OVERLAND PARK, Kan. –  Senior Sarah Grace Nicholson (Overland Park, Kan.) of the Drake University women's soccer has been selected as a candidate for the 2016 Senior CLASS award. Nicholson is one of sixty NCAA® men's and women's soccer student-athletes who excel both on and off the field and was selected as a candidate for the prestigious award.
 
Nicholson, the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Defender of the Year, has played in 11 matches for the Bulldogs this season. She is a marketing major and owns a 3.74 grade point average.
 
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: community, classroom, character and competition.
 
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the 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.
 
Of the 60 candidates, 29 have grade-point averages of 3.5 or higher, 13 are returning All-Americans and 12 are on the preseason watch list for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, which recognizes the top player in collegiate soccer. Outside of academics and athletics, all candidates also have been consistently involved in community service on their campus or in their communities.
 
Each of the two candidate classes 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 one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. ?
 
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2016 NCAA Men's and Women's College Cup® championships in December.