McCooey of Tufts Nominated for NCAA Sportsmanship Award

Women's Tennis Standout Named All-NESCAC, All-America Three Times During Career

HADLEY, Mass. – Meghan McCooey (Cumberland, R.I.), a 2010 graduate of Tufts University and a former member of the Jumbos’ women’s tennis team, has been nominated for the 2010 NCAA Sportsmanship Award by the NESCAC.

The award is given annually by the NCAA to a male and female student athlete from each of the three divisions (six total). Nominees for the award have demonstrated good sportsmanship and ethical behavior in their daily participation in intercollegiate athletics, along with good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting and are in good academic standing.

"Meghan displays ultimate sportsmanship on and off the court," stated fifth year head coach Kate Bayard on the two-time NESCAC All-Sportsmanship selection for women's tennis. "She consistently gives her teammates, coaches and opponents the same high level of respect. Regardless of whether she is winning or losing, Meghan always gives credit to her opponent and always demonstrates a positive yet calm attitude."

The Jumbos' team captain in each of the last two years, McCooey helped build mutual respect amongst her peers and teammates during her tenure with her character, civility, and honesty. Bayard noted that McCooey, "helped cultivate other team members' leadership skills in a remarkable and unselfish way." The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) recognized Tufts in March with its monthly National Sportsmanship Award, a distinction that is voted upon by all teams across all NCAA divisions.

A three-time All-NESCAC First Team and All-America selection, McCooey earned All-Conference and All-America for her singles performance throughout the 2007-08 campaign before being honored on both squads for her doubles play with teammate Julia Browne in each of the last two years. The duo won their second-straight ITA Small College National Championship this past October and reached the semifinals of the 2010 NCAA Women's Tennis Doubles Tournament in May. McCooey completed her career at Tufts with a 62-30 singles record and an impressive 82-29 showing in doubles.

Off the court, McCooey has been an active member of the Jumbos' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, helping the SAAC by participating in numerous community service projects. She assisted in the organization of Tufts' annual "Kids Play Day", an event that brings children from local Boys & Girls Clubs to the Medford campus for an afternoon of games and fun to promote good sportsmanship.

This past February, McCooey and her teammates helped a local family move from a shelter to their own residence. In association with Heading Home, an organization that provides emergency shelter, housing and supportive services for more than 1,500 homeless and low-income people each year, the Tufts women's tennis team moved a single mom and her three-year old son into a permanent apartment. The Jumbos raised $2,500 and collected pots and pans, bedding, and even a used television to help the family get started.

"My favorite part was decorating the rooms specifically for the family's style so that they truly felt like they were at home when they walked into their new apartment," commented McCooey on the event. "Shopping and pulling everything together the day of the move was a wonderful bonding experience for our team. Seeing the faces of the family as they looked through the rooms was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life."

Named to the NESCAC All-Academic team in 2009 and again in 2010, McCooey graduated from Tufts this past May with a degree in biopsychology.

The winners of the 2010 NCAA Sportsmanship Award will be announced in August.

NESCAC member institutions offer extensive and broad based intercollegiate as well as club and intramural opportunities for both men and women. The Conference sponsors 26 conference sports and with member schools sponsoring an average of nearly 30 varsity programs, the NESCAC provides more than 7,500 opportunities for participation in intercollegiate competition at the Division III level.

Founded in 1971, The New England Small College Athletic Conference consists of 11 liberal arts colleges and has consistently reflected its commitment to the values of athletics and academic achievement. The member colleges of the conference are Amherst College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Connecticut College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, Trinity College, Tufts University, Wesleyan University, and Williams College. For more information on the NESCAC, visit www.nescac.com.

Note: Information from Tufts Sports Information was used in this release.