OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Penn State men's soccer student-athlete Brandon Hackenberg has been named one of 30 candidates for the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate soccer as announced Wednesday.
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.
Hackenberg is the second-straight Nittany Lion to be a candidate as Aaron Molloy was a top-30 candidate in 2019.
Hackenberg has worked hard in the classroom, culminating in his graduation of a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations in December 2020. He is a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree for having at least a 3.0 GPA, as well as a 2018-19 and 2019-20 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar for having at least a 3.7 cumulative GPA. The Palmyra, Va., native is now working on a Graduate Certificate in Business Management Foundations.
Hackenberg's character shines in his leadership role as a 2020-21 team captain, as voted by his teammates. He continues to work hard to grow team culture and strive towards a common goal of championship behavior on and off the field of play.
Hackenberg has been an important part of the State College and Penn State community in his time here so far. He always makes sure to take the time postgame to sign autographs and interact with fans because he knows he is a role model and that these fans are also a contributing part of the team's success. He also volunteers to read to local kindergarten students at one of the elementary schools in town with some of his teammates.
Hackenberg has contributed many valuable minutes on the pitch for the Nittany Lions. The defender has played in 51 career games and has helped pitch 14 shutouts as a member of the backline. In the 2019 season he was named a First Team All-Big Ten member and earned United Soccer Coaches third team All-North Region honors. He helped return the Nittany Lions to the national spotlight with their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in five seasons as well as a national ranking. Prior to the start of the 2020-21 season, Hackenberg was drafted in the first round of the 2021 MLS SuperDraft as the 22nd overall pick to Orlando City SC.
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.
The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists in April, 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 candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four C's of community, classroom, character, and competition.
The Senior Class Award winners will be announced during the 2021 NCAA Men's College Cup® championships in May.
Hackenberg and the Nittany Lions host their final regular season game at Jeffrey Field on Saturday when the Wisconsin Badgers come to town for a 2 p.m. kick.
