April 17, 2008
Vote for Charlie
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest senior Charlie Mellies has been selected as one of 10 finalists for the 2008 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, which is the nation's premier award for college senior student-athletes.
The award honors senior student-athletes who excel both on and off the field. 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.
Mellies was one of 30 student-athletes on the initial semifinalist list which was announced in mid-March. The group was trimmed to 10 finalists this week. From there, the winner will be announced on June 21 at the 2008 NCAA Men's College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
Mellies is the only student-athlete from the ACC to be named a finalist. Florida State's Ryan Strauss was the only other player from the conference to be listed as a semifinalist in March.
Deacon fans can vote for Mellies at www.SeniorClassAward.com. Fan balloting will be combined with votes from coaches, media and sponsors to determine the recipient of the award.
Mellies is a fifth-year senior for the Demon Deacons. The righthanded pitcher is a three-year captain and a weekend starter for Wake Forest. Mellies was sidelined for portions of the 2006 and 2007 seasons after having elbow surgery.
Off the field, Mellies has a double major in political science and sociology. He has made the Dean's List every semester at Wake Forest, has been named to the ACC Honor Roll each of the past four years and was an All-ACC Academic Team honoree in 2006.
Mellies was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), a national leadership honor society, in April 2007. He is president of Wake Forest's chapter of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and a member of the Wake Forest Leadership Academy.
Mellies has volunteered his time on campus and in the community with such projects as Athletes Care Team, Eat with the Deacs, Baseball Bears, Project Pumpkin, YES Clinic and Santa's Helpers. He was also one of three baseball players who organized Wake Forest's Operation Wounded Soldier--a project that raised over $5,000.
"These young men are outstanding student-athletes who deserve recognition for their achievements on the field and off the field," said Bob Gfeller, Lowe's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Advertising. "The Lowe's Senior CLASS Award is dedicated to honoring senior collegians who are making an impact on others with their talents. We look forward to an exciting finish to the NCCA college baseball season and crowning our award winner at the Men's College World Series."
The 2008 award winner will be announced and presented with the prestigious Lowe's Senior CLASS Award trophy during championship weekend at this year's NCAA Men's College World Series in June. The Lowe's All-Senior All-America Team, based on final results of the balloting, also will be recognized.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS 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.
