Walton, Schwarz Speak at Faculty/Staff Luncheon
Wednesday, October 1, 2014 | Softball
Gator Softball head coach Tim Walton and junior first baseman Taylor Schwarz spoke at the University of Florida Faculty and Staff Luncheon on Wednesday in the Holloway Touchdown Terrace at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The University Athletic Association plays host to a luncheon for UF's faculty and staff each semester, and a member of the UF coaching staff and a student-athlete speak at the event to share the Gator student-athlete experience.
A total of 239 Florida student-athletes were selected to the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll and First-Year Academic Honor Roll during the 2013-14 school year. UF is the only SEC institution to place 100 or more student-athletes on the honor roll for each of the last 17 years.
“That's really impressive, but it can't happen by just being a good student,” said Walton, who has coached eight players to 13 Academic All-America honors and seen 47 players achieve 82 SEC Academic Honor Roll selections during his nine seasons in Gainesville. “We have a great support group, a great Office of Student Life, and great faculty and staff. I'm blown away by the amount of correspondence that the staff has with our players. From the [teaching assistants] to the professors themselves, it's awesome.”
Named to the NFCA All-Southeast Region Second Team in 2014, Schwarz said she appreciates the support and career-planning advice she and her fellow student-athletes receive from professors and the UAA Office of Student Life.
“We're only here for four years, and it's important to have advisors and faculty to help us figure out what we want to do after this,” said Schwarz, a telecommunications major who was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll this spring after earning a spot on the conference's Freshman Academic Honor Roll in 2013. “We want to be successful in everything we do, and with your help it's a lot easier for us to be successful off the field.”
The defending national champions will open their fall schedule on Sunday (Oct. 5), when Florida hosts St. Leo University. Admission is free, and first pitch from Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium is set for 4 p.m. ET.
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