April 6, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Auburn University swimmer Kristen Hastrup and University of Alabama golfer Joseph Sykora have been named recipients of the 2007-2008 Southeastern Conference H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive announced Sunday. The awards will be formally presented to the student-athletes during the annual awards banquet at the league's spring meetings in Destin, Fla. on May 29.

The two were chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from SEC universities and will each receive a $10,000 postgraduate scholarship, provided by AT&T.

"The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award is the highest honor a student-athlete can receive in the Southeastern Conference," said Slive. "Kristen and Joseph 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 AT&T are extremely proud to honor these two student-athletes for their accomplishments."

Hastrup, a senior from Fresno, Calif., has earned a 4.00 grade point average, majoring in Biomedical Sciences. She is a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and has earned Auburn University Academic Top Tiger honors three times. She earned first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors and is a three time CSCAA Academic All-American.

Hastrup is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society, the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and is an associate member of Alpha Epsilon Delta (a pre-health professional society).

She is a member of Who's Who in America's Colleges and Universities and on the Auburn Dean's List. She received the Scholar of Promise Award from the National Society of Collegiate Scholars for volunteer work in 2005 and the Jewel Award, issued by the Boys2Men/Girls2Women organization and recognizing volunteer efforts.

Hastrup has also volunteered with the local Boys and Girls Club, Salvation Army and swam in the fundraiser, "Laps for CF," raising money for research and treatment for cystic fibrosis.

Athletically, Hastrup is a three-time All-American and a member of three SEC Championship teams and two NCAA championship squads. She was the 200 butterfly champion at the 2007 SEC Championships and also holds the Auburn record in that event. She won the Stanley Louis Sugar Memorial Award as an outstanding scholar-athlete at Auburn. For the last two seasons, she has competed at the U.S. Senior Nationals, winning the B final in 2006 and placing second in the C final in 2007.

Sykora, a senior from Daphne, Ala., earned his undergraduate degree in Accounting in 2007 with a perfect 4.00 grade point average and is enrolled in the Master's program at UA in Accounting, where he has earned a 4.00 GPA.

He is a two-time member of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America At-Large first-team and was voted the SEC Men's Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2006 and 2007. Sykora was also a finalist for the Paul W. Bryant Student-Athlete Award during the last two years. He is also a member of the Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars Team.

Sykora is a four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and has been a member of the UA President's List and Dean's List since Fall 2003. In 2007, Sykora was named the Austin Scholar for Outstanding Senior in the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration, the Outstanding Graduate Student by Beta Gamma Sigma, the Alumni Outstanding Senior Award and was named to Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.

As a member of the Tide golf team, he was the individual medalist at the Topy Cup US-Japan Intercollegiate and the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate. He was also the Alabama State Match Play Champion and participated in the U.S. Amateur Match Play Championship.

The Crimson Tide are currently the nation's top-ranked golf team by Golfweek.

Sykora has also been active in the community, volunteering in local children's programs as part of the UA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, teaching golf to children at the Alabama Golf Camp and being a student leader in Campus Crusade for Christ.

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.

"Over the last twenty-one years National Student-Athlete Day has seen over 2.6 million student-athletes honored for their outstanding achievements," said Richard Lapchick, Director of the NCAS and Chair of DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida. "This celebration has brought national attention to the incredible difference student-athletes are making in their communities, while at the same time excelling in academics and athletics. Many SEC schools have always had a leading role in serving communities."

The 11 other male recipients of SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Postgraduate Scholarships are: Tyler Hill, Track & Field, Arkansas; Cole Bennett, Football, Auburn; Kevin Nead, Swimming & Diving, Florida; Ian Burrell, Track & Field, Georgia; Greg Dombrowski, Baseball, Kentucky; Kevin Dessauer, Tennis, LSU; Erling Tveit, Tennis, Ole Miss; Dezmond Sherrod, Football, Mississippi State; Mark Anderson, Golf, South Carolina; Michael Wolfe, Swimming & Diving; Ryan Preston, Tennis, Vanderbilt.

The 11 other female recipients of SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Postgraduate Scholarships are: Jordan Praytor, Softball, Alabama; Stacy Lewis, Golf, Arkansas; Bianca Gibbs, Soccer, Florida; Karen Guilkey, Swimming & Diving, Georgia; Ashley Dimkich, Softball, Kentucky; Paige Brown, Swimming & Diving, LSU; Casey Phillips, Rifle, Ole Miss; Annie Falor, Track & Field, Mississippi State; Whitney Simons, Golf, South Carolina; Nicky Anosike, Basketball, Tennessee; Amani Floyd, Track & Field, Vanderbilt.

The SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards were first presented in 1986. The honor was renamed the SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Postgraduate Scholarships in May 1990 to honor the former commissioner who served the conference from 1972-86.

Past recipients include: 2007 - Emeel Salem, Alabama (baseball) and Erika Schneble, Vanderbilt (track & field); 2006 - Rudy Niswanger, LSU (football) and Sarah Lowe, Florida (basketball); 2005 - Rob Robertson, Ole Miss (football) and Lauryn McCalley, Tennessee (diving); 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).