Pogarch Named Candidate for Senior CLASS Award
Sep 19 | Women's Soccer
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. The complete list of candidates follows this release.
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.
Prior to arriving "On the Banks", Pogarch collected First Team All-MAC accolades in 2017 at Central Michigan. The honor was preceded by Second Team All-MAC recognition in 2016 and MAC All-Freshmen selection in 2015. She started 52 of 58 games for the Chippewas, registering three goals and 10 assists. Off the field, Pogarch was a two-time Academic All-MAC recipient.
This season, Pogarch immediately entered the starting lineup for RU, contributing to a back line that continues to be the enemy of opponent offenses. In the classroom, the public health major's academic focus also translated to Rutgers, as she made Dean's List in her first semester.
In the community, Pogarch didn't miss a beat by jumping into the Scarlet Knights' community initiatives. Special Friends Day stood out to her, a day where the team plays and interacts with children with special needs. The Hartland, Michigan, native was highly involved with the community at CMU as well.
An event that Pogarch is proud of is when the CMU team put on a Special Olympics clinic in 2016. Additionally, Pogarch used her Monday nights to coach 4-6 year olds and to teach soccer to children with disabilities. She takes pride in spreading the love for soccer to younger generations.
Pogarch is a pioneer for women in sports, becoming the first female place kicker for the Hartland High School football team. Her focus on earning everything and gaining respect of her peers shows the strength of her character. She takes every challenge head on and will do whatever it takes to achieve success for not only her own goals, but for her team.
Each of the 60 candidates has displayed a strong work ethic in the classroom and on the pitch with 34 returning after earning first-team conference honors, 30 having grade-point averages of 3.5 or higher, nine being on the MAC Hermann Watch List for 2018 and seven returning All-Americans. Outside of academics and athletics, all candidates also have been consistently involved in community service on their campus or in their communities.
Each of the two candidate classes 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 male candidate and one female 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 2018 NCAA Men's and Women's College Cup® championships in December.
For more information on all the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
ABOUT THE AWARDAn acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. 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.
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