ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – In the midst of an incredible senior campaign, Cal Jennings has been selected as one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award. This is a step up from a few weeks ago, when Jennings was named as one of 30 candidates for the Award back on Sep. 23.
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 finalists were chosen by a selection committee from the list of 30 candidates announced in September. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner, and fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website through November 18, 2019. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches' votes to determine the winner. The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2019 NCAA Men's and Women's College Cup® championships later this fall.
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 10 finalists 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 carrying over to 2019 as he has 10 goals through 10 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 10 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 original candidates list and one of two on the list of finalists.
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