Daly Named NMT Rugby Player of the Year

Right: Dave Wheelock presents Wright Trophy to Seth Daly. Photo courtesy Thom Guengerich of the Mountain Mail.

SOCORRO, N.M., April 30, 2007 – Graduating biology senior Seth Daly has been named Player of the Year by his New Mexico Tech Rugby Club teammates for the 2006-2007 term. Daly, a graduate of Los Alamos High School, becomes the fourth recipient of the Jeremiah Wright Memorial Trophy, named in honor of the New Mexico Tech rugby captain who died in a traffic accident in September 2002. For the second consecutive year Daly also captured the titles of Best Defender and Most Valuable Back.

Other Tech rugby players recognized include:

• Rising Star (outstanding rookie) - Nick Falcone
• Most valuable forward - Steven Graves (outstanding rookie last year)
• Outstanding attacker - Matt Nelson
• Most improved - Justin Guthrie

Three club members will graduate on May 12: Daly, Sage La Torra, and Tom Dotson. Graduating in December 2006 were Taylor Dotson and Theo Hosemann.

Earlier recipients of the Jeremiah Wright Memorial Trophy were Mark Kelly (2004), Robert Harrison (2005), and Phil Turner (2006)

Seth Daly began playing rugby with the Los Alamos Youth Rugby Club under the tutelage of Kane Fisher. He started his New Mexico Tech career at the fly half position, then moved to scrum half before returning to the number 10 position for the past two years. Daly, who plans on working in Socorro for a period before seeking a higher degree, says he will "definitely" continue his rugby career.

New Mexico Tech's rugby club will field a seven-man team in the Rio Grande Rugby Union Sevens Tournament May 21 at St. Pius Field in Albuquerque before adjourning for the summer. Fall training sessions begin Tuesday, August 21.

-NMT-