O'Hara, Nesbit Nominated for McWhorter Scholarship

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Margaret O’Hara of the Arkansas gymnastics team and Jacob Nesbit of the Razorbacks’ 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 2022 recipients of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship in early May.

Highlights of Arkansas’ nominees include:

MAGGIE O’HARA, Arkansas, Gymnastics

Major: Exercise Science (Masters)

· WCGA Academic All-America, 2021

· 2022 AAI Award nominee, 2022

· Uneven Bars All-American (First Team), 2021

· First-ever Arkansas uneven bars regular season All-American (Second Team)

· NCAA championships qualifier, 2021

· SEC Co-Specialist of the Week (Jan. 15, 2021)

· Has competed in every meet in her two seasons at Arkansas with seven event titles, all on bars

· Helped create the athlete-driven GiveBack initiative, raising money for chosen causes during each month of the gymnastics competition season

· Holds a share of the program senior class record on bars, 9.950

· Holds the program regional and NCAA Championship bar records, both 9.925

JACOB NESBIT, Arkansas, Baseball

Major: Finance

(Currently pursuing his master’s in operations management)

· Three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection, 2019, 2020, 2021

· SEC Community Service Team, 2021

· SEC Freshman of the Week, Week 6, 2019

· Involved with Team IMPACT

· Helped organize Arkansas’ inaugural Childhood Cancer Awareness game, 2021

· Played in 123 games for his career, totaling six home runs and 65 RBI

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 Florida women’s swimming team member Savanna Faulconer and Jon Bishop of the Texas A&M men’s track & field and cross country team.