Sean Milligan Named Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Candidate

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Dartmouth senior co-captain Sean Milligan (Westport, Conn.) has been selected as one of 30 national candidates for the prestigious 2008 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for men's soccer.

Milligan made the first cut as one of the nation's top 30 senior male and female college soccer players who exemplify a total student-athlete. The award - presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year in eight sports - focuses on the “Four C's” of classroom, character, community and competition. Lowe's, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, will award winners with trophies during the respective NCAA College Cup weekends.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior Class Award was launched during the 2001-02 season to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season and complete college education brings. It has since expanded to include seven other NCAA sports including soccer.

A first-team All-Ivy and second team All-Northeast goalkeeper in 2007, Milligan is on pace to break many Dartmouth goalkeeping records and is one of the premier netminders in the Northeast and the nation. Last season he started all 18 games and gave up just 10 goals in over 1600 minutes of work. He has recorded two shutouts so far this season including a 4-0 upset over then #6 Indiana. This year he is in he midst of a comeback from a serious shoulder injury suffered in the waning moments of Dartmouth's NCAA First Round game last November. The Big Green tied Vermont in double overtime but lost the shootout, in which Milligan was unable to participate.

Milligan is also successful in the classroom, earning NSCAA Scholar All-America first team honors and CoSIDA Academic All-District accolades last season. He is actively involved in the Upper Valley Lightning youth soccer program and the Big Green Clinics for area youth.

Milligan is part of a diverse group that includes student-athletes from 28 colleges and 17 athletic conferences. He is one of three Ivy Leaguers on the men's ballot along with Harvard's Michael Fucito and Brown's Dylan Sheehan.

From the list of 30 candidates for each gender, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in October. Those ten names will be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote from Oct. 9 to Nov. 19. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the male and female recipients.

The award was conceived by sportscaster Dick Enberg, who continues to serve as Honorary Chairman. It was inspired by the remarkable story of former Duke University basketball player Shane Battier, who could have been an NBA lottery pick but returned to college for his senior season and led the Blue Devils to the National Championship in 2001.

To read the full release and view all the candidates, click here. For more details on the award, visit www.SeniorClassAward.com.

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