University of North Carolina Athletics
Four Tar Heels Earn Weaver-James-Corrigan Recognition
February 19, 2008 | General
Feb. 19, 2008
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Four North Carolina student-athletes are among 40 standouts recognized Tuesday by the Atlantic Coast Conference with postgraduate scholarships and awards. Tar Heels Ariel Harris (women's soccer), Tyra Johnson (track and field) and Heather Kendell (field hockey) have been selected for Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarships and Rachel Dawson (field hockey) has been selected for a Weaver-James-Corrigan Honorary Award.
All four UNC honorees have won NCAA Championships during their Carolina careers, Harris with women's soccer in 2006, Dawson and Kendell with field hockey in 2007 and Johnson as part of UNC's indoor distance medley relay team that set an American record in 2007. All four also have been named to the Dean's List and ACC Academic Honor Roll while at UNC.
The Weaver-James-Corrigan and Jim and Pat Thacker scholarships are awarded to 40 outstanding student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate-level degree following college graduation. Each recipient receives $5,000 to use toward his or her graduate education. Student-athletes receiving the scholarship have performed with distinction in both the classroom and in their respective sports while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
In addition to those receiving scholarship funds, six student-athletes have earned Weaver-James-Corrigan Honorary Awards. These students are recognized for their outstanding performance in both athletic competition and the classroom throughout their collegiate careers and intend to compete at the Olympic or professional level.
Harris, from Holly Springs, N.C., was a four-year starter on defense for UNC, playing for the 2006 NCAA Championship team and three ACC Championship teams. A biology major, she served as the squad's Academic Team Captain, acting as a liaison between her team and the Academic Support Program.
Johnson, from Henderson, N.C., earned All-America honors for her role in the 2007 DMR national championship. A two-year team captain and sociology major, she is a two-time recipient of the Carolina Leadership Academy's Three-Dimensional Leader award, the highest honor bestowed by the CLA. She has received the Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete Award as well as UNC's John Lotz Award, given to a student-athlete who succeeds under adverse circumstances.
Kendell, from Chapel Hill, played a key role in the Tar Heels' undefeated 2007 season and on two ACC Championship teams. The day after the NCAA title game, she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa national honorary society, and she graduated with distinction in December 2007 with a double major in biology and exercise & sport science. A member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and two-time recipient of the Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete Award, she has been named to the All-ACC Academic Field Hockey Team and the NFHCA National Academic Squad. She was a 2007 CoSIDA Academic All-District second-team honoree.
Dawson, from Berlin, N.J., was the recipient of the Honda Award as the 2007 National Player of the Year for field hockey and also was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP. She graduated with distinction in December with a degree in business. A recipient of the Carolina Leadership Academy's Three-Dimensional Leader Award, she has been named to the All-ACC Academic Field Hockey Team and the NFHCA National Academic Squad. She plans to continue her athletic career as a member of the U.S. National Team.
The Weaver-James-Corrigan award is named in honor of the late Jim Weaver and Bob James as well as Gene Corrigan, all former ACC commissioners. The league's first commissioner, James H. Weaver, served the conference from 1954 to 1970 after a stint as the Director of Athletics at Wake Forest University. His early leadership and uncompromising integrity are largely responsible for the excellent reputation enjoyed by the ACC today.
Robert C. James, a former University of Maryland football player, was named commissioner in 1971 and served for 16 years. During his tenure, the league continued to grow in stature and became recognized as a national leader in athletics and academics, winning 23 national championships and maintaining standards of excellence in the classroom.
Eugene F. Corrigan assumed his role as the third full-time commissioner on September 1, 1987, and served until August of 1997. During Corrigan's tenure, ACC schools captured 30 NCAA championships and two national football titles.
Prior to 1994, the Weaver-James postgraduate scholarships were given as separate honors. The Jim Weaver award, which originated in 1970, recognized exceptional achievement on the playing field and in the classroom, while the Bob James award, established in 1987, also honored outstanding student-athletes.
The Thacker award, which originated in 2005, is awarded in honor of the late Jim and Pat Thacker of Charlotte, N.C. Jim Thacker was the primary play-by-play announcer for the ACC's first television network. Recipients of the award must demonstrate outstanding performance both in athletic competition and in the classroom and intend to further their education through post-graduate studies at an ACC institution.
The student-athletes will be honored April 16 in Greensboro at a luncheon hosted by the Nat Greene Kiwanis Club at the Koury Convention Center.
Weaver-James-Corrigan Award recipients for 2007-08 are: Boston College - Abigail Hasebroock (volleyball), Kia McNeill (soccer), Caitlyn Young (field hockey); Clemson - Cliff Hammonds (basketball), Elizabeth Jobe (soccer); Duke - Patrick Bailey (football), Alexis Hausfeld (volleyball); Florida State - Kandia Batchelor (track & field), Whitney Brummett (golf), Abbie King (swimming & diving); Georgia Tech - David Herren (track & field, cross country), Kristi Miller (tennis), Taylor Narewski (track & field); Maryland - Oluwatoni Aluko (track & field), Beth Gillming (volleyball), Gretchen Kittelberger (gymnastics); Miami - Jonathan Stratton (basketball); North Carolina - Ariel Harris (soccer), Tyra Johnson (track & field), Heather Kendell (field hockey); NC State - Chris Kollar (cross country), Luke Lathan (football); Virginia - Mary Eddy (rowing), Sarah Kirkwood (volleyball), Rebecca Sauerbrunn (soccer); Virginia Tech - Jennifer Albrecht (volleyball), Jessica Botzum (swimming & diving), Mary Elizabeth Newton (soccer); Wake Forest - Caitlin Chrisman (track & field), Ben Hunter (baseball), Julian Valentin (soccer).
Jim and Pat Thacker Award Recipients are: Clemson - Meghan Steiner (volleyball); Duke - Anthony McDevitt (lacrosse); NC State - John Crews (cross country).
Weaver-James-Corrigan Honorary Award recipients are: Duke - Jennifer Pandolfi (golf); Maryland - Crystal Langhorne (basketball); North Carolina - Rachel Dawson (field hockey); NC State - Stephen Hauschka (football); Virginia - Michael Thomas Santi, Jr. (football); Virginia Tech - Angela Tincher (softball).
Players Mentioned
