Levins siblings two of a different kind
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Middlebury College junior Jimmy Levins hits a bunker shot at Ralph Myhre Golf Course, the home of golf at the school. Jimmy Levins and sister Keely Levins are Rutland High School graduates who golf and ski for the Panthers programs. TRENT CAMPBELL PHOTOGRAPH |
Toolbox
By Tom Haley STAFF WRITER - Published: October 2, 2009
MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury College women's golf coach Bill Mandigo is amazed by freshman Keely Levins' mental approach to the game.
"If she hits a bad shot, she just moves on. I'm sure it bothers her, but she's just able to put it somewhere else," Mandigo said.
It's his course management skills that strike Middlebury men's golf coach Bill Beaney about junior Jimmy Levins. It is something that has improved since he landed on the campus.
"He has much greater awareness in terms of course management. He knows how to be his own best coach," Beaney said.
The siblings are the Panthers' top golfers. Keely led the team at all three tournaments: the Mount Holyoke Invitational, the Dartmouth Invitational and the St. Lawrence Invitational, where she placed second in the field of 43. She was fifth out of 80 in the field at Mount Holyoke and 40th of 107 in the Dartmouth field.
Jimmy was the No. 1 Panther at the Duke Nelson Invitational and the St. Lawrence Invitational. His best performance was at the Duke Nelson where he was fifth in a field of 105, applying his local knowledge on the home course.
Jimmy had success at Ralph Myhre as a Rutland High School golfer as the state tournaments are held there.
"I played pretty well at the States on the back nine in my senior year," he said. "I look forward to the back nine as a challenge, although a lot of people dread it."
That back nine plays about two strokes harder than the front. It was built pretty much around the perimeter of the original nine, making for tough rounds for anyone hitting their tee shots offline to the right.
"It requires you to hit a lot of different tee shots and to be very precise," Jimmy said.
But the course is not the biggest challenge for the Levins. It is juggling the arduous academic curriculum at Middlebury with both golf and cross country skiing. The fall is especially testing with the first-semester classes, competitive golf and the dry land training necessary to prepare for the upcoming ski season.
"It is important to prioritize your time. You have to manage your time effectively," Jimmy said. "And you really have to focus on what you are doing at the time."
"If we have an hour between classes, we can't go on the Internet. We have to study. Every minute counts," Keely said.
Keely has not declared a major, but believes she will be an English major with a minor in art history.
"I want to be a writer," she said.
Jimmy is majoring in biochemistry and said he will probably go to med school.
The high level golf and skiing as well as the academics was the pull toward Middlebury for Jimmy and Keely.
Keely's final two choices were Williams and Middlebury.
"I did an overnight at Middlebury and something about Middlebury clicked," she said. "I could see myself spending four years here.
"The atmosphere is great. Middlebury is a great size and everyone here seems to be on a very broad scale. They have a very global view."
"I wanted a school that would let me both ski and golf and be academically challenging for me," Jimmy said.
"I applied to Dartmouth and was deferred. I started to look at Middlebury a bit more and found it a great fit for me."
"You couldn't have two more opposite kids," Mandigo said.
"Keely is fun and energetic and Jimmy is quiet."
The contrast does not end there. They also differ in which of the sports they favor.
"Skiing is still my favorite, but golf is growing on me," Keely said. "I never took golf seriously until high school."
"I always liked golf more than skiing," Jimmy said.
Despite listing skiing as her favorite, the coaches think Keely can be very good on the golf course, possibly having a future beyond collegiate golf if she is so inclined.
"I think Keely has a chance to be very good," Beaney said.
"At tournaments, coaches come up to me and tell me what a beautiful swing she has," Mandigo said.
While there are differences, there is a common denominator. The coaches can't believe what great kids have come their way from 35 miles down the road.
"They are as fine of young people as I have ever coached," said Beaney, the veteran golf and men's hockey coach. "They are hard working, independent and caring."
The siblings have been involved in both sports since moving from Elmira, N.Y., to Rutland at a very young age. There was always the Bill Koch Ski program at Mountain Top in Chittenden.
They both give their mother Mary Anne, who is very involved in youth golf, plenty of credit for their development in that sport.
"Mom has been instrumental in both of our games," Jimmy said.
"Mom has been a big influence," said Keely.
Keely credits three-time Olympian Dorcas Wonsavage with being "a huge inspiration" to her in cross country skiing.
Soon the golf season will give way to the cross country ski campaign. Ralph Myhre will be covered with snow and the Rikert Ski Touring Center will become their practice facility.
And through the transition, Jimmy and Keely Levins will be hitting the books and managing their grueling regimen just fine.
It's who they are.
tom.haley@rutlandherald.com
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