June 8, 2016

IRVING, Texas – Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod announced the 14 student-athletes that will receive the C-USA Spring Spirit of Service award 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 spring sports: baseball, golf, women’s rowing, softball, tennis, and outdoor track and field.

Complete Spring Spirit of Service Release 

2015-16 SPRING C-USA SPIRIT OF SERVICE HONOREES:
Haley Pace, Charlotte, Softball
Marcus Ghent, FIU, Men’s Track & Field
Carnesha Thompson, Florida Atlantic, Softball
Natalie Moran, Louisiana Tech, Softball
Morgan Zerkle, Marshall, Softball
Miguel Negre Fernandez, Middle Tennessee, Men’s Tennis
Kelli Schkade, North Texas, Softball
Colleen Rennie, Old Dominion, Women’s Rowing
Tommy Bennett, Rice, Men’s Tennis
Danielle Block, Southern Miss, Softball
Joanna “JoJo” Fallen, UAB, Softball
Kawehiokalani Netane, UTEP, Softball
Nikki Long, UTSA, Women’s Golf
Ellinor Haag, WKU, Women’s Golf

Charlotte sophomore Haley Pace has made an incredible impact since arriving on campus. A native of Winston Salem, North Carolina, she maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA as an accounting major that garnered her CoSIDA Academic All-America third-team recognition. Pace served as vice president of the Charlotte SAAC during the 2015-16 season and will represent the 49ers on the Conference USA SAAC this upcoming season. She is a member of the Charlotte Leadership Academy – Veteran Leaders and Gender Equity Committee. Pace also participated in self-defense training, Girl Talk, and the Student-Athlete Career Night, all sponsored by Charlotte’s Life Skills Program. On the field, she started 55 games at shortstop for the 49ers and was named to the NFCA All-Region Second Team. Pace led C-USA with 49 RBI and already ranks sixth in program history with 16 career homeruns.

FIU senior Marcus Ghent is a criminal justice major with a minor in biology, who plans to attend graduate school to further his goal of becoming a forensic pathologist. The Cheverly, Maryland, native is a jumper for the track & field squad, and most recently qualified for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, after a personal-record 16.21m leap in the triple jump at the NCAA East Preliminaries. In his community, Ghent volunteered with his teammates for the ALS Walk to help raise money for research as well as Roar for the Cure, an on-campus walk for breast cancer awareness. Ghent also served at the Ronald McDonald House and was actively involved in the Let’s SAAC Hunger campaign in the fall along with Relay for Life in the spring.   Recent graduate Carnesha Thompson proved to be an integral part of Florida Atlantic softball’s success on and off the field this year. Thompson, a four-year SAAC member, served as the Owls’ SAAC President during her final year on campus while accomplishing the incredible feat of completing her master’s degree in social work with a 3.8 cumulative GPA. The Owls’ captain and two-time C-USA Softball Championship All-Tournament team selection finishes her collegiate career second in program history with 140 runs scored, after leading FAU to its first Conference USA regular-season and tournament titles. A three-time C-USA Honor Roll member from 2014-2016, Thompson spent her time outside of the classroom and batting cages volunteering for the SAAC Hunger cause, Habitat for Humanity and the YMCA.

Louisiana Tech junior Natalie Moran is a three-year letterwinnner as a catcher for the Lady Techster softball team. Her volunteer experience has also been broad during her career, participating in community outreach with the Boys and Girls Club, 4 Paws Dog Rescue, DART and Operation Christmas. Moran has also been involved with student appreciation activities and the TECHSPY Awards. A native of Covian, California, Moran excels in the classroom with a 3.921 GPA as a biology major. She is a three-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Academic Medal recipient.

Marshall outfielder Morgan Zerkle followed up her impressive sophomore campaign with a quality junior season, despite missing 22 games due to an ankle injury. On the field, the Milton, West Virginia, native became the fastest player in program history to reach 100 career stolen bases and 200 career hits, en route to a .400 batting average for the second-consecutive year. Zerkle, a 2016 All-Conference USA and NFCA Mideast All-Region first-team selection, recorded a 3.70 GPA in clinical exercise physiology and was named a NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete for the second year in a row. She also spent time volunteering in Marshall softball’s “Lil Sis” program, mentoring numerous young girls while becoming a positive role model in the local community. Zerkle serves as the team’s SAAC representative while donating her time at Upward Basketball, Huntington West End Clean Up, Read to Me Day, Veteran’s Hospital and various other service initiatives.

Middle Tennessee sophomore Miguel Negre Fernandez pieced together an impressive year, achieving Dean’s List recognition on top of C-USA Honor Roll and Academic Medal honors with a 3.85 GPA in mechatronics engineering. On the tennis court, Fernandez was voted “most improved” by his teammates and tied for second on the squad in wins (17) after moving from No. 8 to No. 3 in singles. In his community, Fernandez was a part of the team that won the Director’s Cup for most community service hours at the 2016 Raiders Choice Awards. The Spaniard worked a wide array of community events, including time spent at children’s clinics, the Buddy Up Tennis Program (where children blessed with down syndrome are taught tennis) and local readings at elementary schools.

On one of the youngest rosters in all of Conference USA softball, Kelli Schkade stepped up as a leader for North Texas in 2016. The Mean Green infielder started all 55 games for the squad, broke the school record for longest hitting streak and led the league in total bases, slugging percentage and runs scored en route to two C-USA Player of the Week awards and a first team All-Conference USA selection. Schkade maintains a stellar 3.98 grade-point average while studying kinesiology and biology, and is a two-time recipient of both the C-USA Academic Medal and Honor Roll awards. When not leading her teammates on the field or in the classroom, the junior serves as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and participates in various activities in the community, including Salvation Army Holiday Drives, National Student-Athlete Day, and even a beautification project in her hometown of Albany, Texas.

Old Dominion senior rower Colleen Rennie is a two-time Team MVP and All-Big 12 Conference selection in 2015 and 2016. She was named to this year’s Big 12 All-Academic Second Team and was a three-time Dean’s List honoree as a psychology major with a minor in sport management. A native of Galloway, New Jersey, Rennie is the rowing team’s representative on the ODU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She volunteered with the local Toys for Tots program and Fear 2 Freedom, a foundation dedicated to redeeming and restoring the lives of those wounded by sexual abuse. Additionally, she provided community service support for the Red Cross Blood Drive and Hoops for the Cure game to help raise awareness for breast cancer. Rennie also helped transition the freshmen student-athletes to Old Dominion.

Rice junior Tommy Bennett achieved greatness on the hart court this past season, earning All-C-USA Singles and Doubles First Team recognition on top of an NCAA berth in doubles with partner David Warren. In the classroom, Bennett posted a 3.74 in economics en route to C-USA All-Academic Team and C-USA Commissioners Honor Roll selections. In the local community, the London native volunteered at several tennis-related functions, including the Kids Day Pro Tournament, the City club Pro Am, Bennett Visit, Gentlemen’s Pro Am and the Houston Racquet Club.

Southern Miss junior Danielle Block has continued to prove her worth in and out of the classroom, claiming her second Spirit of Service honor. She was an integral piece in the softball team’s turnaround in 2016, ranking second on the squad in every major pitching category and posted a pair of complete-game shutouts. In the classroom, the Phoenix product was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team, the C-USA All-Academic Team, a C-USA Commissioners Academic Medalist and a member of the President’s and Dean’s Lists following a 3.93 GPA in biology (pre-med). Block is the C-USA SAAC representative and the organization’s president and served her community passionately throughout the past year after working for the Special Olympics, One Shirt One Body clothing drive, Boys and Girls Club and in the Let’s SAAC Hunger campaign.

JoJo Fallen helped lead UAB to the title game of the 2016 Conference USA Softball Championship, while racking up all-tournament, All-Conference USA second-team and NFCA All-Mideast Region third-team honors. The March 21 C-USA Softball Player of the Week, Fallen also excelled in classroom by earning a 3.49 GPA in civil engineering studies and being named to the C-USA All-Academic Team. The junior from Prattville, Ala., is a two-time Conference USA Academic Medal and Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient. When not in the classroom or on the field, Fallen spends her time as a positive role model for others, serving local community organization’s such as Ronald McDonald House, United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham and Glen Iris Elementary for Dr. Seuss Day of Reading with young children.

UTEP senior Kawehiokalani Netane was the talk of the C-USA Softball Championship when, three weeks removed from an ACL tear, she got one last at-bat and singled up through center field. An All-C-USA Preseason Team selection, Netane was a four-year member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll as a human resources management and logged hours of community service on the year. The native of Orlando, Florida, educated students at Jane A Hambric School about the negatives of bullying and worked closely with the Miracle League of El Paso, which provides opportunities for children with disabilities to play baseball. Furthermore, Netane provided assistance during National Girls & Women In Sports Day and passed out EPFJ (El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank) bracelets.

UTSA sophomore golfer Nikki Long stays very involved in her hometown of San Antonio. She has volunteered her time to feed the homeless with San Antonio's "Taking it to the Streets" ministry. Along with her golf teammates, they took part in a community outreach with First Tee of Greater San Antonio, a local chapter of an organization that impacts young lives by introducing the game of golf and its inherent values. Pace has also volunteered with the Valero "Benefit for Children" Charity. She is a worship leader and keyboard player at Community Bible Church in San Antonio, as well as a member of the leadership team and a worship leader for the UTSA chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. A two-time C-USA Academic Medal recipient and member of the C-USA Women’s Golf All-Academic Team, Long maintains a 3.95 GPA as an economics/legal studies major.

Senior golfer Ellinor Haag led the Lady Toppers to a fourth-place finish at the 2016 C-USA Women’s Golf Championship, their best in a conference tournament since 1997. Haag placed ninth individually (+7, 223) and earned All-Conference USA first-team honors. The Sigtuna, Sweden, native also excelled in the classroom with a 3.97 GPA as an international business major. She was a two-time member of the C-USA All-Academic Team and recipient of the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal. Haag volunteered her time at the Bowling Green Humane Society, National Girls and Women in Sports Day and was involved in the One Shirt, One Body campaign.