![Track & Field Teams Both Win NEC Team Sportsmanship Award](/sports/mtrack/2023-24/2024-06-04171751585978211_44_19.782_Graphic.png)
Track & Field Teams Both Win NEC Team Sportsmanship Award
The squads were recognized with the 2024 NEC Outdoor Track & Field Team Sportsmanship Awards
The Central Connecticut State men's and women's outdoor track and field teams were selected as the 2024 Northeast Conference Team Sportsmanship Award winners for their respective sports. The conference office made the announcement Tuesday afternoon.
The recognition is the fourth for the women's outdoor track and field team and the third for the men's program. All told, Eric Blake coached Blue Devil squads have captured 15 NEC Team Sportsmanship Awards.
The men's outdoor track and field team captured the 2024 NEC Championship in dramatic fashion. The Blue Devils trailed by as many as 90 points on the final day of competition, before storming back to win the crown; the fifth in school history.
Instituted by league Presidents in 2008, the awards are designed to acknowledge the team in each conference sport that, in the opinion of its peers, most closely demonstrates good sportsmanship based on the NEC Principles of Sportsmanship and Standards of Conduct. Voting is conducted at the conclusion of each season by each team and head coach, who rank teams within the conference based on a set of criteria.
Since the NEC Team Sportsmanship program was instituted in 2008-09, Saint Francis U has won a conference-best 48 awards, followed by Sacred Heart (39), CCSU (35), Wagner (33) and LIU (30) to round out the top-five.
"As we honor the teams recognized by their peers for exemplifying the ideals of good sportsmanship, it stands as a testament to their unwavering commitment to fair play and integrity," said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. "This acknowledgment further emphasizes the dedication of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and Presidents in fostering a culture of respect and camaraderie within the competitive landscape of our conference."