GREENVILLE, S.C. – Conference Carolinas has unveiled its 2025-26 fall Team Messick Sportsmanship Award winners.
Belmont Abbey College won four awards, taking both the men’s and women’s cross country Messick awards as well as women’s soccer and women’s volleyball. Erskine College claimed the men’s soccer award and Ferrum College earned the Messick award in football.
In addition to the individual sport winners, the league office also released the current Messick standings which are used as part of the calculation in awarding the Body, Mind & Soul Dr. Alan Patterson Cup at the annual spring meetings. Belmont Abbey leads the overall and women’s Messick standings while Erskine leads the men’s standings. North Greenville University, Erskine, Ferrum College and Young Harris College follow the Crusaders in the overall standings. The men’s and women’s top five are listed below.
The Conference Carolinas Directors of Athletics implemented the process by which the Conference Carolinas Messick Sportsmanship Awards are determined. A student-athlete and coach from each institution vote separately upon the sportsmanship of all conference competitors. Each institution then submits those votes to the conference office where the averages are then calculated to decide the winner for each conference-sponsored sport.
The Team Messick Sportsmanship Awards are named after John D. Messick, who was the President of former conference member East Carolina from 1947-59. Messick truly championed sportsmanship and even wrote a book entitled, "Personality and Character Development."
2025-26 Conference Carolinas Fall Team Messick Award Winners
Men's Cross Country: Belmont Abbey
Women's Cross Country: Belmont Abbey
Football: Ferrum
Men's Soccer: Erskine
Women's Soccer: Belmont Abbey
Women's Volleyball: Belmont Abbey
Overall Messick Standings (current top five)
- Belmont Abbey
- North Greenville
- Erskine
- Ferrum
- Young Harris
Women's Messick Standings (current top five)
- Belmont Abbey
- North Greenville
- Francis Marion
- Converse
- King
Men's Messick Standings (current top five)
- Erskine
- Ferrum
- Shorter
- Young Harris
- Belmont Abbey