Courtesy: Georgia Athletics
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – University of Georgia graduate swimmer Callie Dickinson, a six-time All-American and three-time All-SEC performer, was named the 2022-23 Southeastern Conference H. Boyd McWhorter Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as announced by Commissioner Greg Sankey Tuesday.
Dickinson and LSU cross country runner Jackson Martingayle were selected by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from all 14 SEC institutions and will receive a $20,000 post-graduate scholarship.
“Callie and Jackson are representative of the focus, determination and success of SEC student-athletes in competition and in the classroom,” Sankey said. “These young people are committed to the total student-athlete experience, and it is reflected in the elite level of their academic and athletics accomplishments. The H. Boyd McWhorter Award is the highest honor earned by a student-athlete in the SEC and I congratulate them along with their families and universities on their outstanding achievements.”
“I am honored to receive this prestigious award from the SEC,” Dickinson said. “I want to thank the Faculty Athletics Representatives for this honor, as well as the University of Georgia’s academics staff for nominating me. I am grateful for the support of my teammates, The Georgia Way, and my coaching staff, especially my head coaches Stefanie Williams Moreno and Jack Bauerle. I will forever be thankful for the University of Georgia and the many opportunities it has provided for me.”
The Virginia Beach, Virginia native is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Comparative Biomedical Sciences, tallying a 4.0 GPA in the fall semester while on track to graduate in the summer. Last May, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Human Development & Family Science, earning Summa Cum Laude honors with a 3.92 GPA. She is intending to pursue a career as an orthopedic surgeon, while also training for the upcoming World Championships and Summer Olympic Games.
“Our program is ecstatic for Callie and this tremendous honor,” Tom Cousins Swimming & Diving Head Coach Stefanie Williams Moreno said. “For five seasons, Callie has truly exemplified what it means to be a Bulldog, serving as a team leader in and out of the water. Her commitment to excellence in athletics and academics has provided a strong standard for all members of our program, and I cannot think of a better student-athlete to continue our unparalleled tradition of H. Boyd McWhorter Award winners.”
Dickinson is the eighth member of the Georgia women’s swimming and diving program to receive the honor, the most of any SEC athletic program. Previous recipients included Virginia Diederich (1986), Linda Leith (1988), Deanne Burnett (1989), Kim Black (2001), Wendy Trott (2012), Shannon Vreeland (2014), and Maddie Locus (2015), while men’s swimmer Andy DeVooght was recognized in 1997. Additionally, Dickinson marks the 11th Georgia student-athlete to be honored, tying Alabama for the most of any institution.
“Callie represents the very best of what it means to be a student-athlete,” J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks said. “The H. Boyd McWhorter Award is the highest honor given by the SEC. Callie is an outstanding representative of our swimming and diving program and is now part of a long tradition of Georgia student-athletes who have earned this distinction. She is very deserving, and we congratulate her on this remarkable accomplishment.”
Dickinson accumulated a wealth of athletic and academic accolades during her five seasons in Athens. In the water, Dickinson qualified for the NCAA Championships in all five seasons and earned six CSCAA All-America honors, including a 2022 First Team honor in the 800-yard freestyle relay and an individual citation this season in the 200-yard butterfly. At the SEC Championships, she won four medals, including a silver medal this season in the 200-yard butterfly. She closed her career with top-10 times in program history in four events: 200-yard medley relay, 200-yard backstroke, 200-yard butterfly, and 100-yard butterfly. In international competition, she has competed at two U.S. Olympic Trials and reached two finals at last year’s Phillips 66 National Championships.
Dickinson was named to the College Sports Communicators/CoSIDA Academic All-District Team in 2022 and 2023. She was also named to the CSCAA Scholar All-America Team in each of her first four seasons and to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in all five seasons, along with being named to the 2021 SEC Community Service Team. A member of the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll in each semester, she has received Presidential Scholar honors (4.0 GPA with 14+ credit hours) three times. She is the president of the UGA chapter of the Blue Key Honor Society, a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, a team representative on the UGA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and a member of the UGA Leadership Education and Development (L.E.A.D.) Academy.
In her academic career, Dickinson was honored with the 2021 Michael E. Penland Family Research Award, presented annually to outstanding undergraduate students in the kinesiology department involved in research, service, and outreach. She also received the Spring 2022 CURO Research Assistantship and the Tucker Dorsey Memorial Scholarship Award for outstanding student leaders at the university. In fall 2021, she was designated as the lead researcher in a mitochondrial capacity study, with the project selected for presentation at two academic conferences.
“Callie Dickinson is an excellent choice for the SEC’s prestigious H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar Athlete of the Year, as evidenced by her winning on the first ballot,” David Shipley, UGA Faculty Athletics Representative and professor at the University of Georgia’s School of Law said. “Much like our three previous winners from the women’s swimming and diving team during my tenure as FAR, Callie is a superstar — an All-American multiple times with almost perfect grades as an undergraduate and now in graduate school. She has serious research in her major and leadership on campus like Blue Key and Palladia. Callie has clear plans for professional school and glowing endorsements from her coach and several professors who worked with her as a student in their classes and supervised her research. I am thrilled for Callie, and it is clear that she is very deserving of this tremendous honor.”
University of Georgia H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year Recipients
1986 – Virginia Diederich (women’s swimming and diving)
1988 – Linda Leith (women’s swimming and diving)
1989 – Deanne Burnett (women’s swimming and diving)
1991 – Al Parker (men’s tennis)
1997 – Andy DeVooght (men’s swimming and diving)
2000 – Joey Pitts (men’s tennis)
2001 – Kim Black (women’s swimming and diving)
2012 – Wendy Trott (women’s swimming and diving)
2014 – Shannon Vreeland (women’s swimming and diving)
2015 – Maddie Locus (women’s swimming and diving)
2023 – Callie Dickinson (women’s swimming and diving)
Go Callie! GO DAWGS!