(Editor's Note:  This is part of a series of stories of the RUDY Award finalists.  Two winners – one male and one female – will be announced at the conclusion of the end of the R.UD.Y.S. Awards Banquet on Monday.  

R.U.D.Y.S. stands for Recognition and celebration of University of Dayton student-athletes Year-end Showcase.  It is hosted by the UD Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Dayton Athletics administration for the student-athletes to recognize individuals and teams for their accomplishments this past year.
 
These stories were written by students in Dr. Haozho Pu's HS 353 Sports Media class.)

Written by Alexis McClinton, Kyle Kelleher

Abby Carter is a senior majoring in Environmental Technology as well as a key component on the Women's Cross Country Team. She is from Fishers, Indiana where she attended Fishers High School. With her devotion to environmental conservation and athletics, Abby has made great achievements in both academia and athletics during her college years. 

In regards to athletics, Abby has obtained very notable achievements, including placing second in the 2023 A-10 Cross Country Championships, third in the mile run at the 2023 A-10 Indoor Track & Field Championships, and second in the 5000 meter run and third in the 1500 meter race at the 2023 A-10 Outdoor Track & Field Championships. All of these accomplishments led up to her becoming the champion in the 5000 meter event at this year's A-10 Indoor Championships. 
 

In her everyday life off the track, Abby is very involved with activities around the University of Dayton's campus and takes positive environmental steps. She serves as a leader within her team which allows her to provide her knowledge and expertise to those around her. Outside of sports, Abby takes interest in hiking, environmental-based activities, volunteering, and reading. Additionally, she is a member of various campus organizations such as the Sustainability Club, is a volunteer at Curran Place in managing the solar prairie, ecological restoration, and is a member of Dayton Metro Parks Prescribed Burn Team. 
 
Q:What does being a Flyer mean to you?
A:"Being a Flyer is to be part of a community that supports you in every aspect of life, not just athletically and academically, but also passionately, and anywhere that your life is going after college. Being a Flyer means that you're a part of something bigger than what you are here, even after graduation."
 
Q: What is one of the most influential moments in your athletic career?
A: "One of the most important moments in my athletic career was my sophomore year, at a meet called Raleigh Relays in 2022, when I got to watch one of my teammates break the Dayton 5k record. Her name is Laney Studebaker, and she is someone I've always looked up to. Watching her reach her goal here with UD Athletics really inspired me and made me think "wow, if she can do it, maybe I can too", so it was really just through watching my teammates experiences."

Q: Balancing sports and academics can be challenging. How do you organize your time effectively to ensure success in both areas?
A: "It's interesting, because one way that I've figured out that I have to balance my academics and athletics is actually just keeping busy. I've noticed that, weirdly, the more I pack my schedule, the more I do things I'm passionate about, the more I'll want to finish up and complete all my academic achievements, and want to be motivated in both academics and athletics. It helps that we have a designated practice schedule and everything, but on top of that I've been able to fill my schedule with other aspects that really interest me and it's great to see my teammates doing the same thing as well, and through the support of them, it has really made it a lot easier and a lot more manageable, because everyone on my team wants everyone to do their best in academics and we have a great support system."

Q: How has being a student-athlete contributed to your personal growth and development?
A: "Being a student athlete has brought me a lot of challenges with being here at UD. It's not easy making the sacrifices that we do both physically, mentally, and time-commitment wise. It's really helped me become more (prepared) to situations I believe I will face later in life. Going into jobs already, I've seen how UD athletics has taught me how to adapt to certain situations on the fly, and it's really improved my quality not only as a person, with all these great influences around me, but also in a way that its allowed me to learn how to be productive in any situation."

Q: What are your future goals and aspirations after graduating from UD?
A: "After I graduate from UD, I am actually starting a job doing riverscape restoration in Oregon, through a company called Anabranch Solutions, so currently my short-term goal is to drive all the way out to Oregon. But after that I want to continue to do more environmentally-based work that I find very purposeful, and I want to contribute to ecological health not only in the United States but also around the world, and educate others on how to be more environmentally conscious and contribute to their environment. "

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