For more information, contact:
The St. Louis Sports Commission
314-345-5121
bshulman@stlsports.org

ST. LOUIS SPORTS COMMISSION HOSTS 12TH ANNUAL NATIONAL SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS SATURDAY NIGHT

TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR UNIQUE, INSPIRING EVENT THAT CELEBRATES BEST SPORTSMANSHIP STORIES FROM PAST YEAR

            ST. LOUIS – April 25, 2011 – This weekend, St. Louis hosts an awards show like no other in the country.  The National Sportsmanship Awards – presented by Maryville University – takes place at 8 p.m. Saturday.  The event celebrates the best sportsmanship stories, moments and people of the past year.  Showcasing extraordinary examples of selflessness, civility, kindness and integrity, it is one of the most meaningful and inspiring nights in sports. 

This is the sixth year that the National Sportsmanship Awards is taking place in St. Louis.  For the first time, the awards program is being held in the 600-seat, state-of-the-art Edward Jones Auditorium at the company’s headquarters in Des Peres.  The event is produced annually by the St. Louis Sports Commission, which through its Sportsmanship Initiative creates positive environments for kids to play sports so they remain active and lead healthier, happier lives.  The National Sportsmanship Awards provides the Sports Commission a high-profile platform to help instill the values of sportsmanship on and off the playing field.

On Saturday night, athletes and coaches from around the country will be recognized for exemplifying class and character.  In all, 15 honorees will be recognized at this year’s National Sportsmanship Awards.  The award recipients include:

-Bryane Heaberlin:  Heaberlin was the goalkeeper for the United States U-17 women’s soccer team that played Haiti two months after the devastating Haitian earthquake.  At the end of the game in which the U.S. won 9-0, the Haitian goalkeeper fell to the ground in tears.  Heaberlin walked across the field to console, comfort and hug the opposing goalie.  The moment inspired Heaberlin to create her own foundation to help the Haitian national team recover from the tragedy.

-Manchester (Conn.) High School:  In a meet against a rival school, the Manchester wrestling team was trailing its opponent with four matches to go.  But the other team did not have any wrestlers available in the final weight classes and would have to forfeit.  Rather than win by forfeit, Manchester coach Lou LaGuardia instructed his remaining wrestlers to not go out on the mat for the final matches.  That resulted in double forfeits, allowing Manchester’s opponent to win the overall meet.

-John Huether:  Huether was coaching a high school junior varsity hockey game in Boston when referee Richard Sweeney fell on the ice and was knocked unconscious.  Huether, a registered nurse, tended to the coach in the stands while the game resumed.  After the game, Huether spent two hours at the hospital comforting Sweeney’s family until the referee was released.

- University at Albany Men’s Basketball Team:  In December, just as the Albany basketball team was preparing to fly to Cincinnati for a game at Xavier, a blizzard struck the Northeast.  Mark Lyons, one of Xavier’s leading scorers, was home in New York on winter break and stranded because most flights had been canceled.  The Albany team arranged to make the trip to Xavier by bus and, showing great class, included Lyons as part of its travel party.

- Grant Whybark:  A sophomore golfer at St. Francis University in Joliet, Ill., Whybark was in a playoff at his conference tournament.  The individual winner advanced to the NAIA national championship.  Whybark’s team had already won the team title, assuring him a spot at nationals.  So Whybark intentionally lost the playoff so his opponent, a senior from another school, could make the national championship.

- Rick Wallace and Tom Walter:  Wallace, a high school football coach in Texas, and Walter, the head coach of the Wake Forest University baseball team, both became kidney donors in the past year when players they coached needed a transplant.  Wallace and Walter selflessly put their careers aside to give the ultimate gift.

The complete lineup of award recipients and their stories can be found at www.stlsports.org/awards/winners.php.

Approximately 40 tickets remain available for the awards show.  Tickets are $50 and provide admission to the show and the First Bank Post-Awards Show Dessert Party immediately following the program.  For tickets or more information, call 314-345-5111 or visit www.stlsports.org/awards.

A special presentation of the National Sportsmanship Awards – presented by Maryville University – will air on KSDK-TV NewsChannel 5 in June.  The one-hour show will feature the most compelling honoree stories and highlights from the live awards presentation.  Air dates and times are 7 p.m. Thursday, June 16 and 11 a.m. Sunday, June 19.

The St. Louis Sports Commission is the privately funded nonprofit
organization that benefits St. Louis through sports.

Its mission is to make the St. Louis region a better place to live, visit, work and play through sports.

- www.stlsports.org -