OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Nicholls State University midfielder Jess Coates has been selected as one of 30 student-athletes across the country as a candidate for the annual NCAA Women's Soccer Senior Class Award.
 
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. 
 

Classroom

A native of Sydney, Australia, Coates has excelled in the classroom, maintaining a 3.62 GPA as an Education major. At the conclusion of the 2014 season, she was honored for her academic efforts as a member of the Southland Conference All-Academic First Team.
 
Character
Voted captain by her fellow teammates, Coates has been an inspirational leader for the Colonels both on and off the field. Her example has been instrumental in the success of the soccer program over the last three years and she is a significant reason that Nicholls has had its two most successful seasons in program history over the last two years. Coates' leadership has helped Nicholls set program records for most wins in a season, most conference wins in a season and earn the first postseason victory in program history.
 
Community
Coates has a desire to give back to her community, routinely volunteering to visit cancer patients at the Thibodaux Regional Cancer Treatment Center and visit local schools to discuss the importance of education. Coates volunteers each year at the annual Nicholls Soccer Camp, which is offered free to the local community. This year's camp fielded more than 300 elementary-aged children.
 
Competition
In addition to her off-the-field excellence, Coates has been an outstanding member of the Nicholls soccer team. Last season she was named to the All-Southland First Team, the NSCAA All-Region Team and she received Louisiana Sports Writer's Association Honorable Mention honors. She led the Colonels with seven assists and was second on the team in both goals (five) and points (17). Coates led the Nicholls defense to six shutout victories on the year, including a 1-0 triumph over McNeese State in the conference tournament, securing the program's first ever postseason win. A 2015 preseason All-Southland First Team selection, Coates currently leads the Colonels with two assists through three matches in 2015.
 
The Senior Class Award's 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. ?
 
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2015 NCAA Men's and Women's College Cup championships in December.
 
The Nicholls soccer team is set to face Mississippi State at 7 p.m. on Friday, live on SEC Network Plus and WatchESPN. The Colonels will then battle Louisiana Tech on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Ruston.
 
Admission to all home soccer games is absolutely free! Come out and support your team!
 
For the most up-to-date information on Nicholls soccer visit geauxcolonels.com.