College Soccer News: 2012 Senior CLASS Awards Candidates Named

The candidates in ten collegiate sports for the 2012 Senior CLASS Awards have been announced, and men’s and women’s soccer each provide thirty names for consideration. They come from all points in the nation and from the biggest names in college soccer to lesser-known institutions. What they all have in common is a dedication that reaches beyond the classroom or the pitch.

The Senior CLASS Awards, which stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School^®, honor NCAA Division I athletes who demonstrate excellence and commitment in the areas of community, classroom, character and competition. According to the Senior CLASS Awards website, the program recognizes “college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring.”

The awards are determined by a selection process that includes NCAA Division I coaches, national media and fans. Voting by fans on the finalists, selected by a national media committee, takes place during the month preceding each sport’s NCAA Championship. Winners are presented with their award during a championship event

The first Senior CLASS Awards were presented in 2002, following legendary sportscaster Dick Enberg’s suggestion of a national award for senior basketball players in 2001. Premier Sports Management took the ball, so to speak, and ran with the idea, creating the Senior CLASS Awards in partnership with the Kansas City Club.

In 2006 current title sponsor Lowe’s signed on, replacing original sponsor Bayer. In 2007 the program was expanded from two (men’s and women’s basketball) to eight college sports, as men’s and women’s soccer, lacrosse, men’s hockey, softball and baseball were added. Football (Bowl Subdivision) and volleyball were added (in 2008 and 2010, respectively), bringing the current total to 10 sports.

Selection Criteria (per Senior CLASS Awards website)

Candidates must be NCAA Division I senior student-athletes who are in the final year of their collegiate athletics eligibility. Candidates are selected based on qualities that define a complete student-athlete and fall within the parameters of the four Cs:

Community:

• Involvement in community and charitable activities, both as part of a team-sponsored activity and/or on an individual basis.
• Utilization of his or her status as a student-athlete to make an impact in worthwhile causes.

Classroom:

• Successful progression toward a degree (either undergraduate or graduate).
• Academic achievements, college major and potential career interests.

Character:

• Demonstration of leadership characteristics both as a member of a team and as a student.
• Demonstration of a strong work ethic and/or the ability to overcome obstacles.

Competition:

• Athletic achievements during an entire collegiate career with an emphasis on the most recent season of competition.
• Role played in the team’s overall success over the course of a season.

All four Cs are weighted equally.

Below are the lists of men’s and women’s soccer players who have been nominated for the 2012 Senior CLASS Awards. (See website for links for each player’s statistics.)

Women’s Soccer 2012 Candidates

Name	Position	School
Caitlin Alves	Midfield	Hartford
Alex Balcer	Defender	Long Beach State
Mallory Baum	Midfielder	Southern Methodist
Bailey Brandon	Defender/Midfielder	Central Michigan
Amber Brooks	Midfielder	North Carolina
Tara Campbell	Goalkeeper	Duke
Allie Chandler	Midfielder	Arkansas
Anina Cicerone	Midfielder	Western Michigan
Lauren Costa	Defender	Montana
Abi Cottam	Forward	Rider
Adrianna “AD” Franch	Goalkeeper	Oklahoma State
Natalia Gaitan	Defender	Toledo
Cynthia Jacobo	Goalkeeper	Cal State Northridge
Tishia Jewell	Forward	UCF
Scout Libke	Defender	Oregon
Lindsi Lisonbee Cutshall	Defender	Brigham Young
Kylie Louw	Midfielder	Stephen F. Austin State
Ally Miller	Defender	Marquette
Caroline Miller	Forward	Virginia
Mariah Nogueira	Midfield	Stanford
Natalie Norris	Defender	Utah State
Mallory Schaffer	Midfielder	William and Mary
Sarah Schaidle	Midfielder	College of Charleston
Nichole Schiro	Forward	Loyola - Maryland
Lauren Smedley	Goalkeeper	Lafayette
Clare Stachel	Midfielder/Forward	Michigan
Erika Tymrak	Midfielder	Florida
Beth West	Midfielder	Texas A&M
Colleen Williams	Forward	Dayton
Kathryn Williamson	Defender	Florida

Men’s Soccer 2012 Candidates

Name	Position	School
Carlos Alvarez	Midfield	Connecticut
James Belshaw	Goalkeeper	Duke
Ashton Bennett	Forward	Coastal Carolina
Steven Birnbaum	Defender	California, Berkeley
Scott Caldwell	Midfield	Akron
Machael David	Midfielder	UC Santa Barbara
Johnny Dreshaj	Midfielder/Forward	Oakland
Shawn Ferguson	Defender	College of Charleston
Peyton Ford	Goalkeeper	North Carolina, Greensboro
Scott Goodwin	Goalkeeper	North Carolina
Anthony Hobbs	Defense	Florida International
Ryan Hollingshead	Midfielder/Forward	UCLA
Deion Jones	Defender	Florida Gulf Coast
Taylor Kemp	Defender	Maryland
Ryan McDuff	Defender	Brown
Brian McGue	Midfield	Davidson
Peter McKeown	Goalkeeper	Loyola, Chicago
Luis Ocejo	Defense	Stetson
Cameron Omsberg	Defender	Lehigh
Jannis Opalka	Back	Siena
Liam Paddock	Back	UMBC
Everett Pitts	Defender	UC Irvine
Dillon Powers	Midfielder	Notre Dame
Eric Schoenle	Defender	West Virginia
Donnie Smith	Forward	Charlotte
Yannick Smith	Forward	Old Dominion
Blake Smith	Foward/Midfielder	New Mexico
Bobby Thalman	Goalkeeper	Yale
Grant Van De Casteele	Defense	Notre Dame
Kyle Zobeck	Goalkeeper	Valparaiso

For more details about the Senior CLASS Awards, visit the website.