Alli Stumler (Vicky Graff Photo)
Being among the 24 student-athletes selected for induction into the 2021 class of the Frank G. Ham Society of Character means a lot to Kentucky juniors Renee Abernathy and All Stumler. The Society of Character annually honors UK athletes who have shown an extraordinary commitment to academic excellence, athletic participation, personal development, career preparation, and serving as a role model.
“It is such an honor. It’s a very big deal in UK athletics to be in this group. I am just really proud of myself for being inducted as a junior,” said Abernathy, a human health services major who plans to be a physician.
Abernathy is a starting outfielder on UK’s softball team and teammates Mallory Peyton, Lauren Johnson, and Grace Baalman were also selected for induction.
“Coach (Rachel) Lawson does a really good job bringing people to the team that also have high hopes for their careers and strive to be good people all around,” Abernathy said. “Softball is not 100 percent of our lives. We are working to develop our futures and our team, in general, prioritizes character, leadership skills, future careers, and softball.”
Stumler has been a standout for the highly ranked UK volleyball team again this year. She also has two teammates — Lauren Tharp and Cameron Scheitzach — joining her on the induction list.
“I was certainly not expecting it,” Stumler, an elementary education major, said. “We got the application back when we were in quarantine and I was in Florida with my family. I thought it was so cool to be picked and then I got the email saying I was selected. I looked at the list of awesome people being inducted and it just hit me what an even bigger honor it was.
“The older you get it is less about what you do on the court and more about off the court things, how you give back, and how you give to other people.”
Kentucky softball is 23-3 going into its SEC home-opening series against Alabama this weekend while UK volleyball is 19-1 and leading the SEC.
