(Courtesy NCAA.org) The Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct (CSEC) announced that softball student-athlete Mallory Holtman of Central Washington University and the St. John Fisher College’s baseball team have been named the national 2008 NCAA Sportsmanship Award winners. 

Nominees for this award must exemplify positive sportsmanship characterizing the highest level of respect, caring, fairness, unselfishness, civility, honesty, integrity and responsibility during competition. Each conference may nominate one female and male candidate who has exemplified one or more of the criteria. 

Holtman gained national exposure when she and teammate Liz Wallace carried an opposing player around the bases after Western Oregon senior Sara Thcholsky suffered an injury during her home-run trot, leaving her unable to walk. Holtman, a business administration major, was team captain and coached youth softball in the community. 

The St. John Fisher College’s baseball team faced SUNY Oswego in a play-in game for the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament. The head coach from Oswego was struck in the side of the head by a line drive. The St. John Fisher’s team decided unanimously to concede the game to SUNY Oswego, allowing them to win and focus on the health of their coach. SUNY Oswego went on to win the ECAC tournament. 

The CSEC selects a male and a female winner from each of the three NCAA divisions. The candidate pool also includes nominees from independent institutions. From the divisional winners, one national male and female winner is chosen for the NCAA national award. 

Division I winners are Latasha Jarrett, a track and field student-athlete from University of Hartford and Peter French, a fencing student-athlete from the Air Force Academy. Additionally, the Lipscomb University men’s soccer team received special recognition from the committee. Division II winners are Holtman and Einar Often, a skiing student-athlete from University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Division III winners are Kristen Carter, a cross-country student-athlete from Grove City College and the St. John Fisher College’s baseball team. 

Visit the NCAA Sportsmanship page for more information on the NCAA Sportsmanship award. 

Visit the Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct page on NCAA.org.