(FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.) - The USA South Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has announced that Mary Baldwin College has been chosen as the winner of the 2012 USA South Sportsmanship Trophy. Mary Baldwin won the Sportsmanship Trophy after picking up the Sportsmanship Award in three sports during the 2011-2012 academic year. This is the third Sportsmanship Trophy for the Fighting Squirrels who were chosen as individual Sportsmanship Award winners in the sports of softball, volleyball and women's basketball.

There is a Sportsmanship Award for 11 of the 14 Conference-sponsored sports. For each sport, all team members vote for the team they deem to have demonstrated the best overall sportsmanship throughout the season. The team garnering the most votes receives that sport's Sportsmanship Award. The school that wins the most individual sport awards wins the overall USA South Sportsmanship Trophy. The award came about through SAAC's commitment to maintaining a sportsmanlike environment on each of our campuses.

William Peace University was the only other school to win multiple (two) Sportsmanship Awards during the past academic year. Single Sportsmanship Award winners last year were Averett University, Christopher Newport University, Ferrum College, Methodist University, N.C. Wesleyan College and Shenandoah University.

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.

2011-12 Team Sportsmanship Award Winners
Baseball - Methodist University
Softball - Mary Baldwin College
Men's Tennis - Shenandoah University
Women's Tennis - William Peace University
Women's Lacrosse - N.C. Wesleyan College
Men's Basketball - Averett University
Women's Basketball - Mary Baldwin College
Football - Christopher Newport University
Volleyball - Mary Baldwin College
Men's Soccer - Ferrum College
Women's Soccer - William Peace University

Past Sportsmanship Trophy Recipients
2011-12 - Mary Baldwin College
2010-11 - Ferrum College
2009-10 - Mary Baldwin College
2008-09 - Mary Baldwin College
2007-08 - Christopher Newport University
2006-07 - Averett University
2005-06 - Averett University
2004-05 - N.C. Wesleyan College