Courtesy: Alabama Athletics
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Robert Howard of the Alabama men’s swimming and diving team and Emma Welch of the Crimson Tide soccer team have been nominated for the Southeastern Conference H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Postgraduate Scholarship by The University of Alabama.
The McWhorter Scholarship has been presented by the SEC since 1986 to the league’s top male and female scholar-athletes. The 2019 recipients will be revealed on April 25.
Highlights of Alabama’s nominees include:
ROBERT HOWARD, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Alabama
Major: Accounting
- CoSIDA Academic All-American At-Large Team, First Team, 2018
- SEC Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year, 2019
- Three-year CSCAA Scholar All-American, 2016, 2017, 2018
- NCAA 200 Medley Relay Champion, 2019
- Four-year All-American, earning 15 honors
- SEC Commissioner’s Trophy winner as the high point scorer at the SEC Championships, 2019
- SEC Championships Male Swimmer of the Meet, 2019
- SEC Champion in the 50 and 100 freestyle as well as the 200 medley and freestyle relays, 2019
- SEC record holder, 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay
- All-SEC, 2017, 2018, 2019
- U.S. Open champion in the 100-meter freestyle and 400-meter medley relay, 2017
- Alabama Swimming and Diving Men’s Team Captain, 2018-19
EMMA WELCH, Women’s Soccer, Alabama
Major: Marketing
- Two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America Women’s Soccer Third Team, 2018, 2017
- Two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District Women’s Soccer Team, 2018, 2017
- SEC Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year, 2018
- SEC Community Service Team, 2018
- United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women’s All-Southeast Region Third Team, 2017
- All-SEC Second Team, 2017
- SEC All-Freshmen team, 2015
- Accumulated 23 assists breaking the program’s all-time career assists record, 2018
- Co-captain during shutout victory over No. 5 Texas A&M, 2018
Led team to first round of the NCAA Tournament, 2017
Each year, the SEC, in conjunction with AT&T, an SEC official sponsor, provides the league’s male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Scholarship recipients with a $20,000 post-graduate scholarship. The 26 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship.
The award recipients are chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from the 14 SEC institutions and are honored at the SEC Spring Meetings in Sandestin, Fla., in early June.
Alabama swimmer Anton McKee was the SEC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2017. With McKee’s honor, the Crimson Tide leads the league with 11 honors over the award’s 33-year history.