June 17, 2010
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By Sarah Tarasewicz
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Junior Abby McClain, a member of the UCF softball team, was honored by Conference USA with one of the league's 12 Spirit of Service Awards for the spring season, C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky announced Wednesday afternoon.
The C-USA Spirit of Service Award is designed to recognize the community service efforts of the league's student-athletes, based upon significant community service, good academic standing and participation in their elected sport. The Spirit of Service award is presented three times throughout the season, with Wednesday's honorees representing Conference USA's spring sports: rowing, softball, baseball, tennis and outdoor track and field.
Over the course of her UCF career, McClain has been successful as a student, an athlete and active in the community. As the Knights' starting catcher, McClain helped lead the Black and Gold to its third appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2010, while also being named to the All-C-USA Second Team for the second-consecutive season and to the C-USA Championship All-Tournament Team. Entering her senior season next spring, McClain will rank in UCF's top-10 in 16 different career categories.
For her work in the classroom, McClain has twice been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III Team, which included a selection to the first team this season, while also being a repeat selection to the C-USA All-Academic Team. The junior garnered UCF's Student-Athlete of the Year honor at the annual all-sports banquet and has been a three-time recipient of the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal and member of the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll. McClain currently holds a 3.80 cumulative grade point average and is pursuing a degree in biology.
McClain has also been a star in the central Florida community, participating in a wide range of community service projects and events. The junior has participated in the Central Florida Miracle League, Give Kids the World, MFSA Mentoring Breakfast and volunteered at the Central Florida Children's Home. She was also a teacher for a day and served as a pen pal for a seventh-grader during the 2009-10 school year at Jackson Heights Middle School.