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June 2, 2022

SEC Track and Field Community Service Team Announced

By: SEC Staff
SECU (Twitter: @TheSECU)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — 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.

Gabe Serrano, Alabama

An All-SEC member of UA’s sprint corps, Gabe Serrano served as president of the Alabama Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and as such was instrumental in guiding the Crimson Tide’s community service efforts. A May 2022 graduate of the University, Serrano also gave his time to the Alberta Head Start program and read to children at Skyland Elementary School. Alexa Cruz, Alabama A member UA’s distance squad, Alexa Cruz served as a member of Alabama’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, helping guide the Crimson Tide’s community service efforts. A May 2022 graduate of the University, Cruz also gave his time to the Alberta Head Start program and teaching English as a second language.

Matthew Lewis-Banks, Arkansas

Matthew Lewis-Banks’ community service activities include: Special Olympics Razorback Games, Reading with Razorbacks and MLK Youth Day. He volunteered with Healthy Hogs, First Responder Goodie bags, STEM presentation and Grateful Razorbacks letter writing. Lewis-Banks also packed and delivered canned food to LifeSource, and part of Shop with the Razorbacks Money Donation.

Paris Peoples, Arkansas Paris Peoples was the recipient of 2021-22 Brad Davis SEC Community Service Award for the University of Arkansas. Her community service include: Special Olympics Razorback Games, Salute to Veterans, Shop with Razorbacks, MLK Hog Calls, and Stem Presentation. She also volunteered with Potters House, Fearless Food Fight at Bud Walton Arena, National Girls & Women in Sports Day. Peoples also collected and donated items to Peace at Home Family Shelter.

David Edmondson, Auburn

David Edmondson is the Auburn Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative for the men’s track and field team. He is a member of the Equity and Inclusion Auburn SAAC Sub-Committee and is an SEC Academic Honor Roll member. Edmondson is also part of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society.

Keira McCarrell, Auburn

Keira McCarrell is the Auburn Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) rep for the women’s track and field team. She is the chairperson for the Auburn Equity and Inclusion SAAC Sub-Committee. McCarrell was the Auburn Athletics PNC Achiever Award Winner and is a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient.

Caleb Foster, Florida

Caleb Foster’s community service activities include a visit to Shands Hospital. He has also been involved with Gators Tracks at Terwilliger Elementary and Irby Elementary and the Gators Tracks Wrapping Party and has assisted with Bread of the Mighty Food Bank.

Doneisha Anderson, Florida

Doneisha Anderson’s community service activities include Gators Tracks (Shell Elementary, Terwilliger Elementary, Irby Elementary), St. Augustine Catholic Church (homeless supply bag preparation and distribution), and welcome back at Littlewood Elementary, Norton Elementary, Terwilliger Elementary, and Williams Elementary. Anderson also visited patients at Shands Hospital.

Wesley John, Georgia

Wesley John will host a running camp in Oconee County this summer for 5th-12th grade students, giving back to the Oconee County Parks & Recreation Department that instilled his love for competition. He has served as youth group leader at Cornerstone Church of Athens, and he is Co-President of SAAC and helps head the professional development subcommittee by communicating opportunities to fellow student-athletes. John is part of the community service subcommittee of SAAC.

Titiana Marsh, Georgia

Titiana Marsh serves as a committee member on the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Committee. She wrote thank you letters to healthcare workers during the pandemic. She volunteers with litter clean-ups through the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and participated in the making for a book on video for pre-kindergarten students. Marsh also provided supplies for Athens area homeless shelter.

Dylan Allen, Kentucky

Dylan Allen has been involved with several organizations during his time at Kentucky. During the 2021-22 school year he has volunteered at Kentucky Horse Park, Dare to Care and the Special Olympics. For Dare to Care, he sorted food boxes for the homeless, directed runners for Kentucky Horse Park and volunteered to help with a Special Olympics bowling event. In previous years, he has worked as a blood donor screener for the American Red Cross, spent time with patients at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital, sorted food and packed boxes at the Dare to Care Food Bank, assisted with food service at the Salvation Army, and has volunteered as a transcriber of old documents for the Smithsonian Institution.

Rachel Boice, Kentucky

Rachel Boice designed and led a biology learning center and laboratory for Haitian students at the St. Francis School of Technology during the 2020-21 school year. She created learning stations and experiments for students from the third through the 13th grades, made PowerPoints and spreadsheets for the students, and led Zoom meetings to teach and monitor the progress of the labs. During the 2021-22 school year, Boice has volunteered to help at Liberty Elementary cross country practices, played games and did zoom calls with Kentucky Children’s Hospital patients and volunteered for a Special Olympics bowling event. She also has done activities with Kentucky Children’s Hospital, Lexington elementary schools, Active Women’s Health Initiative, Best Buddies of Lexington, Adopt-a-Family program and more.

Eric Edwards Jr., LSU

Eric Edwards, Jr., befriended local Baton Rouge elders including Mr. Tommie Gibson. He helped Mr. Gibson with daily chores around the house and assisted in runing errands around the Baton Rouge area and also frequently took him to and from doctor visits.

Hannah Carroll, LSU

Hannah Carroll volunteered her time at St. James Place Retirement Home as she played games with the residents, brought treats, and wrote back and forth as a pen pal. She helped run a candy drive for Halloween with the Emerge Center for Children With Autism. Carroll also wrote letters to military personnel and made cards to send to them during the holidays and served as a mentor and coach at Episcopal Middle School with the soccer team and coached the cross country team at St. Luke’s Episcopal.

Ben Savino, Ole Miss

Ben Savino was a key contributor to all community service efforts provided by Ole Miss Athletics. He helped collect and donate more than 5,000 non-perishable food items for the children of Tunica and Quitman counties via the Feed the ‘Sip initiative. He served alongside other athletes and department staff at the Adopt-a-Basket initiative, which annually donates Thanksgiving baskets to families in need throughout the Lafayette-Oxford-University community. Savino read alongside other Ole Miss student-athletes at Reading with the Rebels, which travels to elementary school across the LOU community.

Jayda Eckford, Ole Miss

Jayda Eckford was a key contributor to all community service efforts provided by Ole Miss Athletics. She helped raise awareness of sexual violence at the annual Take Back the Night event and helped collect and donate more than 5,000 non-perishable food items for the children of Tunica and Quitman counties via the Feed the ‘Sip initiative. Eckford served alongside other athletes and department staff at the Adopt-a-Basket initiative, which annually donates Thanksgiving baskets to families in need throughout the Lafayette-Oxford-University community.

Trent Zelden, Mississippi State

Trent Zelden has served up to 16.30 hours of community service. He has earned Dean’s scholar recognition twice (2019, 2020) and was named to the 2021 SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Maddy Kish, Mississippi State

Maddy Kish has served up to 37 hours of community service. She was named USTFCCCA All-Academic in spring 2021 and was a two-time Dean’s Scholar in fall 2019 and 2020. Kish was named a President’s Scholar in spring 2020. She was named to the 2021 SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Christopher Conrad, Missouri

Christopher Conrad has totaled 44 hours of community service during his time at Mizzou, spending a majority of his time with Columbia youth sports organizations. He earned his undergraduate degree in business administration (2.955) and is currently enrolled in the MBA program (3.4 GPA).

Mikayla Reed, Missouri

Mikayla Reed has totaled 87.5 hours of community service during her time at Mizzou, spending extensive time with Columbia youth sports organizations and at the Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center. She earned an undergraduate degree in special education (3.951 GPA) and is currently pursuing a master’s in education, school and counseling psychology (3.9 GPA).

David Olds, South Carolina

David Olds participated in the City of Columbia Complete Count Committee for the 2020 Census in which he was the lead volunteer coordinator to help enumerate every resident in Columbia so that federal and state funds could be allocated equitably according to actual number of residents living in the metropolitan area. He also was active with the Columbia Urban League Young Professionals and joined as the youngest member of the Community Service Committee, charged with initializing and supporting community service efforts for non-partisan, non-profit agency that promotes financial stability and racial inclusion in the Columbia community.

Briana Reckling, South Carolina

Briana Reckling’s community service activities include: volunteer for Harvest Hope Food Bank where she assisted with food packaging and meal preparations for senior citizens; volunteer for Palmetto Lifeline where she assisted with both feline and canine care; assistant coach and mentor for Columbia High School track team; volunteer for University of South Carolina Move in Carolina where she assisted with freshman moving onto campus; and volunteer for University of South Carolina Black Medical Student Association where she assisted with handing out comfort packages to homeless in Finlay Park.

Will Mazur, Tennessee

Will Mazur has spread his community service activates around, serving with several different organizations. Those include: volunteering at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, assisting the Salvation Army and helping to organize and work Voloween. He has also worked with the Brain Exercise Initiative and Read Across America.

Katie Thronson, Tennessee

A senior distance runner from Spokane, Washington, Thronson has completed more than 140 hours of community service during her time on Rocky Top. She has volunteered her time with several organizations, including Cancer Support Community, American Cancer Society and Vitalant. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked with YWCA to sew non-medical face masks for use in the Women and Children’s center. Thronson was also a member of the 2020-21 VOLeaders Academy, an organization developed to cultivate positive student-athlete leaders through sport to create positive change.

Patrick Johnson II, Texas A&M

Patrick Johnson II serves as a recruitment and retention officer with B.L.U.E.print, and is vice president of student-athlete development for the Texas A&M Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He has served as director of Traditions Night and is a member of the Twelve and Maroon Coats.

Megan Hopper, Texas A&M

Megan Hooper serves as vice president of selfless service for the Texas A&M Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She also assisted with coordinating the REVved Up To Read program. She has totaled 23 community service hours this year and has attended 15 different service opportunities.

Taiya Shelby, Vanderbilt

Taiya Shelby is the founder and current co-President of the Black Student-Athlete Group (BSAG) at Vanderbilt. In this position she works to provide a formal support system for black student-athletes, create a safe and comfortable space for them to meet & fellowship, address racial inequities within the Athletic Department by hosting community-building events and developing racial sensitivity dialogues, provide thoughtful leadership that is inclusive, transparent, and empowering, as well as supports and guides the organization’s mission. She also is the team captain for Dancing ‘Dores of Dance Marathon.