From Emory University Athletics
Emory University seniors Kylie McKenzie, Sadie
Nennig, Matt O'Brien and Jake Stephens of the
Swimming and Diving team and Morgan Monroe of the Indoor
Track and Field team were each named recipients of the prestigious
NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship for their outstanding athletic,
academic and volunteer achievements during their collegiate
careers.
The five will receive a one-time $7,500 scholarship, to be used for
postgraduate study within three years. Emory has now been
awarded 89 postgraduate scholarships over the school's history, and
its 72 since 2000 are more than any other NCAA institution except
Stanford University.
McKenzie (Newtown, PA / Pennsbury) is a six-time all-American
during her career, including all-America honors this season with a
sixth-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke and an eighth-place
finish in the 100-yard breaststroke, in addition to an all-America
honorable mention (12th-place) finish in the 200-yard
individual medley at the NCAA Championships. Kylie has
recorded a 3.57 cumulative grade point average as a Biology major
with a minor in Predictive Health and Anthropology, and has been an
active member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, as well as
the supervisor of the Healthy Eating Partner Program.
Nennig (Grafton, WI / Grafton) claimed four National Championships
during her career, including an individual title in the 200-yard
backstroke in 2012. She finished her career with 17
all-America honors, the third-most in the program's history,
including all-America certificates in the 200-yard individual
medley (3rd) and the 200-yard backstroke
(5th) at the 2014 NCAA Championships. In addition,
she is one of just five swimmers in the program's history to earn
all-America honors in multiple events (the 200-yard backstroke and
200-yard individual medley) four-consecutive years. As a
Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology major, Sadie has a 3.417 grade
point average, and she has worked extensively with the Special
Olympics program.
O'Brien (Naperville, IL / Naperville Central) has a 3.886
cumulative grade point average during his time as a Business and
Political Science dual major at Emory. For his academic
efforts, he has been selected to the Dean's List on four occasions,
has been named a CSCAA Scholar All-American twice, and has been
awarded the Goizueta Bank of America Scholarship. His
community service record includes work with both the Special
Olympics and the Marcus Autism Center, while also serving as an
Emory tour guide. In the pool, Matt earned all-America honors
with an eighth-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly in 2012, and
is a two-time all-America Honorable Mention. He also earned
all-UAA honors with a second-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly
at this year's conference meet.
Stephens (Stone Mountain, GA / Marist) recently claimed his first
career National Championship, swimming a leg on the Eagles' winning
200-yard medley relay team at the 2014 NCAA Division III
Championships. He added an all-America finish with a
second-place showing in the 200-yard freestyle relay, and
all-America honorable mentions in both the 800-yard freestyle relay
and 400-yard freestyle relay at this year's NCAA meet. Jake
has a 3.49 grade point average as a Political Science major with a
minor in History, and has earned CSCAA Scholar All-America honors
during his career.
The Emory's Swimming and Diving team has now seen 42 of its members
win the scholarship, including 25 winners over the last seven
years. Since 2000, the Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving
programs have garnered 38 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships.
Monroe (Bridgewater, NJ / Bridgewater-Raritan Regional) will end
her collegiate career as one of the top hurdlers in the program's
history. She earned all-America honors in the 60-meter
hurdles at the 2014 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field
Championships, setting a school record with a time of 8.79 seconds
at the meet. She was the 2014 UAA Champion in the 55-meter
hurdles, and earned an additional all-UAA honor with a second-place
finish in the 55-meter dash. Including her efforts in her
outdoor campaigns, Morgan is a four-time UAA Champion and an
11-time all-UAA honoree. She has a 3.79 cumulative grade
point average as a French and Sociology dual major, and recently
completed her honors thesis.
Monroe is the first member of the Emory Women's Track and Field
team to win the honor since Emily Watts in 2005 and the ninth team
member (men and women) to win the honor overall.
This season's NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients (29 men and
29 women) represent fall-sports participants from all NCAA
divisions (I, II & III), who will receive one-time,
nonrenewable grants of $7,500. Fall sports sponsored by the
NCAA include men's and women's basketball, men's and women's
fencing, men's and women's gymnastics, men's and women's ice
hockey, men's and women's rifle, men's and women's skiing, men's
and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's indoor track and
field, men's wrestling and women's bowling.
The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel
academically and athletically and who are in their final year of
intercollegiate athletics competition. The Association awards up to
174 postgraduate scholarships annually, 87 for men and 87 for
women.
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote
and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the Association's
most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in
NCAA championship and/or emerging sports.