Aug. 19, 2010
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern University senior men's soccer forward Matt Eliason (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) has been named one of 30 national candidates for the sport's Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence--classroom, character, community and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Eliason has helped guide the Wildcats to NCAA tournament appearances during each of his first three seasons, including a berth in the quarterfinal round in 2008. A two-time All-Big Ten selection, he led the conference with 13 goals last season. Eliason enters his senior season tied for first in school history with 30 career goals. He is one of 39 individuals to be named to this year's Hermann Trophy Watch List. The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's top collegiate soccer player.
Eliason has also shined in both the classroom and the community. A second-team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American a year ago, he is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and was the recipient of Big Ten Distinguished Scholar distinction for having a grade point average above 3.7 for the 2009-10 academic year. Eliason has dedicated his free time to efforts such as Friends of Jaclyn, working youth soccer camps, as well serving as a counselor at TLC Camp, which is a week-long camp for children who have cancer.
The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select the candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of classroom, character, community and competition. Lowe's, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the Senior CLASS Award winners during the 2010 NCAA Men's and Women's College Cup championships in early December. For more information, visit www.seniorclassaward.com.
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