Sioux captain Genoway a national finalist for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - University of North Dakota senior defenseman and team captain Chay Genoway has been named one of 10 national finalists for the 2011 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in men's hockey.

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(r), the Lowe's 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.

Genoway, a fifth-year senior from Morden, Manitoba, is a three-time All-Western College Hockey Association performer and was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year in 2008-09. That same season, Genoway was named a second team All-American by the American Hockey Coaches Association. The leading active scorer among NCAA Division I defensemen, Genoway is one of only nine defensemen in UND history to score 100 career points.

In the classroom, Genoway is a three-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete and a three-time All-WCHA Academic Team selection. He was an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American in 2008-09 and is a three-time recipient of UND's Archie Krum Memorial Scholarship, which recognizes the men's hockey player who demonstrates leadership qualities, high academic standards and athletic excellence.

One of UND's most active student-athletes within the community, Genoway has already logged a team-leading 68.5 hours of community service during the 2010-11 academic year. He has donated his time to numerous organizations, including Special Olympics, Altru Health System, Grand Forks Youth Hockey, the Grand Forks Public Library and several area elementary schools.

Genoway and the other nine finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 20 candidates announced in October. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to determine the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote via the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award website or on the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Facebook fan page through March 20. Fan votes will be combined with media and coaches votes to determine the winner.

Lowe's, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, will announce the winner on April 7 at the NCAA Frozen Four(r) in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

For more information on all the finalists, visit http://www.seniorCLASSaward.com.