05/31/00
Soccer - Mississippi State University women's soccer head coach Neil McGuire announced Tuesday the signing of the 11th of 15 expected spring signees when Belgian national team member Elke D'Hollander inked her name to a national letter of intent to play at Mississippi State.

Elke is a tremendous addition to our young squad," McGuire said. "She will provide us a wealth of experience in the center of the midfield. I look for her to control the tempo of our games. Being highly skilled, vocal and an accurate distributor of the ball, Elke will be an integral part of what Mississippi State hopes to achieve. We are looking forward to seeing her in an MSU uniform.

A native of the European country of Belgium, Elke played every year of her prep career at K.A. III Voskenslaan Ghent before making her first appearance with the national squad. D'Hollander has a total of 15 caps for the national team, including eight with the club this season. She scored one goal earlier this year in a qualifying match against Greece and has collected numerous assists.

Belgium has currently finished B-Group play at the European Championships and will face Switzerland in August for a chance to advance to A-Group play.

As a member of the R.S.C. Anderlecht club organization under coach Paulis Lucien, Elke' was instrumental in leading her team to a 22-7-3 record and the 1997 Supercup, 1998 Cup and 1999 Cup championships.

Born Elke Gabrielle Rebecca D'Hollander on December 18, 1978 in Ghent, she is the daughter of Werner D'Hollander and Marina Gandorias. Elke also has a younger brother, Sven.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/28/00
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's doubles team of Marco Baron and Charles Sevigny was eliminated from action at the NCAA Doubles Championship Saturday afternoon at Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex, as the 12th-ranked Bulldog pair dropped a heart-breaking 6-7(4), 7-5, 7-5 decision to Duke's fifth-ranked duo of Doug Root and Ramsey Smith.

With the loss, Baron and Sevigny ended a remarkable year with a 25-9 overall record. During the dual match season, they went 14-5 in helping MSU back to the NCAA Championship for the 10th year in a row. In addition to reaching the quarters this week at the NCAAs, the tandem also won the consolation crown of the All-American Hardcourt Championship, the second leg of the Collegiate Grand Slam, in October.

By reaching the NCAA quarterfinals, Baron and Sevigny earned all-America status in doubles for 2000. It marks the junior Baron's third all-America honor, having twice been named a singles all-American. Sevigny, who becomes State's 16th all-American in men's tennis, earned the doubles honor in his first season as a collegian.

Baron and Sevigny were also the fifth MSU doubles duo ever to reach the NCAA quarters and the first since the 1994 campaign, when fellow all-Americans Laurent Miquelard and Joc Simmons claimed the national championship at the University of Notre Dame.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/27/00
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's doubles team of Marco Baron and Charles Sevigny has advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship after a round of 16 win Friday at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Center.

Baron and Sevigny, ranked 12th nationally in doubles, upset LSU's ninth-ranked duo of Michal Chmela and Dan Kiernan, a 5-8 seed, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 Friday afternoon. After taking the first set, 6-4, LSU suffered an unfortunate break in the first game of the second when Chmela twisted his left ankle chasing a forehand shot from Sevigny. Chmela continued play, but the injury took its toll from that point forward and the Bulldogs were able to stay focused and pull out the victory.

The MSU tandem will meet Duke's fifth-ranked team of Doug Root and Ramsey Smith Saturday in the quarterfinals at Noon ET. Should they win that match, they would play again in the semifinals Saturday afternoon.

By reaching the NCAA quarterfinals, Baron and Sevigny have earned all-America status in doubles for 2000. It marks the junior Baron's third all-America honor, having twice been named a singles all-American. Sevigny earns the doubles honor in his first season as a collegian.

Baron and Sevigny are also the fifth MSU doubles duo ever to reach the NCAA quarters and the first since the 1994 campaign, when fellow all-Americans Laurent Miquelard and Joc Simmons claimed the national championship at the University of Notre Dame.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/26/00
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State went 1-1 again Thursday in the NCAA Individual Championships at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex, as the MSU doubles team of Marco Baron and Charles Sevigny was victorious in the first round of doubles action and Baron was upset in second-round singles competition.

Baron and Sevigny, ranked 12th nationally in doubles, won a three-set match against Illinois' 23rd-ranked duo of Jeff Laski and Jamal Parker late Thursday afternoon. The State duo was down 3-1 in the first set when rainforced all matches at the NCAAs indoors. The move must have sparked the State team as it won five-straight games to take the first set 6-3.

Illinois evened things in the second, riding an early service break to an identical 6-3 score. But Baron and Sevigny broke early in the third and went on for a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win to advance to Friday's round of 16.

There, State's pair will meet the winner of the match between LSU's ninth-ranked duo of Michal Chmela and Dan Kiernan and the 19th-ranked Virginia Commonwealth tandem of Daniel Andersson and Frank Moser not before 12 p.m. ET on Friday. The LSU-VCU match was still in progress late Thursday night due to the rain delays.

Earlier in the day in singles, Baron, ranked sixth nationally and the tournament's No. 8 seed, was upset by Duke's 48th-ranked Andres Pedroso in a marathon three-hour, 21-minute match during Thursday's second round. Pedroso took the opening set in a 7-4 tiebreaker. Baron evened things in the second, breaking the Duke junior at 6-5 to take the set 7-5.

In the third, the players traded service breaks in the fifth and sixth games. Leading 4-3, on-serve, Baron had three break points but could not convert on any of them. After that hold, Pedroso then broke Baron to take a 5-4 lead and serve out the match 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4. The loss broke a 10-match winning streak for the MSU junior. He finished the year 28-8 overall in singles.

"Kristen comes to us after a successful club career with Jackson Football Club in Mississippi," McGuire said. "She is a quick and simple soccer player that will compete in a number of different positions for us. It will be good to have her here with us."

A four-year letterwinner since the team's induction in 1996, Selman played and started in every match last season for Jackson Prep and coach Joel Carver. After putting together a 46-point senior campaign on the shoulders of 15 goals and 16 assists, Kristen garnered MPSA All-State honors, team MVP honors and Jackson Prep's 2000 Scholar Athlete award.

Following her junior campaign, in which Selman played and started in every match, scoring 17 goals and collecting 11 assists, she was awarded with MPSA All-State team honors, as well as being named her team's "Best Offensive Player."

As a player for the Jackson F.C. club organization and coach Dave Dixon, Selman was an eight-year starter, helping to lead her team to the Mississippi state championship and USYSA Southeastern Regional Tournament five times. She has also participated in the Mississippi state olympic development program for three consecutive years.

A two-sport athlete at Jackson Prep, where she also plays tennis and was voted "Most Athletic Senior Girl," Selman currently maintains a 3.7 grade point average and ranks 26th in her class of 128. She is a member of the National Junior Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and appeared in "Who's Who Among American High School Students." She will graduate Magna Cum Laude later this month.

Born Kristen Ashley Selman in Flowood, Miss., on November 18, 1981, she is the daughter of John and Valerie Selman. Kristen has a younger sister, Laurie, and a younger brother, Ryan.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/25/00
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State went 1-1 in its first-round competition at the NCAA Singles Championships Wednesday at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex, as junior Marco Baron triumphed and senior Jeremy Bayon fell in their respective matches.

Baron, ranked sixth nationally and the tournament's No. 8 seed, held off Boise State's 29th-ranked Leif Meinike 6-1, 7-5 in Wednesday's first round, breaking him at 5-5 in the second set to go on to victory.

The two-time, all-American Bulldog, who has now won 10-straight singles matches dating back to March 30, will meet Duke's 48th-ranked Andres Pedroso Thursday in the second round at 9 a.m. ET. The players have never met.

Bayon, ranked 52nd in the country, dropped a 6-2, 6-3 decision to Arkansas' 19th-ranked Oskar Johansson Wednesday. Johansson, who did not lose his serve in the match, broke Bayon twice in each set for the win. The MSU senior ended his remarkable MSU career with an 88-51 overall singles record and played on four of State's NCAA teams, including the 1998 national semifinalist squad.

In addition to the second round of NCAA singles competition Thursday, the NCAA Doubles Championships will get underway as well. Baron and partner Charles Sevigny, ranked 12th nationally, will meet Illinois' 23rd-ranked tandem of Jeff Laski and Jamal Parker in the first round at 4 p.m. ET.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

"Mary Fisher will add athleticism and a competitive drive to our program," McGuire said. "We look to see her compete in several positions. We look forward to her being here in the fall."

As Pillow Academy's captain, Patterson played and started in 12 matches for the Mustangs and coach Bob Champion during her senior campaign, scoring 29 points on 11 goals and seven assists. Following the completion of the season, in which Pillow Academy finished as the North MPSA champion and the State MPSA runner-up, she garnered All-MPSA State honors and captured her team's "Thoroughbred Award" for hustle, desire and leadership.

During her sophomore season, Patterson played in 17 matches, starting in 12, and scored 25 points on 10 goals and five assists. She earned her team's MVP award and was also an All-State selection as Pillow Academy advanced to the MPSA State Championship.

A seven-sport athlete at Pillow Academy, Patterson has also lettered in fastpitch and slowpitch softball, as well as cross country, track, basketball, tennis and cheerleading. During this past season, she garnered MPSA All-Star honors as a member of the Mustangs' girls' basketball team, as well as All-North AAAA conference and All-Tournament team honors.

Born Mary Fisher Patterson on October 6, 1981 in Greenwood, Miss., she is the daughter of Clark and Pam Patterson. Mary Fisher has an older brother, Chism Clark, and a younger brother, John Craig.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/24/00
Track and Field - I talked to head coach Al Schmidt yesterday about freshman sprinter sensation Pierre Browne.

As you may or may not know, Pierre placed 4th (10.24) in the 100-meters and 3rd (20.49) in the 200-meters at the SEC Outdoor Championship.

According to Trackwire.com (a great site, btw), Pierre's times in the 100-meters and 200-meters were the 19th and 9th best in college this season. Trackwire.com called Pierre MSU's super frosh. When I asked how good Pierre is Coach Schmidt said, "the kid is a star." He also mentioned that Trackwire.com called Pierre "the top freshman sprinter in the nation."

Coach Schmidt said that Pierre was in lane 9 during the 100-meters and didn't know where everybody else was until he got on the straight-away, then he turned on the after-burners to run his 10.24.

Coach Schmidt also mentioned that senior high jumper Rod Newton scored a major upset at the SEC Outdoor Championship when he out high-jumped favorite Kenny Evans of Arkansas to win the event. Rod's jump is the 4th best in college this season, according to Trackwire.com.

05/24/00
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State men's tennis standouts Marco Baron and Jeremy Bayon learned Tuesday who they will face in first-round action of the 2000 NCAA Singles Championship, which begins Wednesday at the University of Georgia. The event annually features 64 of the nation's top collegians.

Baron, ranked sixth nationally and the tournament's No. 8 seed, will take on Boise State's 29th-ranked Leif Meinike at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. The two players have never met.

A junior from Nantes, France, Baron carries a 27-7 overall record into the event and has won nine-straight singles contests, six over players in the country top 40. As a top 16 seed, Baron has also earned all-America status in singles for the second year in a row.

Bayon, ranked 52nd, will meet Arkansas' 19th-ranked Oskar Johansson in Wednesday's first round at 12:30 p.m. The two players have never met.

A senior from St. Etienne, France, Bayon is 22-16 this season and has won seven of his last eight matches.

In doubles, Baron and partner Charles Sevigny will open play in the 32-team NCAA Doubles Championship Thursday. The 12th-ranked Bulldog tandem will meet Illinois' 23rd-ranked duo of Jeff Laski and Jamal Parker at a time to be determined on Wednesday. The teams have never met.

MSU IN THE 2000 NCAA MEN'S TENNIS INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Singles (First Round) -- Wednesday, May 24, 2000
#52 Jeremy Bayon (MSU) vs. #19 Oskar Johansson (Arkansas) - 12:30 p.m.
#6 Marco Baron (MSU) vs. #29 Leif Meinike (Boise State) - 3:30 p.m.

Doubles (First Round) -- Thursday, May 25, 2000
#12 Baron/Charles Sevigny (MSU) vs. #23 Jeff Laski/Jamal Parker (Illinois) - Time TBA

Current national rankings precede team names. All times Eastern.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

"Crystal will come into our program and compete as an outside midfielder," McGuire said. "We are looking to have her develop within our system and give our offense some different options."

A four-year letterwinner at Redmond High School in Redmond, Wash., Crystal played and started in all 12 matches for the Mustangs during her senior campaign, tallying 10 points on three goals and four assists. Following the 1999 season, in which Redmond turned in a 9-4-1 record, Christensen was named a 4A All-King County selection and earned her school's athletic academic honors.

The previous season, Crystal missed starting in just two of 14 matches that the Mustangs played in en route to a 7-5-2 record. Christensen turned in a 13-point campaign as a junior, scoring five goals while collecting three assists. A three-sport athlete at Redmond, she has also lettered once in both tennis and track and field.

As a member of the F.C. Elite club organization under coach Jimmy Gabriel, Christensen played in all 28 matches for her club team last season, scoring 12 goals and 16 assists, in helping to lead F.C. Elite to a 23-6-2 record and a runner-up finish at the state tournament. Christensen is also a participant in the Washington state Olympic Development Program.

Born Crystal Jean Christensen on May 4, 1982 in Portland, Ore., she is the daughter of Jim and Marla Christensen. She has two younger sisters, Ronda and Angela.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/23/00 - Former MSU tennis player Billy Pate, who is the head coach of Georgia Perimeter College in Atlanta, led his team to their third straight national championship. There are six flights of singles and three flights of doubles. Three of his singles players won their flights, while the other three finished second. All three double teams won their flights. One more thing; his junior college team was ranked in the top 100 of all colleges. This ranking includes Division I schools.

05/23/00
Men's Teams - Mississippi State standout student-athletes Marco Baron and Michael Trailov have been named to the 2000 GTE/CoSIDA District VI Men's Spring At-Large Academic Team, released Monday.

Baron, a junior on State's men's tennis team, was selected to the district's first team. A native of Nantes, France, he holds a 3.84 grade point average in international business. As a first-team selection in the district, Baron will be placed on the ballot for the GTE/CoSIDA All-America Academic Team, which will be released June 13.

The 1999 all-American, who will be competing in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships beginning Wednesday in Athens, Ga., is 27-7 overall in singles this season, 25-8 in doubles. Currently ranked sixth nationally in singles and 12th in doubles with partner Charles Sevigny, he helped lead State to its 10th-consecutive NCAA appearance as a team this season.

Trailov is one of four seniors on the Bulldog golf team, which will open competition in the NCAA Championships in Opelika, Ala., next Wednesday. The Franklin, Tenn., native has played the No. 5 position for the Bulldogs the majority of the season and carries a 3.66 GPA in Banking and Finance.

Named to the district's second team, Trailov is the only MSU golfer to ever be named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll four times. Last season, he was named academic all-America by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

"We are excited to have Sam become part of our program," McGuire said. "As with all of our signees, we look forward to seeing her develop into the best player that she can be. She is a great addition to our squad."

A four-year letterwinner at LaCueva High School, the same prep school as fellow MSU signee Jocelyn McNeely, Schwenke played and started in all 22 matches during her senior campaign, tallying 24 points on seven goals and 10 assists. Following a season in which the Bears turned in a 16-2-2 record, Schwenke garnered her team's "Hardest Worker" award while also collecting Second Team All-District honors at her midfield position.

As a junior at LaCueva, Schwenke played in all 22 matches for the Bears, starting in 17, and tallied three points on a goal and an assist. She played a key reserve role in La Cueva's run to a 19-3 record and the 1998 New Mexico State Championship. In addition to her prep soccer duties, Schwenke was a three-time letterwinner in track and field and helped the Bears to runner-up finishes at both the 1996 and 1998 New Mexico State Championships.

As a member of the Rio F.C. club organization under coach Peter Clinch, Sam played in all 35 matches, tallying 28 points on seven goals and 14 assists. This past season, she helped lead her team to a 30-3-2 record, a Orange Bowl Classic championship and its seventh consecutive state championship.

Born Samantha Corene Schwenke on June 22, 1982 in Menomonee Falls, Wis., she is the daughter of Jon and Margo Schwenke. She has an older sister, Amanda, and a younger brother, Zachary.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/15/00
Men's Tennis - Close, but not quite. That was the story behind Mississippi State's men¹s tennis team's bid to advance to the NCAA Championship's round of 16 for the 10th-straight year Sunday, as the 24th-ranked Bulldogs dropped a 4-2 decision at fifth-ranked Baylor after a furious rally effort in singles play.

With the loss, MSU ended the 2000 season at 12-8 overall. Baylor improved to 23-5. State registered its 13th-straight winning season this year and is one of only nine teams in the country to have made the NCAA field in each of the last 10 years.

Baylor took the opening doubles point in the match to gain the early advantage and it would prove to be a big point on the day. After the teams split 8-4 decisions at the No. 2 and 3 positions, Baylor's eighth-ranked duo of David Hodge and Mark Williams broke 12th-ranked Bulldogs Marco Baron and Charles Sevigny at 6-6 to win 8-6 at No. 1.

In singles, Baylor also took the advantage, winning four first sets to spark a 3-0 lead in the match. Bear Zoltan Papp, ranked 81st nationally, downed MSU's Jerome Le Belicard 6-4, 6-3 at the No. 4 position and BU's Pawel Gajdzik bested State's David Ruiz 6-2, 6-4 at No. 3.

MSU trimmed the lead to 3-2 with victories at the No. 1 and 5 spots. Junior all-American Marco Baron won his ninth-straight match in ousting 21st-ranked Bear Johann Jooste 6-4, 6-3 at No. 1. State freshman René-Charles Combette registered MSU's other point, holding off BU's Johannes Michalsky 7-5, 6-3 at No. 5.

While those two matches were finishing, Bulldogs Jeremy Bayon and Charles Sevigny were making comeback efforts at Nos. 2 and 6, respectively, each having dropped the first set. Both Bulldogs won 6-2 in the second frame to even things in a put MSU into a position to win the match.

Things got very tight as each third set progressed, but Baylor would get the break it needed from junior Mark Williams, who broke the freshman Sevigny at 3-3 in the third and go on and take a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 victory to claim the team win for Baylor. That victory was big as Bayon, ranked 52nd in the country, had taking a 6-7(3), 6-2, 4-2 lead on 100th-ranked Bear David Hodge in the last match on the court.

"Well, we did not make it back to the round of 16 which was certainly one of our goals and we are disappointed in that," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "But it had to happen, this is the best way I can think of it doing so. We lost a very close match to a definite national championship contender on their home court with four seniors in their lineup to our one, and that gives us a lot of promise for the future.

"I am extremely proud of the effort our guys gave today. They really could have given in after we lost the doubles, but they didn't¹t. Nor did they do it when we got down four sets in singles. They gave everything they had and that's all I can ask of them."

The season is not completely over for three of the Bulldog netters. Baron and Bayon will be competing in the 64-player NCAA Singles Championship, while Baron and Sevigny will pair to play in the 32-team NCAA Doubles Championship. Those tournaments will be held May 24-28 in Athens, Ga.

#5 BAYLOR 4, #24 MISSISSIPPI STATE 2

DOUBLES--#8 David Hodge/Mark Williams (BU) def. #12 Marco Baron/Charles Sevigny (MSU) 8-6; Jeremy Bayon/René-Charles Combette (MSU) def. #40 Pawel Gajdzik/Johann Jooste (BU) 8-4; Johannes Michalsky/Zoltan Papp (BU) def. Jerome Le Belicard/Chris McDonald (MSU) 8-4.

SINGLES-- #6 Baron (MSU) def. #21 Jooste (BU) 6-4, 6-3; #52 Bayon (MSU) vs. #100 Hodge (BU)--suspended; Gajdzik (BU) def. David Ruiz (MSU) 6-2, 6-4; #81 Papp (BU) def. Le Belicard (MSU) 6-4, 6-3; Combette (MSU) def. Michalsky (BU) 7-5, 6-3; Williams (BU) def. Sevigny (MSU) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.

(numbers preceding names are current national rankings)

Senior Alex Rocha, ranked third nationally by Golfweek, stumbled in the final round with a 4-over 74. The Sao Paulo, Brazil, native, who entered Sunday's final 18 in a second-place tie, slipped to 2-over 212 on the weekend and finished fifth. Still, the Southeastern Conference Golfer of the Year posted his conference-best ninth top-five finish and his conference-best 11th top-20 finish of the year.

Charles Howell of Oklahoma State fired an even-par 70 in the final round to capture the individual title with a three-round total of 206. David Gossett of Texas was the only other golfer below par for the weekend with a 1-under 209. Andy Sanders of Houston and Kevin Stadler of Southern California tied for third at 211.

In the team standings, Houston finished three strokes back of Texas at 863. Oklahoma State was third at 866, followed by Georgia and South Carolina at 874.

For just the second time this year, MSU had two golfers finish in the top 10 as senior Ben Smith came in eighth. The London, England, native fired a 74 Sunday and matched John Klauk of Texas and Wade Ormsby of Houston with a 6-over 216 on the weekend. Last month, Rocha and Smith finished first and fourth, respectively, at the Billy Hitchcock Intercollegiate.

John Mueller finished tied for 36th for the Bulldogs with a 224 on the tournament. Codie Mudd finished at 232, while Michael Trailov finished at 235.

This concludes the regular season for MSU. The Bulldogs are not through though; State will play at the NCAA East Regional next weekend. The three-day, 54-hole event begins Thursday at Glen Maura Country Club in Scranton, Pa.

FINAL RESULTS FROM THE PERRY MAXWELL INVITATIONAL

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Texas 288-289-283=860
2. Houston 296-280-287=866
3. Oklahoma State 294-288-284=866
4. Georgia 294-291-289=874
South Carolina 290-291-293=874
6. Mississippi State 297-284-296=877
7. Southern California 297-293-289=879
8. Louisiana-Lafayette 295-292-297=884
9. Oklahoma 299-290-296=885
10. Oklahoma #2 302-297-297=896
11. Oklahoma #3 305-293-301=899
12. Texas A&M 301-305-304=910
Southern Methodist 310-292-308=910
14. Tennessee 320-295-300=915
15. Oklahoma City 319-312-302=933

INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS (MSU ONLY)
5. Alex Rocha 71-67-74=212 (+2)
t8. Ben Smith 73-69-74=216 (+6)
t36. John Mueller 81-73-70=224 (+14)
t65. Codie Mudd 76-75-81=232 (+22)
71. Michael Trailov 77-80-78=235 (+25)

Newton claimed his NCAA Championships berth with a school-record jump of 7-4 ½, that also garners the senior a trip to the USA Track and Field Olympic Trials to be held July 14-23 in Sacramento, Calif. The Crossett, Ark., native took top honors in the event claiming 10 points for coach Al Schmidt's Bulldogs. Bettering the MSU mark of 7-3 ¼ set in 1989 by Chuck Ways, Newton becomes the first MSU athlete to claim a first-place SEC Outdoor finish since Jude Monye won the 400 meters in 1995.

"I came out feeling really good today," noted Newton. "The atmosphere was perfect and I thank God I jumped well against some great competition."

After claiming an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in Friday's 200-meter dash preliminaries, Browne earned an NCAA automatic bid with his third-place 20.49 effort in Sunday's finals of the 200 meters. The Toronto, Ontario, Canada, native also bettered his NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the 100-meter dash with a 10.24 clocking and fourth-place finish.

"I was a bit tired after the 100 meters, but I just gave it all the energy I had," said Browne. "I'm finishing my races better, but I'm continuing to work on improving out of the blocks."

Junior Andréa Ingleton claimed the highest individual finish by a Lady Bulldog sprinter since Olympian Falilatu Ogunkoya claimed the 400-meter title in 1990 with a fourth-place finish in Sunday's 400-meter dash. Ingleton, a native of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, finished the event with a new personal best 53.63 clocking.

Continuing the trend of top-five finishes, junior triple jumper Vance Clarke claimed a third-place finish with a leap of 51-9 to rank fourth best in school history and earn eight points for State.

As a team the Bulldogs finished ninth with 28 points, while the Lady Bulldogs placed 12th with 10 points. The University of Arkansas claimed a sweep winning their ninth consecutive outdoor men's conference title and their first for the Lady 'Backs on the women's side.

Coach Schmidt's squad continues the 2000 season in next weekend's Georgia Tech Reebok Invitational. The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships are set for May 31-June 3 in Durham, N.C.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/14/00
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's Jeremy Bayon came up big Saturday for the Bulldog netters, posting a comeback victory to hand 24th-ranked MSU a 4-3 win over 39th-ranked Louisville in first-round action of the NCAA Team Championship.

With the win, State improved to 12-7 overall and 4-0, all-time against Louisville. UL fell to 22-10. State advances to face fifth-ranked host Baylor, a 4-0 winner over Marist College, Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. CT. MSU and Baylor have never met in men's tennis.

Bayon, a senior from St. Etienne, France, dropped his first set to Louisville's Joachim Lien 6-4. But the 52nd-ranked Bulldog would comeback to notch a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory with the match tied 3-3 to give State the win. It was Bayon's seventh singles win in eight contests.

Bayon's heroics were necessary after the Cardinal put the pressure on the Bulldogs early in the match, taking the opening doubles point with 8-5 wins at the No. 2 and 3 positions. State won 8-4 at No. 1. In singles, State would rally, winning the first set in four matches to help set up the team victory.

State actually grabbed a very quick 2-1 lead in singles with straight-set wins at the top and bottom of the lineup. Junior all-American Marco Baron, ranked sixth nationally, won his eighth match in a row ousting Louisville's 91st-ranked Tvrtko Kujundic 6-0, 6-1 at the No. 1 position. At No. 6, State's Charles Sevigny bested the Cardinal's Brent McCombe 7-5, 6-2.

The remaining four contests were very close, featuring three tiebreakers and two three-set matches between them.

Putting MSU up 3-1 in the match was freshman sensation Rene-Charles Combette, who held off UL's Cody Conley 7-6(3), 6-3 at the No. 5 spot. Louisville would start a comeback bid, however, taking the next two matches off the court.

The Cardinal cut the lead to 3-2 when Alex Sivertsen downed MSU's David Ruiz 7-6(5), 6-2 at No. 3, overcoming a 5-2 deficit in the first set. UL's Paulo Carvalho then pulled out a marathon contest with MSU's Jerome Le Belicard at No. 4, winning 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(3). Carvalho overcame a third-set service break and faced a match point before finally taking the victory.

That would leave Bayon on the court to decide the match for State.

"This was a great win for us," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "Louisville has a very good team and they challenged us today. But we responded well in singles and got the job done. Jeremy showed his senior leadership today.

"Now we have to get ready for a very good Baylor team. They have had a great year and beating them on their home court will be tough."

State is looking to continue a very impress streak on Sunday. The Bulldogs are one of only four teams in the country (MSU, Stanford, Georgia and UCLA) to have advanced to the NCAA round of 16 or better in each of the last nine seasons.

#24 MISSISSIPPI STATE 4, #39 LOUISVILLE 3

DOUBLES--#12 Marco Baron/Charles Sevigny (MSU) def. Tvrtko Kujundzic/Joachim Lien (UL) 8-4; Cody Conley/Brent McCombe (UL) def. Jeremy Bayon/RenÇ-Charles Combette (MSU) 8-5; Hazuan Hizan/Alex Sivertsen (UL) def. Jerome Le Belicard/David Ruiz (MSU) 8-5.

SINGLES-- #6 Baron (MSU) def. #91 Kujundzic (UL) 6-0, 6-1; #52 Bayon (MSU) def. Lien (UL) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Sivertsen (UL) def. David Ruiz (MSU) 7-6(5), 6-2; Paulo Carvalho (UL) def. Le Belicard (MSU) 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(3); Combette (MSU) def. Conley (UL) 7-6(3), 6-3; Sevigny (MSU) def. McCombe (UL) 7-5, 6-2.

(numbers preceding names are current national rankings)

Freshman Christina Clausen carded a 76 on Saturday, MSU's lowest round of the day. Gertsson and junior Lina Thoren each fired 78s. Clausen and Thoren both tallied 232s on the weekend, tying for 52nd place. Seniors Sue Phillips and Pia Josefsson shot 81 and 83, respectively.

Duke claimed the team title after beginning the day in sixth place. Lisa Strom of Ohio State and Kari Damron of Purdue tied for the lowest individual score with 216s.

The Lady Bulldogs, in their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Regional, shot a 294 in the second round, the lowest round of the tournament. The post season bid capped the best season in the school's history. The Lady Bulldogs set school records for tournament titles and individual titles, and recorded six of the seven lowest rounds and eight of the lowest ten.

The top 11 teams and three individuals will advance to the NCAA Championships in Sunriver, Ore. Six teams from the Southeastern Conference will advance, along four from the Big Ten and Wake Forest of the Atlantic Coast.

TEAM RESULTS
1. Duke 300-302-295=897
2. Northwestern 299-299-302=900
Purdue 295-301-304=900
4. Tennessee 300-306-296=902
5. LSU 303-298-302=903
6. Michigan State 299-302-305=906
7. Auburn 301-298-308=907
Wake Forest 310-297-300=907
9. Georgia 316-297-301=914
Ohio State 299-316-299=914
11 Florida 300-309-306=915
12. South Florida 309-305-310=924
13. Campbell 311-305-309=925
14. Furman 317-299-310=926
15. Central Florida 299-311-318=928
16. Mississippi State 322-294-313=929
17. North Carolina 300-329-302=931
18. South Carolina 306-314-314=934
19. Indiana 306-319-312=937
20. Penn State 304-319-315=938
21. Vanderbilt 318-304-324=946
22. Kentucky 312-312-322=946
23. Arkansas 323-315-310=948
24. Tulane 317-318-320=955

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
t25. Anna Gertsson 78-71-78=227
t52. Lina Thoren 79-75-78=232
t52. Christina Clausen 82-74-76=232
t101. Pia Josefsson 84-74-83=241
t118. Sue Phillips 83-86-81=250

With the victory, the Lady Bulldogs improve to 11-10 on the season and assure themselves of at least a .500 record on the year for the first time since the 1991 campaign. MSU also posts its most victories since the 1991 squad also went 11-10. Oregon, meanwhile, falls to 8-15 on the season.

MSU will advance to the second round for the second consecutive year in the NCAA Championship Regionals. Last season, the Lady Bulldogs knocked off Washington State 6-0 in the opening round.

Senior Ivana Belancic clinched the triumph for the Lady Bulldogs with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over 73rd-ranked Monika Gieczys at No. 2 singles.

State took control of the match early, winning the first set in all six single matches. Sophomore Carole Soubis was the first Lady Bulldog to exit the courts with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Janice Nyland at No. 3 singles. That victory gives Soubis 25 on singles wins on the year, tying her with Jackie Holden (1985-86) for fifth all-time at MSU.

Shortly thereafter, freshman Claudia Oliveira finished off Adeline Arnaud 6-2, 6-1 at No. 4 singles. Oliveira now has 10 singles wins on the season after not participating during the fall tournament season. MSU now has eight players with at least 10 singles wins for the first time in school history.

Anca Vasiloaica posted her 22nd singles victory of the season at No. 6 as she defeated Valerie Young 6-1, 7-5. Andrea Lord followed with a 6-2, 6-3 triumph over Jeannette Mattsson at No. 5 singles. With the win, Lord extends her school record for single-season singles wins to 31.

The only singles match that was not completed was at No. 1 between MSU's Amelie Detrivere, currently ranked No. 93 nationally, and Alina Wygonowska, ranked No. 76 in singles. Detriviere took the first set 7-6(3), but was trailing 3-2 in the second set when Belancic wrapped up the team victory. The Detriviere-Wygonowska match was suspended at that point.

Mississippi State will now take on host and 11th-ranked Arizona State at 10 a.m. PDT Sunday for a spot in the NCAA Championship Finals. That will be held May 18-23 in Malibu, Calif., on the campus of Pepperdine University. ASU defeated Army 6-0 in the second match of the day to advance to the second round.

#34 MISSISSIPPI STATE 5, #53 OREGON 0

SINGLES -- #93 Amelie Detrivere (MSU) vs. #76 Alina Wygonowska (Oregon) suspended; Ivana Belancic (MSU) def. Monika Gieczys (Oregon) 7-5, 6-1; Carole Soubis (MSU) def. Janice Nyland (Oregon) 6-0, 6-2; Claudia Oliveira (MSU) def. Adeline Arnaud (Oregon) 6-2, 6-1; Andrea Lord (MSU) def. Jeanette Mattsson (Oregon) 6-2, 6-3; Anca Vasiloaica (MSU) def. Valerie Young (Oregon) 6-1, 7-5.

DOUBLES -- Not contested.

Rankings reflect current ITA/WingspanBank.com Rankings.

Browne, a Toronto, Ontario, Canada native, clocked a 10.25 effort in winning his 100-meter dash preliminary heat and advancing to Sunday's finals. The freshman's effort ranked second on the day to South Carolina standout Terrence Trammell, who had a 10.18 effort in winning the other 100-meter heat. Browne will also compete Sunday in the 200-meter dash finals after an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 20.73 he ran on Friday night.

Late Friday night, Daniel Hunter broke the school's freshman decathlon record of 6,350 points set by Jace Lacoste in 1987. Hunter scored 2,933 points Friday to finish ninth overall with 6,611 total points for the two-day competition.

On the women's side, Ingleton entered the 2000 SEC meet as one of two Lady Bulldogs to score in the 1999 event. The Mississauga, Ontario, Canada native ran to a first-place finish in her 400-meter dash preliminary heat in a time of 54.46 to advance to Sunday's finals.

A day after scoring the Lady Bulldogs' first two points of the meet with her seventh-place heptathlon finish, junior Elisha Williams scored again on Saturday with an eighth-place finish in the long jump with a 20-2 ½ measurement.

The long jump also provided the men's squad with its first points of the meet, as junior Ian Robertson finished eighth with a personal-best record of 24-6 ¼.

Though not advancing to the finals, freshman LeKisha Barnaby-Pope bettered her previous 100-meter high hurdles time of 13.98 with a 13.89 effort in the preliminaries.

Coach Al Schmidt's Mississippi State squad will conclude the four-day competition in Baton Rouge on Sunday evening.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/13/00
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's 24th-ranked men's tennis team will open play in the NCAA Team Championship Saturday in regional action in Waco, Texas. The Bulldogs are making their 10th-consecutive appearance in the NCAAs, one of only nine teams in the country with that distinction.

MSU, 11-7 overall this season, will meet 39th-ranked Louisville (22-9) at 10 a.m. CT Saturday morning at Baylor University's Streich Tennis Center.

State and Louisville have been very infrequent opponents. The Bulldogs own a 3-0 lead in the series, with all three meetings coming between 1987-91. MSU won 9-0 in the first two meetings, one in Nashville, Tenn. (1987), and once in Starkville (1989). The last time the two teams met was in a neutral site match in Lexington, Ky., in 1991 with State claiming a 6-0 victory.

UL is coached by 10th-year mentor Rex Ecarma, who was named Conference USA Coach of the Year after improving the Cardinal from an 8-18 record last season to their 22-9 mark this year.

"We are ready to play," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "Louisville will be a tough first-round team for us. They have had some good results this season and some close losses to teams in the top 20. We will have to be prepared."

Should State defeat the Cardinal, it would then meet the winner between fifth-ranked host Baylor and Marist College, who will square off at 2 p.m. Saturday. MSU has never faced either school in men's tennis team competition.

The regional championship match, which advances the winner to the NCAA round of 16 in Athens, Ga., May 20-23, is slated for a 1 p.m. start on Sunday. State is hoping to extend its impressive string of nine-straight round of 16 or better showings, joining Stanford, Georgia and UCLA as the only schools in the nation to have accomplished that feat.

2000 NCAA MEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
First & Second Rounds ­ May 13-14, 2000
Waco, Texas ­ Baylor University

Day #1 (First Round) -- Saturday, May 13, 2000
Match #1 -- #24 Mississippi State vs. #39 Louisville, 10 a.m.
Match #2 -- #5 Baylor vs. Marist, 2 p.m.

Day #2 (Second Round) -- Sunday, May 14, 2000
Match #3 -- Match #1 winner vs. Match #2 winner, 1 p.m.

Current national rankings precede team names. All times Central.

MSU will be making its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Last season, the Lady Bulldogs knocked off Washington State 6-0 in the first round before falling to Southeastern Conference nemesis Georgia.

State and Oregon have never met in women's tennis, and MSU's victory over Washington State is one of only two matches the Lady Bulldogs have ever played against a Pac-10 Conference opponent. MSU dropped a match to Arizona during the 1997 Wildcat Invitational in Tucson, Ariz. The Lady Bulldogs have also never met Arizona State nor Army.

Senior Ivana Belancic will get the nod at No. 1 singles, followed by 93rd-ranked Amelie Detriviere at No. 2 singles. Sophomore Carole Soubis, whose 24 singles wins on the year tie for sixth all-time at MSU, will start at No. 3 singles.

Freshman Claudia Oliveira will be at No. 4, while sophomore Andrea Lord, who owns the school record with 30 singles wins on the season, will start at No. 5. Junior Anca Vasiloaica, 20-8 on the year, will get the nod at No. 6.

The winners of Saturday's matches will face off Sunday at 12 p.m. CDT for a trip to the NCAA Championships held May 20-23 at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.

MSU has appeared in the Maxwell just once, finishing ninth at the 1998 event. This year's field will feature some of the nation's top teams, including Southeastern Conference members South Carolina, Tennessee and 2000 champion Georgia. Arizona, Houston, Louisiana-Lafayette, host Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Southern California, Southern Methodist, Texas and Texas A&M join the Bulldogs to round out the field.

The Bulldogs will be led by senior Alex Rocha, who earlier this week was named the SEC's Men's Golfer of the Year by the leagues 12 head coaches. The Sao Paulo, Brazil, native will be vying for what would be a school-record tying fifth individual championship of the year. He already owns or is tied for 14 single-season and career school records. Rocha leads the SEC with a 70.00 scoring average through 11 events.

Also competing for MSU will be senior Ben Smith, who is second on the team with five top-20 finishes this year, freshman Codie Mudd, senior Michael Trailov and sophomore John Mueller.

Gertsson, ranked 98th in the nation by MasterCard, bettered her first round total by seven strokes to move into the top 15. Senior Pia Josefsson, playing in her fourth consecutive NCAA East Regional, improved 10 strokes on the second day of competition, carding a 74.

Freshman Christina Clausen also shot a second-round 74, bettering her first-round total by eight strokes. Lina Thoren, ranked 11th in the Southeastern Conference with a scoring average of 76.52, carded a 75.

"I'm very excited for the players," Head Coach Christi Sanders said. "They didn't give up, and after this morning, we're still in striking distance. We've just got to keep going and try to shoot ourselves into the national championships."

The NCAA East Regional will conclude tomorrow with 18 holes being played. The top-11 teams will advance to the NCAA Championships May 24-27 in Sunriver, Ore.

TEAM RESULTS
1. Purdue 295-301=596
2. Northwestern 299-299=598
3. Auburn 301-298=599
4. LSU 303-298=601
Michigan State 299-302=602
6. Duke 300-302=602
7. Tennessee 300-306=606
8. Wake Forest 310-297=607
9. Florida 300-309=609
10. Central Florida 299-311=610
11. Georgia 316-297=613
12. South Florida 309-305=614
13. Ohio State 299-316=615
14. Mississippi State 322-294=616
Furman 317-299=616
Campbell 311-305=616
17. South Carolina 306-314=620
18. Vanderbilt 318-304=622
19. Penn State 304-319=623
20. Kentucky 312-312=324
21. Indiana 306-319=625
22. North Carolina 300-329=629
23. Tulane 317-318=635
24. Arkansas 323-315=638

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
t14. Anna Gertsson 78-71=149
t46. Lina Thoren 79-75=154
t68. Christina Clausen 82-74=156
t80. Pia Josefsson 84-74=158
124. Sue Phillips 83-86=169

The above four stories were reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/12/00
Track and Field - Multi-event participants junior Elisha Williams and freshman Daniel Hunter opened competition for Mississippi State in the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships Thursday at LSU's Bernie Moore Track Stadium.

Williams finished the first night of competition in the heptathlon in ninth place with a total of 2,892 points. The Milton, Fla., native's best finish came in the high jump where she finished sixth with a height of 5-4 ½. The junior also claimed a seventh-place finish in the shot put (35-2) as well as a pair of 10th-place finishes in the 200-meter dash (27:01) and 100-meter hurdles (15:16).

Hunter, through the first three events of Thursday's decathlon action, stood in 15th place among the 21 participants with 2,126 points. Winning his heat and finishing third in the 100-meter (10.87) dash highlighted the freshman's SEC Championship debut in Baton Rouge. The D'Iberville native finished 14th in the long jump with a 21-9 ¼ effort and 17th in the long jump with a 34-0 toss.

Competition continues tomorrow for Coach Al Schmidt's squad with the conclusion of the heptathlon and decathlon and the start of many of the other track and field events.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

Sophomore Anna Gertsson led the way for the Lady Bulldogs, posting a first-round 78. Junior Lina Thoren, tied with Gertsson for the team lead with five top-10 finishes, fired a 79. Freshman Christina Clausen carded an 82, and seniors Sue Phillips and Pia Josefsson shot 83 and 84, respectively.

In the team competition, Purdue shot a sizzling 295 to take the lead by four strokes over a group of four teams led by host Ohio State. Marcy Newton of North Carolina fired a 67 to take a one-stroke lead over Purdue's Kari Damron after 18 holes.

MSU, despite the tough first round, stands only 18 strokes behind the cutoff line for advancing to the NCAA Championships. The top 11 teams from the Eastern Regional will advance, along with the top 11 from the Western Regional. Two additional teams will be selected from the regional with the most top-24 teams remaining.

After starting Thursday's play with the late tee-time of 11:30 CDT at the 10th hole, the Lady Bulldogs will get an early start on Friday, beginning at 6:30 CDT on the first tee. Play will continue Friday with 18 holes being played and conclude with the final round on Saturday.

TEAM RESULTS
1. Purdue 295
2. Ohio State 299
Northwestern 299
Central Florida 299
Michigan State 299
6. Florida 300
Duke 300
Tennessee 300
North Carolina 300
10. Auburn 301
11. LSU 303
12. Penn State 304
13. Indiana 306
South Carolina 306
15. South Florida 309
16. Wake Forest 310
17. Campbell 311
18. Kentucky 312
19. Georgia 316
20. Tulane 317
Furman 317
22. Vanderbilt 318
23. Mississippi State 322
24. Arkansas 323

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
t66. Anna Gertsson 78
t81. Lina Thoren 79
t107. Christina Clausen 82 t112. Sue Phillips 83
t117. Pia Josefsson 84

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/11/00
Women's Golf - Mississippi State's women's golf squad practiced here on Wednesday in preparation for its first ever NCAA East Regional appearance. Competition in the 24-team field begins at 6:30 a.m. Thursday.

MSU enters the championships ranked No. 25 nationally and fourth in the South District. Led by freshman Christina Clausen's sixth-place finish and senior Pia Josefsson's second consecutive top-30, the Lady Bulldogs claimed a share of fifth place in the Southeastern Conference Championships in their last outing.

Along with Clausen and Josefsson in Columbus will be senior Sue Phillips, 84th-ranked junior Lina Thoren and 98th-ranked sophomore Anna Gertsson. Thoren and Gertsson are tied for the SEC lead with five top-10 finishes.

The Lady Bulldogs were the fifth team selected from the South District, behind conference foes Louisiana State, Georgia, Auburn and South Carolina. All 10 SEC schools selected to the 48-team NCAA bracket will be playing in the East Regional.

The tournament will begin Thursday and continue through Saturday with 18 holes being played each day at the par 72, 6,037 yard University Scarlet Course. The top 11 teams and three individuals will advance to the NCAA Championship, May 24-27 in Sunriver, Ore. Two remaining berths will be allocated to the region with the most teams ranked in the top-24.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/10/00
Soccer - Mississippi State University women's soccer head coach Neil McGuire announced Wednesday the signing of the fourth of 15 expected spring signees when New Mexico native Jocelyn McNeely inked her name to a letter of intent to continue her playing career with the Bulldogs.

"Jocelyn is a fast, skilled and determined soccer player," McGuire said. "She will have an immediate impact on our offense, offering us some new options. We are looking forward to her arrival at Mississippi State."

A four-year letterman at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, N.M., McNeely played and started all 22 matches during her senior campaign, tallying 26 points on eight goals and 10 assists en route to leading her team to the New Mexico State Tournament. Her impeccable senior campaign earned her First Team All-District honors as well as All-State honorable mention honors.

As a junior at La Cueva, McNeely played and started the first 11 matches of the season before a broken ankle forced her to miss the rest of the season. However, respect, along with a pair of goals and four assists, helped her garner Second Team All-District honors in the Bears' run to a 19-3-0 record and the New Mexico State Championship. A two-sport athlete at La Cueva, McNeely also lettered twice in track for the Bears.

As a member of the Rio F.C. club organization under coach Pete Clinch, Jocelyn played in all 35 matches during the 2000 season, turning in a 25-point tally on six goals and 13 assists from her midfield position. While a member of the well-respected club team, Jocelyn helped her Rio F.C. team take home seven consecutive state championships. Rio F.C. finished 30-3-2 last season.

Born Jocelyn Michelle McNeely on January 16, 1982, in Germany, she is the daughter of Pat and Tori McNeely. She has two younger brothers, Patrick and Daniel, and a younger sister, Caitlyn.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/09/00
Men's Golf - Mississippi State senior linkster Alex Rocha was named Southeastern Conference Men's Golf Player of the Year in voting by the 12 head coaches, the league announced Monday.

A senior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Rocha led the SEC in scoring this season and won a conference-best four individual titles. Three of those titles came during the spring, including a school record 198 at the Gator Invitational. Rocha also posted a 2000 NCAA-low, 10-under 62 in the first round of the Billy Hitchcock Intercollegiate en route to the individual honors at that tournament.

Rocha becomes the third MSU golfer to be named SEC Player of the Year in the past five seasons. Graham Davidson and Michael Connell were so honored in the 1996 and 1997 seasons, respectively.

Thus far, Rocha owns or is tied for 14 school records, including career scoring average (72.54), most career tournaments at or below 208 (5) and most career top-10 finishes (18). Currently, Rocha holds a stroke average of 70.00 on the 1999-2000 season, a mark that would rank as the best season in school history by two full strokes.

Others honored by the conference Monday were Chris Haack of Georgia, coach of the year, and Bubba Dickerson of Florida, freshman of the year.

Rocha was also named first-team all-SEC for the second consecutive season after finishing in a three-way tie for second place at last month's conference championships. Joining Rocha on the first team were Roland Thatcher of Auburn, Craig Lile of Arkansas, Jon Bartlett of Mississippi, Camilo Benedetti of Florida and Nick Cassini, Eric Compton and Bryant Odom of Georgia.

Second-team honorees were Dickers, Bubba Watson of Georgia, Alan Morgan of Louisiana State, Derrick Centers of Tennessee, Kyle Thompson and Eric Ecker of South Carolina, and Jason Dufner and Scott Weatherly of Auburn.

MSU will return to action this weekend at the Perry Maxwell Invitational at Dornick Hills Country Club in Ardmore, Okla. That will be the final tune up for the Bulldogs prior to the NCAA East Regionals, which will be held May 18-20 at Glen Maura Country Club in Scranton, Pa.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/05/00
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's men's tennis team learned Thursday that it will compete in the first and second rounds of the 64-team 2000 NCAA Team Championship May 13-14 in Waco, Texas. The regional NCAA event, which will be one of 16 nationally, will be hosted by Baylor University.

MSU (11-7), currently ranked 24th nationally and a 17-32 seed, will meet 40th-ranked Louisville (22-9), a 33-48 seed, in first-round action on Saturday, May 13. If State wins that contest, the Bulldogs would advance to play the winner between seventh-ranked host Baylor and Marist College on Sunday, May 14, for a spot in the NCAA Team Championship finals (round of 16), which will be held May 20-23 in Athens, Ga.

Louisville, the 2000 Conference USA champion, downed #66 Southern Miss, #41 Tulane and #33 UAB to claim that title two weeks ago. The Cardinal has won five matches in a row, and nine of its last 12, entering the NCAAs.

Wednesday's selection marks the Bulldogs' 10th-consecutive appointment to the NCAA Team Championships field, now one of only nine schools (Florida, Georgia, MSU, Notre Dame, Pepperdine, Southern Cal, Stanford, TCU and UCLA) in the nation to have earned that distinction. State has also reached the NCAA Championships' round of 16 or better in each of the last nine seasons, one of only four teams nationally (Stanford, Georgia, UCLA and MSU) to have done so, and will join those teams in trying to extend that streak to 10 with a regional win next week. State was a national semifinalist in 1994 and 1998.

"We are very happy to be back in the NCAA field again this year," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "We have worked hard to gain our 10th-straight selection to the NCAAs, which is one of our goals each season.

"As with any NCAA competitor, Louisville will be a very tough matchup for us in the first round. They won Conference USA, which has some very tough teams, and I know they played Kentucky about a month ago and had some close matches with them. They also lost to SMU, who is #12 right now, 4-3. So we will have to be ready."

Also released Wednesday were the selections for the NCAA Singles (64 players) and Doubles (32 teams) Championships to be played May 24-28 in Athens, Ga. Bulldog Marco Baron (ranked sixth) was named an automatic selection to the singles field, while MSU senior Jeremy Bayon (52nd) gained an at-large bid to that draw. In doubles, Baron and partner Charles Sevigny (12th) were at-large selections as a duo. These selections mark the 11th time in the last 12 seasons that MSU has had a participant in both the singles and doubles draws at the NCAAs.

"We are very happy for these individuals for making the individual championships," Jackson said. "I am particularly happy for Jeremy Bayon, who is most deserving of his bid after four years of hard work and dedication to our team."

MSU (10-10) will be the regional's second seed and will battle Oregon (8-14) in the first round at 12 p.m. PDT May 13. Last season, the Lady Bulldogs faced another Pac-10 Conference member, Washington State, in the first round and defeated WSU 6-0. This will be the first meeting between the Lady Bulldogs and the Ducks.

Arizona State (12-7), ranked 10th nationally, will take on Army at 9 a.m. PDT Saturday. State has also never faced Arizona State nor Army. The winners of the Saturday matches will meet May 14 at 10 a.m. PDT.

"We're obviously excited," MSU head coach Tracy Lane said. "We don't know much about Oregon, so we'll have our worked cut out for us. This is a tough site. Arizona State, for the past five or 10 years, has been a top-15 program, so there will be some quality competition there.

"Last year, we didn't even know if we were in, so it was a different excitement. This year the excitement was in finding out where we would be going and who we would be playing. I think last year we were just happy to be in the tournament, but this year we are looking to go further."

Oregon boasts two players ranked nationally in singles. Freshman Monica Giecyz is No. 73 in this week's WingspanBank.com rankings, while senior Alina Wygonowska is ranked 76th. MSU counters with junior Amelie Detriviere, who is ranked 93rd nationally in singles.

MSU is one of 10 teams from the Southeastern Conference selected to this year's field of 64 teams. Second-ranked Georgia, SEC Tournament Champion and fourth-ranked Florida, and No. 11 Vanderbilt will all serve as host sites. Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana State, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee will join MSU to complete the conference schools participating.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/04/00
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's men's tennis team remained the country's 24th-ranked squad in the latest WingspanBank.com National Rankings, released Wednesday by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

The Bulldogs, 11-7 overall, are currently awaiting NCAA selection news, which will come Thursday when the 64-team NCAA Team Championship field is announced. NCAA Regional play will be held May 12-14 at various sites around the country with the NCAA Championship to be held May 20-23 at the University of Georgia.

State, one of only four teams in the country (Stanford, Georgia, UCLA and MSU) to have made the NCAA round of 16 in each of the last nine seasons, is looking for its 10th-consecutive NCAA bid and 14th appearance in the national championship overall.

In Wednesday's new individual national rankings, junior all-American Marco Baron stayed among the nation's top 10 singles players, coming in at No. 6 in the country.

Making one of the biggest moves of anyone in the country was MSU senior Jeremy Bayon, who jumped 22 spots to 52nd in the nation. The Saint Etienne, France, product won six of his last seven contests to end the regular season.

In doubles, Baron and partner Charles Sevigny came in at 12th in the nation in Wednesday's rankings. The duo is 22-7 this year.

All three MSU players are hoping to be selected for competition in the NCAA Individual Championships, which will be held at Georgia May 24-28 following the team competition.

MSU, 10-10 on the season, is waiting to see where it will be playing next weekend as NCAA Tournament pairings are announced Thursday afternoon. The Lady Bulldogs, who are a virtual lock to be selected for the second consecutive season, will play either May 11 and 12 or May 13 and 14 at a site to be determined.

Meanwhile, junior Amelie Detriviere moved up three spots to No. 93 in the national singles rankings. The Bressiure, France, native is 19-17 on the season and with one more singles victory would give MSU five 20-match winners for the first time in school history.

"Michelle is a player that will add a lot of creativity to our offense," McGuire said. "She is a talented athlete that will, again, strengthen our squad."

A four-year letterman at Pace High School in Miami, Fla., Provenzano erupted for 71 points on 30 goals and 11 assists during her senior campaign in addition to playing and starting in all 22 matches for the Spartans. Following the conclusion of her prep career, Michelle was decorated with Team MVP honors as well as earning herself a spot on the All-County team.

As a junior at Pace, she again collected Team MVP honors after turning in a 10-goal, six assist performance en route to garnering All-City honors and earning her team's "Golden Boot" award. In addition to her prep soccer playing career, Provenzano also lettered in three other sports at Pace, including track and field in which she earned Team MVP honors following her freshman season.

As a member of the Miami Premier Elite Under 18 club squad, she played and started in all 20 matches and helped to lead the squad to a 17-3 record. Born Michelle Lynn Provenzano on December 19, 1981, she is the daughter of Larry and Zenaida Provenzano. She has an older brother, Larry, and a younger brother, Joseph.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/03/00
Volleyball - Mississippi State University volleyball standout Brianne Smedley has been selected to participate in the fourth annual NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference May 28 through June 1 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Smedley, a three-year letter-winner from Arlington, Texas, will represent Mississippi State University and join 352 other student-athletes in the week-long event to be held at Disney's Wide World of Sports and Coronado Springs Resort in Florida. She was selected from among 885 nominations submitted by NCAA member institutions that participate in the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program.

The mission of the NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference is to provide a diverse group of the nation's top student-athletes an opportunity to actively participate in challenging and thought-provoking activities that will enable them to become better leaders on their campuses and in their communities.

Smedley, a two-time SEC Volleyball Academic Honor Roll selection, led Mississippi State in hitting percentage and blocks and ranked second in kills on MSU's Silver Anniversary volleyball team in 1999.

"Amber is a great addition to our program," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "She is a player of the highest quality who will bolster the heart of our defense. We are all looking forward to her arrival."

A four-year letterwinner in soccer at James Martin High School in Arlington, Texas, Amber played and started in all 30 games for the Warriors this past season, tallying 13 points on two goals and nine assists from her defender spot. After helping to lead her team to a 25-5 record and District and Regional Championships, Amber garnered District 7 Defensive MVP honors, as well as earning a spot on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram All-Area Team. In addition, she was voted by her team as its Most Valuable Player as well as its "Defender of the Year."

Meesey played and started in all 23 matches for the Mustangs during her junior season, scoring 11 points on a pair of goals and seven assists. Following the completion of a 19-3-1 campaign for Martin High, Amber earned spots on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Dallas Morning News All-Area team as well as collecting First Team All-Area and All-District honors.

A three-sport athlete at Martin, Meesey has also been a member of the Warriors' volleyball and basketball teams, collecting MVP awards in both her freshman season. She was also named Martin's 1997 Athlete of the Year.

Born Amber Michelle Meesey on September 16, 1981, she is the daughter of Rusty and Cheryl Meesey. Her older sister, Heather, is a former standout soccer player for Louisiana State. She also has a younger sister, Kristin.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/02/00
Women's Golf - Mississippi State's women's golf team received an invitation to the NCAA East Regional to be played May 11-13 at the Scarlet Golf Course in Columbus, Ohio, it was announced Monday by the NCAA.

The team invitation marks the first time in school history that the women's golf program has been invited to the 48-team field. The Lady Bulldogs were the fifth selection from the South District behind Southeastern Conference foes LSU, Georgia, Auburn and South Carolina. In all, 10 SEC members were invited to the 24-team East Regional.

The Lady Bulldogs enjoyed their most successful season on the links this year, tallying three team titles, three individual titles, and seven top-five finishes in nine tournaments. They are currently ranked 25th nationally by MasterCard, fifth in the South District.

"This is a very big step in the right direction," Head Coach Christi Sanders said, "and these players are so deserving. We still have a few goals remaining that we need to work for on the way to the national championship."

The 24 teams that will be in the East Regional include defending NCAA Champion Duke, ranked second nationally, SEC Tournament Champion Auburn, and Big Ten Champion Purdue. Of the 24 teams in the East Regional, MSU has defeated 13, including host Ohio State.

While this is MSU's first team appearance, five Lady Bulldogs have previously competed in the championships as individuals: Kathe Kingston, Kim Williams, Carri Wood, Amandine Vincent and current team member Pia Josefsson.

A practice round will be held for all teams on Wednesday May 10, and competition will begin on Thursday, May 11. Regional tournaments are considered preliminary rounds of NCAA championships competition. Championship berths are allocated as follows: 11 teams and 3 individuals from the West region, 11 teams and 3 individuals from the East region, and the two remaining team berths will be allocated to the region with the most teams ranked in the top 24. The championships finals will be held in Sun River, Oregon, May 24-27.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

05/01/00
Track and Field -- The Mississippi State track and field squad battled strong winds for the third consecutive day in Saturday's final day of competition in the 106th Penn Relays.

Senior jumper Rod Newton, a Crossett Ark native, claimed a top-five finish in the college high jump championship clearing a height of 7-0 ¼ that ranked fifth among the best leapers in the nation, including event winner Mark Boswell of Texas, who is the defending NCAA indoor and outdoor high jump champion.

Also facing some of the top competition in the country, freshman Pierre Browne and sophomore Camille Harper claimed top-five finishes as well. Harper, a Clinton native, finished third in the 100-meter dash in a time of 11.74, while Browne, a Toronto, Ontario, Canada native, finished fourth for the Bulldogs in the event with a 10.30 clocking.

After setting a school record in last weekend's Jace Lacoste Invitational, the Lady Bulldog's 4x400-meter relay team consisting of Janice Zawaski, Ann-Marie Anderson, La Toya Stephens and Andréa Ingleton clocked the second best time in school history with a fifth-place time of 3:40.62.

Junior jumper Vance Clarke claimed top-10 honors as well taking sixth place in the triple jump with a leap of 49-3 ½, while fellow Bulldog Ian Robertson finished 14th with a mark of 46-9 ½.

Coach Al Schmidt's squad will not be in competition next weekend, as MSU prepares for the upcoming SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships to be held May 11-14 in Baton Rouge, La.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department

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