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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Elon goalkeeper Clint Irwin has been chosen as one of the 10 men’s soccer finalists for the 2010 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 candidates that were announced in August. Nationwide fan voting is now available to determine the winner. Irwin is the first-ever Elon student-athlete in any sport to make the final list of 10.

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. Fans can vote once a day for their favorite candidate by clicking on the link above. Voting will remain open until November 14 and the winner will be announced during the NCAA College Cup in early December.

“It is a huge honor for Clint to be recognized by the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award,” commented Elon head coach Darren Powell. “Not only is it a great recognition for Clint, but also for the Elon soccer program. Clint continues to be successful here and we hope his final year is his strongest yet in the classroom, in the community and on the field.”

A native of Charlotte, N.C., Irwin has been the Phoenix’s starting keeper since he arrived on campus. Since then, Irwin has taken over the school record books, becoming the all-time shutout king with a current mark of 22 clean slates. He also holds the single-season mark after recording 10 shutouts in 2009. Irwin helped Elon to the 2008 Southern Conference regular-season title and led the squad to the league tournament championship game last season. A three-time all-conference honoree, Irwin is also on the 2010 Hermann Trophy Watch List. In his final season, Irwin’s goals against average (0.71) and save percentage (.857) rank second in the Southern Conference.

Irwin has also been very involved in the community, both in his hometown and in the local Elon and Burlington communities. He has volunteered for the Special Olympics and Elon Athletics Youth Day. Irwin also contributes time to Strategies to Elevate People (S.T.E.P.), an inner-city ministry program. The political science major holds a 3.49 GPA.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, 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.