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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Robertson, McCalley Receive H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Awards
4/6/2005 | Football
April 6, 2005
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - University of Mississippi football player Rob Robertson and University of Tennessee diver Lauryn McCalley have been named recipients of the 2004-2005 H. Boyd McWhorter Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year Award, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive announced Wednesday. The awards will be formally presented to the two student-athletes at the annual Awards Banquet at the league's spring meeting in Destin, Fla. on June 2.
The two were chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from SEC universities. Both will receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship, provided by ALLTEL.
"The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award is the highest honor a student-athlete can receive in the Southeastern Conference," said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. "Lauryn and Rob have displayed dedication and commitment to success in all phases of their lives that have made them excellent selections for the McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award. The SEC and ALLTEL are extremely proud to honor these two student-athletes for their accomplishments."
Robertson, a senior from Centreville, Miss., has a 3.95 grade point average, majoring in biological sciences. As a senior, he was named first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American. He has earned SEC Academic Honor Roll and Chancellor's Honor Roll mention in every semester he has attended Ole Miss. He is a member of the National Dean's List, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi and is a nominee for the International Scholar Laureate Program Delegation on Medicine.
He is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and has participated in "Reading with the Rebels" every year of his Ole Miss career. He is vice-president of Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-medicine society and has visited area retirement homes, high schools, churches and elementary schools. He is active in "Rebels against Drunk Driving" and served on a medical mission trip to Honduras in 2004, assisting doctors during surgery and also studied abroad in Belize in 2003.
Athletically, Robertson was second on the squad in total tackles with 73 as a senior, which was ninth among linebackers in the SEC. During his career, he had 149 tackles and two interceptions. He won the Jeff Hamm Award for Most Improved Defensive Player on the squad in 2003 and was named to the Coaches' All-SEC Freshman Team in 2001.
Robertson, the son of Robbie and Karen Robertson, has been accepted into the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He was recently selected to receive a $7,500 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. He is one of 56 student-athletes who participated in fall sports in all NCAA divisions that were honored with the scholarship. To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade-point average of 3.200 (on a 4.000 scale) or its equivalent and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated. The student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics. The student-athlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time or part-time graduate student.
"The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award represents the highest achievement when combining success as a student and as an athlete," said Ole Miss Athletics Director Pete Boone. "We congratulate Rob for not only this recent honor brings to Ole Miss, but also to his family. We are pleased that he is the third Ole Miss student to receive this prestigious award." Jeff Noblin was named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1987 and Danny Hoskins was selected in 1988.
McCalley, a senior from Moultrie, Ga., has a 3.95 grade point average in Microbiology. Last season, McCalley earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America second team honors as voted by the College Sports Information Directors of America. She is a three-time College Swim Coaches Association of America Academic All-American as well. The Marine Corps also recognized her impact with the Marine Corps Collegiate Athletic Leadership Award. She has also earned SEC Academic Honor Roll, Thornton Center Honor Roll and Lady Volunteer Honor Roll status.
The five-time All-American captured the NCAA Zone B Three-Meter Championship last season and earned two All-America certificates at the 2004 NCAA Championship. Additionally, she claimed 10 individual event titles on the year.
She was named one of GLAMOUR Magazine's Top Ten College Women in 2004. GLAMOUR's Top 10 College Women Awards spotlights 10 college women from across the United States with an annual competition that recognizes leadership on campus, involvement in the community, excellence in their field of study, as well as their unique, inspiring goals.
The daughter of William McCalley and Nancy Slocumb, is a member of UT's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and served as its president in 2004-05. She is also active in Chi Omega Sorority, Athletes in Action and has also spoken at local elementary schools, served as a tutor for young girls, and helped at the local Boys and Girls Club as well as serving meals to the homeless.
The McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award is being released to coincide with National Student-Athlete Day, which 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.
"When we founded National Student-athlete Day in 1987, we thought of the type of things we could do across America to honor our student-athletes," said Dr. Richard Lapchick, Director, Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport and the National Consortium for Academics and Sports. "The SEC's McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Program and scholarships may be the best example of how to do this. This year we will acknowledge more than 250,000 student-athletes who have made a difference off the playing field and who have served society while making us better people living in a better society. I have no doubt that the McWhorter winner will be near the top of the list for their accomplishments. I look forward to meeting them personally to thank them for the lives they have led."
In addition, 11 other male and female finalists for the McWhorter SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award will receive a $5,000 scholarship, made possible by funds provided by ALLTEL.
The 11 other male recipients are: Stewart Smith, Swimming & Diving, Alabama; Jason Sandfort, Track & Field, Arkansas; B.J. Jones, Swimming & Diving, Auburn; Justin Zumsteg, Swimming & Diving, Florida; Miguel Mendoza, Swimming & Diving, Georgia; Jeff Hamberg, Rifle, Kentucky; Jason Determann, Baseball, LSU; Luiz Carvalho, Tennis, Mississippi State; John Chappell, Basketball, South Carolina; Robert Fitzgerald, Baseball, Tennessee; Clark Lea, Football, Vanderbilt.
The 11 other female recipients are: Katie French, Soccer, Alabama; Shiloh Whiting, Track & Field, Arkansas; Margaret Hoelzer, Swimming & Diving; Auburn; Ashley Kellgren, Soccer, Florida; Samantha Arsenault, Swimming & Diving, Georgia; Stacy Springer, Golf, Kentucky; Chelsea Agar, Soccer, LSU; Lindley Beckman, Soccer, Ole Miss; Jourdan Steinberg, Track & Field, Mississippi State; Jennifer Lake, Track & Field/Cross Country, South Carolina; Ann Menees, Vanderbilt.
The SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards were first presented in 1986. The honor was renamed the H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Scholar-Athletes of the Year in May 1990 to honor the former commissioner who served the conference from 1972-86.
Past recipients include: 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).
