St. John's University Athletics
STJ's God'sgift Achiuwa Named A Candidate For National Senior CLASS Award
10/31/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 31, 2012
QUEENS, N.Y. - Red Storm senior and St. John's University President's Society Member God'sgift Achiuwa was recognized as one of 30 national candidates for the 2012-13 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate basketball. 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.
"Gift has demonstrated an outstanding work ethic in and out of the classroom, and his exemplary leadership abilities have set him apart from his peers as a member of the St. John's University President's Society," said Red Storm head coach Steve Lavin.
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 candidate classes will be narrowed to 10 men's and 10 women's finalists midway through the regular season, and those 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 men's finalist and one women's finalist who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. For more information and a list of all men's and women's candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
Achiuwa was named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team in 2011-12, which honors student-athletes who achieved a minimum 3.0 GPA during the academic year. At St. John's he has been on the College of Professional Studies Dean's List (Fall 2011, Spring 2012), the Athletic Director's Honor Roll (Silver Medallion: Fall 2011, Spring 2012), the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society, (Spring 2012), which honors college athletes for outstanding academic achievements (3.4 minimum GPA), exemplary character, and commitment to serving the community. Achiuwa served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) from Fall 2011 to Spring 2012.
Achiuwa is acurrent member of the prestigious St. John's University President's Society (2011-12). Founded in 1968, The President's Society is the highest honor society at St. John's University. It consists of students who combine scholarship, integrity and maturity with leadership skills demonstrated by their significant contribution to the extracurricular life of the University. Members of the Society are considered part of the President's official staff and are designated special duties at University functions. They are often paired with prominent alumni, world leaders and well-known humanitarians.
The Red Storm basketball team and Achiuwa are active members of the St. John's University and greater New York City community. The squad is involved in extensive charity, fundraising and public appearance events throughout the year. Achiuwa led more than 400 fans and the Red Storm men's and women's basketball teams in raising $21,000 at St. John's "Dribble For The Cure" event last September, which returned this past Sept. 22 where Achiuwa helped the Red Storm raise more than $25,000 for pediatric cancer research in the New York City area. Achiuwa and the St. John's men's basketball players work with University Campus Ministry in outreach efforts that include the St. Nicholas of Tolentine shelter, Habitat for Humanity, the St. John's Bread and Life Soup Kitchen and other charitable organizations.
Achiuwa made 32 appearances in his rookie season, drawing 18 starts. He averaged 29.9 minutes per game to rank fifth among all Red Storm players. His 9.4 points per game scoring average was fourth on the team. Achiuwa led St. John's with a .534 field goal percentage and was second on the squad in rebounding at 5.8 caroms per contest. Almost half of his 186 total rebounds came on the offensive end of the floor.
Achiuwa was born in Port Harcourt, River States, Nigeria, the third of six children of Eunice and Donatus Achiuwa, a minister. Gift has an older sister, Grace, and a younger sister, Peace, in addition to an older brother, Promise, and two younger brothers, God'swill and Precious. Achiuwa is majoring in administrative studies.
Achiuwa and the St. John's men open their exhibition season on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN3. The contest vs. NCAA Division II squad Sonoma State will pit Lavin against one of his own former coaches in Seawolves' bench boss Pat Fuscaldo. Fuscaldo was a graduate assistant coach at San Francisco State when Lavin was a basketball student-athlete for the Gators during 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons.
About The Senior CLASS Award
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring. Premier Sports Management manages the award.
