Claire Swanson Presented With Melissa Vanderhall Spartan Cape Award

TAMPA, Fla. - University of Tampa senior women's lacrosse player Claire Swanson has been recognized with the 2019-20 Melissa Vanderhall Spartan Cape Award, which is presented annually to a UT student-athlete.

This award recognizes the University of Tampa student-athlete who is the most well-rounded and consistently performs at the top level in all categories including: Athletics, Academics and Community Service. This award aims to recognize the best of the best and the elite status which we hope our student-athletes strive to achieve. The following information is considered: Class, UT GPA, Major/Minor, Academic Accolades, Athletic Achievements/Accolades & Community Engagement.

Swanson, a senior from Cheyenne, Wyo., was also the recipient of the 2019-20 Freddie Solomon Community Service Award. The 2020 Inside Lacrosse National Player of the Year led the Spartans with 22 goals, as she added nine assists to have 31 points for the year.

In addition to her success on the field, Swanson has found time off the field to be active within her community. She volunteers weekly on Sunday's to serve on the welcome, greeter, and/or café team at her church, Radiant Church. She greets churchgoers, shows them around, gets them connected, serves them coffee, tea, water and donuts, and is a smiling face to see on Sunday.

Attending a summer missions' trip to Sri Lanka with her church sharing the gospel, she also works at VBS at Radiant Church. She also leads a Small Group Bible Study at her church.

Swanson has also volunteered at Special Olympics Florida, assisting with Opening Eyes, a program for disabled kids to receive in-depth eye evaluations and glasses for free. She helped run tests during the event, including depth perception, verbalization of sightings, vision testing and socializing with the athletes.

A member of the Air Force ROTC, she has volunteered for AFROTC recruiting events at UT, where she had a table of brochures, information and handouts. She also interacted with prospective students about the possibilities of AFROTC.

She has also volunteered within her sport, coaching, helping, and assist with the University of Tampa Women's Lacrosse Team Prospect Clinic. At the clinics, she ran drills and answered questions of the athletes, videotaped, and gave tours. She has also been involved with the UT women's lacrosse team, volunteering at local underprivileged elementary schools giving holiday gifts, singing songs with the kids, and engaging with the students.

The Spartan Cape Award is named after Melissa Vanderhall, a standout volleyball student-athlete and Class of 2018 UT Hall of Fame Inductee. Vanderhall tragically lost her life on August 12, 2017. While playing for the Spartans from 2006-10, Vanderhall was a three-time first-team All-American who was twice named the SSC Player of the Year. Her success extended to the classroom as well, where she became the first player in program history to be a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District member. She was also named to the SSC Commissioner's Honor Roll for her achieving a 3.2-plus GPA in each of her four playing seasons as a Spartan.

Active in the community as a student-athlete, she was accepted into Big Brothers Big Sisters Club, a volunteer with the Family and Children's Association, where she worked with underprivileged children, participated in the Christmas giveaway at Just Elementary, raised money for Dig for the Cure and "Think Pink" night and Volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House. She was also a member of the National Honor Society and Science Honor Society, a Scholar-Athlete who volunteered for the Special Olympics and Athletes Helping Athletes and served as a student tutor and peer mentor.

A native of Hempstead, New York, she was a graduate of Uniondale High School prior to receiving her bachelor's degree in allied health from the University of Tampa in 2011.

Due to the cancellation of the 2020 Sparty's, the major awards for the 2019-20 season with be announced throughout the week on TampaSpartans.com.

Following is a list of the 2019-20 University of Tampa Award Winners.

Freddie Solomon Community Service Award: Claire Swanson, Women's Lacrosse
Male Scholar-Athlete Award: Kellen Broaderick, Swimming
Female Scholar-Athlete Award: Julia Ingram, Basketball
Male Iron Spartan Award: Jake Richards, Soccer
Female Iron Spartan Award: Corynn Miner, Softball
Melissa Vanderhall Spartan Cape Award: Claire Swanson, Women's Lacrosse