Bates and McCulloh Named to SEC Community Service Team
February 18, 2025 | Swimming & Diving, Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
ATHENS, Ga. – University of Georgia senior swimmers Jackson Bates and Abby McCulloh were named to the 2025 Southeastern Conference Community Service Team, as announced by the conference Tuesday morning.
The SEC Community Service Team highlights a student-athlete from each school who gives back to their community in superior service efforts. For Bates, this is his second-consecutive placement on the team, while this is the first for McCulloh.
Bates, a breaststroker from Athens, has participated in numerous community service projects during his time at the University of Georgia. With the USA Swimming Foundation, he assisted in teaching children under the age of 10 the basics of swimming. He also volunteered with Swim Across America to support fundraising for cancer research.
In the Athens area, Bates has contributed to Project Wet, educating children on aquatic environments, and to Project Wild, teaching environmental awareness. He has volunteered with the Athens Homeless Shelter to provide meals for residents, helped "stuff the truck" with the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, and assisted with the organization of the annual Special Olympics Prom. As the team's designated Community Service Tracker, he gathered teammates to assist at the 2023 Clarke County Halloween Mentoring Event, as well as assembling furniture and cleaning the store for Athens Habitat for Humanity. He volunteered as a coach at the Jack Bauerle Bulldog Swim Camps in 2023 and 2024.
Currently, Bates, a Biology major, serves as the co-vice president of the UGA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He served as a SAAC team representative for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons before being elected the organization's co-vice president. He was named to the 2023 and 2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team for Swimming & Diving. In 2023, he was awarded the UGA Dick Copas Leadership Award.
McCulloh, a freestyler from Lilburn, has volunteered with numerous organizations during her four years in Athens. She works with Athens Church, serving as a guest services volunteer and welcoming attendees to the church. She has worked with children involved in ESP and Special Olympics, helping to organize their annual baseball game and prom. With Swim Across America, she fundraised for childhood cancer research and serves on the organization's college advisory board. Through Hilinski's Hope, she produced and filmed a video to support the foundation's efforts to eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness. In the Athens area, she assisted with trash and invasive plant species removal on MLK Day of Service, delivered Christmas cards to local seniors at Presbyterian Village, and organized books for Books for Keeps.
Along with winning last season's SEC and NCAA championships in the 1,650-yard freestyle, McCulloh, a Journalism major, serves as the female student-athlete representative on the UGA Athletic Association Board of Directors, representing and advocating for UGA female student-athletes. She is a member of the Palladia Women's Society, Omicron Delta Kappa Honors Society, and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Caucus. She was inducted into the UGA Athletics Leadership Academy in 2022 and helped form the UGA Athletics Performance and Wellness Support Committee. This past January, she was the recipient of the Keith Jackson Rose Bowl Game Scholarship and participated in a specialized work-study program during the 2025 Ohio State-Oregon Rose Bowl Game.
The SEC Community Service Team highlights a student-athlete from each school who gives back to their community in superior service efforts. For Bates, this is his second-consecutive placement on the team, while this is the first for McCulloh.
Bates, a breaststroker from Athens, has participated in numerous community service projects during his time at the University of Georgia. With the USA Swimming Foundation, he assisted in teaching children under the age of 10 the basics of swimming. He also volunteered with Swim Across America to support fundraising for cancer research.
In the Athens area, Bates has contributed to Project Wet, educating children on aquatic environments, and to Project Wild, teaching environmental awareness. He has volunteered with the Athens Homeless Shelter to provide meals for residents, helped "stuff the truck" with the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, and assisted with the organization of the annual Special Olympics Prom. As the team's designated Community Service Tracker, he gathered teammates to assist at the 2023 Clarke County Halloween Mentoring Event, as well as assembling furniture and cleaning the store for Athens Habitat for Humanity. He volunteered as a coach at the Jack Bauerle Bulldog Swim Camps in 2023 and 2024.
Currently, Bates, a Biology major, serves as the co-vice president of the UGA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He served as a SAAC team representative for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons before being elected the organization's co-vice president. He was named to the 2023 and 2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team for Swimming & Diving. In 2023, he was awarded the UGA Dick Copas Leadership Award.
McCulloh, a freestyler from Lilburn, has volunteered with numerous organizations during her four years in Athens. She works with Athens Church, serving as a guest services volunteer and welcoming attendees to the church. She has worked with children involved in ESP and Special Olympics, helping to organize their annual baseball game and prom. With Swim Across America, she fundraised for childhood cancer research and serves on the organization's college advisory board. Through Hilinski's Hope, she produced and filmed a video to support the foundation's efforts to eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness. In the Athens area, she assisted with trash and invasive plant species removal on MLK Day of Service, delivered Christmas cards to local seniors at Presbyterian Village, and organized books for Books for Keeps.
Along with winning last season's SEC and NCAA championships in the 1,650-yard freestyle, McCulloh, a Journalism major, serves as the female student-athlete representative on the UGA Athletic Association Board of Directors, representing and advocating for UGA female student-athletes. She is a member of the Palladia Women's Society, Omicron Delta Kappa Honors Society, and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Caucus. She was inducted into the UGA Athletics Leadership Academy in 2022 and helped form the UGA Athletics Performance and Wellness Support Committee. This past January, she was the recipient of the Keith Jackson Rose Bowl Game Scholarship and participated in a specialized work-study program during the 2025 Ohio State-Oregon Rose Bowl Game.
Players Mentioned
Breast
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming & DivingGeorgia Swim and Dive Bulldog Invitational Video Recap
Sunday, March 02
Georgia Swimming and Diving SEC Championships Day 6 Video Recap
Saturday, February 22
Georgia Swim & Dive - SEC Championship Day 5 Video Recap
Friday, February 21
Georgia Swim and Dive - SEC Championship Day 2 Video Recap
Tuesday, February 18
