April 17, 2007
 |
|
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt men’s cross country squad was recognized for its 780 hours of combined community service efforts with the Tolbert Cup at Monday’s Black and Gold banquet, becoming the first male team in the cup’s 10-year history to receive the honor.
Two of the most outgoing team members in terms of service efforts are sophomore Rob Whiting and freshman Thomas Davis.
Whiting was the primary instigator for Vanderbilt’s Students for Students campaign in conjunction with Pearl-Cohn High School, an on going project that started at the end of 2006. The goal of the group is to provide outreach, both monetary and service based, to students at Pearl-Cohn, a low-income area high school. The group recently hosted a benefit walk and the proceeds combined with other fundraising efforts total over $3,000.
Davis serves the Siloam Family Health Center as a Spanish medical interpreter. In addition, the Louisville, Ky. Native also spends time volunteering at Baptist Hospital and has logged 120 of donated time between the two sites since the Fall of 2006.
The Tolbert Cup also recognizes academic excellence. The team’s combined
3.42 GPA helped qualify the Commodores for national All-Academic status from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Association.
“This season the guys have really come together and learned a lot about themselves and the team,” Vanderbilt Head Coach Steve Keith said. “We have a great mix of guys who contribute from a lot of different directions.”