Western Kentucky softball player Kathryn Downing has been named one of 14 recipients of the Conference USA Spring Spirit of Service award as announced by the conference office Wednesday.

Downing is one of seven softball players to be honored, the most honorees from a sport this spring.

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 year, with the recently announced honorees representing Conference USA in baseball, golf, softball, tennis and outdoor track and field.

Wrapping up her collegiate career earlier this spring, Downing left her mark in the record books, owning the fifth-best career ERA in WKU softball history at 2.40. In 2017 alone, the Bowling Green native started 36 games in the circle, a mark that goes down as the third-most by a pitcher in a single season. Overall, Downing sported a team-best 2.25 ERA in 40 appearances this past season, including 15 complete games and five complete-game shutouts.

Off the field, the journalism and broadcasting major is heavily involved in the community in which she grew up. Downing splits her time as both a Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader and a character coach. She is one of the Hilltoppers’ Big Red Readers representatives, visiting local elementary schools to encourage reading to boost comprehension. The senior has also assisted at the WKU softball camps hosted on campus, volunteering and connecting with aspiring athletes.

Downing earned a spot on the 2017 C-USA All-Academic softball squad and has been named to the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll each of the seasons since WKU joined the league.{&end}