The Elm Student Newspaper
Bannar Recognized for Sportsmanship
Volume 80, Issue 25
May 1, 2009
By Brian Danver
Sports Editor
Senior baseball player Jim Bannar was named the male winner of the 2009 Centennial Conference Sportsmanship Award last Wednesday. The award is presented to one male and one female athlete, and is chosen from the 12 championship sports in the conference.
Bannar is the first WC athlete, male or female, to win this distinguished award. He will now be placed on the ballot for the NCAA D-III National Sportsmanship Award, which will be announced later this summer.
Bannar has been a tremendous leader on and off the baseball diamond for the past four years. He has been a member of the Student-Athlete Mentors since sophomore year and a Peer Mentor. For his strong leadership abilities, he was named a captain for the 2009 baseball season. Additionally, Bannar led an effort to increase awareness on the WC campus regarding alcohol consumption and its consequences, as he brought the feature film, “Haze,” to the campus in February.
The film documents the tragic loss of freshman Gordie Bailey, as a hazing ritual at college led to his death in the fall of 2004. Much of the student body attended the viewing of the movie before Birthday Ball, which provided a much-needed reminder about the negative consequences of poor decision making regarding the abuse of alcohol.
Congratulations, Jim, and thanks for all of your hard work and dedication to WC and its athletes.