OVERLAND PARK, Kansas - Senior Joseph Radin was selected as one of 10 NCAA men's lacrosse players in the nation as a Senior CLASS Award finalist, it was announced Wednesday.
The field of 20 candidates announced in February was cut in half after votes from national media. Nationwide fan voting to help select the winner begins immediately, and fans are encouraged to submit votes online at the Senior CLASS Award website through May 9. Only one vote is permitted per day.
Fan votes will be combined with those of the media and Division I head coaches to determine the winner. The Senior CLASS Award recipient will be announced during the 2016 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse National Championships in Philadelphia from May 28-30.
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. 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.
Radin became the first Marist lacrosse player to be selected in the Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft when he was selected 45th overall in the sixth round by the Charlotte Hounds on Jan. 22. In 2015 he broke the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference single-season scoring record with 55 goals, which also eclipsed the old Marist program record of 52 set nearly 30 years earlier. He was one of 50 men's lacrosse student-athletes across the country and all NCAA divisions to be named to the initial Tewaaraton Award Watch List on Feb. 23. The honor goes to the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States and symbolizes lacrosse’s centuries-old roots in Native American heritage. The 25 men's and women's candidates for the 2016 Tewaaraton Award will be announced April 28.
During the Fall 2015 semester Radin led volunteer efforts at the Poughkeepsie Children’s Home for the Marist men's lacrosse team, designing a calendar with the organization for his team to make 2-hour visits twice a week. During this 10-week period Radin visited the home 16 times. He was chosen to wear the no. 34 for his senior season in honor of former Marist men’s lacrosse player Edward Coombs. The recipient of the jersey is the player who best represents Coombs’ outstanding qualities: passion, determination, energy, and a great teammate and member of community.
Radin is currently five goals away from tying the Marist men's lacrosse all-time scoring record of 145 set by Paul Donohue in 2002. He will look to reach the mark when the Red Foxes host Quinnipiac on April 2 in a rematch of last year's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship game. Opening faceoff for the contest is scheduled for 1 p.m. and it will be broadcast throughout New York State on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel.