RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Senior pitcher/second baseman Kate Bowen (Newtown, Conn.) of the Manhattan College softball team has been selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2014 Senior CLASS® Award. Only NCAA Division I seniors are eligible for the award, which celebrates notable achievements in the areas of community, classroom, character and competition. Bowen was the only player from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) among the top 30.
One of the most prestigious awards presented by the NCAA, the Senior CLASS Award was created in 2001. CLASS is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, and the award recognizes student-athletes who've made a positive impact as leaders in their communities through their participation in athletics.
A two-time MAAC All-Academic Team selection, Bowen was named to the 2013 Capital One Academic All-District Team. She's earned a place on the Dean's List every semester and was chosen as the Physical Education Department's Major of the Year for 2012-13. Bowen is also a member of the Epsilon Sigma Pi, Phi Epsilon Kappa and Kappa Delta Pi honor societies.
Last season, she organized a “Sandy Hook Dedication Game” after the tragedy in her hometown. The Jaspers wore special jerseys and sold t-shirts with the number 26 (one for each victim) on back, with the proceeds benefitting the 26 Angels Foundation, which was founded by a Sandy Hook survivor to assist residents of the Newtown community. There was also a 26-second moment of silence, during which players from both teams joined hands with Sandy Hook survivors, followed by three Sandy Hook third graders throwing out ceremonial first pitches. Bowen started and won the first game of the doubleheader sweep.
Bowen is a team captain and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). She was a finalist for the Future Professionals Student President of the New York Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NYAHPERD), and she served as a speaker at Manhattan's National Girls and Women In Sports Day in 2013. Bowen has also worked as a student leader at Manhattan's Freshman Extended Orientation program and helped organize the Manhattan College Games.
She was Manhattan's 2012-13 Female Student-Athlete of the Year and earned a place on the All-MAAC First Team after leading the team in batting average (.367), hits (61), doubles (12), runs scored (34), wins (9), complete games (10), innings pitched (106.2) and ERA (3.81). Bowen also ranked second on the squad with six home runs and 33 RBIs last season. In 2012, she was selected First Team All-Northeast Region, as well as Second Team All-MAAC.
The list of candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season. Those names will then be placed on the official ballot that will be voted on by media, coaches and fans nationwide. The winner will be announced during the 2014 NCAA Women's College World Series, which takes place from May 29-June 4.
