MIAMI (September 18, 2012) – FIU senior defender Anthony Hobbs was named as one of 30 men’s soccer finalists nationally for the prestigious 2012 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.

Click HERE to view Anthony’s profile on www.seniorclassaward.com.

“I’m at a loss for words about how much this means to me,” Hobbs said. “I strive to be the best I can be on the field, but also off the field, and as a person in the community and the classroom. Sometimes the off-field work is not recognized as much, and being on this list makes my family and me proud. I will continue to contribute to the community, to FIU and to my team, to the best of my ability.”

CLASSROOM
For the past three years, Hobbs has been one of the top student-athletes at FIU. Entering his senior season, Hobbs has maintained a 3.77 GPA while making the Dean’s List every semester.  He is a three-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and was recently honored as a part of the C-USA All-Academic Team.  These academic achievements are extremely impressive given his busy schedule flying from Miami to New Zealand while competing for his country’s U-20 national team.

CHARACTER
Hobbs is not only an exceptional student-athlete, but he is also an incredible person. He puts people’s needs before his own. He is a leader in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. He leads by example. His work ethic and dedication to his team and education is unmatched. Most importantly, his enthusiasm to give back is commendable. He encourages his teammates to be actively engaged in the community by holding free clinics for kids with Down syndrome, assisting with fundraising efforts for the American Cancer Society and promoting active lifestyles by volunteering at local race events. While at FIU, Hobbs has never turned down an opportunity to give back to the communities that have given him so much.

COMMUNITY
Hobbs has always found time between competing at FIU and for his home country of New Zealand to lend a hand in the Miami community. He is an active supporter of the Down Syndrome Association Soccer Clinic, which he and his teammates started to work with kids and provide free soccer clinics to children with Down syndrome. He also lends his time and teaches kids his soccer talents at the Doral Soccer Clinic. Hobbs also volunteers at the Big Brother, Big Sister Holiday Celebration where he helped fundraise money to collect school supplies and holiday gifts for children on a waiting list to be matched with a mentor. At the ING Miami Marathon, Hobbs and his teammates volunteered in the early hours of the morning at the gear check-in tent and are responsible for holding and returning the personal belongings of race participants. This shows the level of trust and responsibility the university and the community has in Hobbs and his teammates. He volunteered his time at the Miami Beach Half Marathon where he lined the raceway to hand out water and energy bars to the participating racers. Hobbs is also a participant in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life where he and his teammates annually gather to raise money for cancer research.

COMPETITION
Hobbs has been a leader ever since he stepped foot on the FIU campus. As a defender, Hobbs has been the FIU Defensive and Team MVP each of his three seasons at FIU. He is also a fixture on the All-Conference USA team, earning third-team honors his freshman year while being named to the all-freshman team, second-team honors his sophomore year and first-team honors his junior year. Hobbs has also been durable during his tenure at FIU, logging the most minutes of any Panther in the past three years. He was also named to multiple all-tournament teams including the Akron University All-Tournament Team as a freshman and to the Stetson Soccer Classic All-Tournament Team his sophomore year. Most recently, Hobbs participated in the U-20 World Cup as part of the New Zealand squad and was in camp with the U-23 national team and was on the short list to make the squad for the 2012 London Games. While training with his country, Hobbs was a member of the United Soccer League’s Portland Timbers U-23s team in the Professional Development League. Throughout the year, Hobbs was ranked in the top 10 in minutes played and helped lead his team to the Western Conference semifinals. In 2012, he is one of the team leaders in minutes and a part of an FIU backline, which has only given up six goals through seven matches.

From the list of 30 candidates, a national media committee will select ten finalists for the 2012 Senior CLASS Award in early October.  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 Panthers will have the week off before returning to action in DeLand, Fla., against the Stetson Hatters on Sept. 22. Match time is set for 6:00 p.m.

For tickets to FIU home matches, call the FIU Ticket Office at 305-FIU-GAME or log onto www.FIUSports.com. Fans can follow @FIUMensSoccer on Twitter and find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FIUMensSoccer. Fans can also watch all FIU men’s soccer home matches live on FIUSports.com on our free webcasts.

About the Senior CLASS Award:

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring. Premier Sports Management manages the award.

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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including U.S. Century Bank Arena and Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.

About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelors, masters and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida’s anchor institutions, FIU is worlds ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission and enrolls nearly 48,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. More than 140,000 alumni live and work in South Florida. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.

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