Softball Senior Michelle Moultrie a Candidate for 2012 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Thursday, February 16, 2012 | Softball
Florida senior centerfielder Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) was honored as one of 30 collegiate softball student-athletes named as candidates for the 2012 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, recognizing student-athletes with notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe's 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.
A business administration major with a specialization in sports management, Moultrie is a true leader for the Gators, both on and off the field. The former Gator walk-on was named the 2011 WCWS co-Most Outstanding Player and was both a 2011 Capital One Academic All-American, along with earning NFCA/Louisville Slugger All-America honors.
One of just four Southeastern Conference players on the list of candidates, she's helped the No. 1/3 Gators to a 6-0 start to the 2012 campaign as UF's leadoff hitter, has swiped a team-high five bases through Florida's first six games and ranks third for the Orange and Blue thus far in on-base percentage.
Moultrie, a two-time All-SEC selection and SEC All-Defensive Team pick, has won two Gold Medals as a member of Team USA at the World Cup of Softball and the Pan American Games, both in the summer/fall of 2011. Moultrie earned WCWS co-MOP honors after leading all tourney participants in hits, doubles, homers, total bases and stolen bases, while matching WCWS records with four homers and 13 hits. She eclipsed Florida single-season records for batting clip, on-base percentage, hits, triples, stolen bases and attempts in 2011 and has the second-longest hit streak in UF history, a 19-game strand last year.
The 2012 candidate class includes six CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-Americans from last season and 12 student-athletes with cumulative grade point averages of 3.5 or higher. Three candidates were Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association first-team All-Americans in 2011, 13 candidates are on teams ranked in the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason top 25, and five participated in last year's NCAA Women's College World Series®.
Lowe's, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the Senior CLASS Award® winner during the 2012 NCAA Women's College World Series, which will be held May 31-June 6 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The 30 candidates 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, Division I head coaches and fans who will select one finalist who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
2012 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Candidates
Valerie Arioto, Pitcher/First Base, California
Gracie Barstad, Third Base, Western Michigan
Emily Bledsoe, Infield, Texas Tech
Katelyn Boyd, Shortstop, Arizona State
Rachel Brown, Pitcher, Harvard
Ashley Burnham, Shortstop, James Madison
Molly Coldren, Infield, Central Michigan
Kacee Cox, Catcher/First Base, St. John's (N.Y.)
Mallory Duran-Sellers, Outfield, Southern Illinois
Bree Evans, Outfield, Michigan
Julie Fernandez, First Base, Lehigh
Michelle Fuzzard, Pitcher/DP, Chattanooga
Chelsea Garcia, Shortstop, Oklahoma State
Molly Garst, Infield, Purdue
Ashley Guile, Infield, Nebraska
Ashley Hagemann, Pitcher, Nebraska
Ashley Hansen, Shortstop, Stanford
Shayla Jackson, Outfield, Florida State
Natalie Land, Shortstop, Central Florida
Brittany Mack, Pitcher, LSU
Ashley McClain, Outfield/Pitcher, Florida International
Jen Mineau, Pitcher, Fordham
Adrienne Monka, First Base, Northwestern
MICHELLE MOULTRIE, CENTERFIELD, FLORIDA
Christi Orgeron, Utility, Louisiana
Cassie Reilly-Boccia, Outfield/First Base, Alabama
Stephanie Ricketts, Pitcher, Hawaii
Rachel Riley, Pitcher/DP, Kentucky
Liz Watkins, Catcher, Iowa
Niki Williams, Utility, Washington
