The Great Lakes Valley Conference announced today that six teams from four schools have been named recipients of the GLVC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Sportsmanship Award for the 2014-15 winter season. The six winning squads represent William Jewell College men's and women's swimming and diving, Missouri S&T men's and women's indoor track and field, Rockhurst University men's basketball and McKendree University women's basketball, and were selected by their peers as best displaying 'Good Sportsmanship' during the 2014-15 winter season.
The SAAC Sportsmanship Award is determined by a vote of the GLVC member institutions' campus SAACs. The committees select their top three choices in each sport based on their view of sportsmanship. Each team that received a first-place vote received three points, second place received two points and third place received one point. The GLVC sponsors the award in each of the league's 20 championship sports, including six in the winter season.
William Jewell continued its sportsmanship ways into the winter season with both the men's and women's swimming and diving teams earning the recognition after the women's volleyball team earned the distinction in the fall. The men's team won the inaugural award in 2013-14 and now has two in a row, while the women took it for the first time this season. This is the fifth and sixth time a Cardinal team in any sport has won since Jewell began competing in the GLVC in 2012.
Men's and women's indoor track & field also saw a sweep this winter, as Missouri S&T men's and women's teams landed the honor. This is the second indoor sweep for the Miners, as they were both recognized during the 2008-09 winter season. However, this is a back-to-back track & field sweep as the S&T outdoor teams were named winners last spring. Additionally, the women's indoor team was co-winners with UW-Parkside in 2007-08.
Rockhurst was named the GLVC SAAC Sportsmanship Award winner in men's basketball, its fourth in eight years, having thrice won from 2007-10. Only three other Hawks' teams have earned the laurel.
This is the second time the McKendree women's basketball team has been recognized, becoming the first McK program to be honored when it shared top gamesmanship with Illinois Springfield in 2012-13. In fact, the only other Bearcats' team to earn this trophy since joining the league in 2012 is last year's men's basketball team.
A team trophy will be presented to each of the squads claiming the GLVC Sportsmanship Award. An overall 'Good Sportsmanship' award will be presented to the institution with the most points during the 2014-15 academic year. Former GLVC member Northern Kentucky claimed the inaugural award in 2007-08, the UW-Parkside earned it in 2008-09, Bellarmine claimed back-to-back titles in 2009-10 and 2010-11, Southern Indiana won the crown in 2011-12, Drury captured its first overall award in 2012-13 and Lewis claimed its first overall trophy last year.
2014-15 GLVC WINTER SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD WINNERS
Men's Swimming & Diving
William Jewell
Women's Indoor Track & Field
Missouri S&T
Women's Swimming & Diving
William Jewell
Men's Basketball
Rockhurst
Men's Indoor Track & Field
Missouri S&T
Women's Basketball
McKendree
