CHARLOTTE, NC (March 1, 2012) – Paul Goldsmith from Elizabeth City State University and Keyona Bryant of Saint Augustine’s College were announced today as winners of the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). The announcement was made during Lowe’s Day at the 2012 CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the award program focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages those leaders to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact on their circle of influence.
Goldsmith will graduate in May with a degree in sports management, physical education and health. He has been on the Dean’s List multiple times at ECSU and is a member of the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. The two-time team captain is averaging eight points and six rebounds for the Vikings this season. For the past two years, Goldsmith has shown great pride in visiting local elementary schools, such as J.C. Sawyer and P.W. Moore. He contributed by showing kids how fun the game of basketball can be and helped by being a good example of an academic scholar and explaining the importance of college.
Bryant, a communications major at Saint Augustine’s, is on the college’s Dean’s List and Scholar-Athlete List. She is a member of the women’s basketball team which won the CIAA women’s basketball highest grade point average team award the last two years, and is a two-time team captain. She leads the team in scoring (17) and rebounding (9). She and her teammates served as volunteer instructors at a basketball clinic conducted at the Raleigh (N.C.) Girls Club, motivating girls ages 6-13 to work hard, master fundamentals and achieve academically.
“The CIAA would like to congratulate Paul Goldsmith of Elizabeth City State University and Keyona Bryant of Saint Augustine’s College for being selected as this year’s Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award recipients for the CIAA,” stated Chairman of the CIAA Board of Directors, Dr. Mickey Burnim. “The CIAA would also like to congratulate all of the finalists who were recognized this season and thank Lowe’s for executing such an outstanding program that highlights our student-athletes.”
This marks the fourth year the award has recognized outstanding senior basketball student-athletes within the CIAA.
“Lowe’s enjoys being able to recognize the hard work and strong character of these future leaders,” said Tom Lamb, Lowe’s senior vice president of marketing and advertising. “We are proud to honor Paul and Keyona as this year’s Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award winners, not only for their accomplishments as student-athletes but as members of their communities who are making a difference.”
The male and female winners were determined through a voting process that ran concurrent with the basketball season and was divided into three categories: 1) online fan voting, 2) coaches, and 3) media. Each category accounts for one third the total vote.
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ABOUT THE AWARD
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. 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 a senior season can bring. The award is sponsored by Lowe's, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, and is managed by Premier Sports Management.
ABOUT LOWE'S
With fiscal year 2011 sales of $50.2 billion, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE® 50 company that serves approximately 15 million customers a week at more than 1,745 home improvement stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For more information, visit Lowes.com.
ABOUT THE CIAA
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) was founded in 1912 and is based in Hampton, Virginia. The CIAA is America’s oldest historically black college and university conference and is made up of 12 colleges and universities situated along the Eastern Seaboard. For conference news and updates, visit
www.theciaa.com, and for information about the CIAA Basketball Tournament, visit
www.ciaatournament.org. MEDIA CONTACTS
Derek Ross
Representing CIAA
Phone: 919-277-1163
Email: dross@fwv-us.com
Laurie Bollig
Representing Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award
Phone: 913-707-0365
Email: lbollig@seniorCLASSaward.com
Tara Gudger
Representing Lowe’s
Phone: 704/758-4152
Email: tara.gudger@lowes.com
Posted By: How May I Help You NC
Friday, March 2nd 2012 at 2:46PM
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