JOHNSON, Vt. – Johnson State College women's tennis has been named the recipient of the 2012 North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) East Division Team Sportsmanship Award.  The Badgers have now earned the award for four consecutive seasons after a fifth place finish in the six team NEAC East Division.

The Badgers, led by fourth year head coach Michele Whitmore, received strong senior leadership from Catlyn Hughes (Canterbury, Conn./Griswold), Emily Miller (Tucson, Ariz./Ironwood Ridge), and Ace Morrison-Taylor (Colden, N.Y./Aurora).  Hughes and Miller, both four-year members of the program, along with Coach Whitmore, have the unique distinction of the earning the recognition for sportsmanship for the entirety of their playing or coaching careers at Johnson.

"I am proud of the LadyBadgers tennis team for maintaining a high level of sportsmanship throughout the season," stated Coach Whitmore.  "We've had some tough losses this season; however the team never lost sight of their positive competitive spirit."

Johnson finished 1-12 overall and 1-8 in the NEAC East Division this and are slated to return five student-athletes in 2013.