Caterina Don, Wesley John Nominated For SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athletes Of The Year

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- Georgia women's golfer Caterina Don and men's track & field and cross country runner Wesley John have been nominated for the 2023-24 Southeastern Conference Male and Female H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athletes of the Year, according to a league announcement.

The winner of both the men and women's will be chosen by the SEC Faculty Athletics Representatives at the end of April and will receive $20,000 post-graduate scholarships.

Caterina Don (Pinerolo, Italy) – Golf – Mathematics
*Recipient of the Joel Eaves Award in 2022 as UGA's female senior student-athlete with the highest GPA
*Chosen as the female student-athlete for to serve as a representative on the UGA Athletic Association's Athletic Board for the 2023-24 academic year
*One of two current Georgia female student-athletes chosen to take part in a panel discussion in the UGAAA's event celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX
*Vice President of UGA's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and selected to lead the organization's efforts to recruit UGA student-athletes to engage in fundraising and advocacy initiatives associated with the American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life"
*One of 10 college student-athletes honored by the Atlanta Area Boy Scouts as a 2023 "Peach of an Athlete" recipients who have distinguished themselves by their character, scholastic achievement, academic excellence and community service
*Has participated in a school-record 51 tournaments during her career, with two wins, 12 top-5, 19 top-10 and 25 top-20 individual finishes
*Georgia's top individual at nine of 11 regular seasons events during the 2023-24 season, with seven top-10 and 10 top-20 finishes
*Currently sports a 71.16 season stroke average, which is on pace to be the third best in school history, and is a combined 17-under with 20 par-or-better rounds

Wesley John (Watkinsville, Ga.) – Track & Field/Cross Country – Sport Management/Exercise Science (seeking a master's in Kinesiology)
*Three-year cross country captain and one-year track and field captain
*Highlighted his career so far with a bronze medal in the 3000-meter steeplechase at the 2023 SEC Outdoor Championships
*Owns the third-fastest steeplechase time in school history following his performance at the 2024 Raleigh Relays
*Graduated with undergraduate degrees in Sport Management and Exercise Science
*Scheduled to obtain his Master's degree in Sport Management and Policy this summer
*Former Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President was awarded a $10,000 NCAA Jim McKay Scholarship
*Named to the SEC Community Service Team

The other 13 female finalists from the league: Alabama's Anne Hiser (tennis), Arkansas' Elizabeth Franklin (soccer), Auburn's Cassandra Stevens (gymnastics), Florida's Emily Lortz (lacrosse), Kentucky's Erin Coffel (softball), LSU's Ellie Shank (beach volleyball), Ole Miss' Olivia Womack (track & field), Mississippi State's Jhordyn Stallworth (track & field), Missouri's Hayley Frank (basketball), South Carolina's Ayana Akli (tennis), Tennessee's Kiara Robinson-Milloy (softball), Texas A&M's Abigail Grottle (swimming & diving) and Vanderbilt's Jennifer Loredo (bowling).

The other 13 male finalists from the league: Alabama's Eric Stelmar (swimming & diving), Arkansas' Myles Richter (track & field), Auburn's James Courson (track & field/cross country), Florida's Joshua King (cross country), Kentucky's Benjamin Damge (soccer), LSU's Benjamin Koch (tennis), Mississippi State's Nemanja Malesevic (tennis), Missouri's Davis Helmerich (track & field), Ole Miss' Lukas Engelhardt (tennis), South Carolina's Kai Kroeger (baseball), Tennessee's Charles Taylor (baseball), Texas A&M's William Smooth (football) and Vanderbilt's Jack Bulger (baseball).

Here are Georgia's previous H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipients:
2023 – Callie Dickinson (swimming & diving)
2015 – Maddie Locus (swimming & diving)
2014 – Shannon Vreeland (swimming & diving)
2012 – Wendy Trott (swimming & diving)
2001 – Kim Black (swimming & diving)
2000 – Joey Pitts (tennis)
1997 – Andrew DeVooght (swimming & diving)
1991 – Al Parker (tennis)
1989 – Deanne Burnett (swimming & diving)
1988 – Linda Leith (swimming & diving)
1986 – Virginia Diederich (swimming & diving)

Caterina Don, Wesley John Nominated For SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athletes Of The Year

Players Mentioned

Caterina Don

Wesley John

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