New York, N.Y. – Seniors Joanie Cooney of Sage and Maritime’s Dave Sparozic have been named the inaugural recipients of the Skyline Sporting Awards in voting conducted by the league’s directors of athletics. 

Named a team captain in 2013 and a member of the Skyline women’s volleyball all-conference first team, Cooney had her season cut short by injury with two weeks remaining in the regular season.  The Ballston Lake, N.Y., native was a visible supporter from the sidelines for the remainder of the 2013 campaign and frequently helped coach her teammates as the Gators advanced to the finals of the Skyline Championship.  Cooney was the recipient of the 2014 ECAC Merit Medal and garnered Skyline Scholar-Athlete of the Year distinction in 2013 as a Psychology/Pre-Med major. 

A four year-starter on the Maritime men’s soccer team, Sparozic was named a team captain in 2013 and was tabbed to meet with the referees and the opposing team captains before every match. The Carmel, N.Y., resident was awarded the highly selective Cadet Appointment Program Scholarship and named both a Maritime Regiment of Cadets Squad Leader (2011) and a Maritime Regiment of Cadets Indoctrination Officer (2012).  Sparozic graduated with honors while majoring in Facilities Engineering and was a 2012 Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athletic Honor Society Inductee.  

Nominees for the Skyline Sporting Awards must be named to his/her sport’s All-Sportsmanship team in the fall, winter or spring of the current academic year, be in good academic standing, embody the highest standards of leadership, integrity and sporting conduct, demonstrate enthusiasm about the sport in which they compete and have noteworthy act(s) of sporting conduct during the specified academic year. 

A total of 138 student-athletes were named to the All-Sportsmanship teams of the league’s 17 sports during the 2013-14 academic year.  From 2007-2013, the Skyline Conference instituted the Sportsmanship Trophy to gauge team sportsmanship among its member schools.