By Wes Todd
Auburn Athletics
Special to the
Opelika Observer
Auburn senior first baseman Justus Perry has been named to the SEC Community Service Team, the league office announced Wednesday.
Despite balancing a demanding academic schedule as a double major in justice and law and Spanish on top of the demands of being a student-athlete, Perry set aside time once a week to give back to the Auburn community and has become one of the team’s and university’s standouts in community service. Perry has had her hand in various projects, including facilitating bingo at the Morningside Assisted Living Home, organizing and packaging clothing at the Big House Foundation and reading to students at Dean Road Elementary School. One of her favorite projects has been assisting riders and working the stables at Storybook Farms.
A three-time SEC Honor Roll selection, Perry was the recipient of the 2020 Virgil Starks III Passion Award for her outstanding work in academics, community service, teamwork and personal growth. She represented Auburn at the 2019 SEC Career Tour in Atlanta, and she was also selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team earlier this month.
On the field, Perry is third in program history with 32 hit-by-pitches, and is one of the top defensive first basemen in the country with a career .989 fielding percentage. She is a career .257 hitter with 11 home runs and 77 RBI.
Earlier this month, Perry and four other Auburn seniors announced that they would be returning for a fifth season of eligibility as granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19-shortened season.
The SEC sponsors Community Service Teams for all 21 league-sponsored sports. The Community Service Team looks to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to their community in superior service efforts.