BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — LSU swimmer Mandy Leach and Brent Martin of the track and field team are among the list of 24 student-athletes that have been chosen as recipients of an Southeastern Conference Post-graduate scholarship and are finalists for the 2001-2002 H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.
One male and one female athlete were chosen from each of the 12 SEC institutions. Each finalist will receive 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.
Leach is a two-time All-American and competed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics for her native Zimbabwe. A team captain for the LSU swimming and diving team, she earned All-America honors a year ago in both the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly. She owns a 3.73 grade point average in kinesiology.
Martin is a senior middle distance runner for the Tigers and won the 800-meter title at the LSU Last Ditch this past weekend, running a season best time of 1 minute 52.28 seconds. A Baton Rouge native, he is a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection majoring in industrial engineering.
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
ALABAMA 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 , Harare, Zimbabwe
OLE MISS Elizabeth Hoffman Golf Kingwood, Texas
MISSISSIPPI 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 Hometown
ALABAMA 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, Finland
LSU 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.