BASEBALL TEAM WINS WVIAC SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

PRINCETON, WV - Conference head coaches and game officials have selected the 2011 spring sports WVIAC Sportsmanship Champions.  The third annual awards were captured by Davis & Elkins (baseball), West Liberty (men's tennis), and West Virginia Wesleyan (softball).

The Davis & Elkins baseball team has now won the award for two consecutive years and Coach Ronnie Palmer is very proud of his team stating, "Winning the WVIAC Sportsmanship award is an honor that our college and baseball program, and particularly our players, can be extremely proud of.  Our players strive for excellence in all facets of our baseball program and good sportsmanship is certainly a big part of how we want to accomplish this excellence.  We would like to thank the WVIAC Conference office, coaches and game administrators who thought highly enough of us to recongize us with this honor."

The award was conceived in 2008 by the league's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.  The ground-breaking program has also received honors from the NCAA Division II Presidents' Council.

Each winning school will be awarded with a traveling "WVIAC Sportsmanship Champion" banner to display for one year.  Pitt Johnstown's men's and women's soccer squads, Shepherd's national semifinalist football team, Davis & Elkins' women's tennis squad, and Concord's volleyball team earned the league's fall sportsmanship honors.

"Game environment and sportsmanship are defining issues for Division II," said WVIAC commissioner Barry Blizzard.  "We're proud to be part of this initiative by honoring teams that conduct themselves the right way.  Thanks also to our head coaches and contest officials that support the award by participating in the voting process."

The 15-team West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference was founded in 1924 and offers championships in 16 sports.