May 13, 2014
COLUMBIA, Mo - Missouri gymnast Mackenzie McGill has been named the 2013-14 Brad Davis Southeastern Conference Community Service Leader of the Year, as announced today by SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. McGill was honored as the female recipient of the Brad Davis award, while University of Florida basketball player Patric Young was named the male recipient.
The SEC Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship is named for former Associate Commissioner Brad Davis. Davis succumbed to cancer on March 2, 2006. He had been a member of the SEC staff since 1988, first serving as an assistant commissioner until 1994 when he was promoted to associate commissioner.
McGill and Young were chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from SEC universities. Both student-athletes will receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship, provided by the SEC.
"Patric Young and Mackenzie McGill embody the community spirit of the Southeastern Conference and we are proud to honor them for their achievements," said Slive. "Patric and Mackenzie have made their respective communities better places to live by their actions and their spirit of service. They are outstanding representatives of their institutions and the SEC."
The Brad Davis award marks the second major honor for McGill this past year. In March, the Bartlesville, Oklahoma native was also named to the 2014 SEC Gymnastics Community Service Team. McGill was one of eight gymnasts to be honored by the league office.
McGill served as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Vice President for community service at the University of Missouri. As the Vice President, she assisted in developing and promoting community service events for over 500 Mizzou student-athletes.
Within her role for SAAC, McGill led community events for the Ronald McDonald House, Special Olympics, Salvation Army, Caleb's Pitch, Starlight Reading program, Joplin Car Wash, and awareness walks for breast cancer, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis.
Following the devastating tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011, McGill served as a relief worker as she assisted in the re-construction of multiple houses. The senior gymnast also made her presence known with the Central Missouri Food Bank, as she helped put together meals and buddy packages for members of the program.
"Mackenzie is a wonderful representative of female student-athletes at the University of Missouri and the SEC," said Missouri gymnastics head coach Shannon Welker. "We are very proud that she will continue her post graduate work at Mizzou!"
McGill was joined by 13 additional female SEC student-athlete nominees for the prestigious Brad Davis Community Service award. They included: Claire Turner, Alabama (cross country); Lizzy Whitbeck, Arkansas (swimming & diving); Lizzie Briasco, Auburn (cross country); Mackenzie Caquatto, Florida (gymnastics); Kate Fuller, Georgia (tennis); Kastine Evans, Kentucky (basketball); Kaleigh Dickson, LSU (gymnastics); Kathryn Fowler, Ole Miss (golf); Candace Foster, Mississippi State (basketball); Taylor Josserand, South Carolina (swimming); Ellen Mullins, Tennessee (volleyball); Nora Skelton, Texas A&M (soccer); Brionne Williams, Vanderbilt (track & field).
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