Blaine Kinsey
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.—Indiana State Softball senior pitcher Taylor Lockwood has been named one of the 30 finalists for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award. Lockwood was nominated for the award because of her excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community.
"Taylor is that person that you want on your team," head coach Shane Bouman said. "She is successful in the classroom, on the softball field and strives to be a champion everyday, for life. We are so glad she is a Sycamore."
Lockwood has excelled on the field for the Sycamores, being named the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament MVP last season as the Sycamores won the tournament for the first time under the MVC banner. Lockwood also led the Sycamores to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance and earning the win in the circle in the programs first ever post season win over Louisville. Throughout the 2015 post season, Lockwood held a 1.63 ERA and 4-1 record over 34.1 innings pitched including a 1.20 ERA in the NCAA Regional over 11.2 innings pitched.
Not only has she excelled on the field, Lockwood also holds a 3.528 cumulative GPA in nursing, balancing athletics and classroom activities with hours of clinicals. Throughout her nursing clinical, Lockwood also serves as the lead nurse for her shift group.
Lockwood has also been instrumental in leading members of the Indiana State softball team to participate and raise awareness for the Susan G. Komen Race for A Cure event for breast cancer awareness in the Terre Haute area. Lockwood also organized a change collection throughout the 2015 Sycamore Softball team's season where team members donated change after each game. The collected money was then donated to the local chapter of the Boys and Girls Club.
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. 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.
From the list of 30 candidates, a national media committee will select ten finalists for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award in March. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award.
