The Pioneers sports teams of Pacific Union College have received the “California Pacific Conference Team Sportsmanship Award” for the 2005-2006 season. The award was presented to Robert Castillo, director of athletics, at the annual Cal Pac Conference convention at Dominican University of California on August 27, 2006.

The sportsmanship award is presented to the member institution that displays outstanding sportsmanship and exemplifies the true spirit of the “Champions of Character” program set forth by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Since it was first presented after the 1999-2000 season, coaches from the member institutions have determined the award through a voting system and presented the award at the Cal Pac convention each fall.

This is the Pioneers’ second time to receive the award; it was also presented to PUC for the 2002-2003 season. Other recipients have been Simpson College (now Simpson University, Redding, Calif.) and Menlo College (Atherton, Calif.).

PUC is one of 10 institutions that make up the Cal Pac Conference. As a member of the NAIA, the Pioneers compete in the conference in women’s volleyball, men’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, and men’s and women’s basketball.