Drey Mingo named Senior CLASS Award candidate

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Purdue senior forward Drey Mingo has been named one of just 30 women's candidates from over 330 NCAA Division I institutions for the 2012-13 Senior CLASS Award, the committee announced on Wednesday.

Mingo, a three-time team captain, is in her fourth year at Purdue after transferring from Maryland where she played as a freshman and sophomore. The Atlanta, Ga., native has yet to compete a full season for the Boilermakers, having faced her share of adversity and was recently honored as the recipient of the Giant Steps Courageous Student-Athlete Award by National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS) at the 2012 Giant Steps Awards Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction ceremony in Orlando, Fla.

As a junior, two days after recording a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds to help the Boilermakers defeat DePaul for the 2010 Preseason WNIT championship, Mingo was hospitalized in critical condition with acute bacterial meningitis. The life-threatening illness caused her to spend five days in the intensive care unit of a Lafayette, Ind., hospital and left her with partial but permanent hearing loss. Mingo missed just four games however, and finished the season averaging 12.0 points, a team-high 5.8 rebounds, while setting a Purdue record for season three-point field goal percentage by hitting 27-of-56 threes for 48.2 percent.

Mingo then missed the 2011-12 season after tearing her ACL on Oct. 29 in a closed scrimmage at Indiana State but remained upbeat and positive throughout the diagnosis and rehabilitation after surgery. She was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA and having fully recovered from her ACL injury, is set for an outstanding senior year.

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. 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 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, selecting the winner who will be announced during the NCAA Women’s Final Four® in New Orleans, April 7 and 9.