ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – In the midst of a great senior campaign, Cal Jennings has been selected as one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award.
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. Each of the 30 candidates has displayed a strong work ethic in the classroom and on the pitch. Outside of academics and athletics, all candidates also have been consistently involved in community service on their campus or in their communities.
Many people know of Jennings' success on the field last season, and it is already carrying over to 2019. Jennings has eight goals through seven matches and has scored a goal in UCF's last six matches. Last season, Jennings was the nation's second leading scorer with 20 goals. He was named as a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy last season and earned a nod to the United Soccer Coaches First Team All-America in 2018. This season, he is on the watch list for the MAC Hermann Trophy and was named as the American Athletic Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
Off the pitch, Jennings majors in Nonprofit Management and minors in Sports Business Management. The minor terms itself "The Minor That's Major," showing that even though it can't be taken as a major, it teaches students about vital skills required to succeed in the business of sports.
As a person, Jennings is one of the humblest human beings that one could find. He never gloats about his many achievements, but instead diverts the credit to his teammates and coaching staff. He finds joy in taking UCF's newcomers under his wing and showing them the ropes of the team culture. He leads by example and is consistently the last one to leave practice, making the most out of every opportunity to improve his game.
Jennings has volunteered at many different events in his time at UCF. His biggest efforts came with Athletes in Action, as he was an intern for them last semester. Athletes in Action strives to help coaches, players, staff and sport minded individuals grow in their relationships with each other and with God.
The last UCF male to be among the final 30 candidates for the award was Shaquem Griffin. He ended up winning the award in 2017. Jennings is one of four players from the American Athletic Conference on the list.
The candidate class will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular 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 winners will be announced during the 2019 NCAA Men's and Women's College Cup® championships in December.
UP NEXT
The Knights will begin conference play as the Temple Owls visit Orlando on Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. The first 100 students in attendance receive a "fast pass" to UCF's football game against UConn on Sept. 28. Due to a concert in Addition Financial Arena on the same night as the soccer match, garages D, F and H will be charging for parking. Fans can park in any other part of campus for free, including the baseball lot and lot E8.
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