Sevastopol earned some hardware this week before any of their teams hit the road for competition.

The Pioneers were one of 39 schools to be awarded the WIAA Award of Excellence Award, which promotes and recognizes the efforts and achievements of schools in the areas of sportsmanship, ethics, integrity, leadership, and character. They joined Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Little Chute, Monona Grove, New Lisbon, and Port Washington as first-time recipients.

According the WIAA's release, they consider the following criteria when determining recipients:

• Athletic Director maintains and updates all information in the WIAA School Directory annually.
• Athletic Director does due diligence in striving to achieve staff compliance with all WIAA coaching requirements (i.e. rules video, exam, officials’ rankings)
• Athletic director conducted regular occurring meetings with a Captain’s Club/Team Leadership Council/Etc. – sportsmanship, ethics and/or integrity is on the agenda and is discussed
• Athletic director conducted regular occurring meetings with coaches - sportsmanship, ethics and/or integrity is a topic that is on the agenda and is discussed
• Athletic director conducted at least one informational meeting with student-athletes and their parents – sportsmanship, ethics and/or integrity is a topic that is on the agenda and is discussed
• Athletic director attended conference meetings – sportsmanship, ethics and/or integrity is a topic that is on the agenda and is discussed
• Coaches and student-athletes attended a sportsmanship summit/leadership conference/etc.
• There was school representation at one of the seven WIAA Fall Area Meetings
• There was school representation at WIAA Annual Meeting in April
• Athletic Director made the student body aware of sportsmanship initiatives through school assemblies, announcements, posters, etc.
• Three or more athletic teams gave back to their school or community through volunteerism
• Athletic director has taken the Free NFHS Sportsmanship course
• Three or more head coaches have taken the Free NFHS Sportsmanship course
• Athletic program had no coach ejections at any level
• Athletic program had no coach or player assault of an official at any level
• Athletic director nominated/submitted a boy and/or a girl for WIAA Scholar Athlete recognition (either for local or state level recognition)

NRSN's Gary Barta will interview Sevastopol athletic director Brooke Tanck on Thursday.