April 15, 2005

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The University of Maryland's wrestling team was among the recipients of the Atlantic Coast Conference sportsmanship awards for the winter season, as announced by the conference. Teams that received the award conducted themselves with a high degree of character and good sportsmanship, as determined by a vote of the league's teams.

The Terps, under second-year coach Pat Santoro, produced their first ACC champion in Charlie Pinto since 2002. Maryland posted a 3-13-1 overall record and was 0-5 in the ACC.

"It's a testament to the kinds of kids we have here," Santoro said. "Good sportsmanship is part of the full character development that our student-athletes strive for. As a coach, you hope that all of your athletes conduct themselves in a classy manner, so it is nice to be recognized for that."

"The university is proud of the wrestling team and this honor," said Dr. Charles Wellford, Faculty Athletics Representative. "It's significant because other teams vote on this award and it shows that they think highly of our program. The wrestling team has shown great progress in the three ways we evaluate teams: academically, athletically and ethically."

The conference presents sportsmanship awards for each of its 25 sponsored sports. The concept of these awards was created by the ACC Student Athlete Advisory Committee in an effort to recognize teams that earned the utmost regard from their peers during competition. As is stated in the conference's Mission Statement, "It [the ACC] strongly adheres to the principles of integrity and sportsmanship, and supports the total development of the student-athlete and each member institution's athletics department staff, with the intent of producing enlightened leadership for tomorrow."

Recipients of the awards are as follows:
Men's Basketball - Clemson
Women's Basketball - NC State
Men's Swimming and Diving - Florida State
Women's Swimming and Diving - North Carolina
Men's Indoor Track and Field - Wake Forest
Women's Indoor Track and Field - Georgia Tech
Wrestling - Maryland