Kaylah Abdul: Student-Athlete Spotlight

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine— Kaylah Abdul is Southern Maine Community College’s student-athlete spotlight of April. You may recognize Abdul from the soccer pitch, or from the basketball court, and this spring, from the softball diamond. A native of South Berwick, Maine and graduate of Marshwood High School, Abdul truly embodies what it means to be a student-athlete at SMCC.

As a member of the women’s soccer team, Abdul appeared in six games and started four as both a goal keeper and a field player. As a goal keeper, she logged 270 minutes and led her team in save percentage (.800) and goals against average (1.67).

As part of a dynamic backcourt on the women’s basketball team, Abdul point-guarded the team for the majority of the season appearing in 28 games and taking over the starting job for 19. The crafty five-foot five-inch guard averaged 9.3 points, two assists, and led the team recording 3.1 assists spanning 19.4 minutes per game. Abdul’s most impressive performance of the season was at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Basketball Tournament in which she recorded 10 points, eight rebounds, and five assists to help put her team deeper into the tournament than ever before.

The softball season is underway and Abdul has already made an impact. Thus far the shortstop is hitting .571 (4-7) to start her collegiate career, smacking two homeruns and collecting seven runs-batted-in in the team’s first doubleheader of the season.

The three-sport athlete is taking a full course load of five classes in pursuit of her Liberal Arts degree with a focus in Science. Earning a 3.91 GPA her first semester, Abdul’s career goal is to transfer to a four-year institution, gain acceptance into medical school, and become a radiologist.

In the transition of women’s basketball coaches this summer, Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach and Academic Advisor Patrick Haviland was a big influence to Abdul as she recalls in her commitment to SMCC. Speaking more about her fondness of the school, she said, “It’s everything that I was looking for—the absolute perfect location with my field of study, giving me the opportunity to participate in a storied athletics program.”

The 18-year-old freshman identifies the benefit athletics has in her life, “I play three sports because I want athletics to be a total part of my life. Athletics has taught me so much about how I represent myself, my school, and the community. Grades are important to me, and my participation in athletics has allowed me to become a better student—living this busy and demanding lifestyle has taught me how to budget my time and take that next step in maturity to succeed in the classroom.”

In just her first seven months at SMCC, Abdul had a lot to say about her experiences as a SeaWolf. “I love being a part of a team. I’ve learned more than one valuable lesson from each of my coaches. Coach Cyr [women’s soccer] taught me that a team is a family and that everyone takes responsibility. Coach Bergeron [women’s basketball] always pushed me to be better on the court but more importantly in developing character. And Coach Magnant [softball] taught me the importance of a balanced lifestyle.”

Among her many talents on the playing surface, Abdul is also musically inclined—she can play the piano, guitar, and sing to go along with it.

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