Here’s some good news for Bates College alums and those associated with that Lewiston institution.

Bates volleyball coach Marsha Graef has, once again, received dual postseason honors.

Graef has been named the New England Division III Coach of the Year and the Maine State Coach of the Year, according to the Bates College News Bureau.

Both awards come from balloting by member coaches.

The New England honor is Graef’s third, with previous honors coming at the conclusion of the 1987 and 1989 seasons. She was previously named state coach of the year in 1989.

Under her direction, Bates finished the 1992 season with a record of 33-4. That included a second-place finish in the Eastern College Athletic Conference championship, and wins in both the New England Small College Athletic Conference championship and the Maine Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women championship.

The Bobcats maintained their No. 1 ranking in the New England Division III poll throughout the season and won six of the seven tournaments they entered.

Graef’s career record since arriving at Bates is 270-41.

To say that Graef’s college volleyball team is the best in the state will go unchallenged: Bates has won eight consecutive state titles since Graef’s coaching debut in 1985.

Her teams have won two ECAC-North championships and three NESCAC titles along with several regional runnerup finishes.

Do something right and, more often than not, it will go unacknowledged.

Do something wrong, however, and everybody brings it to your attention.

That is why, this morning, I’d like to thank the Eastern Maine girls basketball coaches who have so ably and promptly returned the NEWS roster forms that were mailed to them last month.

The Class B, C, and D coaches have done their homework for us, with 12 of the 15 Class B rosters here, 13 of the 18 Class C rosters in hand, and 17 of 19 Class D rosters on the desk.

And the Class A coaches, whose teams try out and start their seasons later than the rest, have also been prompt. We have 11 of the 17 in that class.

Generally, at this time of year, the forms have been much slower coming back to us, and we’re pleading for their return.

This year, the opposite is true, and for that we thank the coaches. Your effort is an essential ingredient in our effort to provide your high school basketball team with proper coverage.

Your attention to our request lets us know when and whom your team is playing. It also provides us information on your players, including the correct spelling of their names, which is an essential ingredient of any story.

We appreciate your help.