Sept. 30, 2008

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky football kicker Tim Masthay (Murray, Ky.) have been selected as one of 30 candidates for the inaugural Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in football. To be eligible for the football award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior (in the Football Bowl Subdivision only) and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: Classroom, Character, Community, and Competition.

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 those leaders to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact on their circle of influence. This prestigious awards program was launched during the 2001-02 basketball season, added six additional sports in 2007, and has now expanded this year to include NCAA football.

Masthay is an excellent candidate for the award as he has excelled on and off the field during his four years as a Wildcat. He has been the team’s starting punter all four seasons, playing in 41 career games. He currently leads the team and the Southeastern Conference in punting, averaging 45.7 yards per punt. He led the league last season with 23 touchbacks and is on pace to smash that total as a league-high 15 of his 27 kicks have been touchbacks already this season. Masthay also is the placekick holder for field goals.

Off the field, he has been very active in the “Cats That Care” service program. Masthay, who aspires to one day serve in the Peace Corps in Africa, traveled to the African country of Ghana for an educational and service trip in May. He is a frequent volunteer at the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge where he transports guests to and from medical appointments and answers phones. He also has volunteered and donated his time and money to several other causes across the Commonwealth.

In the classroom, Masthay is an outstanding student who is set to graduate in May, 2009 with a degree in economics. He was a second-team Academic All-American last season and is a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection.

The 2008 list of candidates is loaded with talented football student-athletes who also excel away from the playing field. Twenty-six NCAA colleges and universities and 11 different athletics conferences are represented.

These 30 student-athletes will be narrowed down to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot. The ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select the candidate that best exemplifies excellence in the “Four C’s” of Classroom, Character, Community, and Competition. The overall winner of the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for football will be announced during a 2008-09 post-season college football event.

Sportscaster Dick Enberg, Honorary Chairman of the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, first conceived the idea of an award for seniors in 2001 in response to the growing trend of men’s basketball players leaving school early for the NBA. The award was launched to honor senior student-athletes who remained in college, exhausting their collegiate athletic eligibility, to pursue their college degree.

Lowe’s, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA and NCAA Football, expanded the award program in 2007 to include numerous NCAA Division I sports – men’s and women’s soccer, men’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, baseball, and softball in addition to men and women’s basketball. With the addition of football this year, the number of sports encompassed by the nation’s premier award for seniors reaches nine. The Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award is sanctioned by the NCAA, promoted by CBS Sports, and managed by Premier Sports Management.