FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — University of South Carolina redshirt junior Aliyah Abrams has been named Southeastern Conference Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the league office announced on Thursday. Abrams shares the award with Taylor Werner of Arkansas. Gabe Moore of Arkansas is the men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

A native of Grayson, Ga., Abrams holds a 3.655 grade point average, and she will graduate from the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health this week with a bachelor of arts in public health. She’s a three-time SEC Honor Roll selection and a two-time USTCCCCA All-Academic Team member.

“When people hear the term ‘student-athlete’, sometimes they think that person is only an athlete, but that’s not the case with Aliyah Abrams,” South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye said. “She has been the leader of the team, she’s a captain, she’s a national champion, and she’s a scholar.”

On the track, Abrams has emerged as one of the nation’s top 400m sprinters in 2019. She was part of South Carolina’s national title-winning 4x400m relay team at the NCAA Indoor Championships, and she also earned the silver medal individually in the 400m. This outdoor season, Abrams is part of the NCAA’s No. 1-ranked 4×4 squad, with a time of 3:27.53, and she also ranks 11th nationally in the open 400.

Abrams is the fifth Gamecock to win SEC Scholar-Athlete honors in track & field. Most recently, sprinter Ncincilili Titi won the award in 2018. NCAA high jump champion Jeannelle Scheper was honored in 2015, future Olympic gold medalist Natasha Hastings won the award in 2007, and four-time All-American pole-vaulter Marvin Reitze was honored in 2012.

Abrams and the Gamecocks open the 2019 SEC Outdoor Championships Thursday in Fayetteville, Ark. The annual conference meet continues Friday and Saturday, with live coverage available on SEC Network and SEC Network+.