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Courtesy of Radford University/DigItUp Sports

Kristen Shifflett became the second Highlander to win the Big South Conference Female Student-Athlete of the Year award, which is in its 11th year of existence, Track standout Tiffany Evans won the award in 2005-06. "It is a great honor," Shifflett says. "But it couldn't have been done without how well the team performed."

| Chuck Altizer

Special to The Roanoke Times

Three years ago, Kristen Shifflett won the Jefferson District Player of the Year award in softball at Monticello High School.

A letter-winner in both basketball and softball, the then-high school senior had some smaller colleges looking at her but not a single Division 1 offer.

That was fine with her because she wasn't even sure she wanted to go to college.

"I didn't really even think I was going to go to college," Shifflett said. "I was a big homebody and really wanted to stay home and go to community college and never thought about going to college or playing softball.

"But I happened to know Coach (Mickey) Dean when he coached where I lived, and he offered me a spot to walk on and I was so grateful to get the opportunity."

Her choice became Radford's reward.

Shifflett was recently named Big South Conference Female Student-Athlete of the Year, which is voted on by the athletic directors, senior female administrators and sports information directors at the 10 member schools.

Shifflett became the second Highlander to win the award in its 11th year of existence, joining track standout Tiffany Evans, who won the award in 2005-06.

"It is a great honor," she said. "But it couldn't have been done without how well the team performed."

The rising senior and newly named Big South softball Player of the Year was even taken completely off guard by the announcement.

"I saw that our academic coordinator Stephanie Ballein had sent me an e-mail congratulations, and I thought she was talking about how well I had done on a test I took recently," the three-time first-team league selection said.

"Then, I check and saw the athletic director had to called to congratulate me and that is when I knew. I didn't even know they had such an award, but it was huge shock and a good feeling. It has been a great ride this season."

The Highlanders captured the regular season and tournament titles this year, advancing to the NCAA tournament, where they lost in the regional final to host Georgia.

"Sometimes awards are given and sometimes awards are earned. She earned the award because she worked extremely hard for this season," Dean said.

He also mentioned how Shifflett is the type of player he likes to coach.

"I knew she was scrappy and played hard and you got to like that, at least I do as a coach," he said.

"Her combination of understanding of what to do combined with her scrappiness is a good combination."

He knows also that the award will not go to her head.

"She knows we are going to celebrate all the awards right up until Sept. 1," he added. "Then it is all about this year and not last year."

Shifflett isn't the only Highlander honored this season. Another Virginia high school product, Hope Creasy, who went to Christiansburg High School, was honored as the Big South Woman of the Year.

Creasy is the first RU athlete to win the award and now will be among 30 finalists for the NCAA Women of the Year to be announced in October in Indianapolis.

The award goes to a senior graduate, who has been successful on and off the field in not only the classroom but in the community as well.