This is the third in a series of stories about the seven recipients of NCAA Sportsmanship Awards for 2009. National recipients announced last month were Anthony DiCarlo, a wrestling student-athlete at Anderson (South Carolina), and Aleksandra Maskiewicz, a fencing student-athlete at Brown. Other recipients were the Fitchburg State women’s lacrosse team and Carthage swimmer Isaac Rothenbaum.

Southern Mississippi track and field student-athlete Aaron Ammons, Oklahoma basketball player Blake Griffin and Clarion swimmer Jamie Maloney are from different divisions and participate in vastly different sports, but they are united by the way they play the game.

The three standout student-athletes were among seven finalists – representing all three divisions – recognized this year by the NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct, each for their example of respect and good sportsmanship.

Ammons has been playing sports since he was 5 years old. But while the track and field star suspects his competitive sports career is drawing to a close, he didn’t use that as a license to take a short cut to his goal of qualifying for NCAA regional competition this past spring.

During an April 25 home outdoor track meet, Ammons was competing in the shot put, and he was still trying to post a regional qualifying mark of 16.80 meters. His implements were weighed and carried onto the field just like in any other meet. But Ammons knew something was off on his first attempt.

“I wasn’t sure how far it went, but as soon as they called it, I was like ‘whoa,’ ” said Ammons, whose throw had not only registered a regional qualifying mark but also a personal best. Even so, he immediately decided to set the shot aside until he could weigh it again. “Something just wasn’t right,” he said.

His subsequent attempts, neither of which went nearly as far, further confirmed his suspicions. After the meet, Ammons re-weighed the questionable ball and found it was under weight.

“I went back and told my coach to scratch the throw,” he said.

Three weeks later, Ammons captured the shot put title at the Conference USA championships to earn an automatic bid to regionals.

“I feel like doing the right thing always works out the best way,” he said. “If I had done that any other way I would have lost conference or hurt myself before then. I think God put me in that situation to do the right thing and it worked out for me in the end.”

Though he’s the one receiving the award, Ammons said coach Kevin Stephen and his mother deserve the credit for teaching him the value of sportsmanship and making good decisions.

Ammons graduated in May and is currently pursuing his teaching certification. He aspires to be a teacher and a coach.

Just walking away

As one of the top basketball players for Oklahoma and across the nation, Blake Griffin drew attention not just from fans and media, but from opposing players as well.

Griffin faced tough physical play throughout his collegiate career, and it was no different during the 2009 NCAA tournament. In the second half of the Sooners’ first-round game against Morgan State, with 7:41 to go and Oklahoma maintaining a substantial lead, Griffin and a Morgan State player were battling for a rebound when Griffin was flipped over the shoulder of the Morgan State athlete and slammed to the floor.

Griffin simply collected himself and walked away. The Morgan State student-athlete was ejected.

It wasn’t the first time the Sooners’ standout had displayed such maturity and respect. Earlier in the season, during a game against Southern California, a Trojan player hit Griffin below the belt. He didn’t retaliate, but the opposing student-athlete was ejected. Less than two weeks later, Griffin was intentionally tripped by an opposing player during the game. Again, the power forward kept his cool and refused to retaliate. However, the offending player was suspended by his coach for two games.

In nominating Griffin, the university wrote, “Those who know him best, the people in the Sooner program, say that Blake Griffin has always demonstrated that he has respect for others, respect for the University of Oklahoma and the character and integrity that should make all proud that he chose to wear the Sooner uniform. Because of the stage he was provided as a Division I basketball player, people of all ages across the country had the opportunity to see that as well. In many ways, college basketball and intercollegiate athletics are better for the example Griffin has set.”

A small gesture

As an all-American swimmer and standout track and field athlete at Clarion, Jamie Maloney knows a little something about speed and timing. At the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference swimming and diving championships this past spring, Maloney was in the right place at the right time.

She had just finished competing and was standing near the blocks when she noticed that a swimmer from West Chester, one of Clarion’s top conference rivals, was in a state of panic. Moments before her heat, the student-athlete realized she had forgotten to bring her goggles with her and didn’t have time to return to her equipment bag.

Though she didn’t know the swimmer personally, after quickly assessing the situation, Maloney simply offered up her own goggles.

“I’d already swum and had everything with me. She just needed a set of goggles so I handed them over,” Maloney said. “She swam her event and came back and said thank you over and over again. All I could say was ‘you’re welcome.’ ”

Clarion coach Mark VanDyke didn’t see the exchange but wasn’t surprised to hear that it happened. VanDyke said such gestures are typical of Maloney and the rest of the conference as well. In fact, he said, he saw several other similar acts during the same meet and at nationals.

“The big thing we always talk about here is you want to give everyone a fair chance,” said VanDyke.

Maloney, a senior molecular biology major who is in the process of applying to medical school, said even the smallest gestures can have a major effect on others.

“What I want people to take away from this is to see how big of an impact small things can make on people,” she said, “especially when it comes to big meets, moments you may not be a part of, but something they are going through. It means a lot to them, even the smallest of ways, like handing over your goggles. Never overlook that.”