RICHARDSON, Texas – Dedication to service within their campus and local communities was recognized by the American Southwest Conference Directors of Athletics who selected Price Peden of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Leah Akridge of East Texas Baptist as the 2021-22 Community Service Athlete of the Year recipients.
 
The ASC Community Service Award is presented for the 12th time this year and honors a male and female student-athlete who best displays leadership and action in fostering community service on their campus and local community. Each ASC member institution has the opportunity to nominate student-athletes to the conference-wide ballot.

Peden, a senior men’s soccer player from Flower Mound, Texas, was involved in multiple community service efforts campuswide. He has worked with Love For Christ Food Pantry, Temple Bible Church, Lighthouse Mentoring Program, Soccer Camps, Feed My Sheep and Champs Day. Peden has served meals for two different organizations and volunteered his time with several Cru Soccer camps. He was also a weekly volunteer at Temple Bible Church where he served before, during and after services and was a small group leader for the high school ministry. Peden was also a mentor with Lake Belton Middle School where he met with his partner once a week. He served in the UMHB Advancement Office, as a disciple in the UMHB Easter Pageant and as part of the UMHB Revival Steering Committee and UMHB Big Event Steering Committee. He was also a member of the UMHB Men's Soccer Leadership Team, UMHB Student Foundation and UMHB Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Peden was a four-year member of the Cru soccer team where he helped UMHB to a conference title in 2018 and the regular season title in 2021.

“What a great honor for Price Peden to be named as the ASC Male Community Service Athlete of the Year,” said UMHB Vice-President for Athletics Dr. Mickey Kerr. “He was an impressive role model for servant leadership to his men’s soccer teammates as well as the entire university. Price is a tremendous example of how a student-athlete can make a lasting impact both on the pitch and within the local community.”

Akridge, a junior softball player from Lufkin, Texas, has been a four-year letterwinner for the Tigers while maintaining a 4.00 GPA. Akridge has served as a Thrive mentor for underclassmen and a volunteer intern at Immanuel Baptist Church in Marshall, where she assisted with the annual Trunk or Treat event, the annual Fall Retreat, cooked for the covenant groups each week, and helped make desserts for local families during the Christmas season. In addition, she taught Sunday school to the youth for the past three years in Marshall, as well as serving as working in the nursery and taught the college group at First Baptist Church Lufkin when home for the summer. Akridge has also volunteered her time coaching youth softball teams in the area and served at the local food pantry throughout her college career.

Also while in Marshall, she has been an active part of the ETBU Softball Pen Pal program, where she and her teammates spent letters each week to patients in children's hospitals throughout Texas. She served as the Rotary Youth Leadership head counselor and volunteered at Trinity Episcopal School in Marshall, as well as at the elementary schools in MISD. Akridge has been on the leadership council for ETBU Fellowship of Christian Athletes and assisted with campground clean-up with FCA in Louisiana, made care packages for Hurricane refugees, participated in Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes, visited and sang Christmas carols to residents of the Marshall nursing homes, served with East Texas Open Doors, made blankets for children in Dallas hospitals, packed boxes for patients in Houston children's hospitals, worked the American Appreciation Concert, and volunteered with the Salvation Army for the annual bell ringing drive at Christmas. Akridge has served as a Tiger Camp leader at ETBU and volunteered at the ETBU Softball camps. In addition, she has assisted with the annual 9/11 run in Marshall and tutors ETBU students for English 1301 and 1302. Akridge plans to participate in an upcoming mission trip to Ecuador

“Leah is the model ETBU student-athlete, who has exceled in all her endeavors during her time as a Tiger,” said Vice President for Student Engagement and Athletics Ryan Erwin. “She is a servant-leader that is always looking for ways to serve and love others within the ETBU family, as well as in the Marshall community.  We are proud of all she has done during her time on the Tiger softball team and at ETBU and very deserving of this recognition from the ASC.”
 
2021-22 ASC Community Service Award Nominees
Biographical information provided by each student-athletes’ sports information director

 
MEN'S NOMINEES

JAXON BATTEN                     Cross Country/Track & Field                             So.           McMurry
A three-sport athlete at McMurry, Jaxon Batten competes in cross country, swimming and track. That doesn't stop him from excelling in the classroom and giving back to the community, as he finished with academic all-conference honors. Batten leads a life-group with his wife, fellow scholar-athlete Aubrey Carr Batten, as members of Beltway Park Church in Abilene. They host weekly studies in their home and enjoy fellowship. Batten has also volunteered as a youth soccer coach for two soccer teams and has also served at "Camp Blessing" - a special needs camp - for two summers. On the side, he owns a small business where he is a licensed landscaper. He was McMurry's Male Coach Neel Lemond "Heart of a War Hawk" award winner this season.

BEN CROSS                                Baseball                                                                Sr.           Ozarks
Ben Cross spent numerous mornings at a local elementary school opening doors for children as they arrived. An All-Region baseball player, Cross is a two-time All-Conference honoree and a member of the Academic All-Conference Team. Cross recently graduated Cum Laude.
 
RANGEL MILLER                       Cross Country/Track & Field                             Sr.           East Texas Baptist
Rangel “RJ” Miller has been involved in numerous service opportunities during his time at ETBU, which has included serving at the Co-President for ETBU Fellowship of Christian Athletes, volunteered at the Marshall High School and Junior High track meets, serving at a local daycare, volunteering with the ETBU Arbor Day celebration, which included planting trees throughout campus and was involved in packing boxes with the NCAA for the Houston children's hospital and making blankets with the ASC making blankets for a Dallas children's hospital. Miller also served as a FCA Sports Camp Huddle leader in Louisiana for the past four years and the last two summers in Arkansas. In addition, he has been involved in the FCA College Athlete Retreat as a Huddle Leader and the FCA Soccer Camp Huddle Leader in Louisiana for the past three years. RJ has been a Tiger Camp Leader at ETBU, which serves as the welcome week for all new ETBU students each year.

 
WOMEN'S NOMINEES
 
JESSICA ALVARADO                    Soccer                                                 Jr.           Ozarks
Jessica Alvarado logged the most volunteer hours of all the student-athletes on campus. Alvarado did a variety of community service events during the school year, including a trail clean-up, Operation Christmas Child, assisting at a Barbecue for the Forester-Davis Development Center, providing labor for a downtown revitalization project, volunteering at a campus Homecoming booth and participating at two different fundraising events in her hometown. One of the fundraisers was helping a family with funeral expenses and the other was a soccer camp at her high school. Additionally, Alvarado is spending part of her summer at Camp War Eagle, a Christian sports camp in Arkansas. A team captain, she is an All-Conference performer and an Academic All-Conference selection. She has been a member of the Dean's List and is also a Resident Assistant
 
ADILE LEAL                                   Volleyball                                      Jr.           McMurry
Adile Leal is someone who has excelled in all facets of being a scholar-athlete. She is a two-time Distinguished Scholar-Athlete, a multi-time all-conference selection on the volleyball court and represents McMurry well in the community. Leal is active in Big Country Fellowship of Christian Athletes and leads many of the Tri-College Huddles, serves as an RA on campus, serves on Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, social club officer and has been an active participant in McMurry's Athletics Leadership Academy seminars. She is also active in the church she attends. According to coach Cammie Petree, "Addie has a bright spirit and is an encourager; she works hard and leads by example. She loves people and is welcoming and is proud to be a part of the McMurry Family." Leal was McMurry's Female Coach Neel Lemond "Heart of a War Hawk" award winner this season.
 
KATE MYLES                                   Volleyball                                      So.           Mary Hardin-Baylor
Kate Myles organized a charity event called Finals Four at UMHB. Finals Four featured male student-athletes from the four graduating classes competing in a volleyball tournament. Each team member brought canned goods that were donated to Helping Hands Ministry Food Pantry of Belton. Myles also participated in various community service efforts through Student Athlete-Advisory Committee and volunteered during recess at a local elementary school. She also served as master of ceremonies during UMHB's Champs Day, a softball game for special needs athletes in Bell County.