Alum Alex Ivanov earns 2014 Senior CLASS Award
Alex Ivanov, st
The award, chosen by a vote of Division I men's soccer coaches, national soccer media and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I men's soccer. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence—classroom, community, character and competition.
"Being selected as the winner of the 2014 Senior CLASS Award for men's soccer is the perfect way to end my career as a Buckeye and begin the next chapter in my life," Ivanov said. "I'm excited for the opportunity to play professionally or to begin working as an engineer. I can't express enough gratitude to my teammates and coaches for supporting me in my journey as a student-athlete at Ohio State."
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete in 10 NCAA sports and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
While serving as team co-captain, Ivanov has been equally productive in the classroom and in the local community. The Strongsville, Ohio native earned a bachelor's degree in electrical and computer engineering last spring with a 3.70 cumulative GPA. He also has been involved in multiple outreach programs for youth, including a lead role with a non-profit organization aimed at improving the quality of life for children battling brain tumors.
If an opportunity to play professional soccer in the MLS doesn't materialize, Ivanov plans to work at ArcelorMittal in Cleveland, Ohio.
“I have worked there the past two summers as an intern and really enjoyed it,” he said.
Ivanov was inspired to major in electrical and computer engineering because of his passion for learning how things work and the importance of electricity to our daily lives. He credits his supportive and enthusiastic professors with helping him succeed in such a challenging curriculum.
“I embraced the challenge it was to be a division I college soccer player and engineering student and my professors were very supportive and accommodating to my needs. Their enthusiasm for engineering made the classes enjoyable even when they became challenging,” Ivanov said. “Every little bit of support helped and I am incredibly blessed to be a part of the Buckeye community.”
During his senior season, Ivanov led the Big Ten Conference in saves for the second consecutive year with 91 stops and vaulted the Buckeyes back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. He finished third on Ohio State's all-time career saves list with 239 stops and fifth in career shutouts with 15.
"We couldn't be more proud of Alex," said OSU men's soccer head coach, John Bluem. "As a walk-on, no one has worked harder on and off the field like what he has done the last five years and Alex deserves to receive this prestigious award…He is the definition of what it means to be a Buckeye and this is a great recognition for him. The future is bright for Alex Ivanov."
Ivanov is the second Ohio State student-athlete to be honored as a Senior CLASS Award winner. James Laurinaitis was voted as the football award winner in 2008.
