(PRINCETON, W.Va.)---The winners for the inaugural spring West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's team sportmanship awards have been selected.  The award was proposed by the league's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) last summer and was selected by head coaches and game officials from each team sport.

West Virginia State (baseball) and Alderson-Broaddus (softball) claim the awards for the spring.  Each program will be awarded with a traveling "WVIAC Sportsmanship Champion" banner to display for one year.  Both teams paired sportsmanslike actions with success on the field.  West Virginia State claimed the WVIAC Southern Division title and finished with a 33-15 overall record.  A-B finished 19-9 in league play to finish third in the WVIAC softball regular season.

"This award dovetails with the NCAA Division II goal to improve game environment," said WVIAC commissioner Barry Blizzard.  "Our institutional presidents have committed to this effort and we are proud to recognize these winners.  Thanks also to our conference SAAC for taking the lead in launching a program to acknowledge team sportsmanship."  

The 16-team West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference was founded in 1924 and is tied for the largest all-sports membership in the NCAA's Division II.  For more information on the NCAA Division II Game Environment initiative, please click here.  The 2008-09 league sportsmanship award winners follow:

Baseball: West Virginia State

Football: Seton Hill

Men's Soccer: Pitt Johnstown

Women's Soccer: Charleston

Softball: Alderson-Broaddus

Volleyball: Wheeling Jesuit