Photo: Georgia Sports Communications
University of Georgia cross country and track and field team member Samantha Drop and golfer Davis Thompson have been named recipients of the 2020-21 Joel Eaves Scholar-Athlete Award.
The award is presented to the male and female student-athletes with the highest grade point average upon entering the fall semester of his or her senior year, based on academic hour rather than eligibility. Additionally, a student-athlete must have earned at least two varsity letters to be eligible for the award.
Drop is a senior in cross country and a junior in both indoor and outdoor track while Thompson is a junior on the Bulldog golf team.
Eaves was the Director of Athletics at UGA from 1963 to 1979, and the award was established with the aim of acknowledging the contributions he made during his tenure while also highlighting the academic achievements of current student-athletes.
(Photo by John Weast) Pebble Beach, Calif.
Drop, a native of Durham, Conn., is a Nutritional Sciences major and has been a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District Team selection. The five-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Individual has earned the track and cross program’s Scholar-Athlete Award three times. Drop was a 2017 All-American in cross country after winning that season’s NCAA South Region title. The two-time All-Region performer in cross is also a four-time Southeastern Conference scorer on the track.
Thompson, a native of Auburn, Ala., was a 2020 First-Team All-American and First-Team All-SEC pick and he was named to the All-Southeast Region Team. He was chosen to compete for the United States’ Arnold Palmer Cup Team in December. Thompson has won twice collegiately. He has appeared in two PGA Tour events and will be playing this week in the U.S. Open. Thompson was a 2020 Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar and was named to the Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll. He been named a 2020-21 recipient of the Ramsey Scholarship for Academic & Athletic Excellence.
While there will not be any on the field recognitions this season, Drop and Thompson will have a video recognition at one of the Bulldogs’ 2020 home games.