STANFORD, Calif. – Alana Cook is one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award for women's soccer, as announced Wednesday.
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.
"Alana is a tremendous student-athlete," said the Knowles Family Director of Women's Soccer Paul Ratcliffe. "She has remarkable character and is respected by all of her teammates and coaches, which makes her a great leader on and off the field. Her leadership skills have been a critical part of our success throughout her career."
Cook, a senior from Far Hills, New Jersey, has started all 77 games since her freshman season in 2015. A two-year captain, she led Stanford to its second national championship in 2017, playing nearly every minute of the 25-game season with the Cardinal surrendering just nine goals. She is a three-time All-Pac-12 selection and a member of the 2018 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy watch list.
A two-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree and 2017 academic all-region selection, Cook is also very active in the community. She has participated in the Gardner Elementary' s Walk-A-Thon, Bay Area clinics for Female Footballers and clinics with the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative. Also active with local American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) teams, Cook also serves in a program in which student-athletes sit with local youth at Stanford's athletic events.
The candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season and placed on an official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one male and one female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four C's – community, classroom, character and competition.