The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Coffin Named C-USA Spirit of Service Honoree
12/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod announced Wednesday that UAB junior distance runner Hannah Coffin is one of 14 student-athletes to be named a Fall Spirit of Service Award winner.
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 will be presented three times throughout the season, with today’s honorees representing Conference USA’s fall sports: football, soccer, volleyball and cross country.
When she’s not running on the cross country course, Coffin excels in the classroom, with back-to-back appearances on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll as a biology and chemistry double major.
“Hannah is an excellent example of a student-athlete who encompasses the meaning of this award,” UAB cross country head coach Matt Esche said. “Her passion for volunteering in Birmingham, her success on the course and her academics are examples to everyone on campus and within the community.”
On the course this fall, Coffin raced her way to a personal-best 5K time of 19:38 at the 2015 C-USA Championship. The Mountain Top, Penn., native also spends time volunteering with children at the local children’s hospital, Ronald McDonald House and middle school clinics.
Coffin works closely with The Lakeshore Foundation, serving people with physical disabilities in Alabama. Additionally, the Blazer student-athlete gives back to her university by helping with freshman move-in at the semester’s beginning and provides ball-shagging assistance at UAB home volleyball matches.
“It’s so great knowing that devoting time to others can make a huge impact on someone else,” Coffin said. “The Student-Athlete Development staff does such a great job of letting us know what opportunities are available to us, and they really stress how much we as student-athletes can do for the community. Helping others is the best way to learn more about your own character.”
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