Texas A&M’s Kaitlyn Owens Nominated For McWhorter Post-Graduate Scholarship

Courtesy: SEC Sports

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (April 27, 2026) – Sam Whitmarsh of the Texas A&M men’s track and field team and Kaitlyn Owens of the Aggies’ swimming and diving team have been nominated for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship by Texas A&M University.

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 2026 recipients of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship in late April.

Highlights of Texas A&M’s nominees include:

KAITLYN OWENS, Texas A&M, Swimming & Diving
Major: Animal Science

•    Recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA while earning her bachelor’s degree in animal science.
•    Received Texas A&M’s coveted Bill Erwin Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award (2026)
•    Honored as a CSCAA Scholar All-American
•    Named to the All-District Team by the College Sports Communicators
•    Six-time member of Texas A&M’s Athletics Director Honor Roll
•    Four-time member of SEC Academic Honor Roll as well as First-Year Honor Roll
•    Aggie Heart Award in 2025 (2025)
•    Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Representative and served as an Assistant Director of Traditions Night
•    Served as a counselor at Fish Camp since 2023, which is popular camp for incoming freshmen at Texas A&M
•    Four-time All-American
•    A four-time NCAA swimming qualifier
•    Named Team MVP (2026)
•    Team’s leader in the 50 free and the 100 backstroke
•    Serves as the leadoff leg on four of the team’s top relays in 2026.
•    Lifetime best of 51.06 in the 100-yard backstroke made her the No. 3 all-time performer in the event at Texas A&M

SAM WHITMARSH, Texas A&M, Track & Field
Major: Materials Science and Engineering

•    Earned a UG Certificate in Holistic Leadership in Engineering
•    Eight-time member of Texas A&M AD Honor Roll
•    Named Texas A&M Distinguished Student
•    Three-time member of SEC Academic Honor Roll
•    NCAA Outdoor 800m champion (2025)
•    Won four 800m titles; defended his titles in back-to-back years (2024-2025)
•    Two-time Bowerman Watchlist member
•    USTFCCCA South Central Region Men’s Track Athlete of the Year
•    Three-time All-American in the 800m

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.

Last year’s McWhorter Award recipients were Mason Nichols of the Ole Miss baseball team and Abby McCulloh of the Georgia swimming and diving team.