Flagler's Sgromolo Receives NCAA Sportsmanship Honor

INDIANAPOLIS – Former Flagler College first baseman John Sgromolo was selected as the Division II male winner of the NCAA Sportsmanship Award, as released Tuesday (July 31) afternoon. This is the first time a Flagler College student-athlete has ever earned the award.

The NCAA Sportsmanship Award honors student-athletes who, through their actions in the competitive arena of intercollegiate athletics, have demonstrated one or more of the ideals of sportsmanship, including fairness, civility, honesty, unselfishness, respect and responsibility.

“This is truly a blessing and an honor to receive the NCAA Sportsmanship Award,” said Sgromolo. “I am proud to represent Division II, the Peach Belt Conference and Flagler College as a representative of what it means to be a student-athlete of sportsmanship.”

Sgromolo graduated this past spring from Flagler and was drafted in the 37^th Round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is currently playing for their Rookie League team in Arizona. Throughout his four-year career as a Flagler Saint, Sgromolo was the model student-athlete who displayed superior sportsmanship. Whether it was wearing the mascot costume, being the public address announcer at various sporting events, or volunteering to read the game environment statement before each home baseball game, he did all of those with a level of professionalism and zeal of a seasoned veteran. He was considered a “student ambassador” for the athletics department. Sgromolo was selected to the All-Peach Belt Conference second-team and earned academic all-conference honors in 2012.

“John embodies character, sportsmanship, leadership, integrity and humility and is someone who is always going above and beyond for Flagler College,” said Ryan Erlacher, Flagler’s assistant athletics director, compliance. “He truly loves Flagler College and makes it very clear he would do anything to make sure Flagler is a great place to be.”

The other winners of the Sportsmanship Award were: Blake McJunkin, Southern Methodist University football (Division I); Jessica Slagle, Bowling Green State University women’s basketball (Division I); the Georgia Court University women’s soccer team (Division II); and, Erika McGuire, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology women’s volleyball (Division III). Rick Byrd, the head men’s basketball coach of Belmont University, was the recipient of the Bob Frederick Award.