Skyhawk baseball player Dustin Summers has been awarded the HCA-OVC Student-Athlete Spotlight sponsored by the Hospital Corporation of America’s TriStar Family of Hospitals.

He is one of two student-athletes in the Ohio Valley Conference receiving the award as recognition for their athletic abilities and contributions to the campus community.

Summers is a senior chemistry major from Paris, Tenn.

Though he had not received an athletic scholarship to play collegiate sports, Summers wanted to play baseball.

He walked onto the Skyhawk baseball team and earned a position as pitcher.

Summers was recognized with the Student-Athlete Spotlight because of his sports talent as well as his leadership and involvement in various activities on campus.

He believes it is important for athletes to take the time to be active in other aspects of campus life.

He was a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Council and the Peer Enabling Program (PEP) during his sophomore and junior years at UTM.

Currently, he oversees 20 PEP leaders. Participation in these areas has allowed him to work with new students during Freshmen Welcome Week.

Summers is a facilitator for the Leaders in Residence program and supervises 60 students who are in the program.

He also works with the baseball team’s reading program at the UTM Children’s Center.

When asked about being honored for his work on campus, Summers admitted that the recognition was unexpected.

“I was surprised,” he said, unaware that he had been nominated for the award.

Summers realized how much of an honor the spotlight really was after learning that he had been chosen from all the student-athletes in the OVC.

“It’s nice to be recognized for something like this,” he said. He believes there are other college athletes who deserve the award as well.

Skyhawk baseball head coach Victor “Bubba” Cates thinks Summers is well-deserving of this recognition. He sees Summers as well-rounded in his abilities.

“I think what we’re trying to do in our athletic program is recruit guys who are complete,” Cates said. “Dustin is one of those guys,” he added.

Coach Cates believes that people begin to become great leaders early in life. He thinks Summers will continue to make a difference throughout his life.

“He is going to be a leader in his community as he is now on campus,” said Cates.