NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Iona College men’s soccer senior Ignacio Maganto has been selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award. 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.
“It’s great to see Ignacio recognized for this award based on his body of work over the last three-plus years,” said head coach Fernando Barboto. “It’s a testament to the great balance he finds in his daily life; in his ability to maintain a high GPA, his success on the field and his leadership as a team captain.”
Maganto, a dual-captain of the 2014 squad, is a three-time All-MAAC selection, and two-time NSCAA All-North Atlantic Region honoree. In 2013, he was named to the First Team of both posts after registering 21 points on nine goals and three assists. Maganto scored four game-winners in 2013 and has 16 career tallies. He was named to TopDrawerSoccer.com’s Preseason Top 100 Upperclassmen last month, and was the 2014 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year.
Maganto, an International Business major, is a three-time MAAC Academic Honor Roll selection and has been named to the MAAC All-Academic Team twice. He is a part of an Iona team that has also been recognized as a unit by the NSCAA for their team-wide academic success. Maganto and his teammates have been a part of several community service events throughout campus, including Move-In Day, Thanksgiving Baskets Drives, Iona College Awareness Week and the “Toys for Tots” donation drive.
The candidate class 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 exemplify excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2014 NCAA Men’s and Women’s College Cup® championships in December.