DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University seniors Lauren Blazing and Deemer Class recently were selected as the Blue Devils' ACC Senior Scholar Athletes of the Year for their excellence on the field and in the classroom. The honors are just the latest in a long list for the duo.
Blazing, who hails from Durham, guided the Duke field hockey team to the NCAA semifinals for the second time in the last three seasons this past fall. She is set to graduate from Duke in May with degrees in cultural anthropology and political science.
Earlier this spring, Blazing was named an NFHCA Scholar of Distinction for the fourth consecutive season, in addition to being recognized on the 2015 ZAG Field Hockey/NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad. At the conference level, she was selected the ACC Field Hockey Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second-straight season and was honored with an ACC postgraduate scholarship. Blazing's numerous academic laurels also include receiving the Elite 90 Award at the 2015 NCAA Field Hockey Championship Banquet, four All-ACC Academic Team selections and a pair of CoSIDA Academic All-America first team accolades.
On the field, Blazing led all ACC goalkeepers in save percentage (.786) for the season while collecting first team All-America, All-South Region and All-ACC honors. She compiled a 49-29 record in four seasons as the Blue Devils' starting goalkeeper and became just the seventh player in program history to earn All-America accolades on three or more occasions. Blazing rounded out her career ranked third all-time at Duke in saves (385) and goals against average (1.46) and was eighth in save percentage (.767). She has also represented the program on the international level as a member of the U.S. women's national team.
Class, a midfielder for the men's lacrosse team, will depart Duke as one of the best midfielders to ever wear a Blue Devil jersey. The Baltimore native will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in sociology.
A two-time All-American and one of just 11 Blue Devils to earn All-ACC honors three times in his career, Class sits atop the Duke goals list this season with a Duke midfielder record 44. Overall this season, Class has eight hat tricks and three five-plus point games, including a seven-goal performance in Duke's overtime win over Syracuse. He currently leads all midfielders in goals per game, is fourth in points, and is eighth among all active players in career goals with 128.
Class, a part of one of the most dynamic midfield duos in NCAA history, is one of 23 midfielders in Division I lacrosse history to score 40 goals in a season. He currently has 128 career goals to rank first among midfielders at Duke and 11th among all Blue Devils. He needs just one more tally to move into the top 10 on the career goals list. In his 76 career games, Class has 128 goals and 64 assists for 192 points to rank second among all midfielders in program history and 13th overall. His 192 points rank sixth among midfielders in Division I lacrosse history.
Off the field, Class has been an exemplary student-athlete. He is a three-time All-ACC Academic Team and ACC Honor Roll selection and volunteers with teammates at the Ronald McDonald House in preparing meals for families. Recently, the Blue Devils were honored for amassing the second most yards – 1,782,000 – in the Yards for Yeardley program in memory of University of Virginia women's lacrosse player Yeardley Love.
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