05/15/01
Men's Basketball - Junior college point guard Terrell Ross, a player that MSU was recruiting, chose Texas over MSU and Maryland.
To see MSU's final fall and spring signees list, click this link.
05/03/01
Men's Basketball - Michal Ignerski, a third-team all-America junior college standout from Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton, Okla., has signed a national letter-of-intent with Mississippi State University, as announced Wednesday by MSU head basketball coach Rick Stansbury.
Ignerski, a 6-10, 225-pound forward, averaged a team-leading 17.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game this past season as a repeat first-team all-region and all-conference selection. As a sophomore, he also shot 52 percent from the field overall, 47 percent from beyond the three-point arc and 78 percent from the free- throw line in helping lead coach Jimmy Voight's EOSC Mountaineers to a 23-8 overall record and runner-up finish in the 2001 NJCAA Region II Tournament.
With career-high scoring efforts of 29 points versus Labette Community College and 28 points against North Arkansas Community College coming this past year, Ignerski was recently awarded Eastern Oklahoma's outstanding athlete honor as the 2000-2001 team MVP of the Mountaineer basketball program.
A native of Lublin, Poland and a member of the 22-Under Polish National Team, Ignerski began his collegiate career under Voight's guidance at Bacone Junior College in Muskogee, Okla. As a freshman, Ignerski averaged 14.7 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per contest en route to garnering all-Region II and all-Bi-State Conference first-team honors during the 1999-2000 campaign. Along with shooting 46 percent from the field overall, 36 percent from the three-point line and 76 percent from the charity stripe as a collegiate rookie, Ignerski helped pace the BJC Warriors to a 24-9 overall mark and second-place showing at the 2000 NJCAA Region II Tournament.
Ignerski joins previously announced MSU fall men's basketball signees Marcus Campbell (7-1, 250, center, Westover High School, Albany, Ga.); Winsome Frazier (6-5, 180, guard/forward, Northwestern High School, Miami, Fla.); and Wesley Morgan (7-2, 230, center, Gallatin High School, Gallatin, Tenn.).
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
05/01/01
Women's Sports - Mississippi State University's female athletes were honored at a Women's Athletic Awards banquet held in the Bryan Athletic Administration Building Monday night.
Dr. Walt Newsom presented the Newsom Award to the athlete in each sport who carried the highest grade point average. The following athletes received the Newsom Award this year: Meadow Overstreet (Basketball), Kathryn Longmire (Cross Country), Anna Gertsson (Golf), Annemarie Pimentel (Soccer), Anna Joyce Lott (Softball), Linda Mattson (Tennis), Ann Marie Anderson (Track) and Michele Gordon (Volleyball).
Assistant athletic director Ray Berryhill presented a special award to former soccer standout Pimentel for her extreme dedication to community service above and beyond the call of duty. Pimentel, who helped lead the Bulldogs to their best finish in three years this past season, has exemplified the student-athlete, maintaining strong work ethic on the field and in the classroom. She has also served a tenure as M-Club president. The M-Club is a community service organization open to letterwinners in both men's and women's sports at Mississippi State University.
The head coaches from each sport introduced their teams and presented a Coaches' Award to an athlete in their respective programs.
For the second-straight year, volleyball head coach Brenda Bowlin awarded Brianne Smedley the honor. The senior middle blocker from Arlington, Texas, earned her third letter in 1999 and captured second team all-conference honors at season's end. She set a school record with a .345 hitting percentage and helped lead Mississippi State to a 16-14 record. She also finished fourth in career hitting percentage (.274), block solos (63) and block assists (256). The three-time SEC volleyball academic honor roll selection registered the school's second triple-double (23 kills, 13 digs, 11 blocks) in MSU's season-ending win at Auburn.
Neil McGuire, who will be entering his second season as Mississippi State's women's soccer coach in the Fall, presented his honor to senior Beth Dreher. Voted captain by her teammates prior to the 2000 campaign, Dreher played and started in all 20 games for Mississippi State and was instrumental in first-time victories over Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee. She scored seven points on two goals and three assists, including a penalty kick goal that vaulted the Bulldogs to a 2-1 defeat of the Gamecocks in Starkville. Dreher was also the team's minutes leader, recording more than 1,706 minutes of playing time.
Assistant women's basketball coach Sharon Allen filled in for head coach Sharon Fanning who was in Chattanooga, Tenn., with her mother who suffered a stroke last week. Allen presented senior Cynthia Hall with the women's basketball coaches' award, briefly describing Hall's work ethic over the years. Hall, who switched from shooting guard to point guard this season, set school records for career games played (120) and career three-pointers (147), while leading the team in assists (105).
Mississippi State head track and field coach Al Schmidt awarded the Coaches' Award for cross country to sophomore Joey Hansen. The Mauston, Wis., native led the Bulldogs in all six meets she ran in this season. Hansen finished 30th at the NCAA South Regional to help MSU to a ninth-place team finish, the squad's highest NCAA regional finish since 1990. She also placed 18th at the SEC Championship to lead State to its best SEC finish since 1991, third place.
Elisha Williams garnered the Coaches' Award for track and field. Heading into the May 10-13 SEC Outdoor Championships in Columbia, S.C., the NCAA indoor runner-up in the long jump has won seven times this year and has finished in the top three in 13 meets she has competed in this year. The Milton, Fla., native currently holds the top long jump in the nation and ranks in the top five in the world with her 21-7 1/4 leap claimed at the Texas Relays.
State head golf coach Christi Sanders presented her honor to Lina Thoren. Thoren finished her senior year with a 76.51 stroke average and four top-20 finishes, including a season-opening win at the Derby Invitational. She shot four rounds of even par or better and posted a winning record against every MSU player over the course of the season. Thoren's other career tournament victory came during her junior season at the Lady Seminole Invitational. She never missed a round of action during her MSU career, competing in every tournament during her stint in Starkville.
Softball coach Kathy Arendsen and tennis coach Tracy Lane each spoke about their respective teams but Coaches' Awards were not given out as the teams are still competing this season.
The track and field teams have as many as three meets left for some individuals; however, the only team event left is the SEC Championship held May 10-13, in Columbia, S.C. Softball completed its 2001 regular season with a sweep of visiting Arkansas this past weekend, but will head to Chattanooga, May 10-13, for the 2001 SEC Softball Tournament to be held at Jim Frost Stadium. State will represent the SEC West as the tournament's fourth seed with an opponent still yet to be determined.
The NCAA Tournament field for tennis will be announced May 3. MSU's women's tennis team is expected to make its third appearance in as many years when the NCAA Regionals take place May 12-13. Sanders' golf squad was not listed among the 2001 NCAA Regional field announced Monday afternoon.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department