University of Memphis/Joe Murphy Men's Soccer 09.20.18 Memphis' David Zalzman Tabbed Senior CLASS Award Nominee OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Memphis senior forward David Zalzman was one of 30 men's soccer student-athletes to be named a candidate for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award. Zalzman is the first candidate to be selected from Memphis since Mark Sherrod was chosen in 2013. The senior was also named a preseason All-AAC selection by the league's coaches. The Senior CLASS Award, which stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, recognizes those athletes that excel in multiple facets of being a student-athlete, especially regarding commitment to their communities. As the season progresses, the list of 30 will be narrowed to 10 student-athletes. The final 10 will be on a ballot distributed to coaches, media members and fans to make the final vote. Voters will select one winner as the student-athlete who is most deserving because of his excellence in the four categories of the award: community, classroom, character and competition. "David is a perfect example of a senior student athlete," Tigers head coach Richard Mulrooney said of the midfielder. "Off the field, he understands the importance of his studies by taking high level classes and doing an internship this year." In Zalzman's time on the squad, he has exemplified the qualities of a leader and an excellent member of his community. After being deemed ineligible to play his first season on campus, Zalzman could easily have returned home. However, the welcome he had received from Memphis and his teammates inspired him to stay and do what he could for the team without being on the pitch. A supply chain management major, Zalzman's academic endeavors have always been one of the most important things to him. Setting himself a high bar, he has been a member of the Tiger 3.0 Club each of the semesters he has been on campus. Zalzman has also been a five-time member of the Dean's List, and a two-time addition to the Tiger Academic 30, a list of the 30 highest GPAs among student athletes at Memphis. The senior is also a three-time member of the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. Zalzman has also been a leader for his team with more than just his abilities on the field, but also his character. Named a captain in 2017, Zalzman guides his team through thick and thin. As the team struggled through the 2017 season, Zalzman continued to encourage his teammates, imploring them to continue fighting for each other. He was named captain again in 2018, leading a team that features 13 new faces. Building chemistry and learning each other's tendencies has been fluid and evident, as the team has reached last season's win total before conference play has begun. "On the field, he sets the right example day after day," Mulrooney commented on Zalzman's on-field character. "He works tirelessly, whether in game or in drills, and he continues to push himself to become a better player of the game." Zalzman has been a leader on the field since his first season of action. As a redshirt freshman, he led the team in assists with four. He was also second on the team in shots, totaling 32. In 2017 Zalzman took on a captain's role as he became one of the more senior members of the squad and finished as the team's leader in points. Zalzman racked up a team-leading two goals and three assists, good for second on the team, giving him a total of seven points. For his efforts on the field, Zalzman was named second-team All-Conference by the AAC. To view Zalzman's candidate page, please visit: http://www.seniorclassaward.com/athletes/www.gotigersgo.com/ To learn more about the award, please visit: http://www.seniorclassaward.com/news/view/mens_and_womens_soccer_candidates_announced_for_the_2018_senior_class_award Courtesy Memphis Athletics
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Memphis senior forward David Zalzman was one of 30 men's soccer student-athletes to be named a candidate for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award. Zalzman is the first candidate to be selected from Memphis since Mark Sherrod was chosen in 2013. The senior was also named a preseason All-AAC selection by the league's coaches. The Senior CLASS Award, which stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, recognizes those athletes that excel in multiple facets of being a student-athlete, especially regarding commitment to their communities. As the season progresses, the list of 30 will be narrowed to 10 student-athletes. The final 10 will be on a ballot distributed to coaches, media members and fans to make the final vote. Voters will select one winner as the student-athlete who is most deserving because of his excellence in the four categories of the award: community, classroom, character and competition. "David is a perfect example of a senior student athlete," Tigers head coach Richard Mulrooney said of the midfielder. "Off the field, he understands the importance of his studies by taking high level classes and doing an internship this year." In Zalzman's time on the squad, he has exemplified the qualities of a leader and an excellent member of his community. After being deemed ineligible to play his first season on campus, Zalzman could easily have returned home. However, the welcome he had received from Memphis and his teammates inspired him to stay and do what he could for the team without being on the pitch. A supply chain management major, Zalzman's academic endeavors have always been one of the most important things to him. Setting himself a high bar, he has been a member of the Tiger 3.0 Club each of the semesters he has been on campus. Zalzman has also been a five-time member of the Dean's List, and a two-time addition to the Tiger Academic 30, a list of the 30 highest GPAs among student athletes at Memphis. The senior is also a three-time member of the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. Zalzman has also been a leader for his team with more than just his abilities on the field, but also his character. Named a captain in 2017, Zalzman guides his team through thick and thin. As the team struggled through the 2017 season, Zalzman continued to encourage his teammates, imploring them to continue fighting for each other. He was named captain again in 2018, leading a team that features 13 new faces. Building chemistry and learning each other's tendencies has been fluid and evident, as the team has reached last season's win total before conference play has begun. "On the field, he sets the right example day after day," Mulrooney commented on Zalzman's on-field character. "He works tirelessly, whether in game or in drills, and he continues to push himself to become a better player of the game." Zalzman has been a leader on the field since his first season of action. As a redshirt freshman, he led the team in assists with four. He was also second on the team in shots, totaling 32. In 2017 Zalzman took on a captain's role as he became one of the more senior members of the squad and finished as the team's leader in points. Zalzman racked up a team-leading two goals and three assists, good for second on the team, giving him a total of seven points. For his efforts on the field, Zalzman was named second-team All-Conference by the AAC. To view Zalzman's candidate page, please visit: http://www.seniorclassaward.com/athletes/www.gotigersgo.com/ To learn more about the award, please visit: http://www.seniorclassaward.com/news/view/mens_and_womens_soccer_candidates_announced_for_the_2018_senior_class_award Courtesy Memphis Athletics