Cal Maritime Wins Prestigious Award
California Pacific Conference men's basketball tournament champion CSU Maritime Academy completed its 2012-2013 season at the 22nd Annual NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship in Point Lookout, Missouri last week. They not only impressed people with their skills on the court but also their sportsmanship on the court as well.
It is for this reason that the NAIA chose to give the 2013 Dr. James Naismith/Emil S. Liston Team Sportsmanship Award to the Keelhaulers for the 22nd Annual NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship. The award identifies the team that displayed the most sportsmanship during the course of the team's play at the national championship. The Keelhaulers are the first team from the California Pacific Conference to win the award. They also join Cascade Collegiate Conference members Oregon Institute of Technology (2004) and Southern Oregon University (2005) as the only champions of the award from the west coast. Last year's champion – Cardinal Stritch University – won the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship last night.
California Maritime Academy men's basketball coach Bryan Rooney commented on the award, "First of all, we would like to thank the NAIA, the College of the Ozarks, and the city of Branson for hosting a tremendous National Championship event. Our program is incredibly humbled and honored to receive the Dr. James Naismith/Liston Team Sportsmanship Award. We had a historic year in terms of our record and winning a second consecutive conference championship. However, what we are most proud of is the quality of men that represent the California Maritime Academy and our Athletic Department. These student-athletes take great pride in how they carry themselves on and off the floor and represent the very best of intercollegiate athletics. Receiving this award is a great testament to their commitment to play the game the right way."
As follows is a list of schools receiving the award since the award's creation in 2002:
2002 Holy Family University (Pa.)
2003 William Jewell College (Mo.)
2004 Oregon Institute of Technology
2005 Southern Oregon University
2006 Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio)
2007 Mayville State University (N.D.)
2008 Northwestern College (Iowa)
2009 Indiana Wesleyan University
2010 Oklahoma Wesleyan University
2011 College of the Ozarks (Mo.)
2012 Cardinal Stritch University (Wis.)
2013 CSU Maritime Academy