BRENTWOOD, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Tech men's and women's cross country teams are the recipients of the 2011-12 Ohio Valley Conference Team Sportsmanship Awards in their respective sports.
Voted on by the student-athletes and coaches of each sports, the team awards are bestowed upon the Conference squads deemed to have best exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior as outlined by the OVC and NCAA. Included in the areas for evaluation are the conduct of student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators and fans.
"Without sportsmanship there are truly no meaningful victories,"
said Beth DeBauche, OVC Commissioner. "The recipients of the OVC
Team Sportsmanship awards should accept this award with great pride
for their fellow competitors have made it clear their teams
exemplify the best in intercollegiate athletics.
"In receiving this prestigious honor other competitors are
saying these student-athletes compete with class, respect their
opponents and value fair play. That is quite a compliment as those
are all traits that will lead to true victories throughout the
course of life," DeBauche added.
The 2011-12 school year marks the seventh year the team
sportsmanship honors have been awarded. This year's hone
marks the first award for either program. The Tennessee Tech
men's team finished seventh at the OVC Championship this year and
was led by junior John Greene who placed 20th overall.The Golden
Eagle women's team finished ninth
at the OVC Championship and was paced by sophomore Rebecca Cline
who was 42nd overall.
"We take a lot of pride in showing good sportsmanship," said
Golden Eagle head coach Tony Cox. "It's something we always try to
focus on. It is how you run the race, not just whether you win or
lose, and that's something our team talks a lot about. We're
excited and proud to have won the award."
Implemented in August 2005, the team honors are the most recent
addition to an awards program that recognizes and celebrates
sportsmanship within the Conference. In 1998, the league
established the Steve Hamilton Sportsmanship Award, presented
annually to a male or female student-athlete of junior or senior
status who best exemplifies the characteristics of the late
Morehead State student-athlete, coach and administrator. Five years
later, the Conference added the OVC Sportsmanship Award, presented
annually to the member institution selected by its peers to have
best exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior
as outlined by the OVC and NCAA.
In 1995, the Ohio Valley Conference implemented a
first-of-its-kind "Sportsmanship Statement," a policy promoting
principles of fair play, ethical conduct and respect for one's
opponent. The statement answered the challenge of the NCAA
Presidents Commission to improve sportsmanship in collegiate
athletics, and has become a model for others to follow across the
nation.