For more information, contact:
The St. Louis Sports Commission
314-992-0687
dbray@stlouissports.org

AWARD RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED FOR
2006 NATIONAL SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS

EVENT TAKES PLACE JUNE 10 IN THE CHASE PARK PLAZA’S KHORASSAN BALLROOM

ST. LOUIS – May 30, 2006 – The 2006 National Sportsmanship Awards feature amazing stories of integrity, selflessness, courage, and of course, sportsmanship. The St. Louis Sports Commission has joined the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance (CTSA) to produce the event and celebrate America’s “best sports” Saturday, June 10 in the Chase Park Plaza’s Khorassan Ballroom.

Remember Jason McElwain, the 17-year-old student manager with autism who appeared on network news after scoring 20 points in a varsity basketball game? Jim Johnson, McElwain’s coach, and Joshua Harter, coach of the opposing team, will be honored. Another award recipient is Phil Barr, a swimmer at Bates College, who made an incredible comeback after surviving the Station Night Club fire in West Warwick, R.I. More than 100 people died in that blaze, but after a year of rehabilitation, Barr returned to the pool for his senior season and succeeded. Many more of the incredible stories featured at the Awards Dinner appear below.

The National Sportsmanship Awards honor outstanding athletes and administrators who promote the values of sportsmanship, ethical play in athletic competition, citizenship and community service. Each year, the CTSA presents the awards to honorees from each of its member organizations: Major League Baseball, the NCAA, NAIA, NBA, WNBA, National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The CTSA is the largest coalition of professional and amateur athletics organizations in the United States focused on sportsmanship and building character through sport.

This year’s featured honoree is Joey Cheek, speedskating gold and silver medalist at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. Cheek will join sportscaster Bob Costas for a live keynote interview on stage during the event. In addition, baseball hall of famer Lou Brock, St. Louis Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce and St. Louis native Hollis Thomas of the New Orleans Saints will receive special awards.

In all, 18 individuals will be recognized in St. Louis. The Awards Dinner is open to the public. To purchase tickets, call 314-992-0686 or visit www.stlsports.org/NSA.

2006 National Sportsmanship Awards recipients:

• Joey Cheek , 2006 Olympic Speedskating Gold & Silver Medalist (Featured Honoree)
• Lou Brock , St. Louis Cardinals (Cardinals Award)
• Isaac Bruce , St. Louis Rams (Rams Award)
• Hollis Thomas , New Orleans Saints (Hometown Hero Award)
• Phil Barr , Bates College (NCAA)
• Teresa Clark , Cedarville University (NAIA)
• Lauren Clary , Xavier University (NCAA)
• Brandon Cole , John Brown University (NAIA)
• Jim Johnson, Greece Athena (N.Y.) High School &
  Joshua Harter, Spencerport (N.Y.) High School (NFHS)
• Pat Hewitt , Harstville (S.C.) High School (NASPE)
• Grant Hill , Orlando Magic (NBA)
• Patrick Lepper , John Wood Community College (NJCAA)
• Taj McWilliams-Franklin , Connecticut Sun (WNBA)
• John Smoltz , Atlanta Braves (MLB)
• Texas A&M University / Director of Athletics Bill Byrne (NACDA)
• Adam Van Houten , Mount Gilead (Ohio) High School (NFHS)
• Lea Plarski (CTSA Lifetime Achievement Award)

Joey Cheek exemplifies what the National Sportsmanship Awards are all about – selflessness, integrity and sportsmanship. After winning gold and silver medals at the 2006 Torino Winter Games, Cheek made the remarkable gesture of donating the $40,000 he was awarded by the United States Olympic Committee to Right To Play, an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization that uses sport to help young people in disadvantaged areas of the world.

Lou Brock , baseball hall of famer and former St. Louis Cardinal, is regarded as one of baseball’s finest players and an ambassador for the sport. Brock and his wife, the Reverend Jacqueline A. Brock, are involved in many Christian charities and civic activities in the St. Louis area, including the Lou Brock Scholarship Foundation. During his 19-season major league career, Brock stole 938 bases, batted .300 or better eight times and was selected to the all-star team six times. Brock was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985 and named one of Major League Baseball’s top 100 players of the century.

Isaac Bruce epitomizes greatness both on and off the field. Between the lines, the wide receiver is a future NFL Hall of Famer, gaining more than 12,000 receiving yards and scoring 77 touchdowns during his 12 seasons with the St. Louis Rams. Off the field, Bruce is one of the classiest and most giving athletes in St. Louis. He makes a difference in peoples’ lives through his work with local schools and by donating his time to charitable causes.

Hollis Thomas , a St. Louis native and defensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints, has impacted the lives of many St. Louis children. Thomas has been a significant contributor to programs and events that help at-risk young people in the area through his foundation. Each June, Thomas hosts a youth football and cheerleading mini-camp. Professional athletes and cheerleaders attend the camp in support of his cause, lending not just their name, but also their time to teach youngsters the fundamentals of football and cheerleading.

Phil Barr, a swimmer at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, made an incredible comeback from a life-altering event. In February 2003, he was attending a concert at The Station Night Club in West Warwick, R.I., when pyrotechnics exploded and the club burst into flames. More than 100 people died in the blaze that made national news. Barr was left with injures so severe that he was placed in a drug-induced coma for three weeks following the fire. After more than a year of rehabilitation, he defied the odds and returned to the pool for his senior season. Since the fire, Barr has done what he can to make the future brighter for other survivors of the tragedy. He, along with several other survivors and volunteers, organized the Station Family Fund. The group has raised nearly $750,000 for survivors and families of the deceased.

Teresa Clark , retired volleyball coach from Cedarville University in Ohio, is not only known for her success on the volleyball court – but for the character, values, and integrity she instilled in the student-athletes she coached. A key component of Clark’s teaching methods was the “honor call.” If an official misses a touch by one of the Cedarville University volleyball players, the player will make the “honor call” and tell the official that she touched the ball, regardless of the ramifications for the match. She never had a losing season as a coach and her .691 career winning percentage is the best in the 42-year history of the school’s volleyball program.

Lauren Clary spent her entire four-year career as the No. 1 singles tennis player at Xavier University and won more than 80 percent of her matches. But she is also a leader off the court and in the community, helping out with numerous causes at Xavier as well as in her hometown of Terre Haute, Ind. Clary finished her career as the winningest female tennis player in Xavier history, recording a 115-25 singles mark and a 103-27 doubles record. She is currently enrolled in the Clinical Psychology Doctoral program at Saint Louis University.

Brandon Cole is one of the most prolific basketball players in NAIA history. Cole, the 2006 NAIA Player of the Year, holds the record for most three-point field goals made in the history of college basketball (527) and eclipsed all NAIA and NCAA records by making a three-point field goal in 120 consecutive games. In 2004-05, he led John Brown University to the NAIA Division I Championship and was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Off the court, he works with area children during little league basketball camps and has participated in several NAIA Champions of Character assemblies and presentations.

Joshua Harter and Jim Johnson were the two coaches behind the story that made national headlines and warmed hearts around the country. Jason McElwain, a 17-year-old senior student manager with autism who had never played in a varsity basketball game, scored 20 points in the final four minutes of Greece Athena High School’s victory over Spencerport High. The images of Jason sinking shot after shot were broadcast on network news across the nation and featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter. But there were two teams on the court that night – and Greece Athena and Spencerport showed everyone what is important about sports and the meaning of sportsmanship. The story began one month before the game and featured the team’s coaches – Johnson of Greece Athena and Harter of Spencerport. Johnson called Harter to ask about allowing Jason to suit up and play during the school’s senior night. Harter agreed and shared the news with his players, who were more than receptive to the idea. Harter asked his team to “respect Jason and his moment” – and the team did just that.

Pat Hewitt is one of the top high school basketball coaches in South Carolina history. At the same time, her physical education program at Hartsville High School has been recognized as one of the best in the nation. The recipient of numerous teaching and coaching awards, Hewitt was named NASPE’s Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2001 and Converse National High School Basketball Coach of the Year in 1994. Since 1980, the Lady Red Foxes have been one of the top girls’ programs in South Carolina – winning three state championships and finishing as runners-up twice.

Grant Hill is the recipient of the 2005 NBA Sportsmanship Award for his remarkable efforts on and off the court. He fought back from three injury-plagued seasons to play in 47 games for the Orlando Magic – averaging 19.7 points while playing more than 30 minutes per game. Off the court, Hill and his wife, Tamia, donate many dollars and hours to charities, schools, scholarships, nonprofit organizations and churches through the Tamia & Grant Hill Foundation.

Patrick Lepper, captain of the men’s basketball team at John Wood Community College, is the recipient of the NJCAA’s Lea Plarski Award recognizing sportsmanship, leadership, community service, academic excellence and athletic ability. Lepper has taken part in numerous volunteer and leadership activities. He also volunteers as a basketball coach and official for the Catholic Youth Organization. Last season, he was a first-team all-region and all-conference selection for the Trail Blazers.

Taj McWilliams-Franklin, a forward for the Connecticut Sun,received the 2005 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award presented by Secret. McWilliams-Franklin has been active in the Connecticut community, especially through her involvement with the WNBA’s Read to Achieve program. The Sun has advanced to the WNBA Finals the past two seasons thanks in large part to the play of the five-time WNBA all-star.

John Smoltz, pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, was the 2005 recipient of the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award. Smoltz and his wife, Dyan, have been very active in the Atlanta community for many years. The couple contributes countless hours, funds, and resources to charitable organizations and programs that have a positive impact on children and families. Smoltz is one of the Braves all-time best pitchers. He ranks in the top 10 of several of the club’s all-time pitching lists, including saves (1 st), games pitched (3 rd), strikeouts (2 nd) and wins (6 th). He is one of only two players in major league history to collect at least 150 wins and 150 saves.

Under the leadership of Director of Athletics Bill Byrne, Texas A&M University opened its doors to help displaced student-athletes from Tulane University in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Texas A&M hosted more than 80 student-athletes from six Tulane sports teams along with their administrators and members of their strength and training staffs. In late November, the Aggies and Green Wave played a basketball game at Reed Arena on the Texas A&M campus – with Tulane as the home team – and all proceeds were given to the Tulane athletic department.

Adam Van Houten made an impressive display of honesty, integrity and sportsmanship at the 2005 Ohio State High School Athletic Association Division II state golf tournament. A sophomore at Mount Gilead High School, Van Houten completed the 36-hole tournament with a score of 144 – good enough to win the state title by six strokes. But after signing his scorecard, he noticed he was credited with a five, instead of a six, on the 10 th hole. No one else noticed the error, but Van Houten knew, and he pointed out the mistake to a tournament official. Per rules of the game, he was disqualified, and another golfer was crowned state champion. The Ohio State High School Athletic Association was so moved by his integrity and courage that they rewarded him with a ceremonial medal at a state tournament in March.

Lea Plarski is being presented with the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award. The National Junior College Athletic Association names its annual award after Plarski, former athletic director at St. Louis Community College – Florissant Valley. Since 1995, the Lea Plarski Award has been presented to an NJCAA student-athlete who exemplifies sportsmanship, leadership, community service, academic excellence and athletic ability.

Full biographies on all of the award recipients are available at www.stlsports.org/NSA.