The Ohio Valley Conference Team Sportsmanship Award was given to the Tech Golden Eagle men’s and women’s cross country teams for the 2011-12 season after a vote by student athletes and coaches from their sport.
Presented annually since 2005, the award goes to the team that best exhibits sportsmanship and the standards of ethical behavior outlined by the OVC and NCAA.
“Without sportsmanship there are truly no meaningful victories,” OVC commissioner Beth DeBauche said. “The recipients of the OVC Team Sportsmanship award 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.”
This year marks the first time that Tech cross country has won the team sportsmanship award. Other Golden Eagle teams that have received the award in the past include baseball, men’s and women’s golf, soccer and women’s track and field.
“I am very happy we received the award,” Golden Eagle John Greene said. “I thought we had earned it through our respect for our competitors and I am glad we could bring this award to Tech.”
The Golden Eagle women’s team also received the same award.
“Sportsmanship is a very important thing to coach, the program, and to me,” Traci Jones, team captain, said. “I am very honored that the rest of the OVC felt we were a deserving team of this award. I am also very proud that the guys team received the honor too.”
The Golden Eagle cross country teams have finished the 2011-12 season and will return to running next fall.
