On Jan. 31, the Athletes for a Better World(ABW) announced that UTSA quarterback Eric Soza is one of five finalistsnominated for the prestigious John Wooden Cup Award.

“When the athletic department told me aboutit, I was in shock, then I felt awed, and now I just feel dumbfounded to bementioned along with the some of the great names who’ve won the award in thepast,” said Soza.

The Wooden Cup is awarded annually to acollegiate student-athlete and a professional athlete who affect the lives ofothers in a positive way.This year’s professional recipient will beJack Nicklaus, arguably the greatest professional golfer to ever play the game.Nicklaus will receive the award based on his contributions to the sport ofgolf.

The four other collegiate finalists joiningSoza are Arizona’s Brigetta Barrett (women’s track and field), Arkansas’Nathanael Franks (men’s track and field), North Carolina’s Meghan Lyons (fieldhockey), and Purdue’s Andrea Mingo (women’s basketball).

Soza has started 20 games for the Roadrunnersin the schools two-year history, winning 12 of those games; he’s the presidentof the student-athlete advisory committee, he’s an active participant in UTSA’smany community service programs and he has a 3.95 grade point average.

The award will be announced on Apr. 23, in Atlanta, Ga.