June 13, 2011
="" alt="Knight Head" border="0" class="imported"> Read John Denton's Knights Insider | ="" alt="Twitter Logo" border="0" class="imported">Follow us on Twitter | ="" alt="Facebook Logo" border="0" class="imported">Get social with the Knights on Facebook
By Sarah Tarasewicz
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky announced Monday that Abby McClain (Waterloo, Iowa), a member of the UCF softball team, was named one of the 12 recipients of the Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship Award. The conference annually presents the $4,000 Postgraduate Scholarship awards to graduates as selected by the C-USA Faculty Athletics Representatives and approved by the Board of Directors.
During the 2011 season, McClain served as the Knights' team captain, while finishing her career ranked in UCF's top-10 in 23 different career categories. McClain was a member of UCF's 2008 team that won the C-USA Championship and helped the squad make a pair of appearances in both the C-USA Championship Game and the NCAA Regional Tournament in her time at UCF.
She has twice earned All-Conference USA Second-Team honors during her career, while also garnering Capital One Academic All-District III Honors three different times. The Waterloo, Iowa, native is a four-time recipient of the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal, was named to the C-USA All-Academic Softball Team three times and was a 2010 C-USA Spring Spirit of Service honoree.
McClain is scheduled to graduate from UCF in December with a bachelor's of science degree in biology. She then plans to attend a school that offers a doctoral program in veterinary medicine with an emphasis in marine animals.
This is the third year the award has been named for Dr. Castañeda, who served Rice University for 46 years as an educator, coach and Faculty Athletics Representative before he passed away in November 2008.
2010-11 POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS:
Antoinette "Toni" Paisley, East Carolina, Softball
Katy Beth Sherman, Houston, Softball
Elizabeth Fleming, Marshall, Volleyball
Janelle Valle, Memphis, Softball
Elizabeth Nesbit, Rice, Women's Soccer
Audra Egenolf, SMU, Women's Swimming & Diving
Jana Mason, Southern Miss, Women's Soccer
Amaris Genemaras, Tulane, Volleyball
MacKenzie Ayer, Tulsa, Women's Soccer
Natalie Mitchell, UAB, Softball
Abby McClain, UCF, Softball
Melissa Desilets, UTEP, Women's Soccer