Guilford's Strong and Latimer Win Weekly Honors

Greensboro, N.C. (3/12/07) -- Guilford College freshman Peter Latimer won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's (ODAC) Golfer of the Week Award and junior Ben Strong received the Guilford College Student-Athlete of the Week Award Monday. Latimer, a first-time award winner, is the Quakers' third student honored with the league's weekly golf prize and the second in as many weeks. Strong earned the Guilford honor, which is presented by the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), for the ninth time this year.

Latimer had Guilford's best finish at the Lonnie D. Small Spring Classic at the Keith Hills Country Club in Buies Creek March 4-5. The rookie shot 77-75-152 over 36 holes and had the Quakers' low score both days. He shared 25th place in the 82-student field. Guilford finished ninth among 15 teams with a two-day 615. Tournament host Campbell University won the tournament by one shot over Radford. Through 14 rounds this season, Latimer has the Quakers' fourth-lowest stroke average (75.86), tops among freshmen. Coach Jack Jensen's Quakers are ranked second in the current Golfstat Division III ratings and fourth in the Golf World/Nike Golf Coaches Poll.

Strong averaged 46.5 points and 15 rebounds in Guilford's two NCAA Division III Tournament games in Virginia Beach, Va. last weekend. He scored a Division III Tournament-record 59 points and grabbed 17 boards in the Quakers' 129-128 sectional semifinal victory over Lincoln March 9. Strong made 20-of-27 field goals and 19-of-22 free throws in setting school and league scoring records. The 6-11 center tallied the decisive point on a free throw with 12.2 seconds left in the third overtime, which he forced by making a 17-foot jumper with 2.8 seconds left in the second extra frame. Less than 24 hours later, Strong totalled 34 points and 13 rebounds, both game highs, in Guilford's 81-71 loss to Virginia Wesleyan in the national quarterfinals. The 2006-07 ODAC Player of the Year, Strong averaged 25.4 points and 11.4 rebounds per game for coach Tom Palombo's 24-5 Quakers.

Guilford's SAAC is comprised of representatives from each of the school's 16 varsity teams. The group meets regularly to discuss the state of Guilford Athletics and seeks to build community among student-athletes and non-student-athletes on the campus. Past Guilford SAAC activities include a canned-food drive to benefit local charities and dodgeball competitions among representatives from Guilford's administration and athletic teams.