MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The University of Mount Olive men's lacrosse team was named a recipient of the Messick Sportsmanship Award, as announced by the Conference Carolinas. Teams that are recognized have demonstrated the best sportsmanship in their respective sport, as voted upon by member coaches and student-athletes.
The sportsmanship awards are presented annually to the member institution judged to have exhibited the highest degree of sportsmanship and respect among its players, coaches, and fans during their regular playing season. The winning institution is recognized for its overall commitment to providing a quality playing environment for home and visiting fans, players, and staff members.
"Over the last few years, we have had outstanding leadership from our captains and upper-class student-athletes-- one constant message has been to always respect the game, your opponent, your teammates, and yourself. Receiving positive feedback from our peers by earning the Team Messick Sportsmanship Award is something that makes our coaching staff proud. As a team, we will continue to strive to do our best in respecting the game, our opponents, officials, teammates, and ourselves. Thanks goes to our graduating class of upper classman who did a great job in reminding our team to stay focused, stay positive and stay respectful." -says Head Coach Mike Murphy.
Conference Carolinas athletics directors implemented the process by which the Conference Carolinas MessickSportsmanship Awards are determined. A student-athlete and coach from each school vote separately upon the sportsmanship of all conference competitors. Each institution then submits those votes to the conference office, where averages are calculated to decide the winner for each conference-sponsored sport. The rankings of each school's conference-sponsored sports are then used to determine the institution which has displayed the best sportsmanship across all sports throughout the year, and that institution is named the winner of the Messick Sportsmanship Award.
The individual team sportsmanship awards are now in their eighth year, reflecting Conference Carolinas' commitment to exhibiting and recognizing sportsmanship throughout the conference. As an NCAA Division II member, Conference Carolinas prides itself on creating a positive game environment through sportsmanship to ensure a positive experience for student-athletes and fans alike.
The full conference release can be found here
