OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Baylor women’s basketball guard Kristy Wallace is one of 30 candidates for the 2017-18 Senior CLASS Award, the organization announced Thursday afternoon. 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.
Wallace has started all 14 games for the Lady Bears, averaging 10.4 points, a team-high 5.3 assists and 4.4 rebounds per contest. She is on the verge of reaching the 1,000-career point milestone with 985 so far and is sixth in program history with 444 career assists. Wallace is the floor leader for the Lady Bears, who have won three Big 12 regular season and two tournament titles and made three NCAA Elite Eight appearances under her direction.
The Loganholme, Australia native is expected to graduate on a four-year timeline and secure a degree in health, kinesiology and leisure studies in May 2018. She possesses a 3.12 GPA and is a three-time Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll honoree, in addition to earning Academic All-Big 12 First Team and Academic All-Big 12 Second Team recognition in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Wallace has been a part of the Baylor Sports Ministry Mission Trip in each summer of her Lady Bear career, spreading the love of Christ in Brazil through a sports connection. She also gives by locally, visiting hospital patients, raising money for Sally’s House on WBCA Day of Service, volunteering with Project Homeless in Waco and reading to elementary school students.
The list of 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists in February, and those 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 NCAA Women’s Final Four this spring. For more information on each of the candidates, visit www.seniorclassaward.com.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CANDIDATES:
Kristy Wallace – Baylor
Raigyne Moncrief Louis – LSU
Ariel Atkins – Texas
Briana Betz-White – Loyola
Lexie Brown – Duke
Tyra Buss – Indiana
Amanda Cahill – Indiana
Emily Clemens – Western Illinois
Kylie Giebelhausen – Southern Illinois
Rebecca Greenwell – Duke
Delaney Hodgins – Eastern Washington
Faith Ihim – Oral Roberts
Kaylee Jensen – Oklahoma State
Jackie Kemph – Saint Louis
Jordan Korinek – Kent State
Grace Lennox – Eastern Illinois
Sally McCabe – Belmont
Brooke McCarty – Texas
Brittany McPhee – Stanford
Sydni Means – Mercer
Kia Nurse – UConn
Michelle Nwokedi – Pennsylvania
Vionise Pierre-Louis – Oklahoma
Tianna Tarter – East Tennessee State
Elle Thompson – South Dakota State
Rebekah VanDijk – UT Arlington
Victoria Vivians – Mississippi State
Carlie Wagner – Minnesota
Morgan William – Mississippi State
Gabby Williams - UConn
