SEC names Arkansas nominees for McWhorter Award

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (April 11, 2023) – Abigail Archibong of the Arkansas volleyball team and Zack Morris of the Razorback baseball squad have been nominated for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship by the University of Arkansas.

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 2023 recipients of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship on May 2.

Highlights of Arkansas’ nominees include:

ATHLETE	SPORT	MAJOR
Abigail Archibong	Volleyball	Occupational Therapy (Doctorate)
SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll, 2022 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Nominee, 2022 SEC Community Service Team honoree, 2022 Completed the first two years of her Occupational Therapy Doctorate program while playing as a starter for the Hogs as a graduate transfer Founding member of Razorback Black Leadership Athletic Committee (BLAC), a group for Black student-athletes on campus dedicated to offering education, service and fellowship to the athletic department and university as a whole Started in all but four matches in 2022, had 90 total blocks and 1.02 blocks per set, second-best on the team and just the second Hog since 2016 to put up over a block per set in a season Helped lead Arkansas’ back to its first NCAA Tournament in nine years in 2022, and had a team-high six blocks over the Hogs’ two tournament matches Had a new career single season high in solo blocks with 10 in 2022 Was one of just three Hogs to play in every set and match of the 2021 season, and set career season highs in her first year at Arkansas in kills (122), attempts (357), aces (two), digs (43), block assists (96) and total blocks (99)

ATHLETE	SPORT	MAJOR
Zack Morris, Arkansas	Baseball	Exercise Science
SEC Academic Honor Roll member, 2021, 2022  Carries a 3.372 GPA in Exercise Science Partnered with Fayetteville Youth Baseball through ONE Arkansas NIL to help celebrate the unveiling of new baseball fields at Kessler Mountain Regional Park in Fayetteville, Ark. Member of a Razorback pitching staff that set a new school record with 674 strikeouts in 2022 Helped lead Arkansas to its 11th College World Series appearance in 2022 Member of the 2021 Arkansas team that claimed its first SEC overall title since 2004 and its first outright SEC crown since 1999 Made 22 appearances in 2022, including two starts, on the mound Posted a 6-1 record with a 2.31 ERA and one save in 35.0 innings in 2022, totaling 26 strikeouts and limiting opposing hitters to a .230 batting average

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 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 announced in May, as well as honored by the league membership at SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Fla.

Last year’s McWhorter Award recipients were Mississippi State football student-athlete Austin Williams and Lisa Gunnarsson of the LSU women’s track & field team.