April 6, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, ALA. - University of Tennessee swimmer Christine Magnuson and University of Mississippi tennis player Bram ten Berge have been named recipients of the 2008-09 H. Boyd McWhorter Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive announced Monday. The awards will be formally presented to the two student-athletes at the annual Awards Banquet at the league's spring meeting in Destin, Fla. on May 28.

The two were chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from SEC universities. Both will receive a $15,000 post-graduate scholarship, provided by AT&T, an SEC Corporate Champion sponsor, and the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

"The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award is the highest honor a student-athlete can receive in the Southeastern Conference," said Slive. "The commitment and dedication that Christine and Bram embody makes them excellent selections for the McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award. They are outstanding representatives of their institutions and the Southeastern Conference."

Magnuson, a senior from Tinley Park, Ill., has a 3.68 grade point average and is majoring in Exercise Science. She is a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll (winter 2009 honor roll to be announced later this month). She has been named to the Thornton Center Honor Roll (3.0 GPA or higher) every semester at Tennessee and is enrolled in the Honors Program.

In 2008, she was the SEC and NCAA champion in the 100-yard butterfly and was the recipient of the Commissioner's Trophy after taking four gold medals at the SEC Championships. She was also named the SEC Female Swimmer of the Year and Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Magnuson earned a silver medal in the 2008 Olympic Games in the 100m butterfly and the 400m medley relay. She has also placed in the top five in the 50m freestyle, the 100m freestyle and the 100m butterfly at U.S. Nationals. She holds eight UT records, is a multiple-time All-American and has been ranked in the top 20 in the world in the 100m butterfly for the last two years.

She is the third Lady Vol to receive the prestigious honor, joining diver Lauryn McCalley (2005) and track and cross country athlete Patty Wiegand (1991).

A member of the honors program at UT, Magnuson is the daughter of Bill and Geri Magnuson.

ten Berge, a senior from Maarssen, Netherlands, has a 3.97 grade point average and is majoring in Classics, with a minor in German. He was the 2006 SEC Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. He has made the Chancellor's Honor Roll every semester at Ole Miss and is a four-time ITA Scholar-Athlete recipient.

He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Societies and has earned the Eta Sigma Phi Award for Excellence in Latin twice.

On the tennis courts, ten Berge is a two-time All-America, an All-SEC performer and is captain of this year's Rebel squad. He was the ITA All-American Doubles Champion and a semi-finalist in the NCAA doubles championship last season. He has helped lead the Rebels to an SEC Championship, two NCAA Sweet Sixteens, an NCAA Elite Eight and the NCAA Final Four in 2005.

Ten Berge has been active in Special Olympics, organizing annual competitions in tennis, has participated in outreach programs to local elementary schools and planned, organized and participated in local canned food drives. He was also a member of Ole Miss' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for two years.

A member of Who's Who Among Students, ten Berge is the son of Lock and Jeanette ten Berge.

The McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award is being released to coincide with National Student-Athlete Day, which was created in 1987 by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS) and Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, and presented by the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

National Student-Athlete Day is held each April 6 to celebrate outstanding student-athletes who have achieved excellence in academics and athletics while having made significant contributions to the community. It is also a time to recognize those parents, teachers, coaches and school systems which make it possible for young people to find the balance between academics and athletics.

The 11 other male recipients are: Michael Jung, Tennis, Alabama; Blake Strode, Tennis, Arkansas; Glenn Northcutt, Golf, Auburn; Eugene Martin, Track & Field, Florida; Kit French, Swimming & Diving, Georgia; Tim Masthay, Football, Kentucky; Rabun Fox, Track & Field, LSU; Noah Goldman, Golf, Mississippi State; Jason Richardson, Track & Field, South Carolina; Greg Houchin, Swimming & Diving, Tennessee; Robert Whiting, Track & Field, Vanderbilt.

The 11 other female recipients are: Brittany Rogers, Softball, Alabama; Aurelija Miseviciute, Tennis, Arkansas; Allison Whitworth, Soccer, Auburn; Kelsey Bowers, Volleyball, Florida; Courtney Kupets, Gymnastics, Georgia; Jessica Ortman, Track & Field, Kentucky; Lauren Klein, Gymnastics, LSU; Rachel Kieckhaefer, Volleyball, Ole Miss; Sammie Jo Bailey, Softball, Mississippi State; Ashton Payne, Softball, South Carolina; Christina Wirth, Basketball, Vanderbilt.

The SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award was first presented in 1986. The honor was renamed the H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in May 1990 to honor the former commissioner who served the conference from 1972-86.

Past recipients include: 2008 - Joseph Sykora, Alabama (golf) and Kristen Hastrup, Auburn (swimming & diving); 2007 - Emeel Salem, Alabama (baseball) and Erika Schneble, Vanderbilt (track & field); 2006 - Rudy Niswanger, LSU (football) and Sarah Lowe, Florida (basketball); 2005 - Rob Robertson, Ole Miss (football) and Lauryn McCalley, Tennessee (diving); 2004 - Caesar Garcia, Auburn (swimming & diving) and Lauren Imwalle, Alabama (soccer); 2003 - Matt Bonner, Florida (basketball) and Kristin Sterner, Alabama (gymnastics); 2002 - Trey Dyson, South Carolina (baseball) and Tiffany Woolley, Arkansas (softball); 2001 - Scott Westerfield, Mississippi State (football) and Kim Black, Georgia (swimming); 2000 - Joey Pitts, Georgia (tennis) and Lisette Lee, LSU (golf); 1999 - Jeff Zurcher, Kentucky (football) and Jessica Field, Arkansas (volleyball); 1998 - Jeremy Jackson, Mississippi State (baseball) and Shani Abshier, South Carolina (volleyball); 1997 - Andrew DeVooght, Georgia (swimming) and Meredith Willard, Alabama (gymnastics); 1996 - Martin Nyberg, LSU (swimming) and Michelle Palmisano, Vanderbilt (basketball); 1995 - Michael Blanchard, LSU (football) and April Ecke, Mississippi State (cross country); 1994 - Peter Duitsman, South Carolina (soccer) and Tammy Newlon, Mississippi State (basketball); 1993 - Lang Wiseman, Tennessee (basketball) and Aimee York, Mississippi State (volleyball); 1992 - Jeff Laubenthal, Alabama (baseball) and Jenifer Kleyn, Auburn (volleyball); 1991 - Al Parker, Georgia (tennis) and Patty Wiegand, Tennessee (track and cross country); 1990 - Burke Masters, Mississippi State (baseball) and Janice Kerr, Florida (gymnastics); 1989 - Mikael Olander, LSU (track) and Deanne Burnett, Georgia (swimming); 1988 - Danny Hoskins, Ole Miss (football) and Linda Leith, Georgia (swimming); 1987 - Jeff Noblin, Ole Miss (football) and Julie Estin, Alabama (gymnastics); 1986 - John Young, Tennessee (track) and Virginia Diederich, Georgia (swimming).