Senior CLASS Release | Carlos Ruiz Bio

LOWELL, Mass. -- Senior midfielder Carlos Ruiz (East Boston, Mass.) of the UMass Lowell men's soccer team was selected as one of 30 male candidates for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award, as announced by the organization on Friday afternoon. 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.

"To be recognized alongside such successful student-athletes across the country is an outstanding achievement for Carlos," remarked Head Coach Christian Figueroa. "His dedication on and off the field has taught Carlos many lessons during his time at UMass Lowell, and he has always shared the knowledge he has gained through those experiences with family, friends and teammates alike. I could not be happier to see such an unselfish young man receive this recognition, as he has done everything that has ever been asked of him during his years at UMass Lowell. I have no doubt that Carlos will continue to serve his community as he has for many years now because that is the type of person he is."

Last May, Ruiz graduated with a 3.5 GPA in business manangement and marketing, and is now enrolled in the MBA program with an expected graduation date of summer 2017. On the field this season, Ruiz has notched two goals and tied his career high with three assists to rank third and second on the squad, respectively. In his River Hawk career, he has recorded 44 starts in 49 appearances with six goals and seven helpers for 19 points, setting career highs in 2014 with three goals and three assists.

The East Boston, Mass. native has been very active in his community between helping his mother with her family-run daycare and choosing to volunteer at St. Patrick's Elementary through his internship at Loomis and Sayles.

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. 

Ruiz was one of three America East athletes to be named to the list, and they will await to see the release of the 10 finalists midway through the regular season. The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2016 NCAA Men's and Women's College Cup championships in December.