The USA South Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has announced that Covenant College and Mary Baldwin University have been chosen as the winners of the 2018 USA South Sportsmanship Trophy. Covenant earns its fifth consecutive Sportsmanship Trophy after picking up the Team Sportsmanship Award in three sports during the 2017-2018 academic year. The Scots were chosen as winners in volleyball, men's basketball and men's tennis.
As for Mary Baldwin, the Fighting Squirrels earn the program's sixth Sportsmanship Trophy and first since 2015. Mary Baldwin grabbed the individual sport awards for women's basketball, softball and women's tennis.
There is a Sportsmanship Award for the 12 Conference-sponsored team sports. Men's and women's cross country, along with men's golf, are not included due to a lack of a conference schedule in those particular sports. For each sport, all team members vote for the team he/she deemed to have demonstrated the best overall sportsmanship throughout the season. The team garnering the most votes receives that sports' Sportsmanship Award. The institution which wins the most individual sport awards is presented with the overall USA South Sportsmanship Trophy. The award came about through SAAC's commitment to maintaining a sportsmanlike environment on each of our campuses.
Covenant and Mary Baldwin were the lone institutions to capture multiple team sportsmanship awards. Averett University, Berea College, Ferrum College, Maryville College, Meredith College and William Peace University each grabbed single team honors.
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.
2017-18 Sportsmanship Award Winners
Football - Ferrum College
Men's Soccer - Maryville College
Women's Soccer - William Peace University
Volleyball - Covenant College
Men's Basketball - Covenant College
Women's Basketball - Mary Baldwin University
Baseball - Berea College
Softball - Mary Baldwin University
Men's Tennis - Covenant College
Women's Tennis - Mary Baldwin University
Men's Lacrosse - Averett University
Women's Lacrosse - Meredith College
Past Sportsmanship Trophy Recipients
2017-18 - Covenant College and Mary Baldwin University
2016-17 - Covenant College
2015-16 - Covenant College
2014-15 - Covenant College and Mary Baldwin University
2013-14 - Covenant College
2012-13 - Mary Baldwin University
2011-12 - Mary Baldwin University
2010-11 - Ferrum College
2009-10 - Mary Baldwin University
2008-09 - Mary Baldwin University
2007-08 - Christopher Newport University
2006-07 - Averett University
2005-06 - Averett University
2004-05 - N.C. Wesleyan College