May 21, 2015

BIRMINGHAM, ALA. – The Southeastern Conference on Thursday announced its Community Service Teams for the sports of men’s and women’s track and field and cross country. Senior Kevin Keating was the male representative for South Carolina, and sophomore Maya Evans was the female recipient.

The league presents a Community Service Team for each of its 21 league-sponsored sports, looking to highlight a male and female athlete from each school who gives back to his or her community through superior service efforts.

Evans volunteered for a whopping 313 hours during the 2014-15 year to earn her place on the team for the second straight season. She worked at the Wesley Shelter as a babysitter, English tutor and organizing supplies. During the MLK Day of Service, she was a site leader who helped complete a restoration project at a local cemetery Back in her native Wilson, N.C., Evans completed 30 hours of volunteering and also worked at a counseling center in California. Here in Columbia, Maya conducted a sports clinic for kids during Boy Scouts Day and has helped to prepare boxes at the local food bank. On the track, Evans was one of the team’s top middle distance runners and set a new personal record in the 800 for the outdoor season.

Keating completed a total of 60.5 hours of community service for the 2014-15 season. He volunteered for the Run, Jump and Throw event on campus, running stations for kids to participate at, and worked at all three home cross country meets helping with the setup and break down. Kevin spent 50 hours at The Human Performance and Rehabilitation Center, assisting physical therapists with their work to get experience in the field that will also benefit him in his recently earned exercise science degree. The honor caps a big season for the Hamilton, Ohio native, who set personal bests in each of his primary events and earned his way on to the program’s top 10 best times ever for the 800 and 1000.