RUSTON - Louisiana Tech outfielder Kristen Miles was one of 14 student-athletes representing the Conference USA membership to earn the 2015 C-USA Spring Spirit of Service Award announced by the league office today.

The C-USA Spirit of Service Award is designed to recognize the community service efforts of the league's student-athletes, based upon significant community service, good academic standing and participation in their elected sport.

The Spirit of Service award is presented three times throughout the season, with today's honorees representing Conference USA's spring sports: baseball, men's and women's golf, softball, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's outdoor track and field.

Miles just completed her junior campaign for the Louisiana Tech softball program, after recovering from multiple off-season injuries that required surgery. The Plano, Texas native started 33 games for a Lady Techster program that earned a berth to the 2015 C-USA Softball Championship while winning 31 games, the most since 2008.

"Kristen is so deserving of this award," said Tech head coach Mark Montgomery. "She has been a model student-athlete during her three years and showed such a competitive spirit this year, overcoming so many injuries to provide our team with great leadership and veteran experience.

"In addition to being a great competitor, she takes pride in the classroom and gives so much of her time to many different community service projects. I'm proud of Kristen."

In the community, Miles volunteered for the Ruston Girls Softball Association Free Clinics, painted silhouettes for Domestic Abuse Awareness Month and served time at the 4Paws Animal Rescue. Sporting a 3.318 GPA in chemistry, her name also appeared on the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Other Conference USA spring sports honorees, included Charlotte's Erin Crissman (T&F), FIU's Julius Gaines (baseball), Florida Atlantic's Bianca Bigilone (Women's Tennis), Marshall's Korakot Simsiriwong (women's golf), Middle Tennessee's Ronnie Jebavy (baseball), North Texas' Madison Thompson (softball), Old Dominion's Lauren Wright (women's rowing), Rice's Solomiyo Zinko (women's tennis), Southern Miss' Danielle Block (softball), UAB's Catherine Ragon (women's tennis), UTEP's Monica Lopez (T&F), UTSA's Stephanie Wangui (T&F) and WKU's Brandon Beckham (golf).