The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Four Blazers Earn C-USA Scholar Athlete Award
7/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
July 15, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Four UAB student-athletes have been named 2009-10 Conference USA's Scholar Athlete Award winners for their respective sports, the conference office announced Thursday.
The four selections - Danielle Blair (women's soccer), Stephanie Gammon (women's cross country), Nora Mehl (women's track and field) and Amanda Peterson (women's basketball) - mark the most in UAB history.
The award is based on academic and athletic achievement, in addition to service. One representative was chosen from among the 12 institutions for each sport.
Blair was outstanding both on and off the field during her four years in the Green and Gold. Following her senior campaign in 2009, Blair was named a CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine All-American after earning a 4.0 GPA as a triple major in marketing, management and industrial distribution. In addition to earning a spot on last season's C-USA All-Academic team, the Scarborough, Ontario, native was a four-time C-USA Academic Medal and Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient.
Blair also represented UAB as the fall C-USA Spirit of Service Award honoree for her dedication to community service. Last season, the 5-2 defender helped UAB to a 6-0 start, the best in school history, and played a key role in producing seven shutouts on the season.
Gammon owns a 3.83 GPA in her major of exercise science. The Daniel, S.C., product was named to the 2009 C-USA All-Academic team and is a two-time C-USA Academic Medal recipient and C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll selection. Gammon ran in three meets for the Blazers in 2010 before missing the remainder of the season due to injury. Her top performance of the season came at the Earl Jacoby Memorial 5K, where she finished runner-up with a time of 18:52.
In 2008, Gammon earned all-region honors after finishing 18th at the NCAA South Regional and was tabbed to C-USA's All-Cross Country Third Team with a 15th-place finish at the C-USA Championship. Gammon also is involved in the community, as she organized the cross country team's volunteer efforts at UAB's Habitat for Humanity Campus Charter.
Mehl, a senior high jumper, owns a 3.85 grade-point average in her major of psychology. The Rottweil, Germany, product is a two-time Conference USA All-Academic Team selection and a three-time C-USA Academic Medal recipient. She also is a two-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll selection and has been named to UAB's Dean's List every semester of her career. Last season, she provisionally qualified for the NCAA meet and became a two-time C-USA champion after scoring 3,774 points in the pentathlon and taking the event title at the C-USA Indoor Championships. For her active role in the community, Mehl was honored with the 2008-09 C-USA winter Spirit of Service Award.
Peterson, a senior guard for the women's basketball team, also received recognition for her academic achievement and contributions to the community while maintaining her athletic prowess. The Homewood, Ala., native was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team and represented UAB as the winter C-USA Spirit of Service Award winner this year. She is a two-time member of the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and recieved the league's Academic Medal in 2009. During the 2009-10 campaign, Peterson set a school single-season record with 83 3-pointers and moved into second place in the career record book with 216 treys.
