Senior midfielder becomes first player in program history to garner honor

Click here to vote for Fubara

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (Oct. 16, 2013) – Emerging from a pool of some of the nation’s most outstanding student-athletes, ETSU senior midfielder Itode Fubara (Ogbema, Nigeria) has been selected as one of ten finalists for the Senior CLASS Award. Fubara becomes the first player in program history to reach the final stage of voting for the award, one of the most prestigious awards in college athletics.

An acronym for “Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®,” the Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of NCAA Division I senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character, and competition. Learn more about the award here.

Growing up in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, as one of twelve children, Fubara dreamt of attaining a collegiate scholarship while playing soccer. Since arriving at ETSU in 2010, Fubara has made the most of his opportunity in Johnson City, excelling both on and off the field.

Aside from helping lead the Buccaneers to three consecutive seasons with 10 or more victories, including four wins over Top 25 opponents, Fubara has been an active member of the Johnson City community. The Ogbema, Nigeria, native has volunteered extensively with several local schools and youth organizations, including Town Acres Elementary School, the Hispanic-American Student Community Alliance, and ‘Sports 4 All.’

Fubara, the 2010 Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year, is the only ETSU player to ever eclipse the 6,000 minutes-played mark. The senior midfielder has twice been named to the All-Atlantic Sun First Team and ranks second in program history for career assists (12) and fourth for career goals (8).

Having earned conference All-Academic honors each of his first three seasons at ETSU, Fubara has helped the Bucs win consecutive NSCAA Team Academic Awards in 2011 and 2012.

MEN’S SOCCER FINALISTS – Click here to view the official release.

FAN VOTING – Fans can vote for Fubara once per day until Nov. 25 – CLICK HERE TO VOTE

• Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website through November 25. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches’ votes to determine the winner.
• The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2013 NCAA Men’s and Women’s College Cup championships in December.