INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) announced Wednesday that Southwest Baptist University has been named the recipient of the GLVC James R. Spalding Overall Sportsmanship Award for the 2020-21 season. In addition, 30 student-athletes, one male and one female per school, have been named James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners, while 24 teams – one per sport, plus two ties – were previously recognized after learning of their honor during their respective All-Conference process. The two Cardinals selected were volleyball senior
Maddie Wingert and baseball redshirt junior
Anthony Hansen.
Each institution – through the head coach – names one award honoree in each sport sponsored. These individual sport honorees became candidates for the individual James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award. Each institution then selects one male and one female student-athlete from its season-long list of honorees to be named as James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Individual Award winners. Wingert earns her second consecutive honor and is the third overall for Jewell volleyball. Meanwhile, Hansen is also the third baseball player selected, joining Robbie Colburn (2018) and Billy Kirkpatrick (2016).
Furthermore, during the initial nomination process, each institution's coach ranks the top-three teams within the sport that best displayed good sportsmanship throughout the season. The team with the highest point total is then named that sport's James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Team Award winner. At the conclusion of the academic year, the institution that accumulated the highest point total across all sports is named the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Overall Award winner. Jewell volleyball earned their third team honor in the last five years after tying with Southwest Baptist.
The GLVC renamed its annual sportsmanship award in 2016 after Spalding, who is referenced as one of the league's two "Founding Fathers" and for his longtime service at Bellarmine. Spalding was first a basketball student-athlete at Bellarmine, who later returned to serve his alma mater as assistant basketball coach (1957-66), head basketball coach (1966-71), men's cross country/track coach (1961-75), men's tennis coach (1961-62), and men's golf coach (1967-69), before being elevated to director of athletics (1971-94). During his tenure as AD, Spalding expanded Bellarmine's participation in intercollegiate sports from four to 16 teams and played a prominent role in both the formation of the GLVC and the sponsorship expansion of women's athletics within the league. Long revered as one of the league's pioneers, Spalding was inducted as a charter member of the GLVC Hall of Fame in 2001. He died in 2012 at the age of 79, following a lengthy illness.
2020-21 GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM AWARD WINNERS
| Men's Cross Country: Illinois Springfield |
Women's Cross Country: Southwest Baptist |
| Football: Truman State |
Volleyball: Southwest Baptist & William Jewell |
| Men's Soccer: Missouri-St. Louis |
Women's Soccer: Missouri S&T |
| Men's Swimming: Missouri S&T |
Women's Swimming: Lindenwood |
| Men's Basketball: McKendree & Southwest Baptist |
Women's Basketball: Southwest Baptist |
| Women's Bowling: McKendree |
Wrestling: Davenport |
| Men's Lacrosse: Quincy |
Women's Lacrosse: Quincy |
| Men's Golf: Missouri S&T |
Women's Golf: Maryville |
| Men's Tennis: Quincy |
Women's Tennis: Southern Indiana |
| Baseball: Truman State |
Softball: Quincy |
| Men's Outdoor Track & Field: Indianapolis |
Women's Outdoor Track & Field: Southwest Baptist |
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2020-21 GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS
| School |
Male Winner |
Female Winner |
| Drury |
Conley Garrison, Basketball |
Serena Berrey, Golf |
| Illinois Springfield |
Tyler Pasley, Cross Country |
Natalie Cokel, Softball |
| Indianapolis |
Brian Sales, Outdoor Track & Field |
Pilar Echeverria, Golf |
| Lewis |
Keith Parkman II, Lacrosse |
Jamie Hansen, Soccer |
| Lindenwood |
Hector Horcajada, Men's Tennis |
Kat Finnerty, Volleyball |
| Maryville |
Bailey Kelly, Wrestling |
Hannah Tolley, Softball |
| McKendree |
Jaimie Omalla, Outdoor Track & Field |
Rebecca Hagerman, Bowling |
| Missouri S&T |
Braden Mahurin, Baseball |
Cameryn Boucher, Soccer |
| Missouri-St. Louis |
Juan Antonio Padilla, Golf |
Jessica Mrzlak, Softball |
| Quincy |
Jacob Kalusniak, Baseball |
Alaina Rothermich, Volleyball |
| Rockhurst |
Jake Bastien, Lacrosse |
McKenna Leetch, Soccer |
| Southern Indiana |
Josef Winkler, Soccer |
Callie Gubera, Volleyball |
| Southwest Baptist |
Asa Carter, Outdoor Track & Field |
Regan Tibbits, Basketball |
| Truman |
Carson Lackey, Outdoor Track & Field |
Hannah Pinkston, Basketball |
| William Jewell |
Anthony Hansen, Baseball |
Maddie Wingert, Volleyball |
