Six Moravian Student-Athletes Honored on 2021 Landmark Conference Fall All-Sportsmanship Team
TOWSON, Md. --- The Landmark Conference has named 47 student-athletes to the All-Sportsmanship Team. The All-Sportsmanship Team includes one student-athlete from each institution for each sport and is selected by the players and coaches from their respective team.
TOWSON, Md. --- The Landmark Conference has named 47 student-athletes to the All-Sportsmanship Team. The All-Sportsmanship Team includes one student-athlete from each institution for each sport and is selected by the players and coaches from their respective team.
The All-Sportsmanship Team recognizes student-athletes who epitomize the ideals of sportsmanship. The student-athletes selected demonstrate fair play, graciousness in victory and respectfulness in defeat. They are ambassadors for the team, both on and off the field, and galvanize their teammates toward their goals. These student-athletes exhibit respect for themselves, teammates, coaches, opponents, officials, spectators, and the greater campus community.
The All-Sportsmanship Team was created by the Landmark Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) in 2013 as a way to highlight student-athletes who are making an impact. The Landmark previously awarded a Sportsmanship Cup before the All-Sportsmanship Team replaced the Cup for the 2013-14 academic year.
To view the full 2021 Landmark Conference Fall All-Sportsmanship Team, visit https://landmark.prestosports.com/general/2021-22/releases/11222021-fall-sportsmanship-team.
Cross Country
Senior Natalie Stabilito is the women's cross country honoree on the All-Sportsmanship Team. Stabilito finished fourth at the 2021 Landmark Conference Championships in a time of 23:29.5 to earn Landmark All-Conference First Team accolades as Moravian placed second as a team in the meet. She is a three-time selection to the Landmark Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll, and Stabilito was on the 2018 Landmark All-Conference Second Team while being honored as the Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year.
"Natalie does an exceptional job of balancing an unrivaled competitiveness with respect for the people she competes against," Director of Men's and Women's Cross Country and Track & Field Jesse Baumann said. She's always courteous no matter how she raced, encourages both her teammates and competitors, and in general is poised, measured, and exemplifies what we look for in a student-athlete."
Senior Shane Houghton was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team for the men's cross country program. Houghton was 41st in the 2021 Landmark Conference Championships with a time of 28:46.9 to help the Greyhounds win the team title on a tiebreaker. He is a three-time member of the Landmark Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll.
"Shane embodies everything you look for with respect to sportsmanship," Noted Baumann. "He is composed, supportive, and congratulatory to everyone no matter how he performs. He's had a tremendous amount of success over the past year, but it hasn't changed who he is or how he treats anyone else. Win, lose, or draw, he does so with respect and dignity, and represents precisely what we look for in an athlete here at Moravian."
Volleyball
Sophomore middle blocker Grace Silfani was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team from Moravian's volleyball squad. Silfani saw action in 17 matches in her first regular season on the court, and she had nine kills, eight digs, six blocks and a service ace for the Greyhounds this fall.
"Grace is a wonderful player to coach; she has a can-do attitude, works hard and is so positive and encouraging to her teammates," commented Head Coach Shelley Bauder.
Field Hockey
Junior defender Elise Keeney is the field hockey team's 2021 recipient of the All-Sportsmanship honor. Keeney started all 17 matches during the Greyhounds' record-breaking 14-3 season that saw the program qualify for the Landmark Conference Tournament for the first time in conference history as well as earning the top seed. Keeney had one defensive save in 2021, and she is a two-time member of the Landmark Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll and the ZAG/National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Academic Squad.
"Elise is the epitome of an all-sportsmanship athlete." stated Head Coach Sarah Dalrymple. "She shows her respect for her teammates, opponents, and the sport every single day whether it be on the field or in her everyday life. Not a day goes by that Elise isn't working her absolute hardest to be the best she can be."
Women's Soccer
Senior defender Hannah McHugh has been a key member of the Greyhounds' squad for four years. This year, she started seven matches before seeing an injury end her season. During her career, McHugh started in 25 of 32 career matches played, and she will be a three-time member of the Landmark Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll.
"Hannah has a lot of qualities as a player and is a very good teammate," commented Head Coach Jeff Ykoruk. "She has made a tremendous impact to a lot of our younger players in our program and displayed great sportsmanship when she was on the field."
Men's Soccer
Senior midfielder Safa Turkdonmez is the men's soccer team's selection to the All-Sportsmanship Team. Turkdonmez was limited to ten matches in 2021 but both goals that he scored were game-winning goals. In his career, he had four goals with three game-winners and three assists in 42 matches that included 13 starts. Turkdonmez will also be a three-time member of the Landmark Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll.
"Congratulations to Safa on being a Landmark Conference All-Sportsmanship honoree," commented Head Coach Bob Wilkinson. "Safa has a great work ethic both on and off the field. His attitude and approach are excellent no matter what else is going on. For the past two seasons, he has battled injury which has kept him out of many games, but he has remained positive and kept pushing forward. Safa's hard work has paid off in the classroom as he maintains a 3.89 GPA. He is well known around campus not only by friends and teammates but by teachers, coaches, and administrators as well. He is an excellent representative of our team."
