Courtesy: LSU Athletics
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Thomas Smith and Kate Zimmer of the LSU swimming and diving program have been nominated for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship by LSU.
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 Southeastern Conference will name the 2019 recipients of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship on April 25.
Highlights of LSU’s nominees include:
THOMAS SMITH, LSU, Swimming & Diving
Major: Business Intelligence
- Maintained a 3.6 cumulative GPA
- Two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, 2016-17, 2017-18
- Will graduate in May with a degree in business intelligence
- Currently serves as the VP of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
- School record holder in the 200-Yard Backstroke with a time of 1:42.59 – set at the 2019 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships
- Winner of six events over senior season including wins against Navy, UConn, Florida, SMU, Loyola and Texas A&M.
- Took part in various community service activities such as Places for Reading and Mentorship, Boys Hope Girls Hope, Banana Bread Books, Winbourne Elementary, Buchanan Elementary, and University Terrace
- Selected to the SEC Community Service Team, 2018
KATE ZIMMER, LSU, Swimming & Diving
Major: Nutrition and Food Sciences (Dietetics)
- Maintained a 4.06 cumulative GPA
- Three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18
- SEC First Year Honor Roll, 2014-15
- Volunteer at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Baton Rouge, Progression Church Nursery, and Companion Animal Alliance
- Helped make Love Your Melon at LSU a student organization and as a member took part in Relay for Life, Super Hero Day for pediatric cancer survivors, and the Danceathon for Saint Jude’s Research Hospital
- Served as Team Captain and on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), 2018
- Other community service activities include taking part in Serve the City of Baton Rouge, Special Olympics, Geaux Big, Flood the Lake at the Children’s Hospital, Summer Meal Food Service Program, LSU Feeds Africa, Girls on the Run, and the Baton Rouge Sickle Cell Foundation Events
Each year, the SEC, in conjunction with AT&T, an SEC official sponsor, provides the league’s male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Scholarship recipients with a $20,000 post-graduate scholarship. The 26 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship.
The award recipients are chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from the 14 SEC institutions and are honored at the SEC Spring Meetings in Sandestin, Florida, in late May.
Last year’s McWhorter Award recipients were University of Tennessee football player Parker Henry and LSU volleyball player Kelly Quinn.
