Ellis-Watson, Pisechko Nominated For Award
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Arkansas has nominated Andrew Pisechko from the Razorback men’s track and field team and Taylor Ellis-Watson from the women’s track and field team for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship, announced by the Southeastern Conference Friday morning.
Originating in 1986, the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholarship is presented to the top male and female scholar-athletes of the Southeastern Conference.
Past Arkansas winners include: Jessica Field (volleyball) in 1999, Tiffany Woolley (softball) in 2002 and Nathanael Franks (track and field) in 2015. A former decathlon All-American and Rhodes Scholarship finalist, Franks became the first male Razorback student-athlete to receive the award.
The 2016 H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients will be named by the Southeastern Conference April 28.
Highlights of Arkansas’ nominees include:
Andrew Pisechko, Men’s Track, Arkansas
• Two-time Second Team Academic All-American
• NCAA Elite 89 Award (2014)
• Red Tie Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2014)
• Three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree
• Three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection
• SEC First-Year Academic Team Cross Country
• Indoor First Team All-American (DMR) (2014)
• Top-Eight finish in the 800-meter at the 2016 SEC Indoor Championships
• Top-Five Finish in the DMR at the 2015 SEC Indoor Championships
• Top-Eight Finish in the DMR at the 2014 NCAA D1 Indoor Championships
• Top-Eight Finish in the DMR at the 2014 SEC Indoor Championships
• Earned bachelor’s degree in accounting with University Honors and graduated summa cum laude (4.00 GPA)
• Pursuing master’s degree in accounting with expected graduation in spring of 2016
Taylor Ellis-Watson, Women’s Track, Arkansas
• SEC Indoor Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2016)
• Two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree
• Two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection
• Women’s track and field team captain (2015-16)
• Nine-time USTFCCCA First Team All-American
• Four-time NCAA indoor national runner-up (400, 4×400)
• Three-time SEC champion
• Four-time All-SEC selection
• Ranked second in school history in indoor and outdoor 400 and 200 dash
• Earned bachelor’s degree in psychology, graduating with honors
• Pursuing master’s degree in clinical and mental health counseling with expected graduation 2018
• Cumulative GPA 4.00
Recipients of the award are provided with a $15,000 post-graduate scholarship courtesy of the SEC and conference official sponsor AT&T. The 26 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive funding toward continued education in the form of a $7,500 post-graduate scholarship.
A committee comprised of Faculty Athletics Representatives from the 14 SEC institutions will select the scholarship recipients, who will then be honored at the SEC Spring Meetings in Sandestin, Florida in early June.
For more information on Arkansas track and field including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.
