COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M's Jeremy Efferding has been named to the 2014-15 SEC Men's Tennis Community Service Team, the Southeastern Conference announced Wednesday. It is the first appearance on the team by the Senior from Boca Raton, Florida.
The Community Service Team recognizes the accomplishments of student-athletes beyond the field of competition, highlighting a student-athlete from each school who gives back to her community in superior service efforts. All league-sponsored sports have had a Community Service Team since 2004, with at-large teams for men's and women's sports being chosen from 1999-2003.
Efferding and the SEC Co-Champion No. 6 Aggies (18-4, 11-1 SEC) will open tournament play Friday at 12 p.m. against the winner between Thursday's match-up of No. 7 seed LSU and No. 10 seed South Carolina. Should A&M advance, the Aggies' semifinal match is slated for Saturday at noon. The championship match will be played Sunday at noon. Texas A&M, 18-4 overall, enters the tournament having won 10 of its last 11 matches and including the last nine against conference opponents.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M men's tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M men's tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieMTEN or on Facebook at Facebook.com/AggieMensTennis.
The complete 2014-15 SEC Men's Tennis Community Service Team is as follows:
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Andrew Goodwin • Alabama
Senior • Alpharetta, Ga.
Volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and the USTA/ITA Campus Kids' Day. Assisted with the Alabama Athletics Department's Halloween Extravaganza and the National Consortium for Academics & Sports and U.S. Fund for UNICEF's Shut Out Trafficking program. Also visited with students at The RISE School in Tuscaloosa.
Branch Terrell • Arkansas
Freshman • Benton, Ark.
Participated in RazorBuddies, a program in which Arkansas athletes are paired with a kid from a local elementary school who they meet with biweekly and act as a mentor to. Also participated in Shop With SAAC where he nominated a child from a local elementary school to receive a gift card and then went shopping with the child to use the card to purchase Christmas toys. Spoke to 200 kids at a local elementary school about the value of getting proper exercise, eating healthy and getting plenty of rest as part of Sweat Hogs. The men's tennis team taught tennis to kids in community for an afternoon in January. Also volunteered in the youth ministry of his church over Christmas break.
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Lukas Ollert • Auburn
Senior • Munich, Germany
Visits and reads at many elementary schools as well as serves as a mentor to international students and international student-athletes. Volunteered for Beat Bama Food Drive and for East Alabama Ending Child Hunger - packing backpacks of food weekly for underprivileged youth. Helped with the East Alabama Medical Center Valentine campaign where he visited with patients and handed out cards for Valentine's Day. Is a member of SAAC and the ALI leadership program.
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Eric Diaz • Georgia
Senior • Athens, Ga.
Participated in UGA Charity Adult Tennis Clinic, which benefited the Cancer Foundation of Northeast Georgia. Involved in the "Home Runs For Hometown Rivals" baseball game held on campus each spring, an event organized jointly between Special Olympics UGA and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Participated in tennis clinic in January in which he interacted with children in the community and UGA students to teach basic tennis skills.
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Brett Johnson • Kentucky
Senior • Louisville, Ky.
Annually helps out with God's Pantry in the Lexington area as part of his intense work with UK Athletics off the field. God's Pantry is dedicated to providing sacked lunches to under-privileged children in the Lexington community. He recently was selected by the UK Athletic department staff to attend an educational service trip to Ethiopia over the summer of 2013, where he helped to develop relationships with the African people, and assist in their community. He helps pack those lunches on a yearly basis, and deliver them to the local schools in need. In addition, can be seen helping out young tennis up-and-comers as they try and master the sport. Also works multiple camps per year as well.
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John Michael Busch • LSU
Sophomore • Kennesaw, Ga.
Participated in numerous service events over the last year. Took part in the LSU Move-in Day, Thanksgiving with the Tigers, Big Buddy Fishing, several children's hospital visits, the Blue Ribbon Soiree, Wildlife & Fisheries Day, the LSU Halloween BOOzar, City Year Community Resource Fair, Young Heroes and other projects within the Baton Rouge community.
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Kyle Koch • South Carolina
Senior • Irmo, S.C.
Has logged the most community service hours on the team, working mostly serving breakfast at Transitions, a homeless recovery center in Columbia. Participates in tennis clinics around the community regularly. Spent time at Ronald McDonald House and walked in the Light the Night Walk.
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Hunter Reese • Tennessee
Senior • Kennesaw, Ga.
Served this year as president of Tennessee's Student Athlete Advisory Committee, participating in weekly meetings and working behind the scenes for the group. Read to children at Claxton Elementary School in Knoxville. Assisted at Voloween, an on-campus Halloween event for children. Worked at a holiday dinner for those in the Knoxville community before Thanksgiving. As SAAC president, spoke at the Welcome Back BBQ event to kick off the school year for Tennessee's student-athletes.
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Jeremy Efferding • Texas A&M
Senior • Boca Raton, Florida
Worked with the Kids for Christ program organized by InFaith, an after school Bible program that reaches out to under-privileged children from urban areas. The two-time All-SEC team member helped organize after school programs including Bible stories, arts and crafts and mentoring services. The senior was heavily involved with the Back-to-School Day activities; the program consisted of collecting school supplies in back packs to encourage childhood education. The Boca Raton native also helped with the Christmas celebration, the December program helped fulfil children's Christmas wish lists along with teaching the nativity story.
Baker Newman • Vanderbilt
Freshman • Miami, Fla.
Has worked with Soles4Souls, a global not-for-profit institution dedicated to fighting the devastating impact and perpetuation of poverty. Traveled to Costa Rico for a week and a half over Christmas break with 12 other student athletes. Baker, along with his fellow student-athletes washed impoverished children's feet and distributed shoes and clothing. To join the service trip Baker was required to write an essay and provide a letter of recommendation.