Lady Gators Excel in CLAS
This article was originally published in the March 1999 issue of CLASnotes
In the wake of the UF Women's Soccer Team's recent National Championship, CLAS decided to interview a few of the many outstanding female athletes in the College to feature in the next Alumni CLASnotes. What follows are excerpts from two of these stories.
If
the name of a town says anything about the people who live in it, it's easy
to see why Niceville, FL native Candace Cunningham would be recognized for
her kindness as much as for her athleticism. "She's the 'team mama'," says
basketball coach Carol Ross, "They appreciate her nurturing and her caring
personality." Cunningham laughs at the description, but it's obvious the
feeling is mutual. "Coach Ross is like my mom—I can tell her anything.
She's really supportive of me. My teammates are like my sisters."
Cunningham's willingness to give extends beyond the court and into the community where she volunteers what little time she has. "I really enjoy community service. I went to the Special Olympics and that was really fun. Last year I went to a school for students with discipline problems and talked to them." She currently volunteers for Step by Step, a program that provides mentors for at-risk youths. Apparently, her altruism is rubbing off. "The Athletic Association requires two hours a semester, but our team averages 20 hours."
Cunningham starred on her high school squad where she holds the all-time school record for most rebounds and blocked shots. Since coming to UF in 1997, she has concentrated on improving her strength and conditioning. "When I gain a little more weight, I'll have more playing time," she explains. "I'm really looking forward to getting out on the court again," Cunningham credits her solid work ethic and determined attitude to her experience on the UF team. "It's a great opportunity. I don't just learn about basketball. I learn discipline, time management, and how to work under pressure. I get a lot of life lessons from being on the team." Described as "an intelligent player" who "brings depth to the forward position," Cunningham successfully balances her intellectual and athletic activities. "I've always been an athlete. In high school I'd go to class, practice, then play. I always had to balance it out, so I think I'm pretty good at it."
That training, coupled with Cunningham's natural pragmatism, has evidently prepared her for the challenges of college life. A sophomore majoring in criminology, Cunningham admits she could have gone anywhere to play basketball. "I chose UF because of the academics. That's the most important thing to me," she says.
If Cunningham's present seems well-designed, her future is abundantly so. "I'm going to graduate from law school, be part of a law firm, do that for eight to ten years, get my own firm, then run for judge. I've been wanting to do that since the seventh grade."
When
asked what brought her to the University of Florida, Illinois native Katie
Townsend laughs and replies, "the weather." Then the good-natured track athlete
admits her real reason for coming to Gainesville had more to do with academics. "I
was recruited by several schools, but Florida was the one university I'd have
wanted to go to even if I didn't run track," she says. "I knew I'd receive
a quality education and have a lot of opportunities here."
A discuss and hammer thrower, Townsend feels fortunate to be a Lady Gator athlete. "It has given me a chance to meet many people—I have track and field friends all over the country. Playing sports at this level has also shown me that hard work and perseverance pay off," a lesson that has obviously spilled over into her academic life at CLAS.
Because she came to UF with a number of college credits earned in high school and ended up redshirting her freshman track season, Katie has two years of eligibility left despite her academic classification as "senior." This puts her in the unique position of being able to maintain her athletic scholarship throughout a two-year masters program.
Katie's current research on prairie grass, which she plans to take to the Undergraduate Research Symposium, will eventually form the subject of her senior honors thesis. She hopes to continue this and other work in the preservation and restoration of native ecosystems on the graduate level.
Katie credits excellent teaching for her success in CLAS. She mentions specifically Mike Binford (Geography), who introduced her to the high tech skills used in Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing. Impressed with Townsend's ability, Binford has already signed on as her graduate advisor.
Despite her commitment to athletics and academics, Katie has found time to become active in other campus activities. She is in the geography club and is vice-president of the Gamma Theta Upsilon honor society. She also gives campus tours as part of the Cicerones organization. "Leading tours actually expands my knowledge of Florida geography, as I learn where a lot of places in the state are from the people on the tours." How does she manage it all? Like the other Lady Gators we spoke with, Katie insists, "It's all about time management. I'm busy, but I have a lot of fun."
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