March 10, 2008

Kansas City, Mo. Pacific senior Brett Manning (Boulder, Colo.) is one of 30 Division I baseball players announced as a candidate for the 2008 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.

30 players who excel both on and off the field were selected to vie for the nation's premier award for college senior student-athletes. Presented annually to NCAA® Division I student-athletes in eight sports, the award focuses on the "Four C's" of classroom, character, community and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School (CLASS), the award was launched in 2001 to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who fulfill their entire athletic eligibility and pursue their degree. Since that time, Lowe's, an official corporate partner of the NCAA®, has expanded the award to include other NCAA sports including baseball.

This marks the second year for the baseball division of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. University of Alabama infielder Emeel Salem was the inaugural winner in 2007.

From the list of 30 nominees (complete list attached), a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in mid-April 2008. Those ten names will be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote that will include coaches, media and fans. The award winner will be announced and recognized at the 2008 NCAA® Men's College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

A four-year letter player for the Tigers, Manning has been a scholar athlete from the moment he entered Pacific. Brett has already collected three Pacific and Big West Scholar Athlete Award (presented each April). In addition, Manning earned the Tigers' Big West Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor for the 2007-08 academic year.

A Big West Representative for the Pacific Student Athletic Council, Manning has also volunteered at the Stockton YMCA, organized the 2006 Thanksgiving Food Drive, worked with the Stockton Little League and assisted with after school tutoring for students 12 -18 years.

"Not only in the classroom and on the field, Brett has been a leader in PSAC. As an officer I know that I can trust that he is going to go above and beyond what asked and get his team involved as well," said Holly Trexler, Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services and Compliance.