Vote Now For Rebekah For The Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
2008 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Finalists
University of Evansville senior women’s basketball player Rebekah Parker (Silver Lake, Ind./Tippecanoe Valley) has been chosen as one of 10 national finalists for the prestigious Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which is presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year in eight different sports.
Parker is joined by Princeton’s Meagan Cowher, Kentucky’s Sarah Elliot, LSU senior Sylvia Fowles, LaSalle University’s Carlene Hightower, University of Georgia standout Tasha Humphrey, Crystal Langhorne of Maryland, Sarah Jo Lawrence of George Washington University, Colorado’s Jackie McFarland, and Stanford’s Candice Wiggins on the final ballot for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. That group includes some of the nation’s best players, including five All-Americans.
The 10 finalists will now be placed on the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award ballot for a nationwide vote which is currently underway and runs through March 21. Fan balloting, available on the award’s official website www.seniorclassaward.com, will be combined with votes from coaches, media and sponsors to determine the recipient of the award. The award will be presented at the NCAA Women’s Final Four.
“This is a tremendous honor for Rebekah,” said UE head coach Tricia Cullop. “To even be a candidate for an award of this type is a great honor, but to be one of 10 national finalists is something that is a credit to the type of player and type of person that Rebekah Parker is.
“This award really embodies the type of qualities that we look for in our players: success in the classroom, success on the court, being active in the community, and being of high character. Rebekah has stood for each one of those qualities since the first day she stepped on campus here at UE, and I am so proud for her to be a finalist for this award. She is very deserving of this honor.”
Originally launched in 2001, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award program focuses on the “Four C’s” of classroom, character, community, and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award honors the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season and complete college education brings.
The award was conceived by sportscaster Dick Enberg, who continues to serve as Honorary Chairman. Recipients of the women’s award include Sue Bird of Connecticut (2002), LaToya Thomas of Mississippi State (2003), Alana Beard of Duke (2004), Kendra Wecker of Kansas State (2005), Seimone Augustus of LSU (2006), and Alison Bales of Duke (2007).
Previous winners of the men’s award include Juan Dixon of Maryland (2002), David West of Xavier (2003), Jameer Nelson of St. Joseph’s (2004), Wayne Simien of Kansas (2005), J.J. Reddick of Duke (2006), and Alando Tucker of Wisconsin (2007). The men’s finalists this year include the likes of Butler sharpshooter A.J. Graves, Georgetown center Roy Hibbert, Tennessee gunner Chris Lofton, Michigan State point guard Drew Neitzel, and Duke’s DeMarcus Nelson.
In addition to being named a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, Parker also garnered second team Academic All-District V honors from CoSIDA this morning. It marks the second year in a row in which Parker has captured Academic All-District honors in a vote of the nation’s sports information directors. She owns a 3.69 GPA in physical education and health at UE.
