Senior CLASS Award Release
 
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Missouri State midfielder Phil Woods was named a candidate for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award, as it was announced on Friday (Oct. 7).
 
Woods returned for his senior season after starting all but one game for the Bears, while tallying a goal and three team-leading assists his junior year. The Sheffield, England native was an all-conference honorable mention choice last season for the first time in his career. For his hard work in the classroom, Woods was recognized as an NSCAA Scholar All-Region Second Team selection, an MVC men's soccer scholar-athlete honoree and earned the distinct honor of being named to the CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District VI team in 2015.
 
The three-time MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award recipient maintains a 3.82 cumulative GPA and is expected to graduate in spring of 2017 with a degree in entertainment management.
 
Off the field, Woods has been an active member of Missouri State University's Student Athlete Advisory Committee, MSU's Entertainment Management Association and assists with the Buddy Bears program, which mentors young children at Reed Academy Elementary. He has also volunteered with numerous organizations in the Springfield community, including the Boys and Girls Club of Springfield and Champion Athletes of the Ozarks.
 
Sixty NCAA men's and women's soccer student-athletes who excel both on and off the field were selected as candidates today for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate soccer. Each of the two candidate classes 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 male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four C's of community, classroom, character and competition.
 
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: community, classroom, character and competition.
 
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the 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.
 
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2016 NCAA Men's and Women's College Cup championships in December.