RIPON, Wis. – Chris Paterakos of Lake Forest College and Jacqueline Vautin of Grinnell College have been named the 2011 Midwest Conference Male and Female Sportsmanship Award winners, respectively, as announced by the league office.
Selected by the Midwest Conference Awards and Recognition Committee, the MWC Sportsmanship Awards honor the top female and male during the past academic year for consistently demonstrating good sportsmanship and ethical behavior throughout their intercollegiate participation during the season while also demonstrating good citizenship outside of the sports setting.
Paterakos, a senior men’s tennis player from Wilmette, Ill., was selected based on his sportsmanlike behavior to coaches, officials and opponents according to Head Coach Jason Box.
"During his four years playing for Lake Forest, Chris was the ultimate sportsman on and off the court,” stated Box. “He received praise from opposing coaches and players as well as parents who saw his upstanding behavior.”
Paterakos frequently demonstrated his sportsmanship on the court by making line calls even if it meant that the call would award a point to his competitor. He would always shake hands following the match, no matter the outcome, and felt each match was a chance for him to make another friend.
“In a sport where attitudes and outbursts get much of the attention, it was the respect for the game that earned Chris a new fan each and every time he stepped out on the court" said Box.
Vautin, a junior cross country and track athlete from Redmond, Wash., displays superior sportsmanship qualities according to Head Coach Evelyn Freeman.
“Jacqui consistently puts others before herself and is always on the lookout for those she feels need some help or support, or even just a quick smile,” stated Freeman. “She has demonstrated this through her contributions on numerous committees, athletic and academic support of her fellow student/athletes and her assistance to the coaching staff.
Along with her athletic accomplishments Vautin was an Academic All-Conference winner in both cross country and track while participating in numerous extracurricular activities. She is a mentor for the Grinnell Athletes with Perspective (GAP), a volunteer tutor and the team SAAC representative. She takes on many activities in an effort to help others any way she can.
“Jacqui is sensitive to the needs of others and truly a positive influence on the Grinnell College community,” added Freeman.
The pair will advance on as the conference’s nominations for the 2011 NCAA Division III Sportsmanship Award. The NCAA Committee will select one male and female student-athlete from each division as finalists and then one male and one female from those six finalists as the NCAA Sportsmanship Award winners.
“We are delighted when we can recognize student-athletes for their positives attributes and contributions in their athletic endeavors,” stated Chris Graham, MWC Commissioner. “Mr. Paterakos and Ms. Vautin highlight two of many student-athletes in the conference who exhibit good sportsmanship and positive behaviors each year and I congratulate them for the fine examples they set.”
The Midwest Conference proudly supports the annual Division III Commissioners Association Sportsmanship Program. Through seasonal tracking of conduct fouls in many sports to promotion of the “Be Loud, Be Proud, Be Positive” statement at all conference events, the MWC places special emphasis on competitive but collegial playing environments for thousands of student-athletes each year.