02/26/01 (9:15 p.m.)
Women's Tennis - In a match that took nearly five hours to decide a winner, Mississippi State upset #35 Kentucky 4-3 on Monday. MSU trailed 3-0 in the match before winning four consecutive singles matches. The Lady Bulldogs evened their record at 3-3 on the season, 2-2 in Southeastern Conference play, while Kentucky fell to 5-4, 1-3 in the SEC.

Kentucky claimed the opening doubles point when Carolina Mayorga and Sarah Witten, ranked 21st nationally, defeated seniors Amelie Detriviere and Claudia Oliveira 8-6 at No. 1. Kentucky's 23rd-ranked Brooke Skeen and Lauren Roookledge dismissed State's combination of Camila Sagae and Carole Soubis 8-1 to begin doubles action. MSU answered with senior Linda Mattsson and freshman Yumi Ueda's 8-4 win over Leigh Bradwell and Shannon Stafford of UK.

In singles play, Kentucky took a commanding 3-0 lead with Rookledge's 6-0, 6-3 win over Mattsson at No. 6 and Bradwell's 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Sagae at No. 4.

UK would hold that 3-0 lead for more than an hour as all four remaining matches were pushed in three sets. On Court 2, Detriviere brought MSU closer with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win over Skeen, ranked 49th nationally. The Lady Bulldogs narrowed the gap yet again with Oliveira's 7-6(4), 2-6, 7-5 win over Witten.

Mississippi State tied the match at 3-3 with senior Anca Vasiloaica's exhausting win over Amy Trefethen at No. 5. Vasiloaica battled off four match points, and Trefethen fought off three of her own before Vasiloaica won 5-7, 6-2, 7-6(10).

Soubis, playing for the first time in her career at the No. 1 position, was the only Lady Bulldog remaining on the court as she battled Mayorga, who is playing at No. 1 for the third year. Soubis fought off the veteran Mayorga with a 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 win to give the Lady Bulldogs their second consecutive win over Kentucky.

"We played with a lot of character today," head coach Tracy Lane said after the match. "We've been focusing on team spirit a great deal over the last 10 days, and it was good to get a win that took so much focus and energy."

The Lady Bulldogs will return to action on Saturday, March 3 at Mississippi. Match time is set for noon. MSU's next home match will be a 1:30 affair next Monday against Tulane.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/25/01 (9:15 p.m.)
Track - Mississippi State sophomore Pierre Browne took fifth-place finishes in the 60- and 200-meter dashes Sunday to lead the MSU track squads in the final day of competition at the SEC Indoor Championships in Lexington, Ky.

Browne took fifth in the 60 meters with a 6.73 mark before earning four additional points for MSU with a fifth-place showing in the 200 meters in 21.13. Browne also anchored State's 1600-meter relay contingent to seventh place in 3:28.35.

The two MSU squads completed the two-day conference championship meet at Nutter Field House in 11th place, as both the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs scored 13 points apiece. Arkansas claimed both the men's and women's titles with 108 and 137 points, respectively.

Freshman Antonio Hargro earned a top-10 finish in his first SEC championship meet Sunday. After winning his 200 meters preliminary heat Saturday afternoon with a season-best 21.12 clocking, Hargro clocked a 21.48 mark to finish ninth in Sunday's 200m final.

The Bulldogs' distance medley relay team comprised of sophomores James Kimbrough, Daniel Hunter and Chris Boldt, and junior Danny Ledford ran the school's third-fastest time in the event (10:04.76) to take a seventh-place finish and two points.

Senior Vance Clarke took 10th place in the triple jump Sunday. After bettering 50 feet in every meet during the indoor season, Clarke managed to land a 49-8 1/4 mark while teammate Ian Robertson finished in 11th place with a 49-3 1/2 leap.

The Lady Bulldogs' 1600-meter relay team of Ann-Marie Anderson, Andréa Ingleton, Collette Gibbs and Kia James led the MSU women in Sunday's final day of action at the Kentucky-hosted meet. The Lady Bulldogs' 4x400-meter relay squad took ninth place, clocking a school fourth-best 3:48.10 mark.

The distance medley relay team of Joey Hansen, Janice Zawaski, Kristin Tallent and LeeAnn Ripstra followed up the 4x400-meter relay team's showing with a sixth-place finish in 12:10.33.

Senior Stacey Salmon claimed a 45-11 1/4 shot put mark to finish ninth Sunday, while senior Elisha Williams took 13th place in the triple jump with a 38-0 3/4 leap.

The next action for head coach Al Schmidt's MSU squads comes next weekend, as select individuals travel to Atlanta, Ga., for the USA Track and Field Championships, while others will make a return trip to Baton Rouge, La., for the LSU Last Ditch Meet, a final chance to qualify for the Mar. 9-10 NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.

SEC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, Final Results; Feb. 25, 2001; Lexington, Ky.

MEN'S TEAM SCORES
1. Arkansas, 108; 2. LSU, 81; 3. Tennessee, 80; 4. Florida, 67; 5. Alabama, 63; 6. Georgia, 62; 7. South Carolina, 44; 7. Kentucky, 44; 9. Auburn, 35; 10. Mississippi, 26; 11. MISSISSIPPI STATE, 13.

MSU Men's Individual Results
60 Meters -- 5. Pierre Browne, 6.73.
200 Meters -- 5. Pierre Browne, 21.13; 9. Antonio Hargro, 21.48.
4x400-Meter Relay -- 7. Mississippi State, 3:28.35.
Distance Medley Relay -- 7. Mississippi State, 10:04.76.
Triple Jump -- 10. Vance Clarke, 49-8 1/4; 11. Ian Robertson, 49-3 1/2.

WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES
1. Arkansas, 137; 2. Florida, 109; 3. South Carolina, 90; 4. LSU, 77; 5. Georgia, 61.50; 6. Mississippi, 31; 7. Auburn, 30; 8. Alabama, 26; 9. Kentucky, 21.50; 10. Tennessee, 16; 11. MISSISSIPPI STATE, 13; 12. Vanderbilt, 11.

MSU Women's Individual Results
4x400-Meter Relay -- 9. Mississippi State, 3:48.10.
Distance Medley Relay -- 6. Mississippi State, 12:10.33.
Shot Put -- 9. Stacey Salmon, 45-11 1/4.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/25/01 (9:00 p.m.)
Men's Tennis - After being swept in doubles play, Mississippi State's 18th-ranked men's tennis team pulled together and rallied for an impressive 5-2 victory over 17th-ranked LSU Sunday afternoon at MSU's A. J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

With the win, State improved to 6-2 overall, 1-0 in the Southeastern Conference. LSU dropped to 5-2, 0-1. The victory also broke a three-match LSU losing skid against the Tigers and MSU has now won 13 of it last 14 SEC home openers.

LSU grabbed the early 1-0 lead in the match, sweeping doubles with 8-6, 8-4 and 8-6 triumphs. It marked the first time since the middle of the 1999 season that State has lost all three doubles contests in one match. But the Bulldogs charged back in singles, battling to win five of six matches to register the final score.

Getting State back on top in the match were freshmen Romain Ambert and Max Fomine. Ambert, ranked 16th, ousted 85th-ranked Tiger Jesse Smatt 6-1, 6-1 at the No. 2 position to tie the score at 1-1. Fomine put the Bulldogs up 2-1 when he downed John Gray Pou 6-2, 6-2 at No. 6.

Well over an hour later, MSU grabbed a 3-1 advantage when senior all-American Marco Baron came through in the clutch, overcoming a 5-3, second-set deficit to hold on for a 6-4, 7-6(2) victory over Tiger Ajay Ramaswami, ranked eighth in the country, at the No. 1 spot.

Despite its position, State was not out of the woods yet. The teams split sets on the remaining three courts and MSU had to have one of the resulting third sets.

State would get that set from another true freshman, Luiz Carvalho. The Sao Paulo, Brazil, product, who battled himself mentally the entire first set, regrouped for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 victory over LSU's Sebastian Rutka at No. 4.

After the match was clinched, the teams split the remaining two matches. Bulldog David Ruiz posted another comeback, breaking Tiger Dan Kiernan at 6-4, 5-4 down to go on and win 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. LSU's lone singles point of the day came in a marathon match at No. 5, where Tiger Sanjin Sadovich outlasted State's Mathieu Soto for a 6-7(8), 7-5, 7-6(9) victory.

"I am so proud of the guys for fighting as hard as they did today," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "They could have really gotten down after we were swept in doubles, but they hung in there and got the job done when we needed them most.

"This was a very big win over a very good LSU team. We are happy to start the SEC season with a victory. Now we have to get ready for a tough challenge Thursday."

State will conclude their current six-match homestand this Thursday, March 1, hosting Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders are currently ranked 34th in the country. Match time is set for 2 p.m. at the Pitts Tennis Centre.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

The highlight off the weekend came on Sunday when junior Anna Gertsson scored a hole-in-one on the 153 yard eighth hole at the University of Florida Golf Course. It was Gertsson's first-ever hole-in-one, and it capped off her tournament score of 220. Gertsson shot a +4 on the par-72 course, with rounds of 77, 71 and 72, placing her in a four-way tie for eighth place in the individual competition.

Freshman Anna Knutsson finished tied for 48th, as she carded a 233 over the three-day event. Senior Lina Thoren shot a 236 and finished tied for 58th. Freshman Catalina Olarte and senior Renata Almeida scored 250 and 254 respectively to round out the MSU lineup.

Auburn won the 17-team tournament, shooting an 868. Georgia's Summer Sirmons won the individual competition, shooting a 213, and beating out Auburn's Celeste Troche and Tennessee's Young-A Yang in a sudden death playoff.

Mississippi State's next tournament action will take place March 16-18 in Columbia, S.C., at the Lady Gamecock Classic.

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA GOLF COURSE, Par: 72, 5,840 Yards

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1. Auburn 292-290-286=868
2. Georgia 293-292-293=878
3. Tennessee 297-297-291=885
4. Vanderbilt 305-300-292=897
5. Louisiana State 305-288-305=898
6. Alabama 294-307-306=907
7. South Florida 311-297-302=910
8. Central Florida 302-308-302=912
9. Florida State 304-296-313=913
10. South Carolina 309-304-302=915
11. Florida 311-307-305=923
12. North Carolina 308-305-313=926
13. Kentucky 325-297-310=932
14. Mississippi State 314-304-317=935
15. Mississippi 312-301-323=936
16. Wake Forest 318-311-309=938
17. Arkansas 310-315-320=945

MSU FINAL RESULTS
t8. Anna Gertsson 77-71-72=220 +4
t48. Anna Knutsson 78-76-79=233 +17
t58. Lina Thoren 81-74-81=236 +20
85. Catalina Olarte 78-83-89=250 +34
87. Renata Almeida 84-85-85=254 +38

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/24/01 (10:30 p.m.)
Track - Elisha Williams claimed a third-place finish in the long jump and a fifth-place high jump showing to lead head coach Al Schmidt's Mississippi State Lady Bulldog track team to a share of fifth place following the opening day of action at the SEC Indoor Championships in Lexington, Ky.

The senior leaped 25-0 to finish third and claim her fifth consecutive top-three showing of the season. The Milton, Fla., native combined her six points with an additional four points claimed in a fifth-place finish in the high jump (5-6).

Williams scored all 10 of the Lady Bulldogs' points to tie the squad with Auburn for fifth place heading into Sunday's final day of action.

The MSU men advanced several runners into Sunday's sprints finals. Sophomore Pierre Browne continued to prove himself as one of the SEC's elite, earning berths in the finals of the 60- and 200-meter dashes. Browne provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 60m with a 6.70 mark that gave him sixth place and a spot in Sunday's final. The Toronto, Ontario, native also advanced to the conference meet's 200-meter finals, winning his heat with a 21.03 mark.

A pair of Bulldog rookies join Browne in Sunday's 200m final. Freshman Antonio Hargro also won his heat Saturday at Nutter Field House, clocking an NCAA provisional qualifying and a school third-best 21.12 mark. Fellow first-year sprinter Keston Nelson also advanced to the 200 meters final, finishing tops in his preliminary heat with a 21.70 mark.

Senior Ian Robertson earned the Bulldogs' only point of the day, as he leaped 23-3 1/4 to claim eighth place in the long jump this morning.

In other women's action, senior Stacey Salmon narrowly missed scoring for the Lady Bulldogs in the shot put. Salmon threw 45-11 1/4 to finish ninth in Saturday's opening day at the Kentucky-hosted event. Sophomore Joey Hansen finished ninth in the 3000 meters, clocking a 10:25.80 timing.

The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs conclude the two-day conference championship meet Sunday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

Junior Anna Gertsson leads MSU with a score of 148 to place her in a four-way tie for 16th. She shot a 71 on Saturday at the par-72 University of Florida Golf Course, a mark tying her third-lowest round during her MSU career.

Freshman Anna Knutsson is tied for 45th with a mark of 154, with teammate Lina Thoren, a senior, one stroke behind her with a 155 and tied for 49th. Freshman Catalina Olarte has carded a 161 over the last two days and is tied for 73rd. Senior Renata Almeida rounds out the MSU lineup, as she sits in a tie for 87th with a score of 169.

Auburn leads the tournament with a score of 582, while Georgia's Summer Sirmons leads the individual competition with a mark of 142.

Final round of action at the Sun Trust Lady Gator Invitational will begin Sunday at 8:00 a.m.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/24/01 (6:30 p.m.)
Women's Tennis - In a match that was every bit as close and exciting as the score would indicate, Mississippi State's women's tennis squad fell to 28th-ranked LSU, 4-3. MSU, ranked 41st, fell to 2-3 on the season, 1-2 in SEC play, while LSU is now 8-1, 2-0.

LSU claimed an early 1-0 lead by clinching the doubles point. Amy McIlhaney and Fernanda Tsucamoto of LSU handled MSU's duo of freshman Yumi Ueda and senior Anca Vasiloaica, 8-0. State responded with freshman Camila Sagae and junior Carole Soubis posting an 8-3 win at No. 3 over LSU's Tami Botts and Lauren Haddix. The Lady Tigers would clinch the doubles point when Bruna Colosio and Rocio Fantilli defeated Lady Bulldog seniors Amelie Detriviere and Claudia Oliveira 8-4.

MSU answered, as they would all day, early in singles action. Oliveira defeated Botts at No. 3 6-3, 6-3 to even the score at one. Tsucamoto then stopped Sagae 6-2, 6-4 at No. 5 to put LSU back ahead 2-1. State then responded with senior Linda Mattsson's 6-4, 6-3 win over McIlhaney on No. 6. LSU again took the lead when Haddix defeated Vasiloaica at No. 4 7-5, 6-4.

With LSU leading the match 3-2, both remaining matches were pushed to third sets. On Court #2, MSU's Soubis traded breaks with Lady Tiger Fantilli throughout the third set. Soubis prevailed in the end with a 7-6(2), 1-6, 7-5 victory to tie the score at three.

The only remaining match was at No. 1 between Detriviere and Colosio. Colosio and the Lady Tigers would prevail as the 42nd-ranked player in the nation rallied from a 5-3 deficit to push Detriviere to a tiebreak. Colosio won the match 6-0, 5-7, 7-6(2).

"It's always disappointing to lose a match that close," head coach Tracy Lane said. "But we played hard and we answered everything they threw at us. We need to move on and refocus for our match on Monday."

The Lady Bulldogs return to action on Monday with a 1:30 p.m. match with #35 Kentucky at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/24/01 (5:45 p.m.)
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's 18th-ranked men's tennis team will open its 2001 Southeastern Conference season Sunday, hosting 17th-ranked LSU. Match time between the Bulldogs and Tigers is set for 1 p.m. at the A. J. Pitts Tennis Centre on the MSU campus.

The Bulldogs will carry a 5-2 overall record into the match. LSU is 5-1. Both teams are coming off 7-0 wins over Louisiana-Lafayette during the past week.

State will be looking to end a rough skid it has endured against LSU in recent times. MSU is just 1-6 against the Tigers in the last six years and has dropped two of the last three matches played between the teams in Starkville.

"We are excited to start the SEC schedule," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "We have had some solid wins so far this season and our two losses were in very close matches.

"LSU will be a very tough start to the conference, but that would be the case with just about anyone in the SEC. LSU has had our number in the last few years and we hope we can turn that around Sunday."

State's current six-match homestand will conclude this Thursday, March 1, against 34th-ranked Middle Tennessee.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/24/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's men's tennis team registered its third shut out in four matches Friday, as the 18th-ranked Bulldogs ousted No. 56 Louisiana-Lafayette at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on the MSU campus.

With the win, State improved to 5-2 overall. ULL fell to 3-5.

MSU opened the day by taking the doubles point for the sixth time in its seven matches this season. The Bulldogs swept all three positions with 8-3, 8-0 and 8-5 wins, the Bulldogs' third sweep of doubles this year.

State rode its momentum from doubles into singles, winning the first set on every court to go on and post the team shut out.

Putting MSU up 2-0 in the match was rookie sensation Romain Ambert. Ranked 16th nationally, the Toulouse, France, native won 6-2, 6-3 over ULL's Jakub Ilowski at the No. 2 position. State grabbed a 3-0 advantage on the strength of freshman Luiz Carvalho's 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 4 over Ragin' Cajun Johann Van Der Westhuizen. Carvalho rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the second set for that win.

Bulldog David Ruiz clinched the match for MSU, winning 6-2, 6-0 over Tomi Winnig at the No. 3 spot.

Adding victories after the match had been clinched were Mathieu Soto, Marco Baron and Max Fomine. Soto was a 6-1, 6-1 winner against Ragin' Cajun Michael Tarkowski at position No. 5. The 48th-ranked Baron, down 5-3 and 15-40 in the first set, came back for a solid 7-5, 6-2 triumph over ULL's 87th-ranked Jason Pieters at No. 1. Fomine finished off the blanking with a 6-0, 6-4 win at No. 6 over Cason Mays.

"We played well today," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "We did the things we had to do to prepare ourselves for a big match on Sunday."

The Bulldogs open their 2001 Southeastern Conference slate Sunday against 17th-ranked LSU (5-1). Match time is set for 1 p.m. at the Pitts Tennis Centre. MSU will end its current homestand this coming Thursday, March 1, against No. 34 Middle Tennessee.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

The Lady Bulldogs enter the match with a 2-2 overall record, 1-1 in the SEC. LSU is 7-1, 1-0. State split a pair of road matches last weekend to open league play. After a 6-1 loss in Tuscaloosa on Friday, MSU rebounded with a 4-3 win at Auburn on Sunday.

MSU's team is led by seniors Amelie Detriviere and Claudia Oliveira. Detriviere is the Lady Bulldog's most experienced player, playing at the No. 1 position the past two seasons. She has totaled 57 career singles wins, tying Ivana Belancic (1998-2000) for sixth on the school's all-time wins list. Oliveira has posted a team-leading nine singles wins on the season, including two in dual-match action. Detriviere and Oliveira have combined their efforts to form MSU's top doubles team. The tandem has tallied a 7-2 record on the season.

Senior Anca Vasiloaica leads Mississippi State with 61 career singles wins, fifth-most in school history. She needs just six wins to tie Claire Pollard (1986-89) in fourth, and 11 to tie Jackie Holden (1986-89) at the top of the career wins list. Senior Linda Mattsson is also in the school's top-10, having tallied 56 wins. With one more victory, she will tie Belancic for sixth.

Head coach Tracy Lane now has 38 career wins, one shy of Libba Birmingham (1978-80) in second-place on the school's career wins chart. Andy Jackson, now the coach of MSU's men's team, holds the school record with his 69 wins as coach of the Lady Bulldogs.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

The teams vie against the remainder of the Southeastern Conference at Nutter Field House beginning Saturday at 11 a.m. The two-day conference championships conclude Sunday.

The Bulldogs tied for 10th at last season's indoor championship meet in Fayetteville, Ark., but the MSU men aim to break into the upper-half of the division behind a talented contingent that has four competitors ranked in the top-20 in the country.

Sophomore Pierre Browne leads the Bulldogs in the sprints. The Toronto, Ontario, native stands 16th in the nation and eighth in the SEC in the 200 meters with an NCAA provisional-qualifying 21.19 mark clocked at the Razorback Invitational. Browne's season-best 6.73 60 meters clocking currently ranks as the fifth-fastest time in the SEC this season.

Senior Vance Clarke posted the fourth-longest triple jump in the conference this season and the nation's 13th-best mark with his 51-11 1/4 provisional mark recorded at the Razorback Invite. Fellow senior Ian Robertson also provisionally qualified for NCAA action in the triple jump. Robertson leaped 51-7 3/4, the 16th-best mark in the nation, at the Pepsi Invitational a couple of weeks ago.

Junior Dion Crabbe anchors MSU in the long jump after recording an NCAA provisional-qualifying 25-1 1/4 leap that placed him at No. 19 in the country.

The Lady Bulldogs are led into the two-day conference meet by senior long jumper Elisha Williams. This season the Milton, Fla., native won three long jump events and finished second at the Pepsi Invite. Williams set a new school record at the Razorback Invitational before bettering the mark at the Pepsi Invitational with a 20-9 leap that ties her for seventh in the nation.

Senior Andréa Ingleton leads the Lady Bulldog sprinters this weekend, while Stacey Salmon and Trish Curtis provide point-scoring potential in the throws.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

Junior Anna Gertsson leads MSU with a score of 77, which places her in a tie for 33rd overall. Freshmen Anna Knutsson and Catalina Olarte are one stroke behind Gertsson, as they each carded a 78 respectively to place in a tie for 48th. Seniors Lina Thoren and Renata Almeida round out the MSU lineup, as Thoren posted a 81 and sits in a tie for 71st, and Almeida is in a tie for 84th with a score of 84.

Auburn leads the 17-team tournament after one round of play with a score of 292, while Georgia's Reilley Rankin is in first with a score of 70.

Play at the Sun Trust Lady Gator Invitational continues Saturday and Sunday with 18 holes to be played each day.

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA GOLF COURSE, Par: 72 5,840 Yards

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Auburn 292
2. Georgia 293
3. Alabama 294
4. Tennessee 297
5. Central Florida 302
6. Florida State 304
7. Louisiana State 305
Vanderbilt 305
9. North Carolina 308
10. South Carolina 309
11. Arkansas 310
12. South Florida 311
Florida 311
14. Mississippi 312
15. Mississippi State 314
16. Wake Forest 318
17. Kentucky 325

MSU RESULTS
t33. Anna Gertsson 77 +5
t48. Anna Knutsson 78 +6
t48. Catalina Olarte 78 +6
t71. Lina Thoren 81 +9
t84. Renata Almeida 84 +12

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/22/01 (1:00 p.m.)
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's men's tennis team, ranked 18th nationally in the latest WingspanBank.com rankings, will continue its current six-match homestand this weekend with a pair of matches at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

The Bulldogs, 4-2 overall, will host 56th-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday at 2 p.m. before opening their 2001 Southeastern Conference schedule versus No. 17 LSU on Sunday at 1 p.m.

ULL will bring a 3-4 overall record into Friday's contest after a 7-0 setback at LSU on Tuesday. LSU is 5-1 after that win. Both teams qualified for last year's NCAA Championship, with ULL reaching the second round and LSU advancing to the round of 16.

"This is a big weekend for us," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "Louisiana-Lafayette is always tough..they beat us here two years ago and LSU will be a very tough opening match in the SEC."

The current homestand will conclude next Thursday, March 1, against 34th-ranked Middle Tennessee.

This weekend's men's matches will be part of four matches in four days on the MSU campus. State's Lady Bulldogs, ranked 41st, host two key SEC contests, welcoming 28th-ranked LSU on Saturday at 1 p.m. and No. 35 Kentucky on Monday at 1:30 p.m.

MSU TENNIS SCHEDULE (FEB. 23-26)
All Matches To Be Played at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre:
Friday--#18 MSU Men vs. #56 Louisiana-Lafayette, 2 p.m.
Saturday--#41 MSU Women vs. #28 LSU, 1 p.m.
Sunday--#18 MSU Men vs. #17 LSU, 1 p.m.
Monday--#41 MSU Women vs. #35 Kentucky, 1:30 p.m.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/18/01 (10:00 p.m.)
Men's Tennis - Despite nearly rallying from losing doubles and four first sets in singles, Mississippi State's 16th-ranked men's tennis team was not quite able to pull out a victory Sunday, falling to 15th-ranked South Alabama 4-3 at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

With the loss, MSU fell to 4-2 on the season. South Alabama remained perfect at 9-0.

South Alabama gained the opening doubles point in a tight battle. After the teams had traded 8-6 wins at the No. 1 and 3 positions, USA's duo of Christian Thall and Konstantine Zinchanka, ranked 13th nationally, edged Bulldogs Romain Ambert and Luiz Carvalho 9-7 at No. 2. Ambert and Carvalho had rallied from a 6-2 deficit to knot the score at 7-7 before the Jaguar pair won the last two games of the set.

In singles, South Alabama took four of the six first sets played to give itself a heavy advantage.

The Jaguars took a 2-0 lead when Zinchanka, ranked 46th nationally, won 6-4, 6-0 over Bulldog Max Fomine at the No. 5 position. State trimmed the lead to 2-1 when 48th-ranked Marco Baron triumphed 6-0, 6-3 at No. 1 over USA's Thall, ranked 49th.

The teams traded the next two points of the match almost simultaneously. MSU tied the score at 2-2 when Carvalho finished his win against Tomas Chata 6-2, 6-3 at the No. 4 spot. Seconds later, Jaguar Ziatko Stupavsky won 6-3, 6-4 over Bulldog Mathieu Soto at No. 6, claiming the last three games of the match for the win.

That left MSU needing the final two matches of the day -- at positions 2 and 3 -- to pull out the victory, and the Bulldogs had chances.

State had lost the first set in each of the matches, but Ambert, ranked 16th in the country, had rallied from a 5-2 disadvantage in the second to force a tiebreaker at No. 2. On court No. 3, MSU's David Ruiz was on serve early in the second.

But despite having a set point in the tiebreak, Ambert was unable to pull it out, falling 10-8 there and 6-2, 7-6(8) in the match to 38th-ranked Julien Raynal, which gave South Alabama the team victory.

After the match was clinched, Jaguar Vincent Baudat retired after Ruiz split sets with him, giving the final point of the day to MSU.

"We knew we would have to play a very solid match to win today," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "And we did. South Alabama just played a little bit better and won a couple of close matches when they had to.

"Overall, I was very pleased with our play. We did not give up after losing doubles, or after getting down in singles, and we still had a chance to win at the end. We played a very good match against what I believe is a top 10 team."

State will continue its current homestand next weekend with two more matches. The Bulldogs will host No. 53 Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday at 2 p.m. before opening their 2001 Southeastern Conference season on Sunday at 1 p.m. against 14th-ranked LSU. The homestand will conclude on March 1 against No. 33 Middle Tennessee.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

MSU won the opening doubles point with convincing victories at No. 1 and 2, but fell on Court 3. Seniors Amelie Detriviere and Claudia Oliveira moved their record to 7-2 with an 8-5 victory over Auburn's Andrea Piski and Carolina Ramirez at No. 1. Freshman Yumi Ueda teamed with senior Anca Vasiloaica to defeat Katia Illarionova and Liz Sauerborn 8-3. Carolina Maurer and Martina Janska defeated MSU's duo of junior Carole Soubis and freshman Camila Sagae 8-5 at No.3.

In singles action, State quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead with victories by Sagae and senior Linda Mattsson at the 5 and 6 positions, respectively. Sagae defeated Sauerborn 6-1, 6-2 and Mattsson beat Summa Edwards 6-1, 6-1. Auburn got a win from Illarionova, who defeated Vasiloaica 6-0, 6-3 at No. 4. The Lady Bulldogs clinched the victory with a 7-6 (6), 6-0 Oliveira victory over Ramirez at No. 3. After the match was decided, Auburn picked up two points with three-set wins by Piski and Maurer at No.s 1 and 2. Piski defeated Detriviere 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 at No. 1 while Maurer defeated Soubis 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.

The Lady Bulldogs return home to host #28 LSU and 34th-ranked Kentucky in a pair of SEC matches this weekend at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. State will take on LSU at 1 p.m. Saturday and Kentucky at 1:30 p.m. Monday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/16/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's 16th-ranked men's tennis team notched its second-straight shut out performance Thursday with a 7-0 triumph over No. 70 Arkansas-Little Rock on the MSU campus.

With the win, MSU improved to 4-1 on the 2001 season. UALR dropped to 2-7.

State gained the opening point of the match by sweeping doubles play with 8-3, 8-1 and 8-3 wins at the three respective positions.

MSU would be equally as strong in singles, winning all six singles matches in straight sets for the second-straight outing. The Bulldogs would clinch the match on the strength of three wins from true freshmen.

Romain Ambert, ranked 16th nationally, was first off the court, shutting out UALR's Domenico Marra at the No. 2 position. State went up 3-0 when Bulldog Max Fomine ousted Trojan Jarrad Bunt 6-1, 6-2 at No. 5. Clinching the match for MSU was newcomer Luiz Carvalho, who downed Luciano Diez 6-0, 6-4 at No. 4.

After the match had been clinched, MSU won the final three matches of the day.

Bulldog David Ruiz remained perfect for the 2001 season, winning 6-2, 6-1 over Luciano Diez at the No. 3 spot. Mathieu Soto held off Mithun Murali at No. 6, rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the second set.

Senior all-American Marco Baron, ranked 48th, completed the shut out in the marquis matchup of the day at No. 1, winning 6-2, 6-4 over 45th-ranked Trojan Mariano Pettigrosso. Baron came back from 3-1 down in the second set for that victory.

"The guys were very focused and played well again today," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "Now we have to get ready for a very tough challenge on Sunday."

State will continue its homestand Sunday with a key non-conference matchup against 15th-ranked South Alabama. The Jaguars come to Starkville sporting an 8-0 record. Match time is set for 1 p.m. at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

State is led by the senior duo of Amelie Detriviere and Claudia Oliveira. Detriviere is the Lady Bulldog's most experienced player, playing at the No. 1 position the past two seasons. Oliveira is trying to make her senior season her best, having already posted eight singles wins this season and claiming the Flight B singles title at the SEC Fall Coaches Classic. Detriviere and Oliveira have combined their efforts to form MSU's top doubles team. The tandem has tallied a 6-1 record on the season and defeated South Alabama's top doubles team last Sunday. Detriviere and Oliveira, not ranked in the top-50 nationally, defeated Alabama's 49th-ranked duo of Weyli Chang and Selia Mathew 8-1 during the fall.

Alabama, who went 0-11 in SEC play a year ago, is ranked 44th this season after beginning the year 7-1. The Tide rattled off seven consecutive wins to begin the year before falling last weekend at 19th-ranked Northwestern.

"We're starting conference play against a solid team," head coach Tracy Lane said of Alabama. "They¹re quite a different team than when we saw them last year. They are definitely a more veteran group this year."

The Lady Bulldogs will stay on the road with an SEC contest in Auburn at noon on Sunday. Auburn is 2-0 on the young season, posting a 4-3 win over Troy State and blanking Southern Miss 7-0.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/14/01 (3:45 p.m.)
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's men's tennis team, ranked 16th nationally in the third spring edition of the WingspanBank.com rankings (released Wednesday), will continue its six-match homestand Thursday, hosting No. 70 Arkansas-Little Rock. Match time is set for 2 p.m. at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. Should inclement weather invade the area, the match will be moved indoors to McCarthy Gym.

The Bulldogs, 3-1 overall, will be meeting the Trojans (2-6) for the eighth time ever. UALR holds a slim 4-3 advantage in the series between the schools, which have not met since 1989.

UALR continues State¹s string of strong opponents in 2001. The Trojans qualified for the NCAA Championship field last season.

"UALR is a very solid team," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "They had a great season last year and made the NCAAs. We will have to be prepared."

Thursday's contest will be the second match of MSU's current staying binge at home. Following Thursday's action, MSU will welcome another very tough foe on Sunday in 15th-ranked South Alabama. That match is slated for a 1 p.m. start.

Next weekend, State will entertain 53rd-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette (Feb. 23) and open its 2001 Southeastern Conference schedule versus No. 14 LSU (Feb. 25).

The homestand concludes on March 1 against 33rd-ranked Middle Tennessee.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/14/01
Men's Golf - Sophomore Codie Mudd won his first collegiate title Tuesday to help the Mississippi State men's golf team to second place at the spring-opening Rice Intercollegiate in Katy, Texas.

Mudd shot a 4-under par 212 on the par-72 Meadowbrook Farms course to take a two shot win over Rice's Ryan Morgan and lead head coach Greg Martin's Bulldogs to second-place honors with an 873 total.

State trailed No. 24 Kansas by four shots following the opening two rounds of play Monday, but the Bulldogs held on to second place despite shooting 298 over Tuesday's final 18 holes.

Junior John Mueller also broke into the top-10 for State. The Arlington, Va., native shot a 1-over par 217 to finish sixth for the two-day event. Mueller entered the day at 2-under par after carding rounds of 70 and 72 Monday, but he dropped to sixth with a final-round 75.

Senior Scott Shelton marched into the top-20 Tuesday with a final round 72. Shelton struggled with opening rounds of 76 and 75, but the Bulldogs' captain made a charge by shooting even par to finish with 223 for the 54-hole event.

Jason McKenzie finished the tournament tied for 29th place (227), while redshirt freshman Tim Cureton tied for 33rd in his collegiate debut with a 12-over par 228. Fellow redshirt freshman T.J. Washburn rounded out the Bulldog golfers with a 230 that placed him in a tie for the 39th spot.

State takes a couple of weeks off before returning to competition at the Matlock Collegiate Classic Mar. 5-6 at Grasslands Country Club in Lakeland, Fla.

2001 RICE INTERCOLLEGIATE, FINAL RESULTS; FEB. 12-13
MEADOWBROOK FARMS; KATY, TEXAS

FINAL TEAM RESULTS
1. Kansas 282-289-290=861
2. Mississippi State 283-292-298=873
3. Baylor 297-288-292=877
4. Lamar 290-300-292=882
5. Rice 293-293-297=883
6. Nebraska 299-300-297=896
7. Texas Tech 288-305-305=898
8. Missouri 297-299-309=905
9. Southwest Texas St. 299-304-304=907
10. Kansas State 310-301-301=912

MSU INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Codie Mudd 66-72-74=212 (-4)
6. John Mueller 70-72-75=217 (+1)
t18. Scott Shelton 76-75-72=223 (+7)
t29. Jason McKenzie 74-73-80=227 (+11)
t33. Tim Cureton 73-78-77=228 (+12)
t39. T.J. Washburn 77-76-77=230 (+14)

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

Both McDonald and Sandrik join the club after successful prep, club and Olympic Development careers in their respective home states. The two mark the third and fourth players of an expected eight spring signees for the Bulldogs.

"We are very excited to have such tremendous athletes join our program," McGuire said. "Karen and Morgan are not only wonderful players, but tremendous people and students as well. They will bring a lot to this program."

A two-sport athlete at Saint Mary's, Sandrik played and started all 15 matches during her junior season and was an instrumental cog in a 15-2 finish for the Saints. Her efforts in the campaign helped her collect her second-straight all-region accolades, as well as all-conference and all-region honors. Her teammates and coaches also decorated her with its best defensive player award.

As a member of the Spartan Storm club organization under coach Panos Pasculudas, McDonald helped lead her squad to three regional final and five state final appearances, three times capturing the state crown. She is also a member of the state of North Carolina ODP program under coach Kevin Demsy.

An academic performer as well, Morgan has been a member of the Saint Mary's honor roll since her freshman year, holding down a 3.90 GPA on a 4.0 scale to rank her 21st in her class of 86. Born Morgan Mitchell McDonald on April 6, 1983, she is the daughter of Charles and Barbara McDonald. Morgan has an older brother, Justin, and an older sister, Raven.

Sandrik, a standout performer for University High School, has played and started every game during her four-year prep career with the Cougars, has already scored 45 points on 12 goals and 21 assists this season and was the third pick for the Florida Athletic Coaches Association all-star team earlier in the year.

As a junior, Sandrik scored 48 points on 17 goals and 14 assists en route to garnering first team all-county and second team all-central Florida accolades. She helped lead her FC America Kumba club team to the 1998 and 2000 Florida state cup championship as a starting defender. A three-year member of the state of Florida ODP program, Sandrik has helped lead her club to the state finals on two separate occasions.

She currently maintains a 4.1 weighted GPA on a 4.0 scale at University and is a three-time recipient of the principal's honor roll award. She also garnered the 2000 national merit english award. Born Karen Elizabeth Sandrik on January 31, 1983, she is the daughter of Jan Sandrik-Vescovi. Karen has an older sister, Becky, and a younger sister, Laura.

Reprinted with the permisson of the MSU Athletic Department

02/13/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's men's tennis match with Arkansas-Little Rock, originally scheduled for this coming Friday, has been moved to this Thursday, February 15th.

The match, which was moved at the request of UALR due to a conflict, will remain at a 2 p.m. start.

The UALR contest will be the second match in a six-match homestand that the 15th-ranked Bulldogs are currently playing. Following Thursday's action, MSU (3-1 overall) will welcome 16th-ranked South Alabama Sunday at 1 p.m.

The following weekend, State will entertain 48th-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette (Feb. 23) and open its 2001 Southeastern Conference schedule versus No. 14 LSU (Feb. 25).

The homestand concludes on March 1 against 40th-ranked Middle Tennessee.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

Wallace and Berry come to Starkville after standout prep and club careers in their home state and both are expected to contribute immediately at Mississippi State.

"Both Brie and April bring a wealth of high level playing experience to this program," McGuire said. "They are two talented athletes whose soccer ability will add a new dimension to our team. As well as being leaders on the field, they are people who provide good leadership off it. We are excited to have them with us."

A three-year letterwinner at Farragut High School in Knoxville, Wallace scored 10 goals and 7 assists en route to garnering all-district, all-region and all-state honors after leading the admirals to the final four of the state tournament during her junior campaign. At season's end, she was also decorated with her team's best midfielder award and garnered a spot on the all-state tournament team.

As a member of the Memphis Fury Premier club organization, she was instrumental in leading her squad to second place finishes at both the Orange Classic tournament in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and the Germantown (TN) Invitational. She is also a participant in the state of Tennessee Olympic Development Program under coach Robbie Church. An academic standout as well, Wallace currently holds down a 3.87 GPA on a 4.0 scale at Farragut, ranking her 31st in her class of 540.

Born Brie Danielle Wallace on July 9, 1983, she is the daughter of Steven and Brenda Wallace. Brie has an older brother, Greg.

Berry, a standout performer for Martin High School, played and started all 23 matches during her junior campaign with the Warriors. She tallied 27 points on eight goals and 11 assists en route to garnering all-district honors and her team's most valuable midfielder award.

As a member of the Klein Challenge, a distinguished club organization in the greater Houston area, Berry has helped lead her squad to an overall record of 185-21 in six years of play and has been a main cog in Klein's six state championships over the past seven years (1994-1997, 1999-2000). The Challenge was also a finalist at the 1999 national tournament, capturing the regional crown that same season. She has scored 93 goals and 127 assists in six years with the club team.

An excellent student as well, Berry currently ranks in the upper half of her class of 811 at Martin High, and currently holds a 3.23 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Born April Diane Berry on April 19, 1983, she is the daughter of Neil Berry and Pinkie Madrid. April has two brothers, Michael (19) and Neil, Jr. (10), and two sisters, Trina (19) and Kristi (11).

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

State sat one behind clubhouse leader Kansas following an opening-round 283, but fell five shots behind the Jayhawks with a 292 total for the second 18 holes of the day. Third-place Baylor sits 10 strokes behind MSU at 9-over 585.

State has three players in the top-20 following the opening 36 holes, with sophomore Codie Mudd's 178 leading the way in a tie for first place. Mudd fired a career-low 66 in the opening round at Meadowbrook Farms, and the Louisville, Ky., native held on to a share of the lead with an even-par 72 in the second round.

Juniors John Mueller and Jason McKenzie also sit in the top-20 for MSU. Mueller matched a 2-under par 70 in the opening round with a second-round 72 to sit in a tie for fourth place with a 142. McKenzie stands tied for 16th place following the opening day of play, as he fired rounds of 74 and 73 to finish the day with a 3-over par 147.

Senior Scott Shelton and redshirt freshman Tim Cureton both carded 7-over par 151s to sit tied with several other players in 29th place. Shelton fired rounds of 76 and 75, while Cureton carded rounds of 73 and 78 in his collegiate debut. Freshman T.J. Washburn finished the day tied for 37th place with a 9-over par 153 (77-76).

The Bulldogs aim for the Rice Intercollegiate title in Tuesday's final round.

2001 RICE INTERCOLLEGIATE, Round One.

TEAM RESULTS
1 Kansas, U. of 282-289=571
2 Mississippi St. U. 283-292=575
3 Baylor University 297-288=585
4 Rice University 293-293=586
5 Lamar University 290-300=590
6 Texas Tech Univ. 288-305=593
7 Missouri, U. of 297-299=596
8 Nebraska, U. of 299-300=599
9 Southwest Texas St . 299-304=603
10 Kansas State Univ. 310-301=611

MSU INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
t1. Codie Mudd 66-72=178
t4. John Mueller 70-72=142
t16. Jason McKenzie 74-73=147
t29. Scott Shelton 76-75=151
t29. Tim Cureton 73-78=151
t37. T.J. Washburn 77-76=153

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/12/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's 15th-ranked men's tennis team began its six-match homestand in impressive fashion Sunday afternoon, blanking 35th-ranked UAB 7-0 at State's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

With the win, MSU improved to 3-1 on the season. UAB dropped to 3-2.

It took the Bulldogs just 40 minutes to gain the opening point of the match, as State lost only two games in the day's three doubles contests.

MSU would be equally as strong in singles, winning all six matches in straight sets and posting the clinching victory of the day in just over two hours of competition.

First off the court was senior Mathieu Soto, who shut out UAB's Zac Funk 6-0, 6-0 at the No. 6 position. Putting MSU up 3-0 was sixth-ranked freshman Romain Ambert who won 6-1, 6-3 over Blazer Tom Dalby at No. 2.

Clinching the match was Bulldog true freshman Max Fomine, a 6-2, 6-3 victor against Niklas Lindstrom at No. 5.

After the match had been clinched, Bulldogs David Ruiz, Marco Baron and Luiz Carvlaho all finished out their victories.

Ruiz was a 6-1, 6-2 winner at the No. 3 spot over UAB's Sanzaruz Zaman. Baron won by the same score at No. 1 over Alex Jung. Carvalho completed the MSU shutout by downing Blazer Alan Ambrose at No. 4 6-3, 6-3.

"Our team was extremely focused today," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "This was a solid win against a good UAB team. I was very pleased with the way the guys responded to the past couple of days of practice."

State will continue its homestand this weekend with a pair of matches. MSU is scheduled to host No. 57 Arkansas-Little Rock this Friday, February 16th, at 2 p.m. MSU will then welcome 16th-ranked South Alabama this Sunday, February 18th, at 1 p.m.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

The Bulldogs compete on the 7,100-yard, par-72 Meadowbrook Farms course against a 10-team field that includes Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Lamar, Missouri, Nebraska, host Rice, Southwest Texas State and Texas Tech.

The tournament follows a six-man format, so redshirt freshman Tim Cureton makes his collegiate debut. The remaining five players include sophomore Codie Mudd, juniors Jason McKenzie and John Mueller, senior captain Scott Shelton and fellow redshirt freshman T.J. Washburn.

The MSU linksters play 36 holes Monday before closing out the spring opener with a final round of 18 beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Mudd led the Bulldogs in the fall season with a 73.48 average through five events. The Louisville, Ky., native claimed three top-15 showings, including a career-best seventh at the Cleveland Golf Intercollegiate behind a season-low 214 total.

Shelton, the lone senior on the squad, finished the fall season second on the squad with a 74.59 mark. The Paris, Texas, native capped the five fall events with his first collegiate win at the season-opening G. Gunby Jordan Intercollegiate. Shelton fired a 6-under par 102 to lead State to a fall-best tie for second at the 27-hole event.

In his first season with the Bulldogs, McKenzie played well during the fall, finishing third on the squad with a 74.67 average in four tournaments. McKenzie claimed two top-20 finishes, a tie for 20th place at the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate (221) and a tie for 18th place at the Country Club of Louisiana Intercollegiate (219).

Mueller averaged a 75.11 in the fall, while Washburn ended his first collegiate fall season with a 77.63 scoring average.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/10/01 (11:00 p.m.)
Track and Field - Mississippi State junior Dion Crabbe won the 200-meter dash and provisionally qualified in the long jump, while senior Stacey Salmon-Rich landed school records in the shot put and weight throw to lead head coach Al Schmidt's MSU track squads at the Virginia Tech Pepsi Valentine's Invitational in Blacksburg, Va.

Crabbe clocked a 21.67 mark on the banked track at Rector Field House to win the event, but he also met provisional standards for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the long jump Saturday with a 25-1 1/4 leap that awarded him fourth place.

Salmon-Rich finished sixth in the shot put with a 46-6 1/4 throw that bettered Fran Townsel's 46-1 1/4 mark that has stood since 1996. The Canadian threw 54-5 1/4 in the 20-lb. weight to take her second sixth-place finish of the day and break her own school-record 53-11 throw claimed in 1999.

The Bulldogs also had another provisional qualifier Saturday, as senior Ian Robertson triple jumped 51-7 3/4 to take second place in the event. Fellow senior Vance Clarke finished immediately behind Robertson in third place after landing a 51-3 3/4 jump.

Sophomore Pierre Browne was the second collegian to cross the finish line in Saturday's 60 meters final and the fourth runner overall, clocking a 6.78 mark. Freshman sensation Antonio Hargro continued his solid running, taking fifth place in the invitational 200 meters in 21.27. The Gautier, Miss., standout was the third collegiate runner to finish the 200m race. In his debut running the 400m, sophomore Kelvin Harris claimed a respectable sixth-place finish behind a 49.53 clocking.

In women's action, senior Elisha Williams had her long jump winning streak snapped at three, but she took second place Saturday in Blacksburg with a school-record and NCAA provisional-qualifying 20-9 leap. The mark bettered her school-record 20-3 1/2 leap claimed in a win at the Razorback Invitational two weeks ago.

Junior Camille Harper won the 200m in 24.50 Saturday after clocking a 7.58 mark in the finals of the 60 meters earlier, and sophomore Ronni Watjus ran a school fifth-best 18:23.69 mark to take sixth place in the 5000 meters this weekend.

The MSU track teams take another week off before heading to Lexington, Ky., to take on the rest of the Southeastern Conference at the SEC Indoor Championships Feb. 24-25.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/10/01 (9:00 p.m.)
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's 15th-ranked men's tennis team will play the first match in a six-match homestand Sunday, as the Bulldogs entertain 35th-ranked UAB. Match time is set for 1 p.m. at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

State is 2-1 overall this season. UAB comes in at 3-1.

The match will be the 16th in recorded history between the teams with MSU owning a 15-1 advantage in those contests. The one loss came in 1993, one of only five non-conference setbacks the Bulldogs have suffered at home in 55 such contests.

Following Sunday's action, MSU will welcome No. 57 Arkansas-Little Rock and No. 16 South Alabama next Friday and Sunday, respectively.

The following weekend, State will host 48th-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette (Feb. 23) and opens its 2001 Southeastern Conference schedule versus No. 14 LSU (Feb. 25).

The homestand concludes on March 1 against 40th-ranked Middle Tennessee.

"We have a lot of matches coming up at home against very good teams," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "All of these teams were in the NCAA last season and that starts with UAB who made the second round as we did. We had a very good crowd against Baylor two weeks ago in a big match. I hope that our fans will continue to show that type of support in all of our home matches as the season continues."

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/09/01 (9:30 p.m.)
Women's Tennis - Mississippi State's 40th-ranked women's tennis squad begins a three-match road trip at 14th-ranked South Alabama Saturday. Match time is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Bruce David Lubel Courts in Mobile, Ala.

MSU enters the match with a 1-0 record following a 6-0 win over Southern Mississippi last week. The Lady Jaguars enter the match with a 5-1 record.

State is led by 73rd-ranked senior Amelie Detriviere, who is expected to play the No. 1 position for the Lady Bulldogs after missing the team's opening match with a minor injury. Senior Claudia Oliveira, who played on court No. 1 in Detriviere's absence, leads MSU with eight singles wins and seven doubles victories this season.

The Lady Bulldogs' lineup is expected to include the doubles team of Detriviere and Oliveira for the first time since the fall. The duo had a 5-1 record during the fall, including four consecutive wins to claim the Flight B title at the SEC Fall Coach's Classic.

South Alabama holds an 11-7 advantage in the all-time series, and the Lady Bulldogs have won just once against USA in Mobile in six tries. South Alabama defeated MSU 7-2 in Starkville last February, the teams' only meeting last season.

"This is a great opportunity for our team to improve and play against one of the better teams in our region," head coach Tracy Lane said. "This will be a good test for our team before we enter SEC play next weekend."

The Lady Bulldogs will remain in the Yellow Hammer State with matches against SEC foes Alabama on Friday, Feb. 16, and Auburn on Sunday, Feb. 18.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/08/01 (10 p.m.)
Men's Tennis - Despite taking the opening doubles point, Mississippi's State's 15th-ranked tennis team fell 4-1 to 10th-ranked Mississippi Thursday night in the fourth-annual River Hills Cup. The win for UM evened the series at 2-2 in the annual match that was started in 1998.

With the loss, MSU fell to 2-1 on the young 2001 season. UM improved to 2-0.

State gained the opening point of the day by rallying to win the final two doubles matches on court. After UM won 8-3 at the No. 1 position, Bulldogs Marco Baron and David Ruiz, tied 3-3 with Rebels Patrick Chucri and Alexander Hartman, won five-straight games to take that contest at No. 2. That left a battle at the No. 3 spot for the doubles point. There, MSU's pair of Romain Ambert and Rene-Charles Combette held off the Rebel duo of Conor Casey and Paul Ciorascu in a tiebreaker 9-8(4).

But the Rebels came out firing in singles, winning the first four matches off the court to take the victory. Tying the match at 1-1 for UM was James Shortall, who downed State's Combette 6-4, 6-1 at the No. 2 position.

Mississippi went up 2-1 with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph from Kristofer Stahlberg over MSU's Ambert at No. 3 and the Rebels gained a 3-1 advantage with a win from Hartman, who battled State's Baron for a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win at the No. 1 spot.

Clinching the match for the Rebels was Ciorascu, who downed Bulldog Jerome Le Belicard 6-4, 6-4 at No. 4. All remaining matches were suspended at that point.

"We certainly felt good about our chances after winning doubles," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "But Mississippi really played us well in singles. They played a great match and certainly backed up their No. 10 national ranking.

"As is always the case, this is just one match. We still have a long season ahead of us and we are ready to focus on the next match now."

State now returns to Starkville to begin a six-match homestand that will last until the first day of March. The first match in that homestand will be this Sunday, February 11, against 35th-ranked UAB. Match time between the Bulldogs and Blazers is set for 1 p.m. at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/08/01
Men's Tennis - National tennis powers and in-state rivals Mississippi State and Mississippi will square off Thursday evening in Jackson in the fourth-annual River Hills Cup. Match time is set for 5 p.m. at the indoor complex at River Hills Club.

The Bulldogs and Rebels are respectively ranked 15th and 10th nationally in the latest edition of the WingspanBank.com national rankings, released Wednesday by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. State enters the match 2-0 overall this season after wins over Southern Miss and then-No. 15 Baylor two weeks ago in Starkville. UM is 1-0 after a victory against Memphis in Oxford Tuesday.

In the three previous matches contested for the River Hills Cup (started in 1998), MSU owns a 2-1 advantage. The Bulldogs won the event in Œ98 and 1999, with the Rebels claiming victory last season.

The match will mark the 17th-consecutive time that the teams have met where both squads have been ranked in the top 25 nationally.

"The rivalry continues," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "The consistency of our two teams in the last decade has been incredible and that consistency has led to some very memorable and well-contested matches. I expect this one to be no different.

"The three previous River Hills Cup matches were very exciting for both the teams and fans. We are looking forward to another great match."

For tickets to the see the battle for the Cup, fans should contact River Hills Club at 601-987-4455.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/03/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State tennis players Romain Ambert and Rene-Charles Combette were eliminated from competition at the Rolex National Indoor Championships Friday. The event, which is the third leg of the Collegiate Grand Slam, is being held at Brookhaven Country Club just outside of Dallas.

Ambert, ranked sixth nationally and a 5-8 alphabetical seed, was edged by Cal's seventh-ranked John Paul Fruttero 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 (Fruttero¹s score with West Florida's Radovan Chrz on Thursday was originally reported as a win for Chrz). The round of 16 setback marked only the fifth loss in 23 matches this year for the MSU true freshman standout.

The sophomore Combette, ranked 24th in the country, fell in consolation play Friday afternoon, dropping a 7-5, 6-2 decision to UCLA's 28th-ranked Jean-Noel Grinda.

"Though they are disappointed with losing today, Romain and Rene should not be too upset," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "Just to qualify for this tournament is difficult and both of them had good results against some of the nation's top players this weekend. This was a great experience for them this early in their careers."

Ambert and Combette will now rejoin the rest of the Bulldog tennis team in dual match action. MSU, rated 15th in Wednesday's first spring release of the WingspanBank.com national rankings, moved up two spots in the national poll after wins over rival Southern Miss and then No. 15 Baylor to open the season last week.

MSU's next team competition will be this coming Thursday, Feb. 8, at 5 p.m. against 10th-ranked, arch-rival Mississippi in the fourth-annual River Hills Cup in Jackson. State won the first two meetings for the Cup in 1998 and 1999, with the Rebels claiming it last season. For ticket information to the match, contact the River Hills Club at 601-987-4455.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

The win marked the fourth consecutive season in which MSU opened with a win. The Lady Bulldogs have now won 11 consecutive home openers.

Mississippi State grabbed the opening doubles point with solid 8-4 wins at both the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. Southern Mississippi was forced to forfeit on court three as only five Lady Eagles made the trip to Starkville.

MSU entered singles play with a 2-0 lead after USM forfeited the match on court six. The lead was quickly expanded to 3-0 when senior Linda Mattsson ousted Molly Boutreis 6-0, 6-1 at the No. 4 position. Freshman Yumi Ueda, playing in her first ever dual match, then clinched the victory for State with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Tina Rautajoki at No. 5.

Senior Claudia Oliveira continued to play well for the Lady Bulldogs winning 7-6 (3), 6-1 over Jackie Prew at the No. 1 spot. Moments after Oliveira finished her match, senior Anca Vasiloaica extended the MSU lead to 6-0 with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Patty Kundisova on court No. 2.

The final match of the day went to junior Carole Soubis of Moulins, France, who defeated Marie Lindberg 6-4, 7-5 at No. 3. Soubis, playing in her first match since last May, won three consecutive games to end the match and stave off a third set.

"It's always nice to open at home and with a win," head coach Tracy Lane said after the match. "It was important that our new players got confidence from this match. we needed some momentum heading into a tough match with South Alabama."

The Lady Bulldogs will play the 14th-ranked Jaguars on Saturday, February 10, in Mobile, Ala. MSU's next home match will be on Saturday, February 23 against #23 LSU.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/02/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State true freshman Romain Ambert has advanced to the round of 16 in the first Collegiate Grand Slam appearance of his short career with a first-round victory Thursday at the Rolex National Indoor Championships. The event is being held at Brookhaven Country Club just outside of Dallas.

Ambert, ranked sixth nationally and a 5-8 alphabetical seed this weekend, held off Illinois' Amer Delic 6-3, 7-6(9) Thursday, facing set points in the tiebreaker, for the win. The Toulouse, France, product will meet California's John Paul Frutteor Friday morning in the round of 16. Should he win that match, he would play again Friday afternoon in the quarterfinals against the winner of the match between Arkansas's fourth-ranked and fourth-seeded Oskar Johansson and Stanford¹s 52nd-ranked K.J. Hippensteel.

Sophomore Bulldog Rene-Charles Combette, ranked 24th in the country, dropped his first-round contest in the tournament Thursday in three sets, falling in a tough contest with Virginia's Huntley Montgomery 7-5, 2-6, 6-2. Combette will play in consolation action Friday.

The National Indoor is the third leg of the Collegiate Grand Slam.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

02/01/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State tennis standouts Romain Ambert and Rene-Charles Combette will compete in the 2001 Rolex National Indoor Championships this weekend, Feb. 1-4, in Farmers Branch, Texas. The event is the third leg of the Collegiate Grand Slam. Play begins at 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning at Brookhaven Country Club.

Ambert and Combette, both currently ranked in the top 25 nationally in singles, will be in the 32-player singles draw for MSU, marking the 21st-straight Grand Slam event in which the Bulldogs have had at least one main draw singles qualifier.

Ambert, the true freshman from Toulouse, France, looks to continue the success he started in the fall. The rookie's No. 6 national ranking is the highest ever attained by an MSU newcomer, and he is 17-4 overall this year. A 5-8 alphabetical seed this weekend, he will meet Illinois' Amer Delic in Thursday's first round.

Combette, from Corsica, France, is 17-7 this season and is currently ranked 24th in the country. The sophomore qualified for the main draw of both Grand Slams held during the fall season, reaching the quarterfinals of the T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Championships in September and the second round of the All-American Hardcourt Championships in October. His first-round opponent on Thursday will be Virginia's Huntley Montgomery.

Following the weekend's action, Ambert and Combette will rejoin the rest of the Bulldog tennis team in dual match action. MSU, rated 15th in Wednesday's first spring release of the WingspanBank.com national rankings, moved up two spots in the national poll after wins over rival Southern Miss and then No. 15 Baylor to open the season last week.

MSU's next team competition will be next Thursday, Feb. 8, at 5 p.m. against 10th-ranked, arch-rival Mississippi in the fourth-annual River Hills Cup in Jackson. State won the first two meetings for the Cup in 1998 and 1999, with the Rebels claiming it last season. For ticket information to the match, contact the River Hills Club at 601-987-4455.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

This document was created using FlexED