ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio University Men's Golf teams earned several individual honors in the wake of an outstanding 2002 season.

Head Coach Bob Cooley was named MAC Coach of the Year and senior Erik Herberth became the first-ever Bobcat to qualify for an NCAA Regional. He will play in the NCAA Central Regional in Little Rock, Ark., May 16-18.

The Bobcats recorded a second-place finish during this year's Mid-American Conference Championship at the Medallion Club in Westerville, Ohio. Their total of 1174 strokes during the four-round tournament was three strokes better than third-place Kent State and 25 behind first-place Toledo. The Bobcats' finish was sparked by the outstanding play of junior Jeff Chadwell and Herberth, who recorded fourth- and seventh-place finishes, respectively.

Herberth also was named first-team All-MAC, making him the first Bobcat since Michael Walker in 1993 to accomplish the feat.

Cooley says he knew all along that his team was special.

"I told people all year that this was my best team because we had great depth, leadership and talent," he explained. "Going into the MAC Tournament, I felt we could finish anywhere between second and seventh, so we did as well as expected."

After winning the Kermit Blosser MAC Coach of the Year award, named after his former Ohio University golf coach and current officemate, Cooley says, "It is a wonderful feeling to receive an award voted on by your peers and having Kermit present it to me made it all the more special."