RUSTON, La. ? The Louisiana Tech soccer team got a visit from a world-class athlete ? who just happens to be a Ruston native -- on Thursday after their morning practice. Linzie Ledford-Hebert and her husband, Jeremy, stopped by to talk with the team.

Ledford-Hebert, a Ruston High School graduate and a Northwestern State alumna, is one of the top triathletes in the country, as evidenced by her top-10 finish at the National Triathlon Championships in Portland, Ore., in June. By virtue of that impressive showing, she will be heading to Hamburg, Germany, next week to compete in the World Triathlon Championships.

Her husband, Jeremy, is the softball coach at Calvary Baptist. The two of them have been highly involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and have spoken to numerous athletic teams and organizations, including high school athletes from nearby Cedar Creek and Choudrant.

The pair addressed the Lady Techsters about the hard work that needs to be done in order to achieve one?s dreams. They also spoke about many facets of becoming a better athlete, student and person, including the concepts of commitment and sacrifice.

?I have been around many motivational speakers in my time as both a player and a coach, but these two wonderful people put on one of the best presentations I have ever seen,? Tech head coach Kevin Sherry said. ?It was awesome, and I am absolutely convinced it made an impression on the team. Our thoughts and prayers will be with Linzie as she competes in the world championships.?