University of North Carolina Athletics
Four Tar Heels Earn 2024 Postgraduate Recognition From ACC
February 26, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Men's Soccer, Women's Tennis, Academics
Two Tar Heels have earned 2024 Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarship Awards, and an additional two received 2024 ACC Excellence Awards, as announced on Monday by the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Ahmad Al-Qaq (men's soccer), Reilly Tran (women's tennis), Fiona Crawley (women's tennis), and RJ Davis (men's basketball) are among the ACC's 51 honorees.
Al-Qaq and Tran are among the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholars, awarded to selected student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate degree after completing their undergraduate requirements.
Each recipient will receive $9,000 toward his or her graduate education, an increase from $6,000 in previous years following a vote of the league's Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs). Al-Qaq and Tran were honored for performing with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
Crawley and Davis are two of 26 to receive the 2024 ACC Excellence Award (formerly called Honorary Scholarship nominees), given to those who plan to pursue professional careers in their chosen sport or career field of study.
Al-Qaq, a midfielder on the men's soccer team, is majoring in neuroscience with minors in Arabic and chemistry.
Tran, who competes in both singles and doubles for the women's tennis team, is a neuroscience major.
Crawley also competes in singles and doubles for the women's tennis program and is a double major in English and comparative literature.
Davis, a guard for the men's basketball team, majors in sports science/sports administration with a minor in history.
Student-athletes nominated for the ACC Excellence Award are also eligible for the ACC Postgraduate Scholarship.
The ACC has selected postgraduate scholarship recipients annually since 1971. Over that time, the league has provided nearly $4.7 million to more than 1,000 ACC student-athletes.
This year's class of postgraduate scholarship recipients will be highlighted in a one-hour show on ACC Network that will air in May.
About the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Award
The Weaver-James-Corrigan Award is named in honor of the late Jim Weaver, Bob James, and Gene Corrigan, the first three ACC commissioners. The league's first commissioner, James H. Weaver, served the conference from 1954-70 after a stint as the Director of Athletics at Wake Forest. His early leadership and uncompromising integrity are largely responsible for the excellent reputation enjoyed by the ACC today.
Robert C. James, a former Maryland football player, was named commissioner in 1971 and served in that capacity 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.
John Swofford was named the fourth commissioner of the ACC on July 1, 1997, and served until June 2021. He was instrumental in starting the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and the launch of the ACC Network. ACC programs won 92 national titles in 19 sports while he was commissioner.
Before 1994, the Weaver-James postgraduate scholarships were awarded as separate honors, including the Jim Weaver Award, the Marie James Award, and the Bob James Award.
About the ACC Excellence Award
The ACC Excellence Award recognizes outstanding graduates from our ACC member institutions. The goal of the award is to highlight the students embodying the student-athlete ideal. The brand of the ACC is our strong history of providing world-class education and competition. The awardees are exemplary students, athletes, and contributors to the community and society and serve as an example to their fellow students.
Ahmad Al-Qaq (men's soccer), Reilly Tran (women's tennis), Fiona Crawley (women's tennis), and RJ Davis (men's basketball) are among the ACC's 51 honorees.
Al-Qaq and Tran are among the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholars, awarded to selected student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate degree after completing their undergraduate requirements.
Each recipient will receive $9,000 toward his or her graduate education, an increase from $6,000 in previous years following a vote of the league's Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs). Al-Qaq and Tran were honored for performing with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
Crawley and Davis are two of 26 to receive the 2024 ACC Excellence Award (formerly called Honorary Scholarship nominees), given to those who plan to pursue professional careers in their chosen sport or career field of study.
Al-Qaq, a midfielder on the men's soccer team, is majoring in neuroscience with minors in Arabic and chemistry.
Tran, who competes in both singles and doubles for the women's tennis team, is a neuroscience major.
Crawley also competes in singles and doubles for the women's tennis program and is a double major in English and comparative literature.
Davis, a guard for the men's basketball team, majors in sports science/sports administration with a minor in history.
Student-athletes nominated for the ACC Excellence Award are also eligible for the ACC Postgraduate Scholarship.
The ACC has selected postgraduate scholarship recipients annually since 1971. Over that time, the league has provided nearly $4.7 million to more than 1,000 ACC student-athletes.
This year's class of postgraduate scholarship recipients will be highlighted in a one-hour show on ACC Network that will air in May.
About the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Award
The Weaver-James-Corrigan Award is named in honor of the late Jim Weaver, Bob James, and Gene Corrigan, the first three ACC commissioners. The league's first commissioner, James H. Weaver, served the conference from 1954-70 after a stint as the Director of Athletics at Wake Forest. His early leadership and uncompromising integrity are largely responsible for the excellent reputation enjoyed by the ACC today.
Robert C. James, a former Maryland football player, was named commissioner in 1971 and served in that capacity 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.
John Swofford was named the fourth commissioner of the ACC on July 1, 1997, and served until June 2021. He was instrumental in starting the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and the launch of the ACC Network. ACC programs won 92 national titles in 19 sports while he was commissioner.
Before 1994, the Weaver-James postgraduate scholarships were awarded as separate honors, including the Jim Weaver Award, the Marie James Award, and the Bob James Award.
About the ACC Excellence Award
The ACC Excellence Award recognizes outstanding graduates from our ACC member institutions. The goal of the award is to highlight the students embodying the student-athlete ideal. The brand of the ACC is our strong history of providing world-class education and competition. The awardees are exemplary students, athletes, and contributors to the community and society and serve as an example to their fellow students.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Tennis
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