Men's Soccer's Mitch LaGro Selected As Candidate for 2018 Senior CLASS Award
9/19/2018 11:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
LaGro selected as one of 30 men's soccer student-athletes for award celebrating excellence in the community, classroom, character and competition
LaGro is one of 30 NCAA men's soccer student-athletes who excel both on and off the field that were selected as candidates for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate soccer. 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.Â
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.
LaGro graduated in May with a degree in finance, completing his undergraduate studies with a 3.47 cumulative GPA. He also earned the 2017-18 BIG EAST Institutional Male Scholar Athlete of the Year award. LaGro is currently pursuing his Master's of Business Administration.The Dallas, Texas native, suffered a season-ending injury during October of 2017 but persevered and is a co-captain for the 2018 squad.
LaGro is an active member of the soccer community in Omaha, volunteering at various soccer camps. He also helps at campus events such as Pass the Bucket, Night Out with the Jays and Freshman Move-In.
He is one of two Bluejays to play each minute through the first six matches of the 2018 season as Creighton is ranked No. 12 in the United Soccer Coaches poll with a 4-1-1 record. Last season he started the first 14 matches before suffering a season-ending injury but was awarded Creighton's Coaches' Award following the season. As a sophomore in 2016, LaGro earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors and started all 23 matches, claiming Creighton's Most Improved Player Award. After redshirting during the 2014 season, he appeared in 11 matches as a redshirt freshman in 2015.
LaGro owns starts in his last 48 matches played heading into Saturday's contest at Villanova.
The 30-player candidate pool 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 candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2018 NCAA Men's College Cup championship in December.
For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
Former Creighton goalkeeper Brian Holt won the 2011 Senior CLASS Award on the pitch, while ex-Creighton men's basketball standout Doug McDermott won the 2014 Senior CLASS Award on the hardwood.
Men's Soccer Candidates
Rider Bell, William & Mary
DeJuan Jones, Michigan State
Nathan Braaten, Oregon State
Daniel Krutzen, Albany
Gabriel Carlsson, Loyola Maryland
Mitch LaGro, Creighton
Ivo Cerda, Michigan
Eddie McCusker, Saint Joseph's
Tommy Clark, Western Michigan
Robbie Mertz, Michigan
Jeremy Colvin, Princeton
Colin Miller, Providence College
Alex Comsia, North Carolina
Abdi Mohammed, Akron
Nicky Downs, Yale
Callum Montgomery, Charlotte
Brad Dunwell, Wake Forest
Adam Mosharrafa, Stanford
Mark Forrest, Lehigh
Tate Schmitt, Louisville
Jeremiah Gutjahr, Indiana
Andre Shinyaskiki, Denver
Grant Harisson, Detroit Mercy
Simon Spangenberg, New Mexico
Lennart Hein, Saint Louis Abel
Mickey Watson, Loyola Maryland
Hendrik Hilpert, Syracuse
Ben Willis, Gonzaga
Matthew Jegier, Elon
David Zalzman, Memphis
