Houghton MLAX Recognized for Sportsmanship
The Houghton College men's lacrosse program has been named a recipient of the 2014 James "Ace" Adams Sportsmanship Award, as selected by the US Lacrosse Men's Collegiate Officials Committee.
The awards are presented annually to the college or university in each of the 11 officiating districts whose coaches, players, and fans exhibit the best sportsmanship throughout the season. Both college varsity (NCAA) and club (MCLA) programs are eligible for consideration, with the winners selected by voting among each districts' officials.
"At the outset of our season we established team goals. As the season progressed a top goal we never lost sight of was to present a Christian witness through our attitudes and actions toward opponents, officials, and fans," said Highlander Head Coach Joey Wilmot. "This award provides concrete evidence that despite the many challenges we faced, our commitment to conducting ourselves in a manner that honors our Creator was evident both on and off the field. I am so very proud of our players and coaches White and Patterson for earning this award."
The award exemplifies the tradition of sportsmanship in lacrosse displayed by Ace Adams, who amassed 284 collegiate victories during a coaching career that spanned across five decades and included stints at the United States Military Academy (Army), University of Pennsylvania and University of Virginia. At the time of his retirement in 1992, Adams had the most wins of any active NCAA Division I coach. He was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1975.
"The Adams Award demonstrates the commitment of all collegiate officials to identify and recognize good sportsmanship behavior," said Tom Sutton, men's game officials' committee chair. "Those coaches and teams who receive this award have demonstrated excellent sportsmanship on a consistent basis, and we want them to know that it does not go unnoticed and is very much appreciated."
Following is the full list of recipients of the 2014 James "Ace" Adams Sportsmanship Award:
District 1 - Amherst College – Head Coach Jon Thompson
District 2 - Houghton College - Head Coach Joey Wilmot
District 3 - SUNY Maritime College – Head Coach Daniel Lawrence
District 4 - Hampden-Sydney College – Head Coach Ray Rostan
District 5 - Saint Leo University – Head Coach Brad Jorgensen
District 6 - Aurora University – Head Coach Kylor Berkman
District 7 - Miami University – Head Coach Chuck Wilson
District 8 - Louisiana State University – Head Coach Jeff Echols
District 9 - Utah State University – Head Coach Jonathan Atwood
District 10 - University of California, Berkeley – Head Coach Dan Nourse
District 11 - Gonzaga University – Head Coach Lawrence Sullivan