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Nnemkadi Ogwumike of Stanford wins the 2012 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for women’s basketball

March 31, 2012

Stanford All-American Nnemkadi Ogwumike has been selected as the 2012 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award winner in NCAA® Division I women’s basketball. The announcement and trophy presentation were made today by Lowe’s, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, during the open practice sessions for the NCAA Women’s Final Four® at the Pepsi Center.

The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I women’s basketball head coaches, national media and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in NCAA Division I women’s basketball. 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.

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.

“I’m very honored to have earned the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. I would like to thank the Stanford community and basketball fans for all of the support and votes they submitted, but most importantly to me, this award and what it stands for reflects what Stanford is all about,” Ogwumike said.

Ogwumike, who will graduate in June with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, has been a team captain since her sophomore season. In the community, Ogwumike and her teammates serve the homeless and visit local schools to motivate and engage with local youth. Over the past year, they have assisted with Operation Christmas Child, prepared and served food to the homeless and cooked and served meals for families staying at the local Ronald McDonald House.
The national player-of-the-year candidate helped her team to an undefeated Pac-12 Conference season, a No. 2 national ranking and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. She is an All-American and two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year.

“Nnemkadi has demonstrated versatility and creativity throughout both her basketball and academic careers at Stanford,” said David Geren, Lowe’s vice president of marketing. “She is a strong presence for her team, and Lowe’s is proud to recognize her for the impact she is making off the court as well.”

Women’s Basketball 2011-12 Winner

First Team

Second Team