PITTSBURGH, PA - April 8-12 marks NCAA Division III Week, and the AMCC is kicking off its celebration of the Division III student-athlete experience by spotlighting sportsmanship. The AMCC takes great pride in being a national leader in demonstrating high levels of sporting conduct by players, coaches and fans. In addition to the widely emulated "Be Loud, Be Proud, Be Positive" initiative, the conference's All-Sportsmanship Team is an important component of our efforts to show respect in all aspects of competition.
Student-athletes from every school that sponsors a team in any one of 15 AMCC championship sports has the opportunity to select the teammate that they feel exemplifies high ideals of sportsmanship. It is the only conference award selected by the students. That individual is recognized not only for his or her comportment in the heat of the contest, but in representing his or her institution while cheering on classmates as well. Click here for the complete list of all-sportsmanship team honorees.
The AMCC will continue to mark Division III Week each day. The calendar includes:
Tuesday - Team Peak Performer Awards, recognizing the team in each championship sport with the highest GPA. The Team Peak Performer Awards honor the team in each conference championship sport with the highest collective grade point average. Fall sports are honored at the conclusion of the fall 2012 semester, while winter and spring sport winners will be recognized at the conclusion of the spring 2013 semester. The Hilbert College women's soccer team and the Franciscan University women's volleyball team ranked at the head of the class for the second year in a row, while new awardees included D'Youville College women's tennis, Franciscan University men's soccer, and Hilbert College men's golf and men's and women's cross country. click (HERE) to see the complete list.
Wednesday - Community Service, honoring the many contributions of our student-athletes and coaches
STUDENT-ATHLETES AND COACHES TEAM UP TO DELIVER COMMUNITY SERVICE
Being a Division III student-athlete in the AMCC means more than shuttling between the classroom and game field. They have also managed to find nearly 5,000 collective hours to lend helping hands in support of numerous local and national charities and organizations.
Mount Aloysius student-athletes have some fun while taking a break at their "Red Card Cancer" soccer event to raise funds for cancer research..
Over the past eight months, the community service efforts of more than 1,800 student-athletes and staff members at AMCC institutions have made a difference in the lives of several thousand individuals. Time was spent at food pantries, assisting disabled children and senior citizens in recreational activities, collecting shoes for redistribution in poverty stricken countries, and assisting at Special Olympics competitions, among many other events.
In addition to the hours devoted to making a difference in the lives of others with hands-on assistance, nearly $15,000 was raised for causes such as the breast cancer research and finding cures for childhoold cancer; Hurricane Sandy relief; the Salvation Army's Operation Bundle Up; and the the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In all, AMCC student-athletes, coaches and administrators participated in 165 activities or events from September through April.
Click here to read the stories of the many ways in which members of the AMCC have participated in community service in 2012-13.
Thursday - Academic All-Conference Team and Overall Peak Performer, celebrating the AMCC member institution with the highest percentage of student-athletes on the Academic All-Conference Team
Day Four of Division III Week again features academic achievement by AMCC student-athletes. In the spotlight today are the individuals who comprise the Academic All-Conference Team as well as those selected for induction into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National Collegiate Student-Athlete Honor Society.
To be named to the Academic All-Conference Team, a student must compete on an AMCC championship sport team and earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher as of the conclusion of the fall 2012 semester. Chi Alpha Sigma honorees must earn a 3.4 GPA or higher and demonstrate high moral character.
Also recognized today is the winner of the Institutional Peak Performer Award. This honor goes to the AMCC member which places the highest percentage of student-athletes on the Academic All-Conference Team. This year's academic champion is Franciscan University, with an outstanding 64.8% of Baron competitors recording a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher in the classroom.
Click here for the complete Academic All-Conference Team for 2013.
Friday - Presidents Cup, highlighting the race for the most successful athletic program based on overall conference competition.
At the end of two sport championship seasons, Penn St. Behrend holds an insurmountable lead in the AMCC Presidents Cup standings heading into the spring season, as the conference celebrates athletic achievement on the fifth and final day of NCAA Division III Week.
The Lions, winners of the trophy 11 of the 12 years it has been awarded, have amassed 91 points based on regular season finish in team sports and championship competition in individual sports, winning seven of 12 league titles (women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's golf, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's basketball). Medaille College is in the number two spot with 67 points and three AMCC championships to their credit (men's soccer, men's and women's volleyball), followed by La Roche College with 53 points and a pair of titles (women's basketball, women's tennis).
Click here for the complete Presidents Cup standings.
Mission Statement: The AMCC is an alliance of NCAA Division III institutions whose mission is to provide our students with an intercollegiate athletics program that advances their educational experience in a way that is safe, equitable, respectful, rewarding and balanced.
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