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                         April 26, 2002

Freshman Scott Manley and junior Kevin Lee tied for first place in the individual standings as Army was crowned the 2002 Patriot League champion late Sunday afternoon at the West Point Golf Course.

The Black Knights finished 29 stokes ahead of the closest competitor, Navy, with a 54-hole 847. The three-time defending champion and favorite Navy club closed in second place with a team score of 876. With the win, the Black Knights received the Patriot League’s automatic bid to the 2002 NCAA Championships.

"I am really happy for our team," said head coach Jimmy Ray Clevenger. "What they have experienced this season has been great and what is to come will be much better. It is the first time in their careers they will be going to the NCAA Regionals and I am very proud of them."

Army’s Manley and Lee, along with Navy’s Billy Hurley, tied for first place in the individual standings with a Patriot League Tournament-record score of 209. Playing a championship format, all individual ties for first place are decided by a sudden victory playoff following the final round of play. Manley was crowned the winner after the three-hole playoff. Lee and Hurley tied for second place.

Manley began the weekend shooting a 69 in each of the first two rounds and finished the third with a one-over-par 71. Lee tied a Patriot League 18-hole record with his first-round score of 65. In his second 18-holes, Lee shot a 73 and finished the weekend with a final round one-over-par 71.

"I am so happy for both Scott (Manley) and Kevin (Lee). I think they are excited about the way they played this weekend, but I think they are more excited about the team going to NCAAs. It was a team effort today," said Clevenger.

Manley and Lee were joined by seniors Pete Mangold, Ryan Hazelton and David Crawford on the 10-man All-Patriot League Team. Hazelton earned his third all-league selection and Mangold his second.

"The last few seasons we have had one or two golfers on the All-Patriot League Team. I think having five players selected this year shows just how much depth we have," said Clevenger.

Mangold tied his highest finish at the Patriot League Championships with a sixth-place showing and finished by shooting a three-round aggregate of 216 (71-75-70). Following closely behind, Hazelton took seventh place with a 54-hole 219 (66-77-76). For the fourth time in his career, Hazelton finished in the top 15 at the Patriot League Championships. Crawford tied for ninth as the final Black Knight in the top 10. He shot a three-round total of 221 (74-75-72).

Rounding out the Army contingent was junior Anthony Towne, who tied for 39th (82-82-82-246) place.

Clevenger was named coach of the year as voted by the league’s head coaches. Clevenger, who has led the Black Knights to seven league championship titles, earned the honor for the second time in the last 10 years.

The Patriot League Championship format is a two-day, 54-hole tournament. The best four of six scores are counted for the team placement.

Army will return to action today when it travels to the two-day Cleveland Golf/Rhode Island Invitational in Portsmouth, R.I. The tournament will conclude the Black Knights’ regular season.

Army then awaits the NCAA selection committee’s regional placement decision. The NCAA Regionals will take place May 16-18.