Longley of Trinity Earns Player of The Year for Second Time in Three Years

HADLEY, Mass. - Trinity junior Reid Longley (Atlanta, Ga.) has been named the 2008 NESCAC Player of the Year. It is the second time in his career that Longley has earned the conference’s top honor, after he claimed Player and Rookie of the Year accolades in 2006. Longley finished atop the field at the NESCAC Golf Championship Qualifier this past weekend at Middlebury with a two-day total of 141 (-1). He is the fourth-straight Trinity linksman to receive NESCAC Player of the Year honors.

Longley also earned a spot on the NESCAC Golf All-Conference First Team for the third year in a row, as he was the only holdover from last fall’s First Team. After day one at Middlebury, Longley was in a three-way tie atop the leader board with a one-under score of 70. He continued his impressive play through day two and carded an even-par 71 to finish as the only participant under par.

The 2008 NESCAC Golf All-Conference teams, selected based upon individual finish at the championship qualifier, had a total of eight players make the cut for the First Team while nine individuals garnered Second Team recognition. Joining Longley on the All-NESCAC First Team from the Bantams was sophomore Jay Driscoll (Milton, Mass.). Driscoll finished in a four-way tie for fifth with a two-day total of 150 (+8).

Three individuals jumped from the 2007 Second Team to the 2008 First Team. Hamilton senior Jeff Corbett (Stoneham, Mass.) came away with All-NESCAC honors for the third consecutive year after being named to the First Team during his sophomore season. Corbett posted a two-day total of 142 (E) and finished one stroke behind Longley in second. Bowdoin senior Jeff Cutter (Medfield, Mass.) also earned All-Conference recognition for the third autumn in a row, as he was a Second Team honoree in 2006 and again in 2007. Cutter shaved six strokes off his day one total of 78 with a one-over 72 on day two to finish tied for fifth (150). Williams sophomore Jack Killea (Ridgefield, Conn.) was the remaining member from last year’s Second Team to receive First Team honors. Killea’s first day total of 71 was good enough to make up for a day two showing of 79 and helped him finish tied for fifth with 150.

Middlebury teammates Jim Levins (Rutland, Vt.) and Michael McCormick (Oak Park, Ill.) earned All-NESCAC recognition for the first time in their careers. The tandem put on a repeat performance from the Duke Nelson Invitational at the Ralph Myhre Golf Course by finishing one stroke apart and leading the Panther team. The sophomore Levins placed third with a two-day total of 145 (+3), while the senior McCormick was fourth as he shot a 146 (+4). Middlebury won the championship qualifier by one stroke over Trinity to earn the right to host the spring championship on April 25-26, 2009.

Completing the 2008 NESCAC Golf All-Conference First Team was Bates freshman Lee Smith (Lexington, Mass.). Lee, who also came away with NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors for his performance, was the fourth man in the four-way tie for fifth at the qualifier with a two-day score of 150. Of the three Bobcats that have earned All-NESCAC honors this decade, Lee is the only one to be selected as part of the First Team.

Bill Beaney of Middlebury was chosen by his counterparts as the NESCAC Golf Coach of the Year, as the 14-year head coach guided the Panthers to a first-place showing at the championship qualifier this past weekend. The win marked the second time in three years that Middlebury has won the fall NESCAC event after the Panthers captured the 2006 NESCAC title before the championship was moved to the spring in 2007-08. It is the first time that Beaney, who is also the men’s ice hockey head coach at Middlebury, has won NESCAC Coach of the Year honors in either sport.

2008 NESCAC All-Conference Golf Teams
First Team	School	Year	Hometown
Jeff Corbett	Hamilton	Sr.	Stoneham, Mass.
Jeff Cutter	Bowdoin	Sr.	Medfield, Mass.
Jay Driscoll	Trinity	Jr.	Milton, Mass.
Jack Killea	Williams	So.	Ridgefield, Conn.
Jim Levins	Middlebury	So.	Rutland, Vt.
Reid Longley	Trinity	Jr.	Atlanta, Ga.
Michael McCormick	Middlebury	Sr.	Oak Park, Ill.
Lee Smith	Bates	Fr.	Lexington, Mass.
Second Team	School	Year	Hometown
Harrison Bane	Middlebury	Sr.	Marblehead, Mass.
Josh Biren	Trinity	Sr.	Sudbury, Mass.
Ryan Blossom	Bowdoin	Jr.	Concord, N.H.
Brian Cady	Middlebury	So.	Rye, N.Y.
Phil Haslett	Tufts	Sr.	Singapore
Brad Roche	Hamilton	So.	Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.
Adam Shniderman	Amherst	Jr.	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Pete Taylor	Wesleyan	Fr.	East Greenwich, R.I.
Tyler Zara	Williams	Sr.	New Canaan, Conn.
NESCAC Player of the Year
Reid Longley	Trinity	Jr.	Atlanta, Ga.
NESCAC Rookie of the Year
Lee Smith	Bates	Fr.	Lexington, Mass.
NESCAC Coach of the Year
Bill Beaney	Middlebury