OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Utah Valley's Paul Hoffmeister and Grand Canyon's Niki Jackson were among 30 men's soccer student-athletes selected as candidates for the 2017 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: 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.
Hoffmeister has appeared in five matches for the Wolverines this season, with two goals scored. Jackson has played in six matches for the Lopes, scoring three times and assisting on another. Both players were named Preseason All-WAC before the start of the season.
Each of the 30 candidates has displayed a strong work ethic in the classroom and on the pitch with 30 having grade-point averages of 3.5 or higher and 12 being returning All-Americans. Outside of academics and athletics, all candidates also have been consistently involved in community service on their campus or in their communities.
The group of 30 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 community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2017 NCAA Men's College Cup® championships in December in Philadelphia.