DALLAS – Conference USA announced its Fall Spirit of Service Award winners Friday. The award honors student-athletes with significant community service endeavors, good academic standing and participation in their sport. The Spirit of Service award is presented three times throughout the season, with Friday’s honorees representing men’s cross country, football, women’s soccer and volleyball. 
 
2024 Fall Spirit of Service Award Recipients 
Reagan Bridges, FIU Women's Soccer, Sr. 
Rudi Barnette, Jax State Women's Cross Country, Jr. 
Olivia Burrage, Kennesaw State Volleyball, So. 
Elijah Auguste, Liberty Football, Sr. 
Zach Zimos, LA Tech Football, Sr. 
Canaan Yarro, NM State Football, Sr. 
Dana Hanson, Sam Houston Women's Soccer, Sr. 
Tionna Taylor, UTEP Women's Soccer, Grad. 
Katie Howard, WKU Volleyball, Sr. 
 
FIU senior Reagan Bridges’ community involvement has included the Relay for Life Halloween Carnival and Letters for Love program, along with packaging and distributing food at a local food drive and arts & crafts with underserved youth at a Back to School event. With a near perfect GPA in chemistry (3.99), she earned a spot on the Dean’s List and CSC Academic All-District Team and was a recipient of the CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Medal. The 2024 CUSA Defensive Player of the Year, Bridges was a CUSA First-Team honoree this season after starting in every game and playing the most minutes for a defense that was one of the best Conference USA this season. 
 
Jax State junior Rudi Barnette serves as the chair for the SAAC Community Service Committee and has implemented numerous projects for her fellow Gamecocks, such as High Five Fridays, Trunk or Treat and Pre-K class readings. She owns a 3.92 GPA in biology secondary education with the goal of becoming a biology teacher in the near future. Barnette competed in five meets this fall, helping Jax State to four top-five finishes, and logged a career-best 6k performance at the 2024 CUSA Cross Country Championship (25:17.8).  
 
Kennesaw State sophomore Olivia Burrage found time between her commitments on the court and in the classroom to work with Reflections of Trinity, a non-profit dedicated to meeting the basic needs of those in crisis with food, clothing and houseware. She currently has a 3.15 GPA in elementary education. Burrage led the team in blocks (104) and blocks per set (0.91), while ranking second in CUSA in hitting percentage (.368) with 2.16 kills per set.  
 
Liberty senior Elijah Auguste serves as the football program’s representative on the Flames’ SAAC and has helped with many various community service opportunities. A two-time member of the CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll, he owns a 3.29 GPA in interdisciplinary studies, with a focus in Health Care Management and Sport Management. Auguste has seen playing time in all 11 games, mostly on special teams. He tallied all eight tackles in CUSA play, including a season-best three solo stops at Kennesaw State.  
 
LA Tech senior Zach Zimos takes pride in giving back to the community, utilizing his free time to volunteer with projects like Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club, Be the Match, Hometown Heroes and Dogs with a Cause, along with various opportunities at local schools. He earned his MBA this past summer and boasts a 3.50 GPA in his postbaccalaureate studies. Zimos earned Honorable Mention All-CUSA honors after posting a team-high 74 tackles, along with 6.0 tackles for loss and five quarterback hurries.  
 
NM State senior Canaan Yarro dedicated his free time to multiple community service projects such as NMSU Gratitude Walk, Holy Cross Field Day, Earth Day Trash Clean up, Casa de Pererginos Food Pantry and other opportunities with local schools. His 3.99 mark in communication earned him an Academic All-CUSA nod and Crimson Scholar Athlete honors in all five semesters in which he has been enrolled at NMSU. Yarro was named Honorable Mention All-CUSA this season after starting all but one game for the league’s fourth-ranked rushing offense (179.2).  
 
Sam Houston senior Dana Hanson has proved to be a leader not only on the track & field team, but in the classroom and the community as well. She serves as a Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader and has volunteerd with Ranch 4 Athletes and Hurricane Beryl relief efforts. She has earned President’s List, Dean’s List and Academic All-CUSA honors with a perfect 4.00 GPA in marketing. Hanson was a four-year starter and two-year captain for the Bearkats and logged 3,870 minutes at the midfield position.  
 
UTEP graduate student Tionna Taylor logged more than 30 hours with Extra Yard for Teachers, the Anti-Hazing Fair and the 2024 CUSA Volleyball Championship. She earned both CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Medal and Honor Roll with a flawless 4.00 GPA as an MBA candidate. Taylor appeared in eight matches, recorded three victories at the goalkeeper position and logged 635 minutes in the net for the Miners.  
 
WKU senior Katie Howard, a physical education major, has completed nearly 40 hours of community service in her time in Bowling Green with numerous local initiatives. The Toppers’ outside hitter ranked third on the team in aces per set (0.28) and fifth in digs per set (1.07). She posted a season-high 10 digs against Kentucky on Aug. 31 and logged a season-high three aces in four matches this season. Howard finished her WKU career with 135 service aces.