Courtesy: ACC
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference is set to honor 52 student-athletes who have been selected as 2021 Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarship Award recipients.
This year’s list includes three student-athletes who will also receive the Thacker Award and nine student-athletes who plan to pursue professional careers in their chosen sports and were named honorary recipients.
“We are incredibly proud of the accomplishments of our ACC postgraduate scholarship recipients,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips. “These student-athletes have enjoyed outstanding undergraduate careers and are to be congratulated for their continued pursuit of academic excellence. There is a bright future ahead for this group, and they will undoubtedly remain leaders and difference makers in our society.”
The Weaver-James-Corrigan and Jim and Pat Thacker postgraduate scholarships are awarded to selected student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate degree following completion of their undergraduate requirements. Each recipient will receive $6,000 toward his or her graduate education. Those honored have performed with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
This year’s class of postgraduate scholarship recipients will be highlighted in a one-hour show on ACC Network that will debut in May.
The following student-athlete will be recognized as 2021 ACC Postgraduate Scholars:
Name, Institution, Sport, Major
Zion Johnson, Boston College, Football, Computer Science
Clare Naughton, Boston College, Volleyball, Political Science
Lauren White, Boston College, Women’s Track and Field, International Studies
Marissa Guimbarda, Clemson, Softball, Health Science
Courtney Jones, Clemson, Women’s Soccer, Psychology
Grace Mattimore, Clemson, Softball, Criminal Justice
Rakavius Chambers, Duke, Football, Biology
Caroline Olsen, Duke, Rowing, IDM: Neuroscience & Public Policy
Meible Chi, Duke, Women’s Tennis, Evolutionary Anthropology
Trey Cunningham, Florida State, Men’s Track and Field, Communications – Public Relations
Joshua Kaindoh, Florida State, Football, Sociology
Danielle Morgan, Florida State, Softball, Sport Management
Hugh Chapman, Georgia Tech, Baseball, Business Administration
Kierra Fletcher, Georgia Tech, Women’s Basketball, History, Technology, and Society
Makenli Forrest, Louisville, Women’s Track and Field, Health and Human Performance
Mercedes Pastor, Louisville, Field Hockey, Industrial Engineering
Piper Roe, Louisville, Volleyball, Business
Renate Grimstad, Miami, Women’s Golf, Sports Administration
Sydney Knapp, Miami, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Double Major in Communication Studies & International Studies
Chris Gray, North Carolina, Men’s Lacrosse, Management and Society
Rachel Jones, North Carolina, Women’s Soccer, Public Policy
Ally Mastroianni, North Carolina, Women’s Lacrosse, Media & Journalism: Advertising & Public Relations; Communication Studies
Kathleen Moore, NC State, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Industrial Engineering
Makayla Sargent, NC State, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Psychology
Stefani Deschner, Notre Dame, Women’s Fencing, Pre-professional Studies
Yared Nuguse, Notre Dame, Men’s Track and Field, Biochemistry
Kelly Straub, Notre Dame, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Pre-professional studies
Kayla Lund, Pittsburgh, Volleyball, Psychology and Communication
Chinaza Ndee, Pittsburgh, Volleyball, Natural Science and Psychology
Josie Kiesel, Syracuse, Rowing, Sport Management
Stephen Rehfuss, Syracuse, Men’s Lacrosse, Communication and Rhetorical Studies
Kristen Siermachesky, Syracuse, Women’s Ice Hockey, Sport Management
Paige Madden, Virginia, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Kinesiology
Rachel Robinson, Virginia, Field Hockey, Kinesiology
Nika Kozar, Virginia Tech, Women’s Tennis, Criminology/ Sociology (Double Major)
Darby Trull, Virginia Tech, Softball, Consumer Studies
Regan Westwood, Virginia Tech, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Smart and Sustainable Cities/ Environmental Policy and Planning
Hannah Betfort, Wake Forest, Women’s Soccer, Health and Exercise Science
Bar Tzuf Botzer, Wake Forest, Men’s Tennis, Finance
Zachary Tom, Wake Forest, Football, Business Enterprise Management
Jim & Pat Thacker Scholarship Recipients
Name, Institution, Sport, Major
Catriona MacGregor, Georgia Tech, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Mechanical Engineering
Debbie Ajagbe, Miami, Women’s Track and Field, Engineering
Leon Krapf, NC State, Men’s Soccer, Business Administration
Honorary Postgraduate Scholarship Nominees
Name, Institution, Sport, Major
William Nottingham, Clemson, Men’s Golf, Management
Michael Rothenberg, Duke, Baseball, Political Science
Luke Waddell, Georgia Tech, Baseball, Business Administration
Nikolina Jovic, Louisville, Women’s Tennis, Business Marketing
Elizaveta Lukianova, Miami, Volleyball, Management and Marketing
Maddie Howe, Notre Dame, Women’s Lacrosse, Finance
Kirk Christodoulou, Pittsburgh, Football, Finance
Wabissa Bede, Virginia Tech, Men’s Basketball, Leadership Studies
Emilia Migliaccio, Wake Forest, Women’s Golf, Communication
About the Weaver-James-Corrigan Award
The Weaver-James-Corrigan Award is named in honor of the late Jim Weaver, Bob James, and Gene Corrigan, the first three ACC commissioners. The league’s first commissioner, James H. Weaver, served the conference from 1954-70 after a stint as the Director of Athletics at Wake Forest. His early leadership and uncompromising integrity are largely responsible for the excellent reputation enjoyed by the ACC today.
Robert C. James, a former Maryland football player, was named commissioner in 1971 and served in that capacity for 16 years. During his tenure, the league continued to grow in stature and became recognized as a national leader in athletics and academics, winning 23 national championships and maintaining standards of excellence in the classroom.
Eugene F. Corrigan assumed his role as the third full-time commissioner on September 1, 1987 and served until August of 1997. During Corrigan’s tenure, ACC schools captured 30 NCAA championships and two national football titles.
Prior to 1994, the Weaver-James postgraduate scholarships were awarded as separate honors, including the Jim Weaver Award, the Marie James Award and the Bob James Award.
About the Thacker Award
The Thacker Award, which originated in 2005, is awarded in honor of the late Jim and Pat Thacker of Charlotte, North Carolina. Jim Thacker was the primary play-by-play announcer for the ACC’s first television network. Recipients of the award must demonstrate outstanding performance both in athletic competition and in the classroom and intend to further their education through postgraduate studies at an ACC institution.
