Tacker Earns C-USA Sportsmanship Award
7/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
July 9, 2007
DALLAS -- Rice senior pitcher Ryne Tacker is one of six recipients of the 2007 Conference USA Sportsmanship Awards, league commissioner Britton Banowsky announced on Monday (July 9). The conference sportsmanship awards are presented to student-athletes, coaches or teams that perform an act of sporting behavior or generally conduct themselves with a high degree of good sportsmanship.
The individuals recognized for the 2006-07 season include Tacker, Rusty Clayton of the University of Memphis, Dominic Cervi of the University of Tulsa and East Carolina's Brie Berkowitz and Geoff Handsfield. The University of Central Florida Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) was also honored for their sportsmanship.
Tacker was a key member of this year's Owl baseball squad that made a second-straight appearance in the NCAA College World Series. The right-hander made a courageous comeback after an injury prior to the 2006 season, fighting his way back to earn C-USA Pitcher of the Year honors in the spring. He also earned a spot on the 2007 Collegiate Baseball All-America third team as well as ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America second team honors. The Benbrook, Texas, native earned his degree in kinesiology/managerial studies with a 3.6 GPA, while also taking time to do his part for the game's next generation of players. Tacker served as the official scorekeeper for the West University Little League last season.
Clayton was a four-year letterwinner as a deep snapper for the Tiger football team. He started and played in 49 games during his career and did not have a single errant snap in 160 PAT, 100 field goals and 189 punts. In 2006, he became the first deep snapper to be named to the All-Conference USA first team. A native of Sumrall, Miss., Clayton received his first bachelor's degree in three and a half years with a 3.61 GPA. He also holds a bachelor's degree in history and is currently working toward a master's degree in criminal justice.
Cervi has played three seasons and logged more than 3,000 minutes in goal for the Hurricane during his career. During a key match with Conference USA foe Memphis in 2006, Cervi collided with Tiger forward/midfielder Tripp Harkins and Harkins suffered a concussion on the play. Cervi took initiative to follow up on his own to check his condition.
Two ECU student-athletes received the C-USA Sportsmanship Award. Berkowitz just concluded her Pirate career on the women's track and field squad. Besides being an outstanding contributor for her team, the York, Pa., native also volunteered her time with the Food Bank of Eastern North Carolina, The Gulu Walk and Wintergreen Primary School. Handsfield will be a senior member of the ECU men's swimming team this upcoming season and has already served two seasons as a team captain. The Morehead City, N.C., native, also participated in the same community outreach activities, while also doing work with the ALS Walk to raise money for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease. ALS claimed the life for former East Carolina head baseball coach Keith LeClair in July 2006.
The UCF Student-Athlete Advisory Committee was a group recipient of the 2007 C-USA Sportsmanship Award. After becoming aware that the Stetson University rowing team, located in nearby DeLand, Fla, lost all of their boats during a tornado storm in February, the SAAC organized a fundraiser. Over the course of a week, UCF student-athletes solicited funds at six home contests and raised $750 to send to Stetson.
