News

Penn State’s Jason Yeisley Selected as 2009 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Winner in Men’s Soccer

December 11, 2009

(Cary, NC) – Penn State forward Jason Yeisley, the Big Ten Conference offensive player of the year, has been selected as the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award winner for men’s soccer.

The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I men’s coaches, national soccer media and fans, is awarded annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in NCAA® Division I men’s soccer. The announcement and trophy presentation were made today by Lowe’s, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, during the 2009 Men’s College Cup™ in Cary, North Carolina.

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. The award identifies personal qualities that define a complete student-athlete, with criteria including excellence in the classroom, outstanding character and community service in addition to competition on the field.

“I am extremely honored to receive the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, and I would like to thank Lowe’s for its sponsorship,” Yeisley said. “I could never have reached this point in my academic and athletic career without the help and support of my family, friends, teammates and coaches, and without the dedication and knowledge of the trainers and doctors, who allowed me to return from injury to play the sport I love. The support that I received over the course of the fan voting has been very humbling considering the accomplishments of the other finalists.”

Yeisley maintains a 3.6 grade point average in management. He was recently named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America first team. Yeisley’s community service activities have revolved around raising awareness and finding a cure for Niemann-Pick disease, a rare terminal illness that has affected a youngster from Yeisley’s hometown. Yeisley is active in the Race for Adam Foundation, a volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to funding research projects to find treatment and a cure for neurodegenerative diseases.

“Jason Yeisley is not only a tremendous young man and ambassador for collegiate soccer but also for student-athletes in general,” said Penn State head coach Barry Gorman. “I am delighted for him and for his family. Through Jason we can all ‘chalk one up for the good guys’ who represent their institutions, families and communities with class and distinction.”

On the field, Yeisley has overcome two serious knee injuries during his career to lead Penn State to its 13th NCAA tournament appearance under Gorman. The Nittany Lions’ active leading scorer with 64 career points, Yeisley was among the team leaders in goals, assists and points in 2009. The Nittany Lions fell to Maryland in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship and finished the year with a 12-8-2 record.

“We salute Jason for his hard work throughout the soccer season and his entire career at Penn State,” said Tom Lamb, Lowe’s senior vice president of marketing. “His success in the classroom and his work on behalf of his community make him a shining example of someone who follows through on his commitment to others.”

Men’s Soccer 2009 Winner

First Team

Second Team