(FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.) - The USA South Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has announced that Covenant College and Mary Baldwin College have been chosen as the winners of the 2015 USA South Sportsmanship Trophy. Covenant and Mary Baldwin will share the Sportsmanship Trophy after each picking up the Sportsmanship Award in three sports during the 2014-2015 academic year. This is the second consecutive Sportsmanship Trophy for the Scots and the fifth all-time for the Fighting Squirrels. Covenant was chosen as individual Sportsmanship Award winners in the sports of men's soccer, baseball and softball while Mary Baldwin were winners in the sports of volleyball, women's soccer and women's basketball.

There is a Sportsmanship Award for the 11 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.

Along with Mary Baldwin and Covenant, Methodist University was the only other institution to collect multiple Sportsmanship Awards as the Monarchs grabbed two team accolades. Single Sportsmanship Award winners this year included Huntingdon College, Maryville College and William Peace 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.

2014-15 Sportsmanship Award Winners
Football - Maryville College
Volleyball - Mary Baldwin College
Men's Soccer - Covenant College
Women's Soccer - Mary Baldwin College
Men's Basketball - William Peace University
Women's Basketball - Mary Baldwin College
Baseball - Covenant College
Softball - Covenant College
Men's Tennis - Methodist University
Women's Tennis - Methodist University
Women's Lacrosse - Huntingdon College

Past Sportsmanship Trophy Recipients
2014-15 - Covenant College and Mary Baldwin College
2013-14 - Covenant College
2012-13 - Mary Baldwin College
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

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