CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Big South Conference announced its Team Sportsmanship Awards for the Fall season on Wednesday, as VMI won top honors in women's cross country while also sharing the award for football.

The Keydet women's cross country team enjoyed a banner season in 2009, capturing best-ever finishes at the Big South Championship (second) and the NCAA Southeast Regional (21st).  The VMI football team, meanwhile, brought home the Team Sportsmanship Award for the fourth straight year.

The recognitions are a part of the Big South Conference Sportsmanship initiative, which began in 2005-06.  The Keydets have now claimed 20 overall Team Sportsmanship Awards since the program began.

In other results from the voting, Liberty received the Big South's Team Sportsmanship Award in men's cross country and volleyball, while Charleston Southern shared the football honor with VMI.  UNC Asheville was the recipient in men's soccer and Presbyterian College was voted the team winner in women's soccer.

At the conclusion of the 2009-10 athletic season, the Big South Conference's Institutional Sportsmanship Award will be announced.  An institution's sport winners count towards the Institution Sportsmanship Award and the winner is determined on a system recognizing the highest percentage of the maximum possible points each institution is capable of achieving in that year.  The institution with the highest percentage will win the award.  VMI has won the Big South's Institutional Sportsmanship Award all four years of the award's history.

Portions of this release are courtesy of the Big South Office of Public Relations.