UNIONTOWN, Pa. — A former Washburn District High School standout athlete has picked up a prestigious national award.
Carmen Bragg, a junior at the University of Maine at Augusta, was named United States Collegiate Athletic Association Div. II Student-Athlete of the Year by a committee made up of national office members, board members and athletic directors.
By virtue of her combined academic and athletic excellence, the 2014 WDHS graduate was awarded the prestigious honor.
Over the last three years at UMA, Bragg has achieved a near perfect GPA while also serving as a captain of the Moose women’s basketball team.
Bragg’s contributions to the UMA community go beyond the court and the classroom. While at UMA, she has volunteered weekly at the Augusta Food Bank and at numerous blood drives, participated in campus clean-up initiatives and spent time caroling for the homeless during the holidays.
She has served as the public relations coordinator for the UMA Student Government Association, where she has helped organize multiple events related to student engagement. She currently serves as the secretary of the Honors Program and as an Admission Ambassador, where she works closely with potential new students.
Her coach, Jennifer Laney, was excited when notified about Bragg’s honor.
“Carmen gives her full heart to everything that she does within our UMA community,” Laney said. “She works tirelessly to lead by example in every aspect of her life. Carmen may be quiet, but the impact she makes here at UMA can be heard far and wide.”
Bragg’s contributions are not limited to the UMA campus as this spring she plans to travel to Haiti with a group of UMA students as part of a Global Health course to volunteer at Real Hope this spring. Students will spend their time at the center helping malnourished children and providing support at their health clinic. When not working at the health clinic, Bragg and her fellow students will spend time at a local primary school and provide educational and sports activities for children in the village.
In Bragg’s UMA playing career, she has played a critical role in the success of the women’s basketball team.
This year, she averaged 6.9 points per game and 3.6 rebounds and shot 35.6 percent from three-point land. The Moose recorded a won-loss record of 15-11 on the season.
She was asked to fill in a role that she was not used to, that of point guard. To make this transition required many adjustments on Bragg’s part, but as a leader she placed the team ahead of herself. She was willing to fill the role that was needed of her, even when it took her out of her comfort zone, and she found a way to excel.
“We truly cannot put into words the impact that she has had on this community and our program,” Laney said.
