March 11, 2008

Yale captain Pat Grimm has been named one of the 20 collegiate candidates for the men's lacrosse division of the 2008 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. The award, presented annually to NCAA Division I student-athletes in eight sports, focuses on classroom, character, community and competition.

Grimm, a defenseman and three-year lettermen for the Bulldogs, was second-team All-New England and honorable mention All-Ivy last spring. He owns a 3.43 GPA in history and plans to attend medical school, but his best work may have come in outreach activities.

Grimm, who began as a REMEDY volunteer a year ago and has helped recover surgical supplies for hospitals in developing worlds, has been a hospital emergency room volunteer as well. He traveled to Honduras last summer to help repair medical equipment and study Spanish as part of the Duke Engineering World Health Summer Institute. The summer before he helped raise money to fund eye surgeries for people in Ghana as a member of Unite for Sight Volunteers. In Ghana, he also volunteered at an eye clinic, screening patients for operable diseases and distributing donated eye glasses.

"Pat is a special kid and a great leader for our team," said Yale Head Coach Andy Shay. "I'm not surprised that he qualified as a candidate for this prestigious award. The fact that Pat is on this list is an honor for our program."

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School (CLASS), the award was launched in 2001 to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who fulfill their entire athletic eligibility and pursue the many rewards of a senior season and complete college education. Since that time, Lowe's, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, has expanded the award to include other NCAA sports and the award has developed into the nation's premier tribute to college seniors.

This marks the second year for the men's lacrosse division of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Cornell goaltender Matt McMonagle was the inaugural winner in 2007. From the list of 20 nominees, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in late March 2008. Those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote that will include coaches, media and fans. The award winner will be announced and recognized at the 2008 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships in Foxboro, Mass.

"Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in America and we're pleased to recognize these outstanding individuals who are among the nation's finest collegiate student athletes," said Bob Gfeller, Lowe's senior vice president of marketing and advertising. "In looking at these 20 candidates, their list of achievements is very impressive, not only as lacrosse players, but also in the classroom and their respective communities."

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. Lowe's has since expanded the Senior CLASS Award program to include men's hockey, men's lacrosse, baseball, softball and men's and women's soccer.

2008 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Candidates

Mike Ammann, University at Albany

Steve Ammann, University at Albany

Josh Back, Colgate University

Michael Corbolotti, Cornell University

Fletcher Gregory, University of North Carolina

Pat Grimm, Yale University

Cam Howard, University of Delaware

Brett Koll, University of Denver

Mike Leveille, Syracuse University

Jordan Levine, University at Albany

Craig Massie, Army

Danny Nathan, Cornell University

Ryan O'Donnell, Towson University

Paul Rabil, Johns Hopkins University

Brad Ross, Duke University

Ben Rubeor, University of Virginia

Tommy Scherr, University of Delaware

Corey Spuler, Robert Morris University

Kevin Unterstein, Hofstra University

Mike Unterstein, Hofstra University