Boggs Wins 2010 Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup

TAMPA (January, 10, 2010) – Former University of South Florida men’s soccer standout Zak Boggs has been named the recipient of the 2010 Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup Award. The award was presented Tuesday night by the Athletes for a Better World (ABW) at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga.

The Wooden Cup is given to a collegiate and a professional athlete who have made the greatest positive influence in the lives of others. Boggs was joined at the awards banquet by: Colt McCoy (University of Texas, football), Brianna O'Donnell (University of North Carolina, field hockey), Rebecca Poskin (Dartmouth College, soccer) and Melissa Schnellberg (Harvard University, softball).

“Tonight was just an amazing night,” said Boggs. “Just being mentioned with the other finalists was a tremendous honor, and to be the recipient of such a prestigious award from a great organization like Athletes for a Better World is very humbling. I just have to thank my head coach George Kiefer, our coaching staff and players, (Assistant Director of Athletics) Justin Miller and everyone in academics, and people in the athletics department and across campus that helped me realize my dreams. I am truly honored.”

“Going to tonight’s awards ceremony was one of the more touching experiences of my coaching career,” said USF head coach George Kiefer. “To see the presentations on all the finalists, and to see what they have done not just on the field, but more importantly off the field for other people, was wonderful. And to have Zak be the recipient of this award, I just can’t express how happy I am that he had the opportunity to be recognized like this.”

Boggs, the lone BIG EAST Conference representative on the finalist list, has proven to be the epitome of the term student athlete. A senior forward from Vienna, W.Va., Boggs finished his undergraduate career at USF early with a degree in Biomedical Sciences in May of 2009, boasting a perfect 4.0 grade point average (GPA) while earning 136 credit hours. He is currently working on his graduate degree in Economics and Marketing.

Boggs has also been recruited to USF's MBA program as the first exception to a standard two-year work experience requirement. With a career grade GPA of 4.0, Boggs became the first USF soccer player to be awarded the prestigious BIG EAST Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the year since 2005, doing so at the end of the 2008-09 academic year. Additionally, he was named to ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American Team and All-District Team. Boggs was named to the Lowes Senior CLASS Award All-Senior All America First Team.

Boggs excels not only in the classroom but off the field as well. Highly active in several community service activities during his free time, Boggs regularly volunteers his time to assist at programs such as the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota Bay, as well as the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute and the Shriners Hospital for Children, both located at USF. In addition to his rigorous schedule, Boggs also finds time to serve as an academic tutor to his fellow student-athletes at the University of South Florida.

In addition to his high level of competitiveness in the classroom and in soccer, Boggs also takes part in numerous extracurricular activities to challenge that competitive spirit. He is a member of the National Eagle Scout Association, a second degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, the West Virginia State Marble Shooter Champion, a member of the USA Jump Rope Association, and a member of Jump Company USA World Class Jump Rope team. Boggs travels around to several elementary schools where he informs kids about the benefits of jump roping.

On the field of competition, Boggs has helped guide the Bulls onto the national soccer stage. Throughout his entire collegiate soccer career Boggs scored 18 goals and recorded eight assists for a total of 46 points. He also helped USF win its first BIG EAST Championship in 2008.

Boggs, was selected to the 2009 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Men's Division I All-Northeast Region First Team. In addition, he was tabbed an All-BIG EAST Conference third team selection.

Boggs started in all 44 games for the Bulls the past two seasons and was second on the team in scoring during the 2008 season with 15 points.

This past season, Boggs finished the year sixth on the team in scoring with nine points (4-1). The Bulls finished the 2009 campaign with a 14-4-3 (6-3-2 BIG EAST) and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to national runner-up Akron.

For his efforts, Boggs was recently selected in the second round of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft by the New England Revolution.

With Peyton Manning, John Smoltz, John Lynch, Andrea Yaeger and Cal Ripken, Jr. as previous recipients, the Wooden Cup is becoming one of the most prestigious awards in all of sports. Recipients are considered role models and athletes of excellence both on and off the field.

Founded by ABW, a non-profit organization committed to changing the culture of American sports, the Wooden Cup is unique in that it is open to athletes in all collegiate and professional sports.

The Wooden Cup is named in honor of John Wooden, one of the most successful coaches in collegiate history. Wooden's legacy as a person of integrity, high moral character, compassion, and civic-mindedness continues to make him one of the most admired coaches in the history of sport.

Recipients of the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup are chosen by a committee chaired by Vincent Dooley, former University of Georgia athletic director, and other distinguished individuals involved in athletics across the country.