2023 SEC Track and Field Community Service Team
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (June 1, 2023)-----The Southeastern Conference on Thursday announced the Community Service Team for the sports of men's and women's track and field and cross country. The conference names a Community Service Team for each of its 21 league-sponsored sports, looking to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to his or her community through superior service efforts.
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Collins helped serve the local Tuscaloosa community through a variety of routes during the |
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Conteh volunteered with Habitat for Humanity where she helped build houses for local members |
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Nelson totaled 22 hours of community service. He logged 15 hours at Leverett Elementary, working |
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Peoples' community service projects included Coach for Literacy, and Root Elementary Rocket Run |
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Bernard was a two-year letterwinner for the Tigers' track and field program and a three-time Auburn |
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Pacer has served locally in the Auburn-Opelika area as a four-year mentor and tutor at the Esperanza |
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Skyers has completed 16.5 hours of community service. He has volunteered eight hours with the Gators |
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Klingenberg completed 33.75 hours of community service and spent over 10 hours volunteering at the local |
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Cavanaugh volunteered at Chase Street Elementary's field day and played games with the kids, teaching |
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Marsh volunteered for 35 hours to Bigger Vision Community Shelter in Athens and she worked with a local |
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Jackson has completed 32 hours of community service within and around the Lexington community this |
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McCowan has completed 27 hours of community service this year helping at the University of Kentucky |
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Martingayle volunteers in public schools to assist elementary school students improve reading. He also |
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Davies' community service activities include: volunteering with the Walls Project, the Athletics annual BOOzar event, and participation in Tiger Life service socials. |
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Young's activities include: Adopt A Basket, through which the athletics department donated Thanksgiving baskets to families in need throughout the Lafayette-Oxford-University Community (LOU); collected over 1,300 items and completed 107 holiday baskets for the Adopt-a-Basket initiative; Feed The Sip, in which he helped collect and donate over 5,000 non-perishable food items the children in Tunica and Quitman counties; Jackson, MS Water Collection, in which he assisted in the Jackson, MS water crisis; Ole Miss Athletics collected water to families in need throughout the Jackson, MS area; collected over 5,000 bottles of water; Reading with the Rebels where he visited the local elementary schools in the L.O.U. areas to promote reading literacy and engage with students in the classrooms. |
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Eckford's activities include: Adopt A Basket, through which the athletics department donated Thanksgiving baskets to families in need throughout the Lafayette-Oxford-University Community (LOU); collected over 1,300 items and completed 107 holiday baskets for the Adopt-a-Basket initiative; Feed The Sip, helped collect and donate over 5,000 non-perishable food items the children in Tunica and Quitman counties; MS Tornado Relief, Helped collect over 6,000 non-perishable food items and hygiene products for the MS Tornado Relief project, in support of those recently affected by the tornado in the Mississippi Delta; Jackson, MS Water Collection, in which he assisted in the Jackson, MS water crisis; Ole Miss Athletics collected water to families in need throughout the Jackson, MS area; collected over 5,000 bottles of water. |
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Zelden's activities include the annual Trick or Treat with our Dawgs where Trent handed out Halloween candy to fans before the soccer game. |
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Lasley's activities include: Mississippi State University Service Dawgs Day (Cleaned up Trash at McKee Park) - The Partnership Morning Drop Off (Greet the students and provided them with encouragement and motivation when they arrived at school in the morning) - Jackson Water Drive (Helped transport bottles of water to campus to help support the water crisis in Jackson, MS) - Pink Dawg Walk (Mississippi State's walk for breast cancer awareness) - SOUP Flag Football Game (Attended the special Olympics flag football game to support the athletes) - The Partnership Morning Drop Off (Greet the students and provided them with encouragement and motivation when they arrived at school in the morning) - The Partnership Morning Drop Off (Greet the students and provided them with encouragement and motivation when they arrived at school in the morning) - The Boys and Girls Club (spent time with the kids in the aftercare program) - West Point Clay County Animal Shelter (Walked and helped bathe dogs). |
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Nachev has served with a wide variety of entities to help enhance both his hometown community in Yambol, Bulgaria, and his college community in Columbia, Mo. during the 2022-23 school year. The senior has repeatedly volunteered as a coach with his hometown track club, encouraging youth sports participation. Nachev also assisted with a Halloween celebration for kids in Columbia, passing out treats to members of the community. The triple jumper took an active role with Special Olympics Missouri, participating in the organization's bowling night. Finally, Nachev has assisted the local food bank in Missouri by packaging and sorting items for those in need. |
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Reed, a Missouri senior, has participated in over 120 hours of community service this year. Reed has given her time to the Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center which provides equine therapy for people in Mid-Missouri with physical, mental and emotional disabilities. The senior has also assisted Special Olympics Missouri, volunteering repeatably at the organization's summer softball leagues. In March, Reed served during a read-a-thon at Gant Elementary School in Columbia. Finally, the senior has led youth sports in her collegiate city, volunteering as a coach for the Blue Thunder Track Club. |
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Gayle won the Gamecock Gala Leadership Award for her service to the community. She is a member of SAAC, the Leadership Academy, Black Business Student Association and Collegiate Curls. She is also a regular visitor to the Richland 2 School district and participant in the Gamecock Games. |
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In his fourth season with the Tennessee track & field program, Kameron Helmlinger has made a conscious effort to give back to the Knoxville community during his senior year. The Mechanicsville, Virginia, native volunteered during PE classes at Lonsdale Elementary School last fall, sharing the importance of an active lifestyle with local youth. He also assisted at UT's annual Community Holiday Meal in November. This spring, he has dedicated time to serving the kids ministry at Sevier Heights Baptist Church. |
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A member of the Tennessee track & field and cross country programs since the fall of 2020, Knoxville native Callie Tucker has logged more than 200 hours of community service during her time as a Lady Volunteer. The bulk of her service work has taken place at East Tennessee Children's Hospital, volunteering weekly, working the information desk and engaging in activities and games with patients to help pass the time. She has also volunteered time at the Community Holiday Meal and Kickball with Curt and Friends. A four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, Tucker was a member of the 2022-23 VOLeaders Academy cohort that is set to travel to the Philippines this summer for a cultural immersion service trip. |
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Johnson II is heavily involved in multiple extracurricular activities including The B.L.U.E.print (Black Leaders who Undertake Excellence), SAAC and Aggies CAN. A "Maroon Coat" for the Texas A&M Foundation, Johnson demonstrates exceptional character and leadership on and off the track. He also serves as a member of "The 12," which is the leadership group of the track & field team. Johnson serves as a Student Ambassador for the 12th Man Foundation. He served as director of Traditions Night, which introduces freshman student-athletes to Texas A&M's unique traditions. As a volunteer deputy registrar, Johnson successfully registered over 300 Texas A&M students to vote. He also traveled with the "Aggies for Haiti" mission trip where he helped build homes for local citizens and coordinated sports competitions for local youth. |
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Abell currently serves as the President of SAAC and was on the executive board in 2021-22. Other leadership roles she has served in is on the 12th Man Foundation Collegiate Council, "The 12" the track & field leadership group, Freshman Aggies Spreading Tradition (FAST), FCA and assistant coordinator for student-athlete experience in the athletic department. |
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Blair was the co-organizer of the National Girls and Women in Sports Day event with the Vanderbilt University Athletics Department. Other activities include: NIL Competition: Shift Group volunteer; volunteered at the Jones Paideia Holiday Party; volunteered at the Vanderbilt University Athletics Summer Internship Fair; volunteered with Soles4Souls; and volunteered at the Vanderbilt Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Internship Fair Sign Up. |