Middlebury's Scott Earns Player of the Year

HADLEY, Mass. - Middlebury senior Alex Scott (Mt. Kisco, N.Y.) has been named the 2007 NESCAC Player of the Year as determined by the conference coaches. Scott helped the Panthers claim the 2007 NESCAC Men's Tennis Championship this season, the fourth-consecutive NESCAC title for his squad, by winning both of his doubles matches and taking one of two singles matches during the three-day event.

Scott also came away with NESCAC All-Conference First Team honors for both singles and doubles play this season, compiling to date a 22-8 record in singles and a 23-5 record with doubles partner George Mayer (Merion, Pa.), who also earned All-NESCAC First Team Doubles recognition. Scott has been named First Team Doubles in each of the last three years and received First Team Singles accolades for the first time in his career after finding a spot on the Second Team a year ago. For Mayer, it is the fourth year in a row that the senior has earned NESCAC recognition. Mayer was named Rookie of the Year in 2004, a First Team Doubles member in 2005, and a Second Team Singles honoree in 2006.

Making the jump from the Second Team to the First Team this year were a pair or Polar Bears, senior Sam Bitetti (Norwell, Mass.) and junior Garrett Gates (Fairway, Kan.). The Bowdoin tandem earned First Team recognition at both singles and doubles, as the duo helped their squad post a 15-4 overall record this year and earn a berth in the 2007 NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament. Bitetti is 14-5 in singles play and 15-4 in doubles action so far this season, while Gates, at 2005 All-NESCAC honoree, is 12-2 in singles and 10-5 in doubles.

The final doubles pair on the NESCAC All-Conference First Team was Trinity's duo of senior Brian Marsden (Hingham, Mass.) and junior Brett Ramsay (Glastonbury, Conn.). Marsden and Ramsay, who both earned Second Team Doubles accolades last spring, combined for an 8-3 doubles record this year. Both players also found a spot on the Second Team Singles, as Marsden, the 2005 NESCAC Player of the Year, battled to a 9-9 record this season, while Ramsay was 9-6.

Senior Ted Haley (Marietta, Ga.) and junior Dan Greenberg (Chapel Hill, N.C.) from Williams were both honored as All-NESCAC First Team Singles. Haley is 17-5 this year in singles competition while Greenberg, the NESCAC Rookie of the Year in 2005, garnered First Team Singles accolades for the second year in a row with a 12-10 singles record.

Rounding out the 2007 NESCAC All-Conference First Team Singles is Amherst sophomore Zach Lerner (Scarsdale, N.Y.). Lerner is 14-4 this season, going 13-2 in the spring and helping the Lord Jeffs reach the semifinals of the 2007 NESCAC Men's Tennis Championship last weekend. Lerner was also honored as a Second Team Doubles selection.

The NESCAC Rookie of the Year award went to Middlebury freshman Andrew Thompson (West Bloomfield, Mich.), as the conference's top rookie honor has now gone to the Panthers in three of the past four years. Thompson is 24-3 in singles play this season, winning 11 of his last 12 matches, and 17-6 in doubles action.

The Clarence Chaffee Sportsmanship Award was shared between two individuals for the second year in a row, Middlebury senior Kevin Bergesen (Beverly, Mass.) and Trinity's Marsden. The Clarence Chaffee Award is given annually to the individual who best combined and displayed a high standard of tennis coupled with the highest levels of sportsmanship.

Amherst head coach Rick Edelmann was the choice among the coaches this season, earning NESCAC Coach of the Year honors for the first time. In the midst of his third season with the Lord Jeffs, Edelmann has guided his squad to a 13-5 overall mark, a semifinal appearance in the 2007 NESCAC Men's Tennis Championship, and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.