March 4, 2002
Twenty-four student-athletes, one male and one female from each Southeastern Conference institution, including UK seniors Ilkka Jantti and Lauren Rookledge, have been chosen by their respective school as recipients of an SEC Post-graduate scholarship and are finalists for the 2001-2002 H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, Commissioner Roy Kramer announced Friday.
Jantti, a senior from Lahti, Finland, has been honored numerous times this year, including being named second-team All-American, MAC Player of the Year, Verizon Academic All-American, and being inducted into the Frank G. Ham Society of Character.
Rookledge, a senior from Cape Town, South Africa, received All-SEC accolades in 2000-01 and has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll the past two years.
Each finalist will recieve a $5,000 scholarship for post-graduate studies. The SEC Faculty Athletics Representatives Boyd McWhorter Selection Committee will choose the outstanding male and female student-athletes and receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship, provided by the ALLTEL Corporation.
“The Southeastern Conference and the ALLTEL Corporation are proud to recognize these 24 student-athletes for their accomplishments in the classroom and on the playing fields,” said SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer. “These student-athletes have shown everyone what it takes to be a winner in every aspect of life. We are proud to salute these fine student-athletes and hope that they can be an example for others to follow.”
The SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards were first presented in 1986. The award was renamed the H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in May 1990 to honor the former commissioner who served the conference from 1972-86.
The award will be presented to the two winners in June at the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Fla.
FEMALE WINNERS
SCHOOL Name Sport HometownALABAMA Rebecca Baum Tennis Southside, Ala.ARKANSAS Tiffany Woolley Softball Tulsa, Okla.AUBURN Sally Cantrell Gymnastics Tampa, Fla.FLORIDA Karyn Hall Soccer Winter Springs, Fla.GEORGIA Christine Keller Swimming & Diving Villa Grove, Ill.KENTUCKY Lauren Rookledge Tennis Lexington, Ky.LSU Mandy Leach Swimming & Diving Durban, South AfricaOLE MISS Elizabeth Hoffman Golf Kingwood, TexasMISSISSIPPI STATE Stephanie Lyon Soccer St. Petersburg, Fla.SOUTH CAROLINA Jessica Ward Soccer Columbia, S.C.TENNESSEE Grace Harrington Rowing Memphis, Tenn.VANDERBILT Kate Burson Tennis St. Louis, Mo.
MALE WINNERS
SCHOOL Name Sport HometownALABAMA Patrick Hollingsworth Football Northport, Ala.ARKANSAS Josh Melton Football Batesville, Ark.AUBURN Damon Duval Football Chattanooga, Tenn.FLORIDA Michael Jansen Swimming & Diving Wellington, Fla.GEORGIA Marc Lindsay Swimming & Diving Newark, Del.KENTUCKY Ilkka Jantti Soccer Lahti, FinlandLSU Brent Martin Track & Field Baton Rouge, La.OLE MISS Omah Farrar Baseball Clinton, Miss.MISSISSIPPI STATE David Ruiz Tennis Starkville, Miss.SOUTH CAROLINA Trey Dyson Baseball Columbia, S.C.TENNESSEE Ryan Moffett Baseball Knoxville, Tenn.VANDERBILT Jeff Little Baseball Palm Harbor, Fla.
