April 7, 2008
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WEST POINT, N.Y. - Army defenseman Craig Massie was one of ten student-athletes named a finalist for the 2008 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in the Men's Lacrosse division.
Nationwide voting begins today and concludes May 5. Fans can vote once a day for as many days as they want. The fan vote will be combined with votes from coaches, media and sponsors to determine the recipient of this year's honor, which will be awarded during the NCAA Lacrosse Championship weekend in Foxboro, Mass.
Massie and the rest of the finalists were chosen from a list of 20 candidates based on personal qualities that define a complete student-athlete. These four primary areas of criteria include: classroom, community, character and competition.
Selected a Patriot League Second-Team All-Conference honoree last spring, Massie is a Life Science major with a Systems Engineering tract that is a two-time Patriot League Honor Roll recipient and has made the Dean's List for six of his seven semesters at the Academy.
A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Massie serves as a Section Leader, Academic Officer and Squad Leader within the Corps of Cadets. He is also a Close Quarters Combat Training Sergeant responsible for training over 2,000 Cadets combat moves.
A former Congressional Intern for Representative Paul Gillmor from the 5th District of Ohio, Massie was responsible for doing research, providing Capitol Tours and dealing with constituent concerns. He also interned in a Microbiology Research Laboratory at Stony Brook University for three years, helping to develop a new kit which aids in the administering of drugs to patients through an epidural without harming their spinal cord.
Massie also spent three summers as a mate on a charter fishing boat that fished the Long Island Sound.
This season, Massie has started all 10 games for the 7-3 Black Knights, which are ranked 13th in the latest Nike/Inside Lacrosse Division I media poll. Ranked second among all the Army defenseman in ground balls, Massie and the Black Knights rank sixth nationally in scoring defense, only allowing 6.60 goals per game.
Massie started all 15 games for the Black Knights last year, ranking in the top-10 on the team in ground balls. He was a big reason why Army finished 10th in the country in scoring defense, only allowing 7.8 goals per game in 2007. For his efforts, he was named the team's "Most Improved Player" at the end of the season.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award has developed into the nation's premier tribute to college seniors. The award, which launched in 2001 with college basketball, is now in its second year for men's lacrosse. Cornell goaltender Matt McMonagle won the inaugural lacrosse division award in 2007.
"These ten players are not only among the nation's best college lacrosse players, they are remarkable students and community members who have worked hard to accomplish great things both on and off the field," said Bob Gfeller, Lowe's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Advertising. "Lowe's is proud of its affiliation with the NCAA and college athletics, and we are pleased to help honor these individuals who have displayed a commitment to excellence as true student-athletes."
The 2008 award winner will be announced and presented with the prestigious Lowe's Senior CLASS Award trophy during festivities surrounding the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships, scheduled for May 24-26. The Lowe's All-Senior All-America Team, based on final results of the balloting, will also be recognized.
The idea of an award to salute collegiate seniors was conceived by sportscaster Dick Enberg, who continues to serve as Honorary Chairman. It was inspired by the trend of college basketball players leaving college early to turn professional. The Senior CLASS Award was formed to honor senior student-athletes who fulfill their entire collegiate athletic eligibility, earn a college degree and give back to their community. Lowe's, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, extended the award in 2007 to include six other NCAA sports: men's ice hockey, men's lacrosse, baseball, softball, men's soccer and women's soccer.
The other nine 2008 finalists are: Michael Corbolotti, Cornell University, Fletcher Gregory, University of North Carolina, Pat Grimm, Yale University, Mike Leveille, Syracuse University, Danny Nathan, Cornell University, Paul Rabil, Johns Hopkins University, Brad Ross, Duke University, Ben Rubeor, University of Virginia, Tom Scherr, University of Delaware.
