April 2, 2012

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Baseball player Michael Roth and golfer Katie Burnett have been nominated for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship and track and field athlete Chris Campbell and basketball player Courtney Newton been nominated for the Brad Davis Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship by the University of South Carolina.

The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship has been presented by the Southeastern Conference since 1986 to the league’s top male and female scholar-athletes.

The SEC Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship was named for former Associate Commissioner Brad Davis. Davis succumbed to cancer on March 2, 2006. He had been a member of the SEC staff since 1988, first serving as an assistant commissioner until 1994 when he was promoted to associate commissioner.

The Southeastern Conference will name the 2012 recipients of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship on April 6 in conjunction with National Student-Athlete Day. The Davis Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship winners will be announced on April 5.

Each year, the SEC, in conjunction with AT&T, an SEC Corporate Champion sponsor, provides the league’s male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients with a $15,000 post-graduate scholarship. The 22 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $7,500 post-graduate scholarship. The Davis Award recipients each receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship, provided by the SEC. The 22 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $5,000 post-graduate scholarship.

Highlights of the Gamecocks’ nominees include:

Michael Roth, Baseball (Male McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Nominee)

• Will earn a B.S. degree in International Business and Marketing in May 2012
• 2011 NCAA Elite 88 Award recipient, with highest grade point average of all student-athletes competing at College World Series
• First-team Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American, 2011
• Member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll
• Named 2011 National Player of the Year by CollegeBaseballInsider.com
• Semifinalist for Golden Spikes Award by USA Baseball, 2011
• Consensus 2011 First-team All-America
• First-team All-SEC and team-captain in 2011 and member of the College World Series All-Tournament Team
• In 2011, as a starting pitcher, finished with 14-3 record with a 1.06 earned run average
• Four-year letter winner, was the winning pitcher in the 2010 and 2011 national championship-clinching games
• Visited children at various elementary schools and hospitals
• Took part in “Light the Night” Walk, helping to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
• The Greer, S.C. native is the son of David and Deborah Roth

Katie Burnett, Golf (Female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Nominee)

• Will earn B.A. degree in Experimental Psychology in May 2012
• Three-time National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar, 2009-11
• Three-time member of SEC Academic Honor Roll, 2009-11
• USC President’s List, Spring 2011
• Member of Golden Key International Honour Society
• 2010 Golfweek All-American and National Golf Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-American
• Has Carolina record for lowest 72-hole score in national championship by seven strokes and lowest 18-hole score
• Holds school mark for lowest scoring average for a freshman, 2008-09 season
• Spent time with children at local schools and hospitals and taught golf skills to Boy Scouts
• Raised money and canned goods for Harvest Hope Food Bank
• Assisted with Special Olympics Golf-a-thon and visited senior citizens in area nursing facility
• The Brunswick, Ga. native is the daughter of Rod and Lisa Burnett

Chris Campbell, Track and Field (Male Davis Community Service Nominee)

• Will earn a B.S. degree in Business Administration/Management in May 2012
• Member of Carolina’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
• Took part in “Cocky’s Reading Express,” reading to children at area schools
• Volunteered with “Homeworks of America,” repairing and rebuilding homes for those unable to do themselves
• Did various chores and services as Columbia Ronald McDonald House
• Conducted mentoring and clothes collection drives as part of the National Association of Black Accountants
• Three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, 2009-11
• Earned the Confucius Institute Educational Grant, given by the Chinese Government to allow foreign students to study in China
• Member of Alpha Lamda Delta Honor Society
• Appointed Chief Justice of Constitutional Council over USC Judicial Affairs
• Runner-up at 2011 Gamecock Invitational in the weight throw
• The Irmo, S.C. native is the son of Maurice Campbell and Antoinette Kelly-Campbell

Courtney Newton, Basketball (Female Davis Community Service Nominee)

• Earned a B.A. degree in Experimental Psychology in August 2010 and currently in graduate program in Counselor Education.
• As part of “Girls on the Run,” trains young girls at Epworth Children’s Home for athletic competition and teaches teamwork and communication skills
• Active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes as President of the USC chapter
• Volunteered at Big Brother/Big Sister of Columbia
• Participated in Carolina’s “Read with the Gamecocks” program, visiting area schools
• Took part in Thanksgiving Feed the Homeless and taught children basketball at a youth church league
• Serves as President of Carolina’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
• Took part in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s (2011) and a Red Cross Telethon (2010)
• Member of Dean’s List and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll at USC
• Member of SEC Academic Honor Roll
• Team captain as a senior, a two-year starter and a four-year letter winner
• The Flowery Branch, Ga. native is the daughter of Karen and Michael Newton

National Student-Athlete Day 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.

The award recipients are chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from the 12 SEC institutions and are honored at the SEC Spring Meetings in Sandestin, Fla. on May 31.

Last year’s McWhorter Award recipients were Dan Mazzaferro and Erica Meissner, both members of the Auburn swimming & diving teams. The Davis Award recipients were Ole Miss track & field athlete Barnabus Kirui and Georgia track & field athlete Bridget Lyons.