Weirth Receives NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Alex Weirth ('23) excelled on the golf course and in the classroom throughout his undergraduate years at Willamette University. He was frequently honored for his successes both on the field and in the classroom. The list of awards recently grew longer when he was chosen for an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. The award provides $10,000 toward graduate school tuition.

Weirth is the 14th Willamette student-athlete to be selected for an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship since 2005 and the second Bearcat to receive a Postgraduate Scholarship this year. Men's soccer player Abdul Ali ('23) received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship following the 2022 fall semester.

The NCAA provides up to 126 postgraduate scholarships each year. The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are in their final year of intercollegiate competition or have recently graduated. The one-time, non-renewable scholarships are awarded during each sports season (fall, winter, spring) men and women from all NCAA divisions to use toward accredited graduate programs.

Weirth graduated from Willamette this spring after receiving a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Environmental Science plus a Bachelor of Science degree in Data Science. He achieved a 3.95 cumulative grade point average and was named Academic All-District for the third consecutive season by the College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly College Sports Information Directors of America).

Soon, Weirth will be putting his NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship to use as he continues his studies at Willamette to work toward a master's degree in Data Science.

While competing for Willamette, Weirth received All-West Region honors in 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22. He contributed to Willamette winning the NWC Championship in each of the past three seasons and he competed at three straight NCAA Championship tournaments in 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23. This past spring, he provided the Bearcats with a scoring average of 1-over par 73.

He helped the Bearcats tie for 11th place at the NCAA Championship in 2020-21. In 2021-22, he contributed to Willamette tying for 19th place. In 2022-23, he helped the Bearcats finish 18th. No NCAA Championship was held in 2019-20 due to COVID-19.

Weirth was named First Team All-NWC in 2020-21 and 2021-22, and was chosen Second Team All-NWC in 2022-23. He earned four career individual tournament wins for the Bearcats. He has been a leader in the local chapter of the Sigma Chi fraternity, where he served as vice president.

Receiving an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was a big moment for Weirth this summer.

"First off, I was ecstatic when I received the email announcing I had gotten the scholarship," Weirth said. "I felt very honored to be selected for the scholarship and it was extremely rewarding to see all the hard work I put into school and athletics during my undergraduate degrees pay off (literally). I also felt very lucky to have such a great support system during my application process and especially throughout my college career; such a strong backing of teammates, friends, coaches, and professors made this scholarship and success as a student-athlete possible."

Once he has completed a master's degree in Data Science, he hopes to put his education to good use in the field of sports. "I hope it will help me achieve a dream career in sports analytics, specifically in performance analysis, or predictive analytics," Weirth explained. "Being able to apply my competitive nature, which the golf team has developed, to my future career would be a dream for me."

If his dream is achieved and Weirth is employed in sports analytics, it will be a great result to cap multiple years of studying and learning, both in the classroom and as a competitive golfer. The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship can help it come to fruition. Weirth is thankful for the many people who have contributed to his successes in the classroom and in athletics at Willamette, as well as those who helped him apply for the NCAA award.

"A significant factor helping me succeed as a student-athlete at Willamette was without a doubt the support team I had behind me," Weirth stated. "I could not have maintained such a high level of commitment to athletics alongside my education if it was not for my professors, teammates, and coach who all supported me for four years. I want to say thank you to Associate Athletics Director/SWA Leslie Shevlin for pushing me to apply for the scholarship and thank you to Professor Vincent Pham for helping me with all the details of a well-put-together essay for a very large application."

Weirth also has great memories of his years on the Willamette men's golf team. He was surrounded by a mix of experienced college golfers and newcomers throughout his career with the Bearcats. Each year, they were strong competitors in the NWC and the NCAA.

"Sharing amazing experiences with fellow teammates who have become my best friends meant the most to me during my time on the golf team," Weirth recalled. "My teammates and I have experienced a level of competition for four years that most other teams never see. Being a part of that team culture has taught me so much and developed me as a person. I am very thankful for the amazing athletic experiences I have had at Willamette alongside lifelong friends.

"Athletics, and specifically the golf team, have given me a tremendous amount of support and mentorship as a student-athlete," Weirth added. "When I first arrived as a freshman, I immediately met upperclassmen, which included Austin Davis ('22), Andrew Kibbee ('22, MBA '23), and Sam Hinton ('19), and others who became amazing friends to me and made me feel at home. Competing alongside teammates who supported me and pushed me to be my best self played a huge role in my success on the golf course and my life as a student. One person who had the greatest impact on my success as a student-athlete was without a doubt Head Coach Patrick Daugherty. Throughout my four years, he has given me immeasurable support and encouragement on and off the golf course, which allowed me to experience the best life as a college student and as a competitive golfer. His support, coaching, and friendship are the single most impactful element on my success at Willamette."