GREENSBORO, N.C. – University of Virginia student-athletes Eden Bigham (softball) and Griffin Schutz (men’s lacrosse) have been named recipients of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s prestigious Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarship, while Matthew Hunter and Ella Bathurst (women’s swimming & diving) have been tabbed ACC Excellence Award List honorees, the conference office announced Wednesday (Feb. 26).
The Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford postgraduate scholarships are 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. Those honored have performed with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community and were approved by the league’s Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs) at the ACC Winter Meetings.
Including Bigham and Schutz, a total of 59 ACC student-athletes were named recipients of the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarship, while Hunter and Bathurst were two of 28 student-athletes named to the league’s Excellence Award List.
“This year’s class of ACC Postgraduate Scholarship recipients showcases the best of collegiate athletics,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “The student-athletes in the ACC consistently excel in both academics and athletics, as demonstrated by this remarkable group of nearly 60 individuals. Their dedication and commitment to excellence in competition and in the classroom is truly impressive. The future is extremely bright for these outstanding student-athletes, and we are excited to continue supporting them.”
A two-time NFCA All-Region selection and two-time All-ACC selection, Bigham has been a force in the circle for Virginia’s softball team. In only two years, she began writing her name in the record books as she currently ranks in UVA’s top 10 in career strikeouts, shutouts and saves. In her second season, she helped lead the Cavaliers to the program’s second NCAA Tournament bid in program history and the Hoos advanced to the Regional Championship game for the first time in program history. Heading into her junior campaign, she was tabbed as one of the top 50 players in the nation by both Softball America and D1Softball. Bigham is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree in Cognitive Sciences.
Schutz, a senior midfielder…