May 3, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Ohio Valley Conference announced Thursday Samford's men's and women's indoor track and field teams the recipients of the 2006-07 Team Sportsmanship Award for their respective sports.

Voted on by the student-athletes and coaches of the respective sports, the team awards are bestowed upon the Conference squads deemed to have best exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior as outlined by the OVC and NCAA. Included in the areas for evaluation are the conduct of student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators and fans. The 2006-07 school year marks the second year the team sportsmanship awards have been awarded, although this is the first year the men's and women's indoor awards have been separate from the outdoor track team awards.

"Sportsmanship is a core value of the Ohio Valley Conference," said OVC Commissioner Dr. Jon A. Steinbrecher, "and the team awards are a primary means of celebrating those student-athletes and coaches who perform with distinction. Anytime you are recognized by your peers, it is truly an honor. I congratulate Samford's men's and women's indoor track and field programs for their pursuit of excellence."

"We're pleased to be honored by our peers with this award," Samford Athletic Director Bob Roller said. "It speaks highly of our student-athletes and the way we represent Samford and the Ohio Valley Conference."

The Samford men's and women's indoor track teams each finished fifth at the OVC Indoor Championships held in February.

"The men and women that are members of the Samford University track team are extraordinarily special," Samford head coach Glenn McWaters said. "They are dedicated to their sport and desire to become the best they can become. They are also kind, sincere and giving. They give of their time, energy and material possessions. They are very involved in the community. It is a privilege for me to associate with such wonderful young people. They are going to become outstanding leaders of tomorrow."

Implemented in August 2005, the team honors are the most recent addition to an awards program that recognizes and celebrates sportsmanship within the Conference. In 1998, the league established the Steve Hamilton Sportsmanship Award, presented annually to a male or female student-athlete of junior or senior status who best exemplifies the characteristics of the late Morehead State student-athlete, coach and administrator. Five years later, the Conference added the OVC Sportsmanship Award, presented annually to the member institution selected by its peers to have best exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior as outlined by the OVC and NCAA.

In 1995, the Ohio Valley Conference implemented a first-of-its-kind "Sportsmanship Statement," a policy promoting principles of fair play, ethical conduct and respect for one's opponent. The statement answered the challenge of the NCAA Presidents Commission to improve sportsmanship in collegiate athletics, and has become a model for others to follow across the nation.