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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Virginia attackman Steele Stanwick has been recognized as one of 10 NCAA men’s lacrosse student-athletes who excel both on and off the field and tabbed as finalists for the men’s lacrosse Lowe’s 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 – classroom, character, community and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe’s 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. Stanwick is one of three players from the ACC on the list of 10 finalists. CJ Costabile (Duke) and Joe Cummings (Maryland) also represent the ACC on the list. Cummings is a childhood friend of Stanwick and a former high school teammate at Baltimore’s Loyola Blakefield.

Stanwick won the prestigious Tewaaraton Trophy in 2011, given to the nation’s top lacrosse player. The Baltimore, Md., native tallied 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, helping lift UVa to the program’s fifth NCAA title.

Earlier this season Stanwick became the third Cavalier, the seventh player in ACC history and 46th player in NCAA Division I history to accumulate at least 100 career goals and 100 career assists. Currently Stanwick leads the nation in assists per game (3.3) and is No. 4 in points per game (4.7). Stanwick has been named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week twice in 2012, including yesterday after matching his career best with eight points (3 goals, 5 assists) at then-No. 9 Maryland over the weekend.

The All-American and 2011 ACC Player of the Year is on track to graduate in may with a degree in history and a minor in government. He is actively involved in Virginia’s Athletes Committed to Community and Education (A.C.E.) program. A.C.E. was designed as an in-school program for young students to promote classroom success and achievement through a partnership between UVa athletes and local schools. Stanwick also spends time volunteering for the Gene Arnold Memorial Virginia Area 3 Special Olympics Pepsi 10K Run, the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Area 3 Special Olympics. The senior also is active in the Will Barrow Memorial Flag Football Tournament to raise money for the Madison House and the UVa Help Hotline, and Lacrosse Mustache Madness to raise funds for the HEADstrong Foundation.

Stanwick is the first UVa men’s lacrosse finalist for the award since Ken Clausen was runner-up for the 2010 award in the closest vote to date for the accolade. Stanwick is the fifth Cavalier to be named a finalist for the men’s lacrosse award. No player from UVa has ever won the award for men’s lacrosse.

Lowe’s, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the Senior CLASS Award winner during the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship, which will be held May 26 and 28 in Boston.
 


The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 20 candidates announced in February. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help determine the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award website through May 14. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I men’s lacrosse head coaches’ votes to determine the winner.

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