STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford senior defender Brian Nana-Sinkam was one of 10 men's soccer student-athletes selected as finalists for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate soccer it was announced Wednesday.
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. 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.
The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 men's candidates and 30 women's candidates announced in early October. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website through November 21. 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 2016 NCAA Men's and Women's College Cup championships in December.
Stanford has done well recently as far as the Senior CLASS Award is concerned. Last season, Brandon Vincent was named a Senior CLASS Award Second Team All-American in addition to being selected as the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
One of 27 Stanford student-athletes majoring in product design, Nana-Sinkam has been a two-time Pac-12 all-academic selection. Among a number of extracurriculars, he is an associate in the Stanford Marketing Group, a mentorship program participant in the Stanford Biomedical Engineering Society and was one of 300 in the country chosen for the 2016 Management Leadership for Tomorrow Career Prep Program, an 18-month professional development program for high-achieving, diverse talent.
A Cardinal co-captain this season, Nana-Sinkam plays an active role in service projects in and around Stanford. He helps to organize events between the AYSO VIP (Very Important Players) Green Giants team and the Stanford men's soccer team. He's also on the Stanford Athletics Cardinal Council, which brought together 23 Stanford teams for an annual Date Auction, raising over $4,500 for Camp Kesem, which offers recreational camps in the United States for children of parents with cancer.
Additionally, Nana-Sinkam is a creative consultant for The Releaf Group, a non-profit organization that connects Nigerian entrepreneurs in the agricultural industry with the talent of the African diaspora in the United States and United Kingdom to drive the Nigerian economy and catalyze the African Renaissance. His role in the organization has been to create meaningful brand recognition and develop beneficial relationships both in the U.S. and in West Africa to expand the group's network and drive its mission.
Nana-Sinkam has commanded the Cardinal from his spot at center back, making 62 starts since his freshman year and leading a defense that has a 0.72 goals against average since 2014. Nana-Sinkam has two assists this season and scored his lone collegiate goal at Cal on November 16, 2014 to help the Cardinal clinch its first Pac-12 championship since 2001.
Stanford does not play again until it closes out its regular season at Cal on Friday, Nov. 11. Washington, the only other team still in the running for a Pac-12 championship, hosts UCLA and San Diego State this weekend before wrapping up its schedule at home against Oregon State on Thursday, Nov. 10.
Stanford has 22 points and the Huskies are second with 15. A Cardinal victory over the Golden Bears regardless of what UW does in its final three games would win Stanford its third consecutive conference title.