Mount Ida's Meeker Named 2012 ECAC Scotty Whitelaw Sportsmanship Award Winner

CENTERVILLE, Mass. –Mount Ida senior soccer goal keeper Devan Meeker has been named recipient of the 2012 Eastern College Athletic Conference Scotty Whitelaw Sportsmanship Award.  Meeker will be feted at the 2012 ECAC Honors dinner held in conjunction with the 24th Annual ECAC Convention and Trade Show that will be held September 29-October 2 at the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa in Groton, Conn.  The Honors Dinner is slated for Sunday evening, September 30.

During a Great Northeast Athletic Conference women’s soccer game between Mount Ida College and Albertus Magnus College, Meeker, the Mount Ida goal keeper was involved in a collision with the Falcons’ best player.  It was an unfortunate, but perfectly clean play that resulted in a serious knee injury to the Albertus Magnus player.

After being helped to the team area, the injured player elected to remain on the bench and support her teammates before heading to the hospital.  At the conclusion of the game, unable to take part in the traditional post-game handshake line, the Falcon player remained on the bench.

After going through the handshake line, Meeker approached the Albertus Magnus bench and went to the injured player.  Meeker put her arm around the player, apologized for the injury, and wished her what she hoped would be a speedy recovery.

In a letter to Mount Ida College Director of Athletics Matt Burke, Albertus Magnus AD Mike Spinner wrote, “Your goalie displayed the kind of sportsmanship and camaraderie I wish we would see more often, especially during competition within the GNAC.  It was a small gesture on her part, but for me it was a big deal to witness it, and I was very proud of her and your department for such a classy act.”

Meeker, who is also an all-conference player in softball, was the 2012 Most Valuable Player of the Mustang softball team.  She captained both the softball and soccer teams her senior year when she earned the Mount Ida College Sportsmanship Award.

Whitelaw was the ECAC’s third commissioner who served the nation’s largest, and only multi-divisional, conference from 1972 through 1989.  During his 17-year term, Whitelaw guided the ECAC through one of the most significant events in its history as the Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (EAIAW) was consolidated into the ECAC.  AS a result, the ECAC doubled its number of championship and greatly increased its membership with the addition of women’s sports.

The Whitelaw Award exemplifies positive traits in intercollegiate sports.  It honors student-athletes for their virtues such as fairness, integrity, selflessness, respect, and a sense of fellowship with opponents.

Persons interested in attending the Honors Dinner should contact Roger Crosley, ECAC Director of Communications, at 508-771-5060, est. 230, or via email at rcrosley@ecac.org.

*Release Courtesy of ECAC Communications Dept.