Sami Williams Named Senior CLASS Award Finalist

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Iowa State shortstop Sami Williams was named one of 10 finalists for the 2021 Senior CLASS Award on Friday. Williams, who will play the final home series of her career this weekend vs. Baylor, has had unmatched success both in the classroom and on the field during her time as a Cyclone.

Cyclone fans can aid in Williams' chances to win the prestigious award by voting for her here through March 24.

The native of Laguna Niguel, Calif., is just the fifth softball student-athlete in Big 12 history to be a three-time (2018-20) CoSIDA Academic All-American, and is the first Cyclone ever to do so. She was one of just three softball student-athletes in the entire country to earn her third career CoSIDA Academic All-America nod in 2020, when she was named to the first team. She is also a three-time Academic All-Big 12 recipient and has been a member of the Dean's List in all eight terms that she has been at Iowa State. The native of Laguna Niguel, Calif., has also been named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll all four years at Iowa State. In 2019, Williams was honored by the Big 12 Conference as the league's Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, becoming just the second player in program history to earn the award.

On the field, Williams is the owner of 12 Iowa State single-season and career records. She is ISU's all-time leader in hits (311), runs (195), doubles (77), home runs (62), RBI (172), at-bats (793) and games played (240).

To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be classified as NCAA Division I seniors and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition. The complete list of finalists follows this release.

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 athletic platforms to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The finalists were chosen by a selection committee from the list of 30 candidates announced earlier this season. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner, and fans are encouraged to submit votes online at the Senior CLASS Award website through May 24. Fan votes will be combined with those of the media and Division I head coaches to determine the winner.

The Senior CLASS Award recipient for softball will be announced prior to the 2021 NCAA Women's College World Series^® in June.

For more information on each of the finalists, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.