IRVING, Texas – Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod announced the 14 student-athletes that will receive the C-USA Fall 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 will be presented three times throughout the season, with today’s honorees representing Conference USA’s fall sports: football, soccer, volleyball and cross country.
 
2016 Fall C-USA Spirit of Service Honorees:
Martha Thomas, Charlotte, Women’s Soccer
Tia Clay, FIU, Volleyball
Greg Joseph, Florida Atlantic, Football
Brandon Lewis-Graham, Louisiana Tech, Men’s Cross County
Will Shaffer, Marshall, Men’s Cross Country
Jacqueline Lux, Middle Tennessee, Volleyball
Eric Keena, North Texas, Football
Tyler Compton, Old Dominion, Football
Shelby Livingstone, Rice, Volleyball
Daphney Stanford, Southern Miss, Women’s Cross Country
Erik Henze, UAB, Men’s Soccer
Cosmas Boit, UTEP, Men’s Cross Country
Megan Slan, UTSA, Volleyball
Kaelin Grimes, WKU, Volleyball

Complete Spirit of Service Release [PDF]
 
Martha Thomas, a junior midfielder for the C-USA champion Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer team, has volunteered for the American Red Cross Blood Drive while also being a UNC Charlotte Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct Subcommittee Student-Athlete Representative. Thomas is a member of SAAC and a Charlotte 49ers Leadership Academy Veteran Leader. The Weston, Florida, native has maintained a 3.82 GPA in exercise science, twice being named to the C-USA All-Academic First Team. Thomas was tabbed C-USA Offensive Player of the Year and earning First Team All-NSCAA Central Region recognition.
 
FIU junior volleyball player Tia Clay completed more than 90 hours of community service during the fall semester. She volunteered weekly at Dr. Carlos Finlay Elementary, Metro Life Church, and the FIU Student Food Pantry. As FIU’s Student Athlete Leadership Council President she is actively involved in serving as a Student Government Association liaison and was recently inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership and service honor society. A pre-med biological sciences major from Sacramento, California, Clay is a two-time member of the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
 
A hometown product, Florida Atlantic kicker Greg Joseph earns his second Spirit of Service award. The graduate student maintains a 3.665 in his Masters of Business Administration, while holding office as the vice president in SAAC. Joseph began his MBA after finishing his undergraduate degree in exercise science and health promotion at Florida Atlantic. On the gridiron, Joseph had a record-setting season, knocking home 11-of-15 field goals with a 100 percent PAT completion rate. In the community, Joseph supplemented his SAAC role with steady work at the Donor Thankathon, 40 hours with FCA and work at local elementary schools. He was also a pivotal member of the Let’s SAAC Hunger initiative, which was collected canned goods to help with Hurricane Matthew relief in Haiti.
 
Louisiana Tech sophomore Brandon Lewis-Graham posted three top 30 finishes for the Bulldog cross country team this season. A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Lewis-Graham serves as the LA Tech SAAC Community Service Chair. During his two seasons, he has collected toys for Toys for Tots, assisted with the Let’s SAAC Hunger initiative and volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club of Ruston, the 2016 Special Olympics and the 2016 Buddy Ball. A two-time C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll member, Lewis-Graham is a psychology major.
 
A 2016 selection to the Conference USA Cross Country All-Academic Team, Marshall senior Will Shaffer maintains a 3.88 GPA as a civil engineering major while devoting time to a number of community service initiatives. The Madison, West Virginia, native works with his local boy scout troop on a consistent basis. He also led the Man of Marshall fundraiser for the AD Lewis Community Center, helped with the SAAC dodgeball canned food drive, organized a service project to help fundraise for Lily’s Place and assisted with the Huntington City Mission kids night. Shaffer helps with seasonal maintenance at the Rocky Ledges Girl Scout Camp as part of the Boy Scout Merit Badge College at Marshall University. Additionally, he regularly helps the Huntington-Wayne animal shelter and Little Victories with fundraisers including “rent a puppy” day. Shaffer placed 28th overall at the 2016 C-USA Cross Country Championship.
 
Middle Tennessee junior volleyball setter Jacqueline Lux surpassed 1,000 career digs and career assists this season, ranking seventh in C-USA with 8.77 assists per set. She also assisted in numerous projects within her community. Lux was an active participant in Relay for Life at Middle Tennessee, as well as ‘Pinwheels for Prevention’ during April’s National Child Abuse Prevention Month. She volunteered for Bellwood Elementary School field day and spent time with Murfreesboro Parks for city beautification projects. A political science major, she worked on campaigns for John Gregg, the Democratic candidate for governor of Indiana and participated in field work for the Tennessee Democratic Headquarters in Nashville. A native of Shelbyville, Indiana, Lux also garnered Dean’s List accolades throughout her career. She will graduate early in spring 2017 and plans to enroll in Law School next fall.
 
North Texas senior Erik Keena will finish his football career for the Mean Green with an appearance in the Heart of Dallas Bowl and a degree in kinesiology with a minor in business. On the field, the Keller, Texas, native was 11th nationally among active punters (44.2), pinned 20 punts inside the 20-yard line and served as a team captain during his senior campaign, while also appearing on the Ray Guy Award watch list. More importantly than his work between the hashes, Keena was a heavily involved figure in the community. He was a three-year member of SAAC, and he participated in various charitable organizations including One Shirt One Body Clothing Drive, Carriage House Assisted Living Facility, North Texas Food Bank Collections, Shepherd’s Hand Food Bank Collections, Denton Food Pantry and WFAA Santa’s Helpers Toy Drive.
 
Old Dominion senior Tyler Compton posted a 3.92 GPA in his mathematics undergraduate program that he finished in two and a half years. He now sports a 3.77 in his Masters of Business Administration program and is a three-time Conference USA All-Academic Team member. The offensive lineman has started 13 games in his career for the Monarchs and helped ODU to a 9-3 record and berth to the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl this season. In the community, Compton volunteered with Equi Kids of Virginia Beach and volunteered at the ODU Little Feet Meet and Bone Marrow Drives.
 
Rice junior Shelby Livingstone played in all 121 sets for the Owls this season, while also registering three double-doubles. The Malibu, California, native remains active in the Houston community, volunteering at the SAAC Bake Sale, Forge for Families, Rice Volleyball Clinic and the Houston Food Bank. Livingstone also spent time in Costa Rica, serving on a mission trip. As a cognitive science major, Livingstone maintains an impressive 3.61 GPA and is a two-time recipient of the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
 
Southern Miss senior Daphney Stanford wrapped up another successful fall semester managing academics, athletics and community service. Stanford volunteered as a tutor and mentor for children in the Boys and Girls Club at the Salvation Army, while also keeping up her role as a SAAC member in which she most recently served as a volunteer for the Special Olympics. Throughout her academic career, the biological sciences major has been awarded three C-USA Academic Medals along with being named to the Southern Miss Dean’s List in 2015. On the course, the Grapevine, Texas, native competed in three of the Golden Eagles’ four meets in 2016 and recorded top-10 finishes in each contest.
 
Erik Henze, a redshirt freshman walk-on for the UAB men’s soccer team, has completed 168 hours of community service since becoming a Blazer. During his rookie year, he completed more than 100 hours and used his free time outside of practice and class to volunteer. The Birmingham, Alabama, is also able to continue volunteering over school breaks while working toward his degree in biology. Henze serves on the SAAC Executive Board and sets a great example for community service to other student-athletes. 
 
UTEP senior Cosmas Boit continued his excellence on and off the course this season. He recently participated in a 39-mile walk for breast cancer awareness and volunteered at a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) walk. Boit also took time to visit residents in Sunridge at Cambria Assisted Living. He played checkers and read stories with the residents while also assisting them in daily activities. As a criminal justice major and sociology minor, Boit was a 2016 C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient. The Eldoret, Kenya, native wrapped up his 2016 cross country campaign with four top-10 finishes and completed his final NCAA Cross Country Championship meet with his fastest 10K time of the season. 
 
UTSA junior Megan Slan saw action in 27 matches this season and recorded the fourth most blocks on the team with 48.0. She also cracked the UTSA all-time records in block assists with 221, tying her for ninth in school history. Off the court, Slan volunteered time to read once a week at Virginia Myers Elementary School, while also serving at a medical clinic two Sunday mornings each semester where she assisted in the diagnoses and treatment of homeless patients in need. The biology major was also a member of the UTSA pre-med society as an undergrad and keeps up an impressive 3.86 GPA. Slan was recently named to the 2016 C-USA Volleyball All-Academic Team and has been recognized with the C-USA Academic Medal the last two seasons.
 
Senior Kaelin Grimes finished her illustrious volleyball career with four regular-season conference championships, including a trio of trips to the NCAA Tournament. Grimes played in every match during her time at WKU and never lost a home conference match. The Louisville, Kentucky, native also stayed involved in the community as a member of the St. Aquinas Church Women’s Group while also taking part in the Christian Care Program at a local Bowling Green nursing home. She additionally played a key role in fundraising for the Hope 4 Harlie Foundation and Friends of Jaclyn Foundation with WKU volleyball. Grimes sports a 3.96 GPA as a communication sciences and disorders major and was a two-time C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2015 and 2016.