COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M midfielder Beth West was selected as a candidate for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for soccer, it was announced on Monday.
The Centennial, Colo.-native was one of 30 women’s soccer student-athletes chosen as a hopeful for the prestigious award. West qualified based on her dedication and achievement in four areas: Classroom, Character, Community and Competition. She was one of four student-athletes selected from the SEC.
West excels in the classroom with a 3.6 GPA. Her dedication with schoolwork over the past four years has paid off as she earned Academic All-Big 12 First Team recognition in 2010 and 2011. She is also a four-time Texas A&M/Verizon Scholar, an award given to student-athletes who maintain a 3.0 GPA during the school year.
Always one to give back to the community, West is involved in several non-soccer activities in College Station. Wests leads a team Bible study which she started in 2010 and participates in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). She volunteers at Youth Soccer Clinics and makes appearances at local elementary schools to talk to kids about health and exercise. She is also involved in Kicks for Cancer at local schools, is part of the Aggie Teammates program, and was a Junior Aggie Club Event Volunteer at Voices for Children. Each year at A&M, West has participated in Big Event, the largest student-run community volunteer program in the nation. She has helped collect cans for local food banks through Aggies Can for the past three years and is involved in HOSTS, a program that connects college students to grade-school children through academic tutoring.
On the field, West earned All-Big 12 First Team accolades in 2011 with a school and conference record 14 assists. For her career, she has five goals and 26 assists.
Texas A&M’s Emily Peterson won the award in 2009. In 2010, Rachel Shipley was one of the 10 finalists for the award, earning Senior CLASS First Team recognition.
From the list of 30 candidates, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the 2012 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in early October. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award. The winner will be announced during the 2012 NCAA Division I Women's College Cup in San Diego, scheduled for December 4-6.
About the Award:
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: classroom, community, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards that a senior season can bring. For more information, visit www.seniorclassaward.com.
