Nolan Potts, ‘Doah Staff Writer
January 21, 2015

When you become a student-athlete, you automatically become a reflection upon your respective school, no matter if it’s in middle school, high school or college. You represent your school in everything you do, whether it’s in the classroom, out in the community or in your sport. A student-athlete’s conduct is something that only he or she is responsible for and sometimes even if a team or individual player isn’t playing well on a given day, setting a good example can make a huge impact. Some of the best leaders aren’t most skilled players on their own teams. Through their behavior, work ethic and the example they set for their teammates, they contribute just as much if not more than those players who might possess more talent but have a below average attitude.

  Seven Shenandoah University student-athletes were recently named to the ODAC All-Sportsmanship Team for the fall semester. There were seventy-five student-athletes selected overall throughout the entire conference. Representing Shenandoah on this team are seniors David Bell (football) and Sarah Wohld (field hockey), juniors Nicole Legare (cross country) and Kati Richardson (women’s soccer), sophomores Nate Long (men’s soccer) and Rachel Roberts (volleyball) and freshman Winston Davis (cross country).

  “The conference prides itself on positive sportsmanship and encouraging student-athletes to lead by example,” said ODAC Commissioner Brad Bankston according to the conference’s official website. “Each one of the honorees has been selected by the coaches in recognition of their conduct in the arena. My hat is off to these student-athletes – thanking them for the example they set for all of us.” The ODAC’s website states that “the ODAC has a rich tradition in promoting fair play and good sportsmanship in each sport across the league. The character of the conference’s student-athletes on and off the field is a representation of not only the individuals and teams but also the institutions they play for.”

  In addition to conducting themselves in a positive manner in their respective sport, many of the honorees from S.U. were also very productive players for their squads. Bell served as a co-captain for the football team as a junior in 2013 and had 16 receptions for 193 yards and one touchdown as a senior this fall for coach Scott Yoder’s team. Wohld served as a captain for the field hockey team, while Legare was captain of the women’s cross country team. Long served as a captain for the men’s soccer team, scored three goals and earned Scholar All-Regional honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Richardson netted three goals for coach Liz Pike’s team this fall, while Roberts registered 126 kills and 71 blocks for coach Jaime Terenzi’s squad. The seven honorees combined to have a grade point average of 3.31, and four of the seven earned Dean’s List honors by individually compiling a grade point average over 3.25 this past semester.

  People get caught up in the statistics far too often and judge a player’s value to their team strictly based upon numbers. These seven honorees from S.U. demonstrate leadership ability in their respective sports and make a positive impact on their squads in addition to being talented players and filling up the stat sheet. They all also set a good example that athletes across campus should strive to follow. Congratulations to these seven student-athletes who represent Shenandoah University in a first-class manner on and off the field of play.

’DOAH PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUHORNETS.COM