INDIANAPOLIS – Maryville University wrestler Matthew Baker and Quincy volleyball standout Lyndsay Kooi have been named the recipients of the 2012 Great Lakes Valley Conference Male and Female Sportsmanship Awards, it was announced by the conference office Wednesday. Baker and Kooi are just the second recipients to receive this honor and will also be the GLVC nominees for the 2012 NCAA Student-Athlete Sportsmanship Awards.
The GLVC Sportsmanship Award is presented to one male and one female student-athlete who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior.
Nominees for the GLVC Sportsmanship Awards are presented to the conference office by each institution’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Baker, a junior from Prairie Village, Kan., was honored by his peers despite competing in a sport that is not officially sponsored by the GLVC. He compiled a 34-8 record at 197 pounds this past year, falling at the NCAA Championships in a round where a win would have garnered him All-America honors. In that particular match, Baker trailed early in the first period by four points, but kept his composure throughout the remainder of the contest. Even with the loss, Baker showed good sportsmanship following the match by congratulating his opponent, one who had just earned the All-America honor that Baker had desired.
Baker did earn All-America accolades in 2011 and has spent his college career leading by example, according to the Saints’ coaching staff. He has been lauded for his dignity and the demeanor in which he carries himself.
Kooi, a junior from Minooka, Ill., served as the co-captain of the Quincy volleyball squad this past season. She was also an active participant in campus activities, finding time to volunteer at Quincy intramural activities and community service events.
Kooi has long demonstrated the meaning of good sportsmanship, but one example this past fall was highlighted following a loss at the annual GLVC-GLIAC Crossover event. At Kooi’s urging, Quincy remained behind to cheer on fellow conference member Missouri S&T. After the Lady Miners’ thrilling win, Kooi led her teammates to the court to congratulate S&T. It didn’t matter to Kooi that just a few weeks earlier Quincy lost a heartbreaking match to the Lady Miners.
The NCAA Student-Athlete Sportsmanship Awards honors student-athletes who, through their actions in the competitive arena of intercollegiate athletics, have demonstrated one or more of the ideals of sportsmanship, including fairness, civility, honesty, unselfishness, respect and responsibility. Selections are made will be made this August by the NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct.