BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Junior track and field student-athlete Matthew Boling and graduate volleyball student-athlete Sage Powell were announced as the University of Georgia’s winners of the SEC Brad Davis Community Service Award Thursday morning.
The school award winners are nominees for the Male and Female Brad Davis Community Service Leaders of the Year which will be announced later in May. The school winners will each receive a $5,000 post-graduate scholarship provided by the SEC.
The male and female Community Service Leaders of the Year, to be announced later in May, will each receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship, provided by the SEC.
The SEC Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship is named for former Associate Commissioner Brad Davis. Davis succumbed to cancer on March 2, 2006. He had been a member of the SEC staff since 1988, first serving as an assistant commissioner until 1994 when he was promoted to associate commissioner.
Matthew Boling
Arriving to Athens already an Internet sensation for his speed on the track, Matthew Boling has developed into one of the University of Georgia Athletic Association’s most well-rounded student-athletes. The 14-time First Team All-American has captured the 2021 and 2023 NCAA indoor 200-meter dash titles while also winning the SEC 2022 outdoor 200m, 2022 indoor 60m and 2022 indoor 4x400m relay championships. Boling owns seven school records, including the indoor long jump mark that surpassed Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Champ Bailey’s former No. 1 mark from 1998.
Boling’s performance in the classroom has also been elite. Currently sporting a 3.40 GPA and graduating with a degree in Business Administration this spring, Boling has earned a record-tying three SEC Scholar-Athlete Awards. He was named a 2021 CoSIDA Academic Third Team All-American and has been a regular as a U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Individual while at Georgia.
Boling’s commitment to giving back to the community has been just as impactful. The team captain is a team representative on the UGA Athletic Association’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). The Leadership Academy member has donated his time to Spooky Dawgs (interaction and games with area children at Halloween), DGD Fund (cause to raise awareness for the Miracle League), Special Olympics Prom and the Hunger Bowl (collection of canned food and donations for the Food Bank of NE Georgia). In addition, Boling has made a point to donate NIL earnings to local schools.
Sage Powell
In her five years as a student-athlete at the University of Georgia, Sage Powell has held herself to the highest level of professionalism both on the court and in her community. A three-time SEC Volleyball Community Service Team honoree, the Agoura Hills, California native has set the standard for what it means to be a student-athlete at Georgia.
Powell graduated in May 2022 with her undergraduate degree in International Affairs and is working toward her Master’s in Public Administration. She has been a stalwart in the classroom throughout her career, earning recognition on the SEC Academic Honor Roll every year. Head coach Tom Black said of Powell, “Sage does an amazing job each day of thinking of others before herself.”
In five seasons, Powell appeared in 98 total matches, playing in 326 sets. She recorded 275 total blocks in her career with 471 kills. Powell was a member of Georgia’s 2019 and 2022 teams that appeared in the NCAA Tournament. Her leadership helped guide the Bulldogs to an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2022 and a third-place finish in the SEC.
