Track Standouts Earn McWhorter Nominees
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A pair of University of Arkansas track and field standouts have been named as Southeastern Conference H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship nominees the league office announced today.
Jamarco Stephen and Taliyah Brooks of the Razorback men’s and women’s track and field teams earned the nominations and rank among the best student-athletes in the conference.
Each year, the SEC, in conjunction with AT&T, an SEC official sponsor, provides the league’s male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate 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, Fla., in early June.
Stephen is an information system major who is scheduled to graduate this May. His classroom accomplishments include selection to the 2017 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, three appearances on the SEC Academic Honor Roll, four selections to the University Dean’s List and he has been on the Razorbacks Athletics Department Honor Roll in every semester. Stephen is also a member of the Arkansas Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
On the track, Stephens is a five-time USTFCCCA All-American. He was an NCAA West Preliminary qualifier in the 400m in 2017, earned an NCAA Indoor bronze medalist in the 4x400m in 2017 and grabbed another bronze at the SEC Indoor meet in February. He has been a part of three SEC team titles.
Brooks is a communication major who earned her undergraduate degree in the summer of 2016. She is on track to complete her master’s degree in the summer of 2018. Brooks is the president of Arkansas SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) and is a two-time selection to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team. She is a four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and a six-time selection to the Razorbacks Athletics Department’s Athletic Director’s List. Brooks is a Lambda Phi Eta communications honor society member, the 2017 SEC Community Service selection for Arkansas and a 2017 Red Tie Salute to Excellence Honoree.
On the track, Brooks is a nine-time USTFCCCA All-American. She is the 2018 NCAA Indoor Champion in the pentathlon as well as a two-time SEC champion in the heptathlon (2017) and pentathlon (2018). Brooks currently holds four program records and has been a part of seven SEC team titles.
