Virginia senior cornerback Chase Minnifield is one of ten finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, it was announced today. Chase was recognized as one of the top FBS student-athletes demonstrating excellence in character, competition, the classroom and the community. Fans can and should vote daily on the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award website.
Chase is on the preseason watch list for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and is also a nominee for the 2011 AFCA Good Works Team. He has displayed true character during his career, in the wake of a couple rough seasons for Virginia Football. An SI All-American Honorable Mention last year, Minnifield has demonstrated his excellence in competition, finishing second in the ACC and fifth nationally with six interceptions last year. In the classroom, Minnifield completed his undergraduate degree in Sociology in three and a half years (remember, this is also on top of his football commitments!) and is now pursuing a graduate degree in education. He is also actively involved in the community, making time weekly for kids at Walker Upper Elementary School in Charlottesville, as well as a number of other commitments (including Easter egg hunting with the kids!).
Minnifield is one of two ACC student-athletes named as finalists. The other is Clemson punter Dawson Zimmerman.
The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 candidates announced in August. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to determine the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on either the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award website or the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Facebook fan page through December 5. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I FBS head coaches' votes to determine the winner.
The Lowe's Senior CLASS Award recognizes the nation's most outstanding senior student-athlete in 10 NCAA Division I sports and rewards them for fulfilling their four-year commitment to their universities while pursuing a college degree. In addition to the requirement that a candidate be an NCAA senior, the award winner is selected based on personal qualities that define a complete student-athlete. These areas of excellence are defined by the four Cs - Community, Classroom, Character and Competition.