March 31, 2004

Birmingham, Ala. - Softball player Amber Curtis and track & field athlete Chris Steddum have been nominated by the University of South Carolina for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship.

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 2004 recipients of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship on April 6 in conjunction with National Student-Athlete Day.

Curtis, a senior from Tucson, Ariz., is majoring in Criminology. A four-year starter for the Lady Gamecocks at shortstop, Curtis was a second-team All-SEC selection in 2002 and named to the SEC All-Tournament Team in 2002. She has missed only two games in her collegiate career due to injury. Last season, she hit .299 and tied for the team lead in runs scored with 38. Her .949 fielding percentage last season was third among SEC shortstops. She hit .301 as a sophomore in 2002 and started all 61 games as a true freshman in 2001.

Academically, Curtis is a member of the President's List and Dean's List at South Carolina and a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. She is very active in community service, having volunteered at local elementary schools, summer camps and food drives. She is also a member of South Carolina's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Steddum, a senior from Houston, Texas, is majoring in Finance. As a pole vaulter, Steddum was the SEC Indoor Champion in 2002 and placed eighth at the NCAA Championships. Later that season, in the NCAA Outdoor Championships, he placed fourth. A second-place finisher in the SEC Indoors in 2003, Steddum currently holds the school record in both the indoor and outdoor pole vaults at South Carolina. In 2001, Steddum won the SEC Outdoor Championship.

Steddum is a member of the President's List and Dean's List at South Carolina and a three-year member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. He has volunteered his time with local youth at elementary schools and in athletic meets. Steddum has taken part in a local canned food drie and helped rebuilt a needy family home.

The SEC Office will be releasing each of its institution's nominees periodically until the April 6 winners are announced. The schedule is as follows:

Alabama - Lauren Imwalle, Soccer (female) / Brian Rohrer, Track & Field (male)

Arkansas - Jessica Johnson, Track & Field (female) / Nathan Price, Tennis (male)

Auburn - Becky Short, Swimming (female) / Caesar Garcia, Swimming (male)

Florida - Megan McMillan, Soccer (female) / Scott Schultz, Swimming (male)

Georgia - Corrie Drakulich, Track & Field (female) / Ryan Hybl, Golf (male)

Kentucky - Liz McCaslin, Volleyball (female) / Chris Austin, Soccer (male)

LSU - Devon Day, Golf (female) / Rodney Reed, Football (male)

Ole Miss - Tywanna Inmon, Basketball (female) / Chad Pilcher, Baseball & Football (male)

Miss. State - Kate Jaspers, Softball (female) / Brent Smith, Football (male)

South Carolina - Amber Curtis, Softball (female) / Chris Steddum, Track & Field (male)

Tennessee - April 1

Vanderbilt - April 2

National Student-Athlete Day 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.

Each year, the SEC, in conjunction with ALLTEL, an SEC Corporate Partner, provides the league's male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients with a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship. The 22 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $5,000 post-graduate scholarship. The award recipients are chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from the 12 SEC institutions and are honored at the SEC Spring Meetings in Sandestin, Fla. on June 3.

Last year's recipients were Florida basketball player Matt Bonner and Alabama gymnast Kristin Sterner.