Handsfield Given C-USA Sportsmanship Award
June 19, 2008 | Swimming & Diving
June 19, 2008
IRVING, Texas - East Carolina University swimmer Geoff Handsfield has been selected as one of three student-athletes to receive the 2008 Conference USA Sportsmanship Award announced Commissioner Britton Banowsky today. The conference sportsmanship awards are presented to student-athletes, coaches or teams that perform an individual act of sporting behavior or generally conduct themselves with a high degree of good sportsmanship.
The other individuals recognized for the 2007-08 season were Andy Smith of the University of Memphis and Tara Watts of Rice University.
Handsfield has participated in the championship final in all three of his individual events at the last four C-USA Championship Invitationals. He was voted captain of the team as a sophomore and has held that distinction for the last three seasons. The senior compiled a 3.97 GPA in physics and was on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee the last two years. The Morehead City, N.C. native coordinated of all the swim team's community service activities, including working with the Pitt County Latino students, Project ARISE, Pitt County Humane Society, the Special Olympics and the ALS Walk.
He recently received one of 11 Conference USA Postgraduate scholarship awards as well as being named second-team Academic All-America for a second consecutive season.
Smith is a veteran offensive lineman for the Tigers football team. He helped anchor the offense and is one of the vocal leaders on the squad. Smith also leads by example on and off the field and takes his role as a leader very seriously. The senior has participated in various community service events, including speaking to elementary school children and working youth football camps. On Martin Luther King Day, he joined several other Tiger athletes in volunteering at the National Civil Rights Museum and he often speaks to students at Sea Isle Elementary School. Most recently, Smith helped raise money for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital through the University of Memphis' Up `Til Dawn promotion.
Watts just concluded her second season with the Rice women's basketball team. The sophomore serves at a tutor and has volunteered her time to local elementary schools by reading to younger children and speaking to them about being a student-athlete. The British Columbia native has also done similar activities with the local Children's Hospitals.
