The Youngstown State men’s and women’s basketball teams appeared in several segments of ABC’s “Good Morning America” program last week. The morning show was broadcast from the school’s Beeghly Center.

Team members shot layups and the band played the Youngstown State fight song. GMA host Robin Roberts, a former basketball player at Southeastern Louisiana, talked with the women’s team about making the most of their experience.

The program came to Ohio as part of its tour of battleground states in anticipation of the presidential election.

“Today was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our team and staff to be on ‘Good Morning America’ during the most-televised presidential campaign in history,” women’s basketball coach Cindy Martin said. “Robin Roberts is a personal hero to many of the ladies on the team and me. She was a great collegiate player and prominent face of NCAA women’s basketball, and she’s a breast cancer survivor and a role model.”

MVC honors model student-athletes

The Missouri Valley Conference announced this week the 10 fall honorees for its Good Neighbor Award. Fall 2008 winners are Brian Lock, Bradley; Jeff Thayer, Creighton; Theodore Scheisman, Drake; Kellee Widener, Evansville; MC Richmond, Illinois State; Kelli Whitaker, Indiana State; David Arkin, Missouri State; Ben Schmidt, Northern Iowa; Larry Warner, Southern Illinois; and Katie Niggemeyer, Wichita State.

To earn the award, student-athletes must be in good academic standing, demonstrate good citizenship through good sportsmanship and community service and participate in a sport during the season of recognition. The conference recognizes 10 student-athletes per season.