GREENVILLE, S.C. – Conference Carolinas has unveiled its 2025-26 Winter Team Messick Sportsmanship Award winners.
Belmont Abbey College won three Messick Sportsmanship Awards following the winter season including men’s and women’s indoor track & field and men’s wrestling. North Greenville University took home the award in men’s basketball with Ferrum College earning the award in women’s basketball. King University earned the award in men’s swimming & diving while UNC Pembroke earned the award in women’s swimming & diving.
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 men’s and women’s Messick standings. North Greenville University, Ferrum College, Erskine College and King University 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 Winter Team Messick Award Winners
Men’s Basketball: North Greenville
Women’s Basketball: Ferrum
Men’s Indoor Track & Field: Belmont Abbey
Women’s Indoor Track & Field: Belmont Abbey
Men’s Swimming & Diving: King
Women’s Swimming & Diving: UNC Pembroke
Men’s Wrestling: Belmont Abbey
Overall Messick Standings (current top five)
1 – Belmont Abbey
2 – North Greenville
3 – Ferrum
4 – Erskine
5 – King
Women's Messick Standings (current top five)
1 – Belmont Abbey
2 – King
3 – North Greenville
4 – Converse
5 – Southern Wesleyan
Men's Messick Standings (current top five)
1 – Belmont Abbey
2 – Erskine
3 – North Greenville
4 – Ferrum
5 – Young Harris