Maggie Cropp and Natalie Shiver Awarded SoCon Postgraduate Scholarships
4/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | General, Academics
MACON, Ga. – Mercer University seniors Maggie Cropp and Natalie Shiver have been selected as recipients of postgraduate scholarships, as announced by the Southern Conference office.
The Southern Conference annually awards 10 postgraduate scholarships, worth $2,000 each, to student-athletes about to receive their undergraduate degrees who intend to pursue advanced degrees in graduate or professional school. Mercer is one of just two schools with two student-athletes chosen to receive scholarships this year. Cropp is one of three women's soccer players to be awarded a scholarship, while Shiver is one of two softball players chosen by the conference.
"We are extremely proud of Maggie and Natalie for their accomplishments on and off the field," said Director of Athletics Jim Cole. "They exemplify the qualities we expect from all our student-athletes. Maggie and Natalie have represented Mercer well over the past four years and we wish them well in their future endeavors."
Cropp has received the Mike Wood Graduate Scholarship and Shiver is the recipient of the Bob McCloskey Insurance Graduate Scholarship. Cropp and Shiver were two of 10 student-athletes chosen by a five-person committee of league administrators based upon accomplishments in academics, athletics and community service.
Cropp led the Mercer women's soccer team to back-to-back appearances in the SoCon Tournament Championship game and helped the Bears secure an NCAA Tournament bid in 2014. In 2015, Cropp was named to the SoCon All-Conference Second Team and the All-Tournament Team. She was also a 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team selection and a 2014 NSCAA Scholar All-Region Third Team honoree. At the end of her career, she is Mercer's career record holder in goals-against average (0.82), shutouts (20) and wins (40), while ranking third in total saves (309).
Shiver was named to the 2015 Capital One Academic All-America Second Team as well as the Academic All-District First Team and is a double major in sports business and finance. Additionally, she has been recognized as the SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week three times in the past two years. She helped lead the Bears to back-to-back Atlantic Sun and SoCon Tournament Championship appearances in the past two years and ranks among this season's team leaders in batting average (.325), home runs (six), runs batted in (31) and on-base percentage (.420).
Cropp and Shiver will be honored at the SoCon's annual Honors Dinner on June 1 in Hilton Head, S.C. The Honors Dinner is attended by presidents, chancellors, athletic administrators, coaches and corporate sponsors of the Southern Conference.
