Three Clemson Student-Athletes Awarded Postgraduate Scholarships

March 10, 2009

Clemson, SC – Clemson student-athletes Megan Bendik (rowing), Jimmy Maners (football) and Rachel Regone (swimming) have been named recipients of the Atlantic Coast Conference Weaver-James-Corrigan postgraduate scholarship. They were three of the 42 student-athletes honored in the announcement by Commissioner John Swofford on Tuesday.

Bendik was a member of the Varsity 8+ crew that advanced to the NCAA Rowing Championships for the first time in school history last season. The crew finished 14th in the nation, the highest final ranking for a Tiger crew. She was named second-team All-Region by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) in 2008. Bendik, a Health Science major, has twice been named a National Scholar Athlete by the CRCA. In addition, she is a three-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection, and was named to the All-ACC Academic team in 2008.

Maners was a two-year starter at punter for the Clemson football team. He finished his career with a 41.7 career punting average, the fourth-best average in Tiger history. He was a second-team All-ACC selection by Rivals.com in 2007 after starting all 13 games and finishing fourth in the ACC in punting (42.8). Maners was also the first Clemson football player to be inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. He is a three-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection, and was named to the All-ACC Academic team in 2007 and 2008. He was also the recipient of the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Scholar Athlete Award during Clemson’s trip to Jacksonville this year. Maners graduated in May 2008 with a degree in history, and is currently working on a second degree in philosophy.

Regone is a two-time ACC champion in the 200 free relay, and a three-time silver medalist in the 50 free. She was named a Strength and Conditioning All-American in 2008. Regone was also named a CCSCAA Academic All-American in 2008, and is a three-time Academic All-ACC selection. She currently holds a 4.0 GPA in Health Science and has plans to attend medical school in the future.

The student-athletes will be honored April 15, 2009, in Greensboro, N.C., at a luncheon hosted by the Nat Greene Kiwanis Club. The luncheon will be held at the Koury Convention Center.

The scholarships are given to selected student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate-level degree following graduation. Each recipient will receive $5,000 to use towards his or her graduate education. Student-athletes receiving the award have performed with distinction in both the classroom and in their respective sports, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.

The Weaver-James-Corrigan award is named in honor of the late Jim Weaver and Bob James as well as Gene Corrigan, all former ACC commissioners.