GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida women's swimmer
Savanna Faulconer and track and field athlete
Cole Johnson were named Florida's student-athlete nominees for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as announced by the Southeastern Conference Thursday.
The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year is an annual academic award for the top scholar-athlete in the SEC. Each respective conference institution nominates a male and female student-athlete, with the ultimate selection of the two winners being made by the Faculty Athletics Representative Selection Committee.
The final announcement of the McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year winners will be announced on May 18. Additionally, the remaining 26 nominees will each receive a $10,000 SEC Postgraduate Scholarship Award.
The nomination adds to a long list of academic and athletic achievements for Faulconer, a Greenville, S.C., native.
Faulconer, who majored in microbiology and cell science with a minor in educational sciences and pathogenesis, boasts a 3.93 grade-point average and is set to graduate with Cum Laude honors this spring.
The swimmer, who plans to attend medical school, currently serves as an intern with Shands Clinical Microbiology Lab and credits that experience as the reason for wanting to become a pathologist.
During her time at Florida, Faulconer was a four-time CSCAA First Team Scholastic All American and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll all four years she competed with the Gators (2017-2020).
She was ranked in the top 16 at nationals in the 400 IM and was awarded All-American status in 2020. Additionally, she was awarded the UF Swimming and Diving Most Valuable Player Award after she placed 19th in the 400 IM for the Gators at the 2017 NCAA National Championships.
Her fastest 400 IM time came at the 2019 SEC Championships, where she placed first in the B-final and ninth overall with a time of 4:06.59. That time ranks sixth on UF's All-time list.
In her final year with the Gators, Faulconer was team captain and helped lead UF to a second-place finish at the 2020 SEC Championships.
In addition to competing on UF's swim and dive team, Faulconer has been a swim instructor for Swim American Gainesville since 2018.
Johnson, who is also scheduled to graduate this spring, majored in chemistry with a specialization in biochemistry and boasts a GPA of 3.68.
A three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll honoree (2018, 2019 & 2020) Johnson spent a total of four seasons at Florida after transferring in 2018 from the University of California following his freshman year.
Johnson, who plans to attend medical school following his graduation from UF, completed 120 hours as an intern at UF Health Shands Hospital's trauma bay in 2019, where he worked closely with physicians, nurses and other critical care personnel. Additionally, he spent the summer in 2018 shadowing medical professionals at Winter Park Memorial Hospital in Orlando.
During his time at UF, Johnson also served as an influential member of various student committees and organizations on campus, where he worked to amplify the voices of his fellow student athletes.
Johnson was a member of UF's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) in 2019 and 2020, where he represented Gators student athletes in matters regarding administrative leadership. He also served as a member of UF's Black Student-Athletic Council helping enact change following the unsteady racial climate in 2020.
In addition to UF's Student Athlete Advisory Committee and Black Student-Athletic Council, Johnson has also served as the treasurer for UF's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee since 2018.
However, Johnson's passion to serve the community extended beyond campus.
In the fall of 2018, he participated in Climb for Cancer—UF's annual sports camp for kids battling cancer—where worked as a volunteer, modifying games and activities to ensure the safe participation of the kids while providing a fun experience.
A native of Orlando, Florida, Johnson was a member of the 2018 track and field SEC outdoors championship team and the 2019 runner-up Gators squad.
