THE FLATS – Georgia Tech women’s basketball senior guard Lotta-Maj Lahtinen was named one of 30 candidates for the 2021-22 Senior CLASS Award announced Tuesday by the organization.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The 30 candidates will be narrowed down to 10 finalists in February. A national voting initiative comprised of media, coaches and fans will then select the one male winner and one female winner for the prestigious award.
The 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference Most Improved Player, Lahtinen led the Yellow Jackets offensively last season, averaging 15.0 points per game. To conclude the conference season, Lahtinen was tabbed all-ACC first team by the media and all-ACC second team by the league’s head coaches. A team captain, Lahtinen helped Georgia Tech reach the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for only the second time in program history and was tabbed WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America honorable mention to cap the season.
In addition to excelling on the court, Lahtinen has dedicated time to giving back to the community. In 2019, Lahtinen joined fellow Georgia Tech student-athletes and staff members on a service trip to Puerto Rico with Jackets Without Borders to help a local community rebuild after Hurricane Maria. The group of Yellow Jackets helped repair a roof for a local family and assisted other families in the community. Lahtinen has also joined her teammates in helping build a home for a local Atlanta family with Habitat for Humanity and is active in the women’s basketball reading program, Buzzer Readers, participating in school visits and book readings to young children.
She also represents women’s basketball on the Student-Athlete Advisory Board (SAAB) and serves on the mental health and diversity, equity and inclusion committees. In the classroom, Lahtinen has been twice-named to the all-ACC Women’s Basketball Academic Team (2020 and 2021), while also placing on the ACC Academic Honor Roll three consecutive years (2019-21). A business administration major, Lahtinen most recently was tabbed 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-District.