Fayetteville, N.C. - During the 2004-2005 academic year the USA South Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee instituted a Conference-wide Sportsmanship Award. Today, the USA South is pleased to announce the Sportsmanship Award winners for the 2012 spring sports season. Methodist University captured the team sportsmanship award in baseball while Mary Baldwin College was named the softball team sportsmanship award winner for the fourth consecutive year. Shenandoah University collected the sportsmanship award for men's tennis while William Peace University earned the award for women's tennis for the fourth straight season. Finally, N.C. Wesleyan captured the sportsmanship award for women's lacrosse.

There are Sportsmanship Awards for 11 of the 14 Conference-sponsored sports. For every sport, each team member votes for the teams he/she deems to have demonstrated the best overall sportsmanship throughout the season. The team garnering the most votes receives that sports' Sportsmanship Award. The award was developed as a result of the SAAC's commitment to maintaining a sportsmanlike environment on each of our campuses.

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee hopes that by awarding a Sportsmanship Award, the members of the USA South will understand the importance of this issue. It is vital that good sportsmanship be demonstrated in the arena of competition.

Spring Sportsmanship Award Winners
Baseball - Methodist University
Softball - Mary Baldwin College
Men's Tennis - Shenandoah University
Women's Tennis - William Peace University
Women's Lacrosse - N.C. Wesleyan College