GREENVILLE, S.C. – King University won the overall Conference Carolinas Messick Sportsmanship Award while Shorter University earned the men's award and Belmont Abbey College earned the women's award.
King wins the overall Messick Award for the third time with the other two coming in 2019-20 and 2014-15. The Tornado earned individual Messick Awards in men's and women's swimming & diving.
Shorter claims a final Messick Award for the first time. The Hawks won individual Messick Awards in baseball and men's lacrosse. Belmont Abbey earns at least one final Messick Award for the third straight year and ninth year overall. The Crusaders earned nine individual Messick Awards throughout the season.
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."
Overall Messick Standings (final top five)
1 – King
2 – Belmont Abbey
3 – Young Harris
4 – North Greenville
5 – Ferrum
Women's Messick Standings (final top five)
1 – Belmont Abbey
2 – King
3 – North Greenville
4 – Young Harris
5 – Emmanuel
Men's Messick Standings (final top five)
1 – Shorter
2 – Young Harris
3 – Ferrum
4 – King
5 – Erskine
Messick Sportsmanship Award Recipients
2025-26:
Overall: King
Men's: Shorter
Women's: Belmont Abbey
2024-25:
Overall: Belmont Abbey
Men's: Southern Wesleyan
Women's: Belmont Abbey
2023-24:
Overall: Belmont Abbey
Men's: Belmont Abbey
Women's: Belmont Abbey
2022-23:
Overall: Southern Wesleyan
Men's: Southern Wesleyan
Women's: Southern Wesleyan
2021-22:
Overall: Southern Wesleyan
Men's: Southern Wesleyan
Women's: Southern Wesleyan
2020-21:
Overall: Southern Wesleyan
Men's: Southern Wesleyan
Women's: Southern Wesleyan
2019-20:
Overall: King
Men's: North Greenville
Women's: King
2018-19:
Overall: Belmont Abbey
Men's: Belmont Abbey
Women's: Belmont Abbey
2017-18:
Overall: Southern Wesleyan
Men's: Southern Wesleyan
Women's: Southern Wesleyan
2016-17:
Overall: Belmont Abbey
Men's: Belmont Abbey
Women's: Southern Wesleyan
2015-16: Converse
2014-15: King
2013-14: Belmont Abbey and North Greenville
2012-13: Belmont Abbey
2011-12: Belmont Abbey
2010-11: Converse
2009-10: Converse
2008-09: Converse
2007-08: Converse
2006-07: Anderson
2005-06: Anderson
2004-05: Anderson
2003-04: Anderson
2002-03: St. Andrews
2001-02: St. Andrews
2000-01: Coker and Pfeiffer
1999-00: Erskine
1998-99: Erskine
1997-98: Erskine
1996-97: Erskine
1995-96: High Point
1994-95: High Point
1993-94: Pfeiffer
1992-93: High Point
1991-92: High Point
1990-91: St. Andrews
1989-90: Guilford
1988-89: Elon
1986-87: UNC Pembroke
1985-86: Guilford
1984-85: Barton
1983-84: Catawba
1982-83: Pfeiffer