MAYA NEAL HONORED WITH 2019 COACH CHUCK ROHE LEADERSHIP AWARD

University of Tennessee heptathlon/multi-event athlete Maya Neal is the fourth annual

recipient of the Coach Chuck Rohe Leadership Award. Neal is a two-sport athlete who also
stars on the UT soccer team, where she has been first-team All-SEC. Her best year in the
heptathlon was 2018 when she was 4th in the SEC meet and 13th in the NCAA Outdoor
Championships. A political science major with a minor in business administration, Neal has
an extraordinary record of community service, locally and internationally. She is a member of
VolLeaders Academy, and she has been heavily involved in Girl Scouts of America where she is
recipient of the organization’s Gold and President’s Award for community service. She is as
an advocate for the people of Liberia, the homeland of her mother, and represented that
country on the track at the 2016 African Championships. Realizing the need for athletic
shoes, she collected some 270 pairs and shipped them to needy Liberians. She says she
dreams of working overseas for a non-governmental organization such as Doctors without
Borders or UNICEF.

According to Coach Beth Alford-Sullivan, “Maya Neal has been an outstanding young person
not only within the Track and Field program and the Soccer team, but the entire University of
Tennessee community. She is a natural leader, a dedicated and talented athlete, a successful
student, and an everyday impact person. I am proud of her earning this award, as her
leadership within our program is felt daily. Thanks to Coach Rohe for honoring her in this
manner and I look forward to her future!”