OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Thirty of the top NCAA^® softball student-athletes who excel both on and off the field were selected as candidates today for the 2020 Senior CLASS Award^® in collegiate softball. Chattanooga senior Aly Walker was selected among the 30 candidates and is the running for the "Nation's Premier Award for NCAA Senior Student-Athletes."
 
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.

Walker exemplifies excellence in every category taken into consideration and has not only laid a positive impact within the Chattanooga softball program, but within the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the Southern Conference, and the local community.

"When you talk about Aly, you talk about a young lady who totally projects what female softball is all about," said head coach Frank Reed.

"She not only does it on the field, but she does it in the classroom and in the community. It's the type of kid everyone wants in their program.

"I can't say enough about Aly Walker. We need more of people like her across all of Division I softball."

Walker has been extremely active and involved on campus and within the athletic department over the last several years, in addition to making an impact within the Southern Conference. A numerous selection to the Southern Conference All-Academic Team, Dean's List and Athletic Director's Honor Roll, Walker carries a 3.55 GPA as a Communications major. 

Working with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at UTC and fellow SoCon institutions, Walker kick started the "#SoConnected" campaign which focuses on bettering the well-being of student-athletes. The campaign was driven to promote and educate important topics in the lives of student-athletes, such as mental health, financial literacy, career readiness, diversity and inclusion. In October, the "#SoConnected" campaign prompted a week-long social media effort across all SoCon institutions to help spread information, facts, and resources in regards to mental health awareness. 

On the field, Walker ranks in the top 10 in program history in numerous offensive categories and has been named the SoCon Preseason Player of the Year in both 2019 and 2020. She has earned All-Southern Conference First Team, Second Team and All-Freshman Team honors in each of her three complete seasons in a UTC uniform.

SENIOR CLASS AWARD^®
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ^®, the 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 program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring. Premier Sports Management manages the award.

The 30 candidates of the 2020 Senior CLASS Award will be narrowed to 10 finalists later in the season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. 

The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2020 Women's College World Series^®. 

For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.

2020 CANDIDATES
Alyssa Walker, Chattanooga
Kelsey Aikey, WKU
Aliyah Andrews, LSU
Sis Bates, Washington
AnaMarie Bruni, South Florida
Maria Cegledy, Kent State
Cassidy Clark, San Jose State
Montana DeCamp, North Dakota State University
Tristen Edwards, University of Nebraska
Amber Fiser, University of Minnesota
Morganne Flores, Washington
Celene Funke, University of Louisville
Adriana Gambino, Manhattan College
Nikki Grupp, ETSU                                                                
Karli Hamilton, Texas Tech University                                   
Jessie Harper, Arizona                                                           
Ava Lawson, Northern Kentucky University
Katie Marino, University of Notre Dame
Nicole Mendes, University of Oklahoma
Ali Milam, Marist
Hunter Mundy, Radford University
Claire Oberdorf, Marist
Brittany Pickett, North Carolina
Stella Preston, Mercer
Marnie Skinner, Iona College
Mary-Hannah Smith, Lehigh
Julia Smith-Harrington, Towson
Amber Swinarski, Columbia University
Kayla Wedl, UIC
Keri White, Appalachian State University

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