OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Twenty NCAA men’s and women’s soccer student-athletes who excel both on and off the field were selected as finalists today for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate soccer. 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. Representing DePaul on these prestigious lists of candidates is women's soccer senior midfielder
Alexa Ben.
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. The complete list of candidates follows this release.
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.
Ben has been an integral part of the DePaul women's soccer team and its success in her four seasons as a Blue Demon. Her achievements for hard work in the classroom include selections to the 2016 NSCAA Scholar-Athlete All-America Second Team, 2016 NSCAA Scholar-Athlete All-Region First Team, and 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team while being tabbed with BIG EAST All-Academic Team honors on three occasions.
On the field, Ben has received almost every award possible during her career at DePaul. She was the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year (2016), first-team All-Conference (2015, 2016), NSCAA All-Northeast Region (first team in 2016, second team in 2015, third team in 2014) and NSCAA All-American Third Team (2016), contributing to a BIG EAST tournament title in 2014 and regular-season title in 2016. To date, Ben is fourth all-time in goals (24) at DePaul and is second in assists with 22.??
Ben carries a 3.711 grade point average, majoring in public relations and advertising.
The finalists were chosen by a selection committee from the list of 30 men’s candidates and 30 women’s candidates announced in September. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner, and fans are encouraged to vote on the
Senior CLASS Award website through November 20. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches’ votes to determine the winner. The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2017 NCAA Men’s and Women’s College Cup® championships later this fall.
Ben's profile on the Senior CLASS Award's website can be accessed by clicking
here.
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2017 NCAA Men's and Women's College Cup® championships in December.
2017 Women’s Soccer Finalist
Michaela Abam, West Virginia
Alex Anthony, USC
Alexa Ben, DePaul
Imani Dorsey, Duke
Alyssa Heintschel, Ball State
Alexis Kiehl, Dayton
Savannah McCaskill, South Carolina
Becca Rolfe, High Point
Andi Sullivan, Stanford
Martha Thomas, Charlotte