Ragnow named senior CLASS award candidate

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Arkansas center Frank Ragnow was selected to a list of 30 candidates for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award, it was announced on Thursday.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision 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.

In the classroom, Ragnow maintains a 3.31 GPA. He needs just three credit hours to graduate and will earn his undergraduate degree in recreation and sport management in December.

He was selected to the SEC Academic Honor Roll last year and was named to the league’s 2014-15 First Year Academic Honor Roll as a freshman.

Highlights of Ragnow’s community involvement:

• Made visits to elementary schools in Northwest Arkansas throughout the Spring 2017 and Fall 2017 semesters.

• Participated in the Book Hogs — Read to Win Kickoff at Root Elementary School in Fayetteville, Arkansas, an initiative that encourages students at the elementary school level to enjoy reading, has been one of the Razorbacks’ most successful programs over the years.

• Participated in Razorback Relief: Operation Baton Rouge, which benefited those impacted by floods in Louisiana in August 2016.

• Helped host Special Olympics Arkansas at football practices this past spring.

• Volunteered with Hogs for Hope, a registered student organization at the University of Arkansas whose goal is to fundraise and support the Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

• Volunteered with and made regular visits over the last three years to the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter, a private, non-profit organization that provides 24-hour emergency residential care to children who are victims of family violence, neglect and physical and sexual abuse.

The nation’s top-graded center by Pro Football Focus a year ago, Ragnow is off to a great start again in 2017. He boasts the top grade at 93.6 overall through five weeks.

The anchor of the Razorbacks’ offensive line, he has helped pave the way for Arkansas to produce 400 or more yards of total offense in three of its four games in 2017. The Hogs’ are also one of 20 FBS teams, including two from the SEC, to average both 200 yards rushing and passing per game this season.

To determine the final Senior CLASS Award winner, the 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 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, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.

Along with the winner, the 10 finalists will be awarded Senior CLASS Award first- or second-team honors.

The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the football bowl season in early January. For more information on the candidates, visit seniorCLASSaward.com.