Courtesy: SEC Sports
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (April 23, 2025) – Louise Rydqvist of South Carolina’s women’s golf team and Liam Kerns of the Gamecocks’ men’s swimming and diving team have been nominated for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete 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 Southeastern Conference will name the 2025 recipients of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship on April 30.
Highlights of South Carolina’s nominees include:
LOUISE RYDQVIST, South Carolina, Golf
Major: Finance/Marketing
- SEC Women’s Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year, 2024, 2023
- Edith Cummings Munson Award (first player in program history to win award), which is presented annually to the top scholar-athlete in the country by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, 2024
- President’s Award at the Gamecock Gala, the highest University honor a student-athlete can receive at South Carolina, 2025
- College Sports Communicators (CSC) At-Large Academic All-American, 2024
- Three-time WGCA All-American Scholar
- Six consecutive semesters on the President’s List (4.0 GPA)
- Three-time All-American with a career scoring average of 72.70, No. 3 all-time lowest currently at South Carolina
- Has 26 career top-20 finishes in 36 starts, including 16 top-10s (8th most in program history) and 11 top-fives (4th most in program history) with two victories
LIAM KERNS, South Carolina, Swimming & Diving
Major: Biological Sciences
- Three-time member of SEC Academic Honor Roll, 2024, 2023, 2022
- CSCAA Scholar All-American, Second Team, 2024
- School record holder in the 400 medley relay
- Holds the fourth fastest time in program history in the 100 breaststroke
- Holds the fourth fastest time in program history in the 200 breaststroke
- Made the SEC Championship roster all four years at South Carolina
ABOUT THE MCWHORTER AWARDS
The SEC provides the league’s male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients with a $20,000 post-graduate scholarship. The 30 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 16 SEC institutions and are announced in April, as well as honored by the league membership in late May at SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Fla.
Last year’s McWhorter Award recipients were Lukas Engelhardt of the Ole Miss men’s tennis team and Elizabeth Franklin of the Razorbacks’ women’s soccer team.
