April 6, 2016
Minta Spears ranked among the team leaders in numerous categories this past season — but the award she won on Wednesday went well beyond the box score.
Spears, who recently completed her first season at Vanderbilt after transferring from Texas Tech, was given the A.D. Hancock / Walter Nipper Sportsmanship Award on Wednesday during a ceremony at Sweatt’s Restaurant, where she was joined by head coach Melanie Balcomb.
“It’s definitely a great honor,” said Spears, who ranked among the SEC leaders in minutes played this season, averaging a team-high 32.8 minutes per game. “It’s nice to know that people notice the little things. And really, this award is a testament of how I was raised in terms of doing the right things.”
The Hancock-Nipper Sportsmanship Award is presented annually to a player from each of the Davidson County college teams that best displays outstanding sportsmanship qualities.
The award is named after two long-time members of the Nashville City Civitan Club: A.D. Hancock, a highly-respected educator, and Walter Nipper, owner of Nashville Sporting Goods, who contributed much to the Nashville community.
“There were a lot of truly outstanding people in the room (on Wednesday), and I was honored to be there with them,” said Spears. “My parents instilled in me a certain set of values that I try to live by every day — both on the basketball court and off it.”
