Spartanburg, S.C. – Two Western Carolina University student-athletes received post-graduate scholarships from the Southern Conference as the league announced its annual award winners on Wednesday. Catamount softball senior Taylor Waitley earned the David Knight Scholarship, while track and field/cross country senior Landey Green received the Ingles Presidential Scholarship.
This year's two scholarship recipients mark nine straight years that the Catamounts have had at least one honoree, and it's the third consecutive academic year that WCU has received multiple scholarship winners.
In addition to Waitley and Green, the league's other scholarship recipients include Richard Johnson Graduate Scholarship recipient, Kerrington Mariah Johnson (Wofford); Dave Hart Scholarship recipient, Brandon Maina (Wofford); Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship recipients, Lena Dykes (Mercer) and Colton Sessoms (UNC Greensboro); Dorothy Hicks Scholarship recipient, Brianna Cantrell (ETSU); William V. Moore Scholarship presented by McMillan Pazdan Smith recipient, Darcy Nicholls (Samford); and Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship recipients Fleming Dean (Samford) and Skylar Hilmer (Furman) joining WCU's Green and Waitley.
Each recipient was nominated by their respective school, and the Southern Conference Graduate Scholar Committee selected the winners. Each worth $2,000, the scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who intend to pursue advanced degrees in graduate or professional school. The student-athletes are evaluated on academics, athletics, and community service.
The SoCon's 2025-26 postgraduate award recipients will each be recognized as part of the SoCon's annual Spring Meetings at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Savannah, Ga.
Taylor Waitley closed her WCU career with a third College Sports Communicators All-District honor announced this week, becoming the first Catamount since associate head coach Madison Armstrong (2017-19). Waitley compiled a 4.00 cumulative GPA as a double major in biology with a pre-health concentration and a minor in chemistry and forensic sciences with a biology concentration.
The Catamount backstop has been named to the league's honor roll and received the SoCon Commissioner's Medal throughout her time in Cullowhee, while also receiving recognition on the chancellor's and dean's lists throughout her tenure at WCU.
In her playing career, Waitley appeared in 150 games with 136 starts, including 56 starts in 2026. She totaled 102 hits with a career-high 57 hits this spring. She finished her WCU career tied for sixth in school record books after throwing out 20 would-be base stealers, eighth in putouts (615), sixth in sacrifice bunts (17), tied for second in sacrifice flies (9), and tied for seventh in triples (3).
A product of Laurinburg, N.C., Waitley closed her career with an impressive stat line in 2026, registering 57 hits with seven doubles, three home runs, and a triple with 33 RBIs and scoring 38 runs, setting career benchmarks in each category. She also totaled a team-high eight sacrifice bunts, along with eight stolen bases. She had 13 multi-hit games, seven multi-RBI games, and seven games with two or more runs scored. Five of her multi-hit games came in league play against Samford and Mercer in two separate matchups and ETSU. Waitley also threw nine would-be base stealers out for WCU.
Waitley plans to attend Duke to pursue a master's in biomedical sciences beginning in the fall.
"Taylor Waitley is in a league of her own," said WCU head softball coach Jim Clift. "Taylor was one of our captains the last couple of years. Of the many leadership qualities she has, maybe the most important is how she led by example. While Taylor was our leader on the field as our catcher, she also led off the field, especially in the classroom. We are proud to hold Taylor as an example of what a Catamount softball player should be. Taylor is the gold standard!"
Landey Green becomes WCU's first Ingles Presidential Scholarship recipient following her outstanding effort in the classroom and in the community. Green established herself as a leader in the WCU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), as well as multiple other campus groups, balancing her time as a student-athlete while also volunteering with food banks, crisis ministries, and organizations supporting survivors of sex trafficking.
A native of Bristow, Va., Green compiled a 3.8 cumulative GPA while majoring in psychology during her time in Cullowhee. She competed in 22 career meets, including a run at the 2022 NCAA Cross Country Southeast regionals. She is the second Catamount track and field/cross country student-athlete to earn a post-graduate scholarship in as many years, joining last year's Dave Hart Scholarship recipient John Davis in the feat.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount volleyball & softball and WCU Athletics through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountSB,@CatamountVB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountsb, catamountvb), or go to www.CatamountSports.com.
Western Carolina's Southern Conference Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients:
2025-26: Taylor Waitley (Softball) – David Knight Scholarship / Landey Green (Cross Country/Track & Field) – Ingles Presidential Scholarship
2024-25: John Davis (Track & Field/Cross Country) – Dave Hart Scholarship / Kirsten Hahn (Women's Soccer) – Dorothy Hicks Scholarship
2023-24: Eden Punch (Volleyball) – Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship / Savannah Baldwin & Jeralynn Wells (Softball) – Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship
2022-23: Samantha Reele (Softball) – Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship
2021-22: Carter Unger (Women's Track & Field) – Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship / Clay Summers (Men's Cross Country/Track & Field) – Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship
2020-21: Victoria Solheim (Women's Track & Field) – William V. Moore Scholarship presented by McMillan Pazdan Smith
2019-20: Emily Zipay (Women's Soccer) – Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship
2018-19: Savanah Taranto (Women's Tennis) – Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship
2017-18: Kassandra Flores (Softball) – Sports Medicine Institute Scholarship presented by Spartanburg Regional Health System
2015-16: Taylor Sigmon (Softball) – Dorothy Hicks Scholarship
2014-15: Makensey Campbell (Women's Basketball) - William V. Moore Scholarship presented by McMillan Pazdan Smith
2014-15: Aleshia Reese (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field) – Southern Conference Presidential Scholarship
2014-15: K.P Hicks (Football) – Mike Wood Scholarship
2013-14: Brittany Gendron (Women's Soccer) – David Knight Scholarship
2013-14: Alex Abraham (Women's Basketball) – Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship
2012-13: Samantha Hodge (Women's Soccer) – William V. Moore Scholarship presented by McMillan Pazdan Smith
2009-10: David Gift (Men's Track & Field) – Bob McCloskey Insurance Scholarship
2005-06: Emily Pierce (Women's Soccer) – David Knight Scholarship
2004-05: Rans Brempong (Men's Basketball) – Mike Wood Foundation Scholarship
2003-04: Emre Atsur (Men's Basketball) – Mike Wood Foundation Scholarship
2003-04: Yoneko Allen (Women's Basketball) – Mike Wood Foundation Scholarship
1999-2000: Ramsey Herron (Volleyball) – Dorothy Hicks Scholarship
1995-96: Kristin Allen (Volleyball) – Dorothy Hicks Scholarship
1992-93: Susie Gardner (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field) – Dorothy Hicks Scholarship
