Aug. 27, 2009

By: Jon Lowell, Sports Information Student Assistant

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State senior Becky Edwards was named a candidate for the 2009 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. A total of 30 women's soccer players across the nation are up for consideration. The Lowe's Senior CLASS Award recognizes senior student-athletes not only for their work in the classroom and on the field, but for their service to the community.

Edwards has played in 71 games, starting in 65 for the Seminoles throughout her career and has logged more than 6,000 minutes on the pitch. As the spearhead of the Florida State defense over the last three years, she led a squad which gave up 15 goals all season, the fewest allowed in the ACC and the fewest allowed in school history. In 2009, Edwards has moved to the midfield and is off to a great start tallying her first career hat trick in FSU's season opening victory over Jacksonville. While pursuing a degree in Marketing at Florida State, Edwards has been named to the Dean's List five times, while making the President's List last fall after posting a 4.0 GPA.

Though her achievements on the field and in the classroom are impressive, Edwards is also a leader in the community. Her extensive community service record includes supporting Relay For Life, Special Olympics and Paint It Pink, an event where Edwards and her Seminole teammates wore pink jerseys against Wake Forest and raised $4,900 for Breast Cancer Research in 2008.

"Becky Edwards is one of the most exceptional student-athletes I have come across in my 16 years as a head coach at the collegiate level," stated head coach Mike Krikorian. "Becky has shown a tremendous amount of leadership both on the field, in the classroom and in the community throughout her career at Florida State."

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School (CLASS), the award is designed to honor the attributes of college senior student athletes who stay in school and pursue the many rewards that a senior season can bring.

Candidates are selected based on personal qualities that define a complete student-athlete. While the on-the-field performance during their collegiate soccer careers is a factor in determining candidates and the eventual winner, their personal character and off-the-field achievements in the classroom and community are major areas of focus.

This year's list of 30 nominees will be shortened to 10 finalists midway through the season with those 10 names placed on the official voting ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplify excellence in the four Cs of classroom, character, community and competition. Fans are encouraged to check back with www.seminoles.com for further updates on the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.

Candidates for the 2009 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Name, Position, School
Hailey Beam, Midfielder, University of North Carolina - Charlotte
Elizabeth Betterbed, Midfielder/Defender, United States Military Academy
Kelsey Davis, Goalkeeper, University of Portland
Becky Edwards, Defender/Midfielder, Florida State University
Kristi Eveland, Defender, University of North Carolina
Kim Feeney, Defender, Loyola Marymount University
Theresa Ferraina, Forward, Loyola University (Maryland)
Rachel Friedman, Defender, Western Kentucky University
KayAnne Gummersall, Forward, Duke University
Erin Guthrie, Goalkeeper, Rutgers University
Lauren Hyde, Defender, University of Florida
Kim Kemper, Forward, Sacramento State University
Kasey Langdon, Forward, Oklahoma State University
Lauren Lopez, Defender, University of North Carolina - Greensboro
Nikki Marshall, Forward, University of Colorado
Blakely Mattern, Defender, University of South Carolina
Katrina McCrory, Midfielder, IUPUI
Courtney McMahon, Midfielder, Manhattan College
Sophia Merrifield, Defender, Yale University
Katie Miller, Defender/Midfielder, Marquette University
Angie Muir, Midfielder, Butler University
Lizzy Nichols, Defender, Harvard University
Kelley O'Hara, Forward, Stanford University
Emily Peterson, Defender, Texas A&M University
Sophie Reiser, Forward/Midfielder, Columbia University
Ali Riley, Defender, Stanford University
Myra Sack, Midfielder, Dartmouth College
Katie Schoepfer, Forward, Pennsylvania State University
Lindsey Smart, Midfielder, Utah State University
Amanda Waugh, Forward, Central Michigan University
 

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