Daniel Keat Named Lowe's Senior Class Award Candidate

OVERLAND PARK, KS - Dartmouth men's soccer captain Daniel Keat (Wellington, New Zealand) has been named one of 30 candidates for the prestigious 2010 Lowe's Senior Class Award.

This marks the third straight season that Dartmouth men's soccer has produced a candidate for the award, which is presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student Athlete of the Year in 10 sports. Candidates must excel in the "Four C's" of classroom, character, community and competition. Later in the season the group of 30 men's soccer candidates will be trimmed to 10 finalists.

A two-year captain, Keat enters his fifth season at Dartmouth after missing his junior season with a knee injury. The midfielder is coming off the best season of his career in 2009, having been named an NSCAA third team All-American, first team All-Northeast and first team All-Ivy honoree as a junior. He led the Big Green in scoring with 22 points and has been named to the 2010 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List along with teammate Lucky Mkosana '12.

The New Zealand native has overcome hardship in his career, as his injury cost him the chance to compete in the 2008 Olympics after having qualified as a member of the team for the Kiwis. He has shown his character in coming back from that injury to be one of the top midfielders in US collegiate soccer. In the classroom, Keat is a government major with a minor in psychology.

To view Keat's Senior Class Award profile, click here.

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.

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.