OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – William & Mary women's soccer senior
Caroline Casey was named as one of 10 finalist for the Senior CLASS Award announced on Monday afternoon.
The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 women's candidates announced in September. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the
Senior CLASS Award website through November 23. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches' votes to determine the winner. The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2015 NCAA Women's College Cup® championships in December.
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.
Caroline is a very strong student at William & Mary. She is on track to graduate with a degree in Kinesiology & Health Sciences with a concentration in Pre-Med. Casey has also won awards for her work in the classroom both through the school and in the Colonial Athletic Association. She won a Provost Award (3.5 GPA, or higher) in 2015, while also receiving induction in Chi Alpha Sigma, which is a National Athlete Honor Society for a junior or senior athlete with a 3.5 GPA, or higher. Casey has also garnered a pair of CAA Commissioner's Academic Awards, which is for a GPA of 3.2, or better, during the 2013 and 2014 season.
A two-time captain for the Tribe women's soccer team, Casey shows her leadership skills both on the field and off of it. As a two-time captain, last year she helped the Tribe to a 12-win season. This season in her second campaign as captain she helped seven new players to the roster in the preseason, and again has helped the Tribe to 12 wins and a bye in the 2015 CAA Women's Championship. Off of the field, she is a Branch Out Leader, which is an organization that comes up with alternative spring breaks were W&M students can participate in service work. After being a participant in the program during her sophomore year, she became a site leader last year. Casey was responsible for planning pre-trip meetings, creating educational materials, coordinating logistics with our host site and community partner, and day-to-day activities at each of the centers. Casey is also a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, where she helps plan and execute community service work. With an already busy soccer schedule, she gives up some of her school breaks working with Senior Connections, and also made a trip to Nicaragua last winter of 2014 to do medical work.
The Chesapeake, Virginia native is very involved with the community in different facets and in many different ways. She spends time giving back with the Tribe women's soccer team, her sorority, and on her own. Casey has spent time volunteering with the William & Mary Medical Relief Team that went to Nicaragua in the winter of 2014. During her two weeks in Nicaragua she was a part of a medical relief team that worked with an organization called International Service Learning. Casey and the group she was with were paired with translators and Nicaraguan doctors and participated in pharmacy and clinical rounds. In addition to the medical rounds, the group was put in charge a pair of cultural days where they setup games for the children, while also stressing the importance of brushing their teeth, wearing shoes, and washing their hands. Aside from the trip, Casey is very involved in the William & Mary and Williamsburg communities. She is a Branch Site Leader (an alternative spring break program), where they worked with Senior Connections to help people understand and see the absence of care many elderly experience at a physical, mental, and emotional level. She volunteers at Dream Catcher Therapeutic Riding Center, is a committee member with W&M Relay for Life, and was an Academic Ambassador for Freshman Athletes (2013). With her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, she has worked with the Camp Fire USA fundraiser, Girls on the Run Fundraiser, and volunteered at the local Williamsburg ARC (For adults with disabilities) Carnival.
Last, but not least, Casey has started every game of her Tribe career dating back to her freshman season and is one of the best goalkeepers in W&M history. She currently ranks second all-time with 288 career saves, while her 26 shutouts rank her fourth all-time. This season she owns a 0.69 goals-against-average, with 71 saves, and eight shutouts. A Preseason All-CAA selection, Casey was named to the CAA Third-Team in 2014, after being named to the conference's first team, and an NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second-Team honoree in 2013. She owns a 46-16-11 career record with 26 shutouts.
She is the first Tribe player to earn this recognition since Mallory Schaffer '13. Schaffer was a finalist for the Senior Class Award during the 2012 season.
Casey and the Tribe conclude the regular season at Elon on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Kickoff for the match is set for 7 p.m. W&M will be the No. 2 seed in the CAA Tournament, which will take place at Hofstra on November 6 and 8.
