University of Georgia Athletics
Three Dogs Honored At Peach Of An Athlete Banquet
March 21, 2017 | Track & Field
ATHENS, Ga. --- University of Georgia track and field team members Kendell Williams and Sarah Gardner and football's Jeb Blazevich will be honored at the 33rd annual Peach of an Athlete Role Model Banquet at the College Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday evening.
The Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America named Williams, a native of Marietta, Ga., the Top Female Overall Winner, while Gardner, also of Marietta, and Blazevich, a native of Charlotte, N.C., earned Peach of an Athlete honorees. They are among 10 collegiate student-athletes statewide who will be honored.
The Peach of an Athlete awards banquet recognizes deserving athletes whose character, scholastic achievement, athletic excellence and commitment to community service most closely match the aims and ideals of the Scouting program. The goal of the banquet is to raise funds for the Boy Scouts, while honoring amateur and professional athletes and community leaders who provide a positive role model for area youth daily.
Williams is a junior at UGA who is earning her degree in Advertising. Competing in the heptathlon for Team USA at the 2016 Olympics, Williams has accumulated four NCAA indoor championships in the pentathlon, two NCAA titles in the heptathlon, four Southeastern Conference individual championships and is a three-time collegiate record holder in the pentathlon.
Williams' volunteer service includes participating in "Girl Power" where she spoke to Girl Scouts about setting goals, the importance of your education and anti-bullying; volunteering with the Special Olympics prom; working with UGAAA's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee's (SAAC) Community Service Board; speaking to students at area elementary schools about the importance of staying fit; handing out Thanksgiving meals at the Athens Community Council for Aging; among other volunteer activities.
Gardner, who like Williams attended Kell High School, is majoring in Marketing and is a sprinter on Georgia's squad. She is has been a consistent member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Garnder also serves as Vice President of SAAC and was a member of the 2016-2017 L.E.A.D. induction class. Continuing to volunteer for the Heat Track Club that she ran on growing up, Gardner has volunteered for "Girl Power" and served as the event's emcee; worked with the "Safe Routes to School" program with local elementary schools; given her time to the Special Olympics and the organization's prom; been a mentor for the Ultimate Training Camp and spoken for and volunteered with the UGAAA's "Learn, Play, Excel" Program; served as a volunteer reader at area schools; among other activities
Blazevich is a junior tight end who is majoring in Risk Management and Insurance. During the 2016 football season, he made appearances in all 13 games, starting in 11 of them. Blazevich was one of 12 players nationwide named to the 2016 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which was honored at halftime of the Allstate Sugar Bowl and he volunteered with his teammates in New Orleans over the game weekend. He was also named in November as one of 11 semifinalists for the 2016 Wuerffel Trophy, which is given to a college football player with an exceptional history of community service. With 39 catches and three touchdowns to his name on the playing field, Blazevich's community service includes working with "Learn, Play, Excel" to educate and provide leadership for area students; visiting Camp Sunshine and spending time with children who have cancer; working with Extra Special People, an organization assisting individuals with developmental disabilities and their families; among other charities.
Also Tuesday, Miami Dolphins safety Reshad Jones, who played for the Bulldogs in 2007-2009, will receive the Peach of an Athlete Professional Award. This award is given annually to a prominent professional athlete who exemplifies the qualities of responsible citizenship and outstanding character.
