Cook Named Finalist for Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award

KANSAS CITY - Union College men's ice hockey senior co-captain #Matt Cook# has been named a finalist for the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey division of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. The Belle Mead, NJ native is one of 10 finalists to be considered for the award. The announcement launches a nationwide balloting process to determine the 2009 recipient for the honor that recognizes the complete student-athlete.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS ward encourages student-athletes to use their platform in college athletics to make a positive impact on their circle of influence.

The 2009 finalists for the men's hockey division are: Matt Cook (Union College - New York), Andrew Carroll (University of Minnesota Duluth), Erik Condra (University of Notre Dame), Chris Hahn (University of Maine), Trevor Hyatt (University of Alaska Fairbanks), Mathias Lange (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), Jeff Lerg (Michigan State University), Jordan Pearce (University of Notre Dame), Mike Phillipich (United States Air Force Academy) and Dean Strong (University of Vermont).

These 10 senior student-athletes will be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote beginning today and concluding March 26. Votes from coaches and media will be coupled with fan balloting to determine the recipient of the award. Hockey fans around the country can vote online during this time at www.seniorclassaward.com. Text voting also will be available during the voting period. To vote via text, fans must send the text code corresponding with the student-athlete of their choice to 839863. Cook's code is HOC3.

The overall winner of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for hockey will be announced and presented with the distinctive trophy during the 2009 NCAA Men's Frozen Four® in Washington, D.C.

"The 2009 class of finalists have dedicated time to their classrooms and communities while pursuing their athletic dreams," said Bob Gfeller, Lowe's senior vice president of marketing and advertising.

"That is what builds great collegiate leaders. Lowe's applauds these 10 student-athletes for having an impact not only within their sport, but within their campus and community as well."

Finalists were selected from a list of 30 candidates based on personal qualities that define a complete student-athlete. Each finalist displays numerous accomplishments across all four award pillars: classroom, community, character and competition.

This prestigious awards program was launched during the 2001-02 basketball season. Lowe's, an Official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, added six sports (including men's ice hockey) in 2007 after becoming the title sponsor. This past fall, NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision was added to bring the total number of sports included in the awards program to nine.

"The Lowe's Senior CLASS Award puts a positive spotlight on our NCAA student-athletes who are on a track to earn a college degree," commented Greg Shaheen, NCAA Senior VP for Basketball and Business Strategies. "The NCAA is proud to honor student-athlete leaders who have demonstrated their commitment to excel in competition and in the classroom."