Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/5/18
Twenty of the top NCAA men’s lacrosse student-athletes who excel both on and off the field were selected as candidates for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate lacrosse. That list includes University of Pennsylvania senior defenseman Connor Keating (Haverford School, HEADstrong LC), one of just two Ivy Leaguers on the list of 20 (joining Cornell’s Jake Pulver).
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.
A third-team United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) All-America last year, Keating has been a two-time first-team All-Ivy selection and was second-team All-ECAC a year ago. The highest-scoring long pole in the country in terms of career numbers, he has a goal and two assists through three games this season to give him 29 career goals and eight career assists for 37 points. A regular on the face-off unit throughout his career, Keating is second on the team this season with 10 ground balls.
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.
The 20 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later in the 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 candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced in conjunction with the 2017 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse National Championship in May.