Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2022-2023 WPIAL Sportsmanship Award presented by The Wilson Group, with four schools garnering the accolades in the program’s 27th year of existence. Armstrong, Elizabeth Forward, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and South Fayette all were named winners for this past academic year.
Three of the four schools have previously received the WPIAL Sportsmanship Award, with Armstrong becoming the 70th different school to collect the plaudits. This is a league-high eighth award for South Fayette, the third for Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and the second for Elizabeth Forward.
South Fayette is now the sole leader for most WPIAL Sportsmanship Awards, as it previously shared the spot with Hampton and North Hills. The Lions’ last honor came eight years ago for 2014-2015, which finished a five-year run that they received the award. South Fayette also won in 1999-2000, 2000-2001, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2012-2013, and 2013-2014.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart last won the WPIAL Sportsmanship Award 16 years ago in 2006-2007. The Chargers’ first honor came in 1998-1999, which was one year after Elizabeth Forward won its first WPIAL Sportsmanship Award in 1997-1998 – 25 years ago in the second year of the program.
In 1997, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) and WPIAL launched the program entitled “SPORTSMANSHIP: The Only Missing Piece is You”. The purpose of the program is to promote sportsmanship in the schools and to reward those schools that best demonstrate the elements of good sportsmanship.
The selection process was based on the fall, winter, and spring seasons of the 2022-2023 school year. Schools were eligible to be nominated through either a self-assessment, by another school, or by an officials’ chapter. Nominated schools were to complete an application, and the WPIAL Sportsmanship Steering Committee then met to discuss the nominees, with a maximum of five schools eligible to be selected for the award.
The Wilson Group joins the program as the presenting sponsor of the WPIAL Sportsmanship Award, and will distribute a $5,000 prize to be shared among the winning schools. The winning schools are also bestowed with a “SPORTMANSHIP: The Only Missing Piece is You” 4x6 banner, a PIAA Board of Directors resolution acknowledging their selection, and a distinctive paperweight with a miniature banner embedded inside.
Armstrong, Elizabeth Forward, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and South Fayette will be recognized during the 14th-annual WPIAL Sportsmanship Summit presented by The Wilson Group, which will be held at the Heinz History Center and Sports Museum on Wednesday, Nov. 8.
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