OVERLAND PARK, Kan.  – Senior Kaila Charles of the Maryland women's basketball team is one of 30 candidates across the country for the women's basketball Senior CLASS Award.
 
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. 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.
 
Charles has started in all 120 games of her career. She has a chance to break Alyssa Thomas' record of 135 career games started. Charles is currently No. 9 on Maryland's all-time scoring list with 1,773 points and No. 10 in rebounds with 833 career boards. She is one of just six Terrapins to be in the top 10 in scoring and rebounds, joining Alyssa Thomas, Brionna Jones, Marissa Coleman, Vicky Bullett and Crystal Langhorne.
 
The Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, Charles is leading the 20^th-ranked Terrapins (13-4, 4-2 B1G) in scoring for the third straight season with 14.4 points per game. She is also leading the squad in rebounds with 7.9 per contest.
 
Charles earned unanimous All-Big Ten First Team honors last season and earned Associated Press Third Team All-America honors as well. At the start of this season, she was named one of just give Preseason AP All-Americans.
 
Charles is expected to graduate in May with her degree in Communications. She earned All-Big Ten Academic honors in the last two seasons.
 
Sixth candidates for the men's award were announced Friday as well. The men's and women's candidates will be narrowed to two fields of 10 finalists in February, 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 male candidate and one female 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 2020 NCAA Men's Final Four® and NCAA Women's Final Four® this spring. For more information on each of the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.