUTH CAROLINA Joyce Peebles - Track & Field - Pendleton, S.C.TENNESSEE Heather Redecker - Soccer - Davie, Fla.VANDERBILT Christine Reitano - Track & Field - Brandon, Miss.
MALE WINNERS
SCHOOL Name - Sport - HometownALABAMA Mark Jollands - Swimming & Diving - Tuscaloosa, Ala.ARKANSAS Sheldon Begley - Track/Cross Country - Topeka, Ind.AUBURN Roland Thatcher - Golf - The Woodlands, TexasFLORIDA Stuart McFarland - Baseball - Arden Hills, Minn.GEORGIA Joey Pitts - Tennis - Smyrna, Ga.KENTUCKY Jason Bell - Soccer - Louisville, Ky.LSU Thomas Hand - Tennis - Baton Rouge, La.OLE MISS Jude Voltz - Baseball - Metairie, La.MISSISSIPPI STATE Michael Trailov - Golf - Franklin, Tenn.SOUTH CAROLINA Jerome Jourdon - Tennis - Courbevoie, FranceTENNESSEE Russell Johnson - Track & Field - Carrollton, Ga.VANDERBILT Andrew Nisker Tennis Kamoka, Ontario
