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PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland State's Claire Faucher has been named as one of 30 female candidates for the 2009-10 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. In all, 60 NCAA men's and women's basketball student-athletes who excel both on and off the court were tabbed as candidates for the prestigious honor.

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 – classroom, character, community and competition.

Faucher is the only player from a Big Sky men's or women's team to be selected as a candidate. The senior point guard from Yakima, Wash. has been one of the top playmakers in the nation the past two seasons. Two years ago she led all of DI basketball in assists per game and then ranked sixth last season. She enters her final season on the Park Blocks needing 83 more assists to become PSU's all-time leader, and 86 more to take over the top spot in the Big Sky career record book.

Off the court, Faucher has spent numerous hours volunteering her time to various organizations. She has served as a Young Life leader and as a counselor at the Royal Family Kids Camp. She also frequently speaks at various youth school events throughout the year, and has volunteered time at a local retirement home.

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.  

This year’s candidate class includes 25 players on the preseason watch lists for the men’s and women’s John R. Wooden Award, eight men’s players who are candidates for the AT&T Naismith Trophy, 11 women’s players who are preseason favorites for the State Farm Wade Trophy and three men’s and women’s players who finished their junior seasons as all-Americans.

Lowe’s, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the Senior CLASS Award™ winner for men’s basketball at the 2010 NCAA Men’s Final Four® in Indianapolis in April and for women’s basketball at the 2010 NCAA Women’s Final Four® in San Antonio in April.

Lowe’s, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the Senior CLASS Award™ winner for men’s basketball at the 2010 NCAA Men’s Final Four® in Indianapolis in April and for women’s basketball at the 2010 NCAA Women’s Final Four® in San Antonio in April.


2009-10 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Women’s Basketball Candidates
 
Name, Position, School
Jayne Appel, Center, Stanford University
Miranda Ayim, Forward/Center, Pepperdine University
Amy Beggin, Guard, University of New Mexico
Joy Cheek, Forward/Guard, Duke University
Alysha Clark, Forward, Middle Tennessee State University
Allyssa DeHaan, Center, Michigan State University
Claire Faucher, Guard, Portland State University
Kristen Feemster, Forward, Western Carolina University
Jordan Franey, Guard/Forward, University of California, Santa Barbara
Tyra Grant, Guard, Pennsylvania State University
Alexis Gray-Lawson, Guard, University of California, Berkeley
Kelsey Griffin, Forward, University of Nebraska
Lisa Helmers, Guard, Loyola Marymount University
Allison Hightower, Guard, Louisiana State University
Ashley Houts, Guard, University of Georgia
May Kotsopoulos, Guard, University of Vermont
Maggie Krick, Guard, Illinois State University
Kelsey Luna, Guard, Indiana State University
Joy McCorvey, Forward, St. John's University
Danielle McCray, Guard/Forward, University of Kansas
Jessica Mooney, Guard, Vanderbilt University
Jené Morris, Guard, San Diego State University
Deirdre Naughton, Guard, DePaul University
Lauren Sims, Guard, Long Beach State University
Jenna Smith, Center, University of Illinois
Ashley Sweat, Forward, Kansas State University
Bianca Thomas, Guard, University of Mississippi
Amanda Thompson, Forward, University of Oklahoma
Jenny Van Kirk, Forward, Bradley University
Monica Wright, Guard, University of Virginia