KIM KEMPER NAMED ONE OF 30 CANDIDATES FOR LOWE’S WOMEN’S SOCCER SENIOR CLASS AWARD

8/26/2009

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Sacramento State senior forward Kim Kemper has been named one of 30 candidates for the 2009 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for women’s soccer.

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. 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.

Kemper, a native of Orangevale, Calif., has been a first team all-Big Sky selection her last two seasons, and is a two-time academic all-Big Sky selection. She earned ESPN The Magazine second team District VIII academic all-region honors as a junior in 2008, while finishing the season as the team’s leader in goals (six) and points (14).

The 30 candidate class will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular 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 female candidate who best exemplifies the four areas of excellence.

The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards that a senior season can bring. Sportscaster Dick Enberg, Honorary Chairman of the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, first conceived the idea of an award for seniors in 2001 in response to the growing trend of men’s basketball players leaving school early for the NBA. The award program has expanded the past two years to include a total of nine NCAA Division I sports – football, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, baseball and softball in addition to men’s and women’s basketball.