Alabama Athletics Duo Maas, Mitchell Named Brad Davis Community Service Leaders of the Year Winners

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama men's swimmer Derek Maas and gymnast Sania Mitchell were announced as school winners of the Southeastern Conference's Male and Female Brad Davis Community Service Leaders of the Year, the league office announced Thursday.

The Crimson Tide duo are two of 28 winners (14 men and 14 women) who are now finalists for the Male and Female Brad Davis Community Service Leaders of the Year and will receive a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship. The male and female Community Service Leader of the Year will be announced later in May.

The scholarship was first awarded in 1996, when Tony Johnson (football) and Erin Tenbrunsel (volleyball) brought home both the men's and women's Community Service Leader of the Year award to the Capstone. Alabama student-athletes have earned the overall honor six times, with Nichole Lees (soccer), Andreé Pickens (gymnastics), Leigh Gilmore (track and field) and Lauren Beers (gymnastics) joining Johnson and Tenbrunsel.

The SEC Community Service Postgraduate Scholarship is named for former Associate Commissioner Brad Davis, who succumbed to cancer on March 2, 2006.

Athletes must have completed their final season of eligibility and have earned a varsity letter in at least two seasons of competition to be eligible for the award. Student-athletes must have a GPA of 2.75 or better and plan on enrolling in graduate or professional school within five years of receive the honor.

The school award winners are finalists for the Male and Female Brad Davis Community Service Leaders of the Year and will receive a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship. The male and female Community Service Leaders of the Year, to be announced later in May, will each receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship.

Sania Mitchell | Gymnastics

Led the team in community service hours, tallying over 220 hours during her four years at The Capstone, including over 35 hours this year
Named to the 2023 SEC Community Service Team
Was a member of Project I.D., a school sponsored club that is focused on creating a safe space for student-athletes that identify as a minority
Worked at the Tuscaloosa Soup Kitchen, Habitat for Humanity build and Thank-A-Thon
Volunteered with We Care Family Practice Clinic, UAB Emergency Depart and Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, where she learned about the field and helped with daily tasks
Also worked with Halloween Extravaganza, Skyland Elementary School and ReadBAMAREAD
Earned the Crimson Tide's 2023 Lewis Each Courage Award, the highest honor bestowed upon an Alabama gymnast each year
Returned from a season-ending Achilles tendon injury to compete in the vault lineup in the 2023 season
Was a member of the 2021 SEC Championship team
Holds a career-best 9.950 on the floor exercise
Graduated with an undergraduate degree in kinesiology in 2022 and is currently pursuing a master's degree in public health

Derek Maas | Men's Swimming and Diving

2023 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Elite 90 Award winner, first honoree in program history
Named the 2023 SEC Men's Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year
A 13-time All-American, including earning the honor three times at the 2023 NCAA Championships
Holds two school records and is a two-time SEC champion
Selected as a four-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-American
Has volunteered in the community twice a week since 2019 as an English and Spanish translator, helping Spanish speaking citizens learn English as a second language
Served as an errand and escort volunteer for the last four years at Holland Hospital
Spent time last year translating medical information verbally between physicians and Spanish speaking patients at Maude Whatley Health Services
Was a member of the Spanish Club since 2019 and the president in 2022, where he worked with officers to increase community involvement for the club and its members while working closely with a nearby ESL program and nearby elementary schools
Served as the Student-Athletic Advisory Chair since 2020 and as the executive chair since 2021, helping with Halloween Extravaganza and the Night To Shine dance, while also planning and coordinating the Crimson Choice Awards end-of-year student-athlete banquet
2023 SEC Men's Swimming and Diving Community Service Team
Will graduate with this May with an undergraduate degree in biology and this August with a master's degree in business administration
Accepted to NYU Grossman School of Medicine

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