HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. ? Furman, Davidson and The Citadel claimed the Southern Conference’s three most prestigious academic and sportsmanship awards at the conference’s annual Honors Dinner, held at the Crowne Plaza Resort.

Furman earned the league’s Barrett-Bonner Award for the 2007-08 academic year by having the highest percentage of its student-athletes on the league’s academic honor roll. The award was first presented in 1994, for the 1992-93 academic year. The award is named in honor of Col. John G. Barrett, faculty athletics representative at VMI from 1965-87, and Dr. Francis W. Bonner, faculty athletics representative at Furman from 1968-90.

Davidson received the Graduation Rate Award for maintaining the highest graduation rate of its student-athletes. Davidson has claimed the award for the last eight years, sharing the honor with Wofford in 1999-00. The Southern Conference awarded its initial Graduation Rate Award at its 1994 spring meeting. The award is presented to the member institution with the highest graduation rate for its student-athletes over the past five years as recorded in the annual NCAA Graduation Rates Report.

The Citadel was the recipient of the D.S. McAlister Award. Inaugurated in 1980, the award is presented annually to the Southern Conference school judged to have the highest degree of sportsmanship in the conduct of its athletic program. The award is named in honor of Col. D.S. McAlister of The Citadel who served as Southern Conference secretary-treasurer for 38 years. It marks the third time that The Citadel has earned the award (1982-83, 1983-84 and 2007-08).