March 19, 2008 
Contact: Mike Christie, Assistant Commissioner

USA South Announces Winter Sportsmanship Awards

(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 2007-2008 winter sports season. Averett University was chosen to receive the award for men's basketball while Meredith College earned the honor for women's basketball. This is the fourth consecutive sportsmanship honor for the Cougar men's program and the first for the Avenging Angel women's team.

There will be a Sportsmanship Award for 12 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 will receive that sports' Sportsmanship Award. The institution that wins the most individual sport Awards will win the overall USA South Sportsmanship Trophy. The Award was developed as a result of the SAAC's commitment to maintaining a sportsmanlike environment on each of our campuses. 

A voter stated she chose Meredith's women's basketball team "because they played aggressive but fair. Their use of appropriate language was also considerate."

One ballot stated that Averett's men's basketball team "had a positive attitude towards playing the game. They were courteous and stayed within the rules of the game at all times."

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. 

Winter Sportsmanship Award Winners
Women's Basketball - Meredith College
Men's Basketball - Averett University