Moon Township, Pa. - The Robert Morris University women's outdoor track & field team was honored Tuesday with the 2012 Northeast Conference Team Sportsmanship Award.

Also earning a 2012 NEC Team Sportsmanship Award from RMU was men's lacrosse.

The Team Sportsmanship Award program, conceived by league Presidents, is designed to acknowledge the team in each conference sport that, in the opinion of its peers, most clearly demonstrates good sportsmanship based on the NEC Principles of Sportsmanship and Standards of Conduct. Voting is conducted at the conclusion of each season by each team captain and head coach, who rank teams within the conference based on a predetermined set of criteria.

"The Northeast Conference Council of Presidents have continued to hold as one of its core values the commitment to good sportsmanship by our student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans," said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. "The fact that every member institution in the NEC was recognized for its dedication to good sportsmanship clearly demonstrates that our actions on the playing fields align with our values. Congratulations to all of the teams who earned a Sportsmanship Award."

At the 2012 NEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Emmitsburg, Md., earlier this month, the Colonials posted 76.25 points to place fifth.

Freshmen Bethany Ledford (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon) and Aubree Ray (Middletown, Pa. / Middletown) claimed individual championships, with Ledford winning the pole vault and Ray the discus. In addition, sophomore Rachael Kotula (East Berlin, Pa. / Bermudian Springs) finished second in the javelin to earn All-NEC Second Team honors.