01/28/01
Track and Field - Mississippi State sprinters Pierre Browne and Antonio Hargro provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 200 meters Saturday, while Vance Clarke bettered his NCAA provisional triple jump mark in the final day of competition at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.

Browne took second place in the 200m with a 21.19 mark after notching runner-up honors in the 60 meters with a 6.73 clocking that missed provisional qualifying standards by one-hundreth of a second. Hargro, a freshman, finished two spots behind last season's SEC co-Freshman of the Year in fourth place with a 21.26 mark.

Despite a sixth-place finish in the triple jump, Clarke landed a school third-best 51-11 1/4 jump that improved on the provisional qualifying 51-3 jump he landed at the season-opening Saluki Booster Invitational.

Head coach Al Schmidt's Bulldogs also received a top-10 finish from sophomore James Kimbrough. The Carthage, Miss., native continues to run well in the 800 meters, taking sixth place in a personal-best 1:53.99.

The Lady Bulldogs were paced by sophomore Joey Hansen and senior Andréa Ingleton in Saturday's final action at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

Hansen took second place in the 3000-meter run, clocking a personal-best 10:26.83 mark. Ingleton claimed ninth-place honors in the 400 meters seeded race. Ingleton clocked a 58.52 mark in her second 400m action of the season.

Junior LeeAnn Ripstra continued a successful indoor campaign as she took ninth place in the mile with a 5:28.20 mark. Senior Stacey Salmon also notched a top-10 finish, taking 10th place in the shot put with a 44-1 1/2 toss.

The MSU track teams take a week off before returning to action Feb. 9-10 at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg, Va.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's 17th-ranked men's tennis team avenged last season's NCAA second-round loss to Baylor Saturday with a solid 4-3 victory over the 15th-ranked Bears at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

With the win, MSU improved to 2-0 on the young 2001 season. Baylor fell to 0-2. The match was the second-ever between the teams.

MSU took the opening doubles point in the match in exciting fashion. After the teams had traded wins at the top two positions, State's all-freshman duo of Romain Ambert and Luiz Carvalho held off Baylor's team of Csongor Bibza and Cory Ross 9-7 at No. 3. The Bear tandem had rallied from a 7-3 deficit to knot the score at 7-7 before MSU's pair put the match away.

State grabbed a commanding 3-0 lead early in singles play, with Ambert and David Ruiz combining to lose only one game in their respective matches. Ruiz shut out Baylor's Sean O'Connor 6-0, 6-0 at the No. 4 position. Ambert, ranked sixth nationally, ousted 91st-ranked Bear Reiner Neurohr 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2.

All remaining matches saw relatively close first sets, with each team winning two of them. Baylor trimmed the lead to 3-1 when Cory Ross won 6-2,6-4 over MSU's Luiz Carvalho at No. 6.

The match-clincher for State was then provided by sophomore Jerome Le Belicard, who overcame a 5-2, first-set deficit to upset Baylor's 92nd-ranked Mark Williams 7-5, 6-2 at the No. 3 spot.

After the match had been clinched, Baylor pulled out two three-set contests at the No. 1 and 5 positions for the final two points of the day.

State was without the services of two-time, all-American Marco Baron for the second-straight match. Baron is still nursing a groin injury, but is steadily progressing to recovery from that setback.

"This was a very good win for us," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "Baylor is a solid team and beating them without our top player in the lineup was a tall challenge. We are certainly happy with any win, but the encouraging thing is that we felt we lost some matches that we could have won, particularly those at the end which went three sets. Overall, this was a big step in the right direction for our team."

MSU now has 12 days off from team competition before taking on 11th-ranked, arch-rival Mississippi on Feb. 8 in Jackson in the fourth-annual River Hills Cup. MSU will then begin a six-match homestand against 36th-ranked UAB on Feb. 11.

Bulldogs Ambert and Rene-Charles Combette, both ranked in the top 25 nationally in singles, will compete in the 32-player Rolex National Indoor Championships next weekend, Feb. 1-4, in Dallas. The event is the third leg of the Collegiate Grand Slam.

#17 MISSISSIPPI STATE 4, #15 BAYLOR 3
DOUBLES -- #4 Reiner Neurohr/Mark Williams (BU) def. #16 Chris McDonald/Mathieu Soto (MSU) 8-5; Rene-Charles Combette/Jerome Le Belicard (MSU) def. Matias Marin/Sean O¹Connor (BU) 8-4; Romain Ambert/Luiz Carvalho (MSU) def. Csongor Bibza/Cory ross (BU) 9-7.
SINGLES -- Bibza (BU) def. #24 Combette (MSU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3; #6 Ambert (MSU) def. #91 Neurohr (BU) 6-0, 6-1; Le Belicard (MSU) def. #92 Williams (BU) 7-5, 6-2; David Ruiz (MSU) def. O¹Connor (BU) 6-0, 6-0; Marin (BU) def. Max Fomine (MSU) 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-0; Ross (BU) def. Carvalho (MSU) 6-2, 6-4.
(numbers preceding names are current national rankings)

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

01/21/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's Marco Baron dropped his quarterfinal-round match at the 2001 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships Saturday and also defaulted in doubles as the senior Bulldog was revisited by the groin injury that has plagued him for much of his career.

After two solid top 60 wins on Friday, Baron, the two-time, All-American from Nantes, France, was down 6-1, 1-0 to Mississippi's seventh-seeded and 26th-ranked Alexander Hartman, who he had beaten in three of four previous meetings, when he retired. The injury also forced Baron to default his quarterfinal-round doubles match with partner David Ruiz against Tennessee's 13th-ranked duo of Andy Crews and Peter Handoyo.

"This was a tough break for Marco after he had played so well yesterday," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "But his groin was bothering him today and he and I both felt it was in his best interest not to push the issue."

Baron, Ruiz and the rest of the 17th-ranked Bulldog net team will open the 2001 dual match season next weekend with a pair of matches at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on the MSU campus. State will host rival Southern Miss Thursday, Jan. 25, at 2 p.m. before welcoming the 15th-ranked Baylor Bears Saturday, Jan. 27, at 1 p.m.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

Vasiloaica, who currently stands in fifth place on the university's all-time wins list with 59, defeated Jovana Krsikapa of Georgia State 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the consolation draw. Ueda was also victorious in her first consolation match. The Hyogo, Japan native defeated Amy McIlhaney of LSU 6-4, 6-0. Both Ueda and Vasiloaica will continue play in the consolation draw on Sunday.

Detriviere, currently ranked 73rd nationally in singles, was defeated in the morning session by Zsofia Golopencza 6-4, 7-6 (6). Golopencza is ranked 28th nationally for Division II power Armstrong Atlantic State. Detriviere was the only Lady Bulldog to advance into the round of 16.

In doubles action, Ueda and Vasiloaica lost to Golopencza and Michaela Kratochvilova, ranked 10th nationally in Division II, in a twilight match Friday, 8-4. On Saturday, Detriviere and Sagae advanced to the quarterfinals with an 8-2 win over Georgia State's Birgitte Bloomberg and Rebecca Mitchell. It was Sagae's first career doubles match. In the quarterfinals, Georgia's tandem of Hojnik and Nguyen held off Detriviere and Sagae, winning a tight 8-6 match.

Two rounds of consolation matches will be held Sunday, with the semifinals and finals to be played on Monday in the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Tennis Center on the University of Georgia campus.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

The Bulldogs scored 122 points to finish 17.5 points behind team champion Alabama and a half point away from nationally fifth-ranked LSU. The Lady Bulldogs ended the meet with 106 points.

"We were in the top-two most of the meet, but it came down to holes in a couple of events for us," Schmidt said. "We battled all the way to the finish against three of the top-10 teams in the country, but some points in certain events made the difference. On the women's side, we had holes in events that we couldn't overcome."

Sophomore Pierre Browne paced the Bulldogs in Saturday's competition at Carl Maddox Field House. Last season's SEC co-Freshman of the Year scored 12 points on the afternoon behind a second-place showing in the 60 meters in 6.82 and a fourth-place finish in the 200 meters (21.99).

Junior Dion Crabbe continued to perform well for the Bulldogs, scoring 11 points at the LSU-hosted meet. Seeing action in three events Saturday, Crabbe took fourth place in the 60 meters (6.93), third place in the long jump (23-8) and fifth in the 200 meters (22.13). Fresh off the heels of a quality outing at last weekend's Saluki Booster Invitational, junior newcomer Tim Huddleston notched runner-up honors in the shot put with a 49-1 3/4 toss before finishing the afternoon with a third-place finish in the weight throw (48-8).

Senior Vance Clarke posted a top-three outing in the triple jump for the second straight week, taking second in the event Saturday with a 50-2 jump. Fellow senior Ian Robertson finished immediately behind Clarke in third place thanks to a 49-1 1/2 effort.

In his collegiate debut, freshman Antonio Hargro clocked a 21.96 mark to claim third place in the 200 meters. Sophomore James Kimbrough finished third in the 800 meters (1:58.06), while fellow second-year middle distance runner Chris Boldt secured runner-up honors in the mile in 4:15.72.

Senior Elisha Williams led the Lady Bulldogs for the second consecutive week. The Milton, Fla., native amassed 17 points Saturday behind a first-place finish in the long jump. In the long jump win, Williams matched her school-record 19-10 3/4 leap and narrowly missed provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships. The senior cleared 5-3 to take second place in the high jump after earning two points in the 60-meter hurdles with a 9.41 mark for ninth place.

Fellow fourth-year competitor Andréa Ingleton and junior Kristin Tallent claimed a pair of third-place finishes Saturday. Ingleton earned the runner-up spot in the 400 meters with a 57.60 clocking, while Tallent finished the 800m in 2:22.57.

Sophomore Joey Hansen placed third in the mile run (5:21.10) and fourth in the 3000 meters (10:28.25), while senior Stacey Salmon cleared a 51-0 weight throw mark to finish fourth.

The State track teams continue indoor competition Friday, traveling to Fayetteville, Ark., to take part in the Jan. 26 Arkansas Invitational.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

01/20/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's Marco Baron has advanced to the quarterfinals of singles play at the 2001 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships, following a pair of victories on Friday. Baron teamed with David Ruiz Friday to make the quarterfinals of doubles as well. The event is being held at the Racquet Club of the South.

Baron, the two-time, all-American from Nantes, France, posted two top 60 wins Friday to advance to Saturday's quarterfinal round. The Bulldog senior downed Tennessee's 60th-ranked Adam Carey, a 9-16 seed, 6-3, 6-2 in Friday's second round. He followed that with a 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Georgia's fourth-seeded and 15th-ranked Lesley Joseph.

"Marco played as well today as I have ever seen him play," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "He put together two impressive wins over very talented players."

Baron will meet a familiar foe in Saturday's quarters, Mississippi's seventh-seeded and 26th-ranked Alexander Hartman. Baron owns a 3-1 career record against the sophomore Rebel, all meetings between the two players coming last year. Ironically, the lone loss for Baron came in three sets against Hartman in the quarters of the last season's SEC Indoors in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Should Baron get past Hartman, he would play again in the semifinals Saturday afternoon.

In doubles play Friday afternoon, Baron and David Ruiz paired to knock off Georgia's pair of Chad Carlson and Brandon Wagner 8-5. They will meet Tennessee's fourth-seeded and 13th-ranked duo of Andy Crews and Peter Handoyo in Saturday's quarterfinals. The UT tandem is the defending doubles champion of the event. As in singles, doubles semifinal action will also be played Saturday.

Falling in Friday's second round of singles were Bulldogs Rene-Charles Combette, Max Fomine and Ruiz. Combette withdrew from the tournament due to a mild case of tendinitis in his right elbow. Fomine dropped a 6-2, 6-2 decision to Georgia's 23rd-ranked Travis Parrott. Ruiz actually played a very solid match despite his setback, pushing Georgia's second-seeded and fifth-ranked Bo Hodge to a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 final margin.

Combette and partner Jerome Le Belicard defaulted their round of 16 doubles contest due to Combette's injury.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

Women's Tennis - Mississippi State's 38th-ranked women's tennis team got off to a slow start Friday at the Georgia Invitational Women's Tennis Tournament in Athens, Ga, but rallied in the evening session. With her 57th career win, senior Amelie Detriviere continued to climb up the career wins list as she was the only Lady Bulldog to advance into Saturday's singles play.

Detriviere, currently ranked 73rd nationally, defeated Georgia Tech's Jamie Wong in one of the day's more exciting matches, coming from behind to win 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3). Detriviere's win moved her into a tie with former Lady Bulldog standout Ivana Belancic for sixth-place on the school's all-time wins list. With a victory on Saturday, Detriviere will move into a tie with teammate Anca Vasiloaica for fifth place.

Playing in her first tournament as a Lady Bulldog, freshman Camila Sagae was defeated by Michaela Kratochvilova of Division II power Armstrong Atlantic State, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1. Kratochvilova is currently ranked 11th in Division II singles.

In morning action, senior Anca Vasiloaica and freshman Yumi Ueda both suffered first-round defeats. Vasiloaica dropped a tough 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 decision to Kentucky's Jill Buckley. Ueda fell 7-5, 6-1 to Georgia State's Mojca Pavlinic.

Detriviere and Ueda are paired together in the doubles competition. The duo played Division II's 10th-ranked pair from Armstrong Atlantic State, Zsofia Golopencza and Kratochvilova, in Friday night's opening round. The match was delayed while Kratochvilova finished her three-set, second-round singles match with MSU's Sagae.

Play will continue with the round of sixteen in singles and two rounds of doubles play on Saturday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

01/19/01 - 01/19/01
Men's Tennis - Four Mississippi State men's tennis players posted opening-day victories Thursday to advance to the second round of singles action at the 2001 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships. Two MSU doubles teams posted first-round wins as well. The event is being held at the Racquet Club of the South.

Advancing for MSU Thursday in singles action were Marco Baron, Rene-Charles Combette, Max Fomine and David Ruiz.

Baron, the two-time, all-America senior from Nantes, France, staved off LSU's Sanjin Sandovich 7-5, 6-3 and will meet Tennessee¹s 60th-ranked Adam Carey, a 9-16 seed, Friday.

The sophomore Combette, ranked 24th nationally and the tournament's No. 6 seed, rallied after losing a first-set tiebreak to down Vanderbilt's Brad Hambrick 6-7(4), 6-1, 7-5. He will meet Georgia's Demetris Leontis in Friday's second round.

Fomine, a true freshman from Teraspol, Moldavia, edged Tennessee's Simon Rea 6-4, 6-4. The Bulldog newcomer will take on Georgia's fifth-seeded and 23rd-ranked Travis Parrott Friday.

Ruiz, the junior from Colmar, France, was a 6-1, 6-4 victor against LSU's Anthony Mateljan Thursday and will battle Georgia's second-seeded and fifth-ranked Bo Hodge Friday.

In first-round doubles play Thursday, two Bulldog teams were triumphant.

Combette and Le Belicard paired for an impressive 8-2 win over Kentucky's duo of Karim Benmansour and Rahim Esmail. The Bulldog tandem will take on the tournament's top seed Friday in the round of 16, Georgia's second-ranked team of Matias Boeker and Parrott.

Bulldogs Baron and Ruiz coupled to register an 8-4 upset of Kentucky's sixth-seeded and 42nd-ranked duo of Edo Bowano and Reven Stephens in MSU¹s final match of the day. The MSU team will face Georgia's pair of Chad Carlson and Brandon Wagner Friday morning in the round of 16.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

Lane and the Lady Bulldogs look to build upon the recent successes achieved by the MSU program. The Lady Bulldogs have advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons, and have won their first-round match each year.

Senior Amelie Detriviere, ranked 73rd nationally, leads the Lady Bulldogs. Detriviere played most of last season at the No. 1 position for the Lady Netters, and currently stands tied for seventh in school history with 56 career wins. She is seeded sixth in this tournament and has a bye into the second round.

Anca Vasiloaica, also a senior, needs 14 wins this spring to tie legendary Lady Bulldog Jackie Holden with 72 career victories. Vasiloaica totalled 13 last spring. She currently stands in fifth all-time with 58 wins.

Freshman Yumi Ueda, who played for MSU in the fall, will begin her first spring season Friday morning with Georgia State's Mojca Pavlinic. The Hyogo, Japan, native posted a 5-5 record during the fall.

Camilia Sagae, also a freshman, will play her first collegiate match Friday evening. A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sagae drew a bye in Friday's first round.

With three team members suffering from flu-like symptoms, only four Lady Bulldogs will make the trip to Athens. Seniors Linda Mattsson and Claudia Oliveira, along with junior Carole Soubis will all miss the tournament due to illness.

In doubles, Ueda will pair with Vasiloaica for the second time in their careers. The tandem posted a 2-1 mark at last fall's St. Mary's Health Care Systems Classic. Detriviere and Sagae will play together, also. Their first match will be Saturday, as the combination drew a first-round bye.

The tournament will last throughout the weekend, with two singles rounds being played Friday, the semifinals on Saturday and the finals on Sunday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

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