Koren Schram Named Senior CLASS Award National Finalist
2/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball, Athletics
VOTE FOR KOREN via TEXT MESSAGE - Send the message WB6 to 839863
KANSAS CITY, Mo. ? Dartmouth women's basketball senior co-captain Koren Schram (Batesville, Ark.) has been selected as one of 10 national finalists for the prestigious 2008-09 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
Schram is one of just 10 women selected as finalists, narrowed down from an elite group of 30 national nominees who exemplify the 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.
A senior guard, Schram is the only player from the Ivy League among both the women's and men's sides. Of the 10 female finalists, all hail from different colleges and seven conferences are represented.
Fan voting represents one third of the final vote, and Schram's supporters can vote for her once per day by visiting her profile here and selecting the “vote now” option under her picture. Fans can also vote via text message by sending the code: WB6 in a message to 839863.
Voting begins today and runs through March 22. Votes from coaches and media will be combined with the fan voting to determine the recipient of this year's award. The winner will be announced at the NCAA Women's Final Four in St. Louis this April.
A first team All-Ivy selection in 2007-08 and honorable mention All-Ivy honoree in 2006-07, Schram currently averaged 12.1 points per game along with 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. She recently moved into third-place on the Dartmouth career three-point field goals list with 171 and has helped the Big Green to a 3-0 start in Ivy play. Earlier this year she was named to the all-tournament teams at both Dartmouth's Blue Sky Classic and the TD Banknorth Classic at Vermont.
After injuries limited her freshman year, Schram persevered, bursting onto the Ivy scene to average 10.6 points per game as a sophomore. As a junior, she led Dartmouth to its 16th Ivy Championship and the second of her career. The Big Green has made the postseason in each of her three seasons.
Off the court, Schram is a prime example of the best in college athletics. A psychology/pre-med major, she has taken advantage of Dartmouth's quarter-system to further her studies in medicine. This past spring and summer to interned at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and New York Presbyterian, respectively, assisting with medical research. At Dartmouth, she is a well-respected and popular member of the community and a positive role model for local youth.
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.
The 2008-09 women's finalists are: Jada Frazier (University of New Orleans), Rachel Galligan (Eastern Illinois University), Shalee Lehning (Kansas State University), Renee Montgomery (University of Connecticut), Courtney Paris (University of Oklahoma), Koren Schram (Dartmouth College), Takia Starks (Texas A&M University), Kristi Toliver (University of Maryland, College Park), Abby Waner (Duke University) and Christina Wirth (Vanderbilt University).
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Lowe's, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, will award winners with trophies during the respective men's and women's NCAA Final Four weekends. Now in its seventh year for basketball, the award has developed into the nation's premier tribute for college seniors. Since originating with basketball, Lowe's has expanded the award to include a total of eight NCAA sports.
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.
Recipients of the women's award include Sue Bird of Connecticut (2002), LaToya Thomas of Mississippi State (2003), Alana Beard of Duke (2004), Kendra Wecker of Kansas State (2005), Seimone Augustus of LSU (2006), Alison Bales of Duke (2007) and Candice Wiggins of Stanford (2008).
