MAAC Announces Nominees for NCAA Sportsmanship Awards
MAAC Sports
Edison, NJ ? Siena College’s Nick Messinger and Fairfield University’s Kristen Coleman have been nominated for the 2008 NCAA Sportsmanship Awards, the MAAC announced today.
The award honors student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. The NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct will select one male and one female student-athlete from each of the three divisions (six total) and then one male and one female from those six finalists as the NCAA Sportsmanship Award winners.
Messinger, a junior outfielder on the Saints’ baseball team, was an All-MAAC Second Team selection and posted a 3.2 grade point average during the 2007-08 academic year as a sociology major. His sportsmanship is on display on a daily basis as he exhibits great respect for his teammates, coaching staff, and competition. Additionally, Messinger has fostered a relationship with recent Siena alumnus Michael Potter, who is wheelchair bound with Cerebral Palsy. He makes sure that Michael has a way to attend each game, and that a place is set aside for him next to the Siena dugout. Prior to many at bats, Messinger talks with Michael and lets him know how much it means to him that he is at the game, often finishing his conversation with the phrase “I love you” as he heads up to the plate. The relationship extends off the field, as Messinger regularly visits Potter in his Ballston Spa home. Messinger, who earned the distinction of Eagle Scout for the Boy Scouts of America in 2003, has also volunteered many hours through his local church, serving on the Christian Life Community Youth Group and as a Eucharistic Minister assistant.
Coleman, a freshman midfielder on the Stags’ women’s lacrosse team, was an All-MAAC First Team selection and the MAAC Rookie of the Year and Co-Offensive Player of the Year. She is a selfless and gracious person both on and off the field. Coleman served as a host at the annual Fairfield University Girl Scout Day. She was responsible for a group of girl scouts throughout the event, walking them from activity to activity and eating lunch with them at the student cafeteria. Coleman developed an excellent rapport with the group of young ladies and gave them an experience that they will treasure for years to come.