West Central Reporter

The Ohio Valley Conference has announced that the Western Illinois University (WIU) Softball team has won the 2024-2025 Team Sportsmanship Award for the softball season. This marks a significant achievement as it is the first time a Western Illinois team has received an OVC sportsmanship award since joining the conference two years ago.

The award is determined through votes by student-athletes and coaches within their respective sports. It recognizes teams that exemplify high standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior, as defined by both the OVC and NCAA. The evaluation criteria include the conduct of student-athletes, coaches, staff, administrators, and fans.

Beth DeBauche, OVC Commissioner, emphasized the importance of sportsmanship in her statement: "Without sportsmanship there are truly no meaningful victories. The recipients of the OVC Team Sportsmanship awards should accept this award with great pride for their fellow competitors have made it clear their teams exemplify the best in intercollegiate athletics. In receiving this prestigious honor other competitors are saying these student-athletes compete with class, respect their opponents and value fair play. That is quite a compliment as those are all traits that will lead to true victories throughout the course of life."

This accolade is particularly noteworthy for WIU's softball program as they secure this recognition early in their tenure with the OVC. The team honors were introduced in August 2005 as part of an initiative to celebrate sportsmanship across the conference.

For further updates on Leatherneck Softball, interested parties can visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow them on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.