Dec. 5, 2006
Santa Clara, Calif. - Santa Clara cross country runner Shannon Bell was honored as October's recipient of the Comcast Community All-Star award. She was presented the award by Comcast marketing manager Keshila Vallot, along with cross country head coach Tom Service and Director of Athletics and Recreation Dan Coonan, at the men's basketball game against San Jose State on November 27, 2006.
Bell was recognized for her work on campus in a number of groups. She is part of the Santa Clarans for Social Justice, a group that works to educate people about social justice issues such as the genocide in Darfur and the death penalty. She is a co-leader for the Fair Trade Coalition, where she spreads awareness of Fair Trade products, and works to push the campus to serve only Fair Trade coffee.
However, her community endeavors span out further than our Santa Clara community. Back home in Spokane, Wash., Bell has volunteered in the Traumatic Brain Injury unit of St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute. She also plans on going on her third immersion trip this winter break to build houses in Tijuana, Mexico.
Bell is not only a strong presence in the community, but on her team as well. She had an outstanding season, beginning with a fourth place finish at the San Francisco Cross Country Invitational with a time of 18:05.4 for the 5k. Bell battled through a head cold at the WCC Championships, coming in 35th with a 6k time of 24:28. However, she finished the season strong, leading the women's team at the NCAA West Regionals placing 85th overall with a 6k time of 23:27.99.
Bell, majoring in combined sciences, also has many academic accomplishments, earning Gold Honors on the WCC Commissioner's Honor Roll last year with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
The award, which is presented monthly during the academic year by Comcast, was introduced two years ago to spotlight the positive contributions that SCU student-athletes make in the local community. Women's softball player Sara Overmier received the award in September for her work promoting ethical behavior on campus as well as her participation at the Bay Area Women's Sport Initiative (BAWSI).
