OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Sixty NCAA men's and women's soccer student-athletes who excel both on and off the field were selected as candidates for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate soccer, released Wednesday, Sept. 19. Western Michigan men's soccer senior Tommy Clark was one of 30 men's soccer players selected as candidates for the accolade. 

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.

Clark is a leader on and off the soccer pitch at WMU. A redshirt senior this season, Clark graduated in the spring of 2018 with Summa Cum Laude honors, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical science with a chemistry minor, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish, earning a 3.93 grade-point average. Last season, Clark was named a Mid-American Conference Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and received a spot on the Academic All-MAC team in 2017, helping Western Michigan earn the MAC Academic Achievement Award for highest team GPA along with a national top-five team GPA.

Currently enrolled in the Accelerated Master of Arts in Spanish program at WMU, Clark is a graduate assistant, managing the WMU Learning Assistant Program for Student Success Services. Additionally, Clark serves for the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), representing men's soccer for the associate athletic director, discussing topics related to student-athletes' well-being. Having remained active in the community throughout his career, Clark has volunteered with organizations such as the Special Olympics, soccer camps and his local church. 

As a junior in 2017, Clark had a standout season, helping the Broncos to their most successful season in program history, finishing with a 17-4-1 overall record and undefeated 5-0-0 Mid-American Conference record. WMU won its first-ever MAC regular season title and made an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance after garnering the No. 10 seed and defeating the University at Albany in the second round for WMU's first-ever NCAA Tournament win. A key factor on Bronco set pieces and corner kicks, the midfielder recorded eight assists and one goal: the game-winner in WMU's 1-0 win over No. 8 Akron University. For his efforts, Clark received a spot on the United Soccer Coaches Great Lakes All-Region Third Team along with All-MAC First Team recognition.

Read more about Clark HERE. 

From the list of 30 candidates, a committee will select ten finalists for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award. The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2018 NCAA Men's and Women's College Cup championships in December.

Senior CLASS Award Release