OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – All-American shortstop Meghan Gregg has been selected as the 2018 Senior CLASS Award® winner in softball. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Gregg is the second student-athlete from Tennessee to win a Senior CLASS Award following fellow softball athlete Madison Shipman’s win in 2014.
“I am so honored to receive the Senior Class Award,” said Gregg, who helped the Lady Vols to one Women’s College World Series appearance and two trips to the NCAA Super Regionals in her career. “Being able to join the list of athletes who have received this award in the past is so humbling because of their impressive athletic ability and high character. The four areas that this award highlights have all been achieved because of the core values of the Tennessee softball program. Living by the core values of Servant Warrior, Competitor, Integrity, Passion, Respect and Preparation, my teammates and I have grown into women of great character and esteem. I’m very grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given by being a part of such a prestigious program. I feel that I am confident and ready for the next chapter of my life because my coaches, Ralph and Karen Weekly, have prepared me for my future career.”
Already earning first-team All-SEC and first-team NFCA All-Region honors this season, Gregg set new Tennessee program records for career home runs (57), RBIs (263) and slugging percentage (.712). A 2017 first-team NFCA All-American, Gregg earned SEC Player of the Year, All-SEC First Team and SEC All-Defensive Team honors as a junior after finishing the season ranked among the top-15 nationally in six major offensive categories and breaking the Tennessee single-season RBI record (79). Earning all-conference honors each season of her career, Gregg was named first-team All-SEC as a sophomore and to the Freshman All-SEC Team in 2015.
“Ralph and I are tremendously proud of Meghan,” said Karen Weekly, who serves as Co-head Coach of the Lady Vols along with her husband, Ralph. “Not only has she set a standard of excellence on the playing field, she is an exemplary student and leader in the community. The Senior CLASS award is one of the most prestigious honors bestowed upon a collegiate student-athlete, and Meghan is truly deserving.”
Beyond the field, Gregg has remained committed to excellence in the classroom, to prioritizing community outreach and to maintaining a high level of personal character. A 2017 third-team CoSIDA Academic All-American and an Easton/NFCA Scholar-Athlete, Gregg already has graduated with a degree in kinesiology with a concentration on pre-pharmacy and has been accepted to the University of Georgia’s College of Pharmacy. Gregg also has taken part numerous community service projects, most notably in Autism Speaks, the Challenger Games, Take Back the Night, Voloween events, MLK Marches, Goals for Girls, Light the Night and softball meet and greets. Selected by her coaches to take part in the VOLeaders Academy, Gregg participated in the VOLeaders Academy’s yearlong curriculum and a 13-day study-abroad trip to Brazil in 2016 where she and fellow Tennessee student-athletes learned about the nation’s culture and used sports as a means to enact positive change.
“Meghan Gregg is an exceptional student-athlete and role model,” said Erik Miner, the award’s executive director. “What she’s been able to accomplish on and off the field in her four years at Tennessee is remarkable. Our sincere congratulations to Meghan, her team and to the University of Tennessee.”
CONTACT
Erik Miner
(913) 563-5412
eminer@seniorCLASSaward.com
ABOUT THE AWARD
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring. Premier Sports Management manages the award.
-UT Athletics
