2019 Auburn grad Bailey Nero was announced as a finalist for the McWhorter postgrad scholarship, which is presented each year to the SEC’s top male and female student-athletes. Nero is one of two swimmers thus far that have been announced as finalist as in-state rival Zane Waddell was the Alabama’s male finalist.
Nero finished competing for the Tigers in 2019 and graduated in December with a degree in biochemistry. She was a four-time All-American at Auburn and was a finalist at SECs in the 200 & 400 IM. She is ranked fourth on Auburn’s all-time list in both IM’s. In her final NCAAs, she was 10th in the 200 IM (1:55.40), 22nd in the 200 fly (1:56.05) and 23rd in the 100 fly (52.18).
Bailey Nero conducted biochemistry research synthesizing peptides with Dr. Monika Raj in Auburn’s COSAM, while also tutoring second graders at Dean Road Elementary School in Auburn.
Auburn also named baseball pitcher Blake Schilleci as its male finalist for the McWhorter Award.
The SEC provides the league’s male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients with a $20,000 post-graduate scholarship. The 26 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship.
The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Postgraduate Scholarship has been presented annually since 1986 to the SEC’s top male and female scholar-athletes. The conference’s 14 member institutions will release their nominations over the next two weeks, and the recipient will be named in late May. Past swimming recipients include Anton McKee (Alabama, 2017), Sarah Gibson (Texas A&M, 2017), Maddie Locus (Georgia, 2015), Shannon Vreeland (Georgia, 2014), Wendy Trott (Georgia, 2012), Dan Mazzaferro (Auburn, 2011), Erica Meissner (Auburn, 2011), Jordan Anderson (Auburn, 2010) and Christine Magnuson (Tennessee, 2009).
