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Patching, Cooper Nominated for SEC's McWhorter Award

Joe Patching of the Auburn men’s swimming and diving team and Kasey Cooper of the Tiger softball team have been nominated for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship by the Auburn University.

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 2017 recipients of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship on April 27.

Highlights of Auburn’s nominees include:

Joe Patching, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Auburn
Major: Business

• Will earn his Bachelor’s degree from the College of Business in May 2017
• Dean’s List Fall 2014, Spring 2016 & Fall 2016
• Regions Bank Scholarship
• Chi Alpha Sigma Athletic Honors Society
• Financial Management Association Honors Society
• Auburn record holder in the 200- and the 400-yard IMs
• Owns 8 of the top 10 200-yard IM performances in school history
• Owns 6 of the top 10 400-yard IM performances in school history
• Was a part of the Auburn record-setting 800-yard free relay at the 2017 NCAA Championships
• Third-fastest performer in school history in the 100- and 200-yard backstrokes
• Fourth-fastest performer in school history in the 200-yard freestyle
• Earned five All-America honors in 2017 to finish his career with 16 total
• Finished career with 51 dual meet individual victories, with 17 of in senior season
• Two-time SEC Community Service Team honoree

Kasey Cooper, Softball, Auburn
Major: Mechanical Engineering

• Expected to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Mechanical Engineering
• Samuel Ginn College of Engineering Dean’s List (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
• NCAA Elite 90 Award Recipient
• CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team
• SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2016)
• SEC Academic Honor Roll
• United States Women’s National Team member (2016, 2017)
• espnW National Player of the Year (2016)
• NFCA First Team All-America
• SEC Player of the Year (2016)
• All-SEC First Team (2015, 2016)
• Second player in SEC history to achieve 250 hits and 250 RBI in a career
• USA Softball Top 50 Watch List (2016, 2017)
• Holds Auburn career records in home runs, RBI, on-base percentage and slugging percentage

Each year, the SEC, in conjunction with AT&T, an SEC official sponsor, provides the league’s male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients with a $15,000 post-graduate scholarship.