05/27/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's doubles team of Marco Baron and Chris McDonald dropped their round of 16 contest in the NCAA Doubles Championship Saturday, officially ending MSU's 2000-01 tennis season.

The MSU duo, ranked 21st nationally, dropped a 6-3, 6-4 decision to Southern Cal's 11th-ranked Ryan Moore and Nick Rainey, a 5-8 alphabetically seeded team. State's pair ended the year 9-4 overall, with seven of the nine wins over ranked opponents, four in the top 10.

With Saturday's setback, the senior Baron also ended his stellar MSU career, ranking as one of the school's best players ever. The 2001 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year compiled 82-28 singles and 66-30 doubles overall records, garnering all-America and first-team, all-SEC honors three years each. He had the best year of his career this season, going 23-5 overall in singles, including triumphs in 21 of his last 23 matches, and 20-9 in doubles.

Baron was also named this year's Rafael Osuna Sportmanship Award winner on the national level, annually presented to the collegiate player who displays sportsmanship, character, excellent academics, and has had outstanding tennis playing accomplishments as well. He is also one of three national finalists for the Tennis Magazine/Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship & Leadership Award, which will be announced in June.

Baron and McDonald helped lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Team Championship's round of 16 this year for the 10th time in 11 seasons. MSU is one of only five teams in the country (Georgia, LSU, MSU, Stanford, UCLA) to have accomplished that feat.

MSU now awaits the final national rankings, which will be released in early June. State will likely be ranked in the top 15 in the final poll, which will mark State's 13th-consecutive top 25 finish, all coming under head coach Andy Jackson.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

05/26/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's doubles team of Marco Baron and Chris McDonald has advanced to the round of 16 of the NCAA Doubles Championship after posting a first-round victory in the tournament on Friday. The event is being held at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

The MSU duo, ranked 21st nationally, rallied from a 4-2 deficit in a first-set tiebreaker to win that breaker and go on to post a 7-6(5), 6-2 victory over Duke's 22nd-ranked tandem of Phillip King and Ramsey Smith.

Baron and McDonald, now 9-3 on the year, will meet Southern Cal's 11th-ranked team of Ryan Moore and Nick Rainey, a 5-8 alphabetical seed, in Saturday's round of 16. That match is slated to begin at 2 p.m. ET.

In singles action Friday, Baron, the tournament's No. 1 seed and ranked second nationally, was upset by Tennessee's 25th-ranked Peter Handoyo in a three-set contest 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.

After losing the close first set, Baron took control in the second with three breaks of serve to force the third frame. Handoyo quickly gained a 2-0 advantage in the third set, but Baron battled back for a 2-2 tie. Handoyo, however, would break right back and go on for the win.

In addition to daily updates on MSU's official athletic site, www.mstateathletics.com, MSU's play in the 2001 NCAA Men's Tennis Championships can be followed on the web at www.ncaachampionships.com, as well as www.georgiadogs.com, with live updates for all matches being hosted on the Georgia site.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

Sophomore Pierre Browne will compete in the 100- and 200-meter dashes for the Bulldogs, while senior Vance Clarke secured a place in the field of 20 for the triple jump.

On the women's side, Elisha Williams will aim for a national title in the long jump along with junior Camille Harper, who will run in the 100 meters.

Williams is the lone member of the MSU teams to compete in both the indoor and outdoor national championship meets this season. The Milton, Fla., native claimed runner-up honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships behind Houston's Jenny Adams.

Action at the NCAA Outdoor Championships gets underway at Hayward Field May 30. Browne, Williams and Harper compete Friday, May 31, while Clarke will vie for the triple jump title June 2.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

05/25/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's Marco Baron advanced to the second round of the 64-player NCAA Singles Championship with an opening-round win on Thursday. The event is being held at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Baron, the tournament's No. 1 seed and ranked second nationally, downed Southern Cal's 37th-ranked Ryan Moore, this year's Pac-10 singles champion, 6-2, 6-3 Thursday morning.

The MSU senior all-American will now meet the winner of Tennessee's 25th-ranked Peter Handoyo and Princeton's Kyle Kliegerman, a contest that was scheduled for late Thursday, in Friday's second round. Baron has now won 20 of his last 21 singles matches.

MSU rookie Romain Ambert did not fair as well in his debut in the NCAA singles field. The 22nd-ranked Bulldog was upset by Erik Scharf of St. John's 6-3, 6-4. Ambert had built a 4-1 lead in the second set before Scharf battled back for the victory.

The Toulouse, France, product ended his initial season at State with an impressive 27-11 singles record and held a national ranking as high as No. 6 in the country during the year. Named first-team, all-SEC and ITA Region III Player to Watch, his record was limited when he missed a month-and-a-half of competition after breaking his ankle on March 25. He returned to the MSU lineup in last week's NCAA Team Championship and helped lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA round of 16 for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons.

The 32-team NCAA Doubles Championship will begin Friday as well. Baron teams with Chris McDonald to form the nation's 21st-ranked duo. That MSU pair will meet Duke's 22nd-ranked tandem of Phillip King and Ramsey Smith Friday afternoon.

In addition to daily updates on MSU's official athletic site, www.mstateathletics.com, MSU's play in the 2001 NCAA Men's Tennis Championships can be followed on the web at www.ncaachampionships.com, as well as www.georgiadogs.com, with live updates for all matches being hosted on the Georgia site.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

05/24/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State men's tennis standout Marco Baron has earned the top seed in this year's NCAA Singles Championship, which begins here Thursday at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Baron is one of several favorites to take this year's national singles title, along with defending champion Alex Kim of Stanford, who is the No. 2 seed. The MSU senior will open play in the tournament against Southern Cal's 37th-ranked Ryan Moore in Thursday's first round at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Baron, currently ranked second nationally, becomes the second Bulldog ever to hold the tournament's top seeding, joining three-time, all-American Thomas Dupre' who held the top seed in the 1997 NCAA field. As a top 16 seed in the 64-player event, Baron has also earned all-America honors in singles for the third time during his storied MSU career.

The 2001 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year also enters the NCAA Singles Championship playing the best tennis of his days as a Bulldog. He has won 19 of his last 20 matches and is now 22-4 overall this season, with eighteen of the victories coming over nationally-ranked players, 12 in the top 50.

Joining Baron in the singles draw is Bulldog Romain Ambert. Currently ranked 22nd nationally, Ambert has been one of the top rookies in the country this year. Named the Region III Player to Watch by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, Ambert, 27-10 overall this season, will take on Erik Scharf of St. John's at 1:30 p.m. ET Thursday in the first round.

Baron and sophomore Chris McDonald are also in this year's 32-team NCAA Doubles Championship. The 21st-ranked MSU pair will open play in that draw Friday, facing Duke's 22nd-ranked duo of Phillip King and Ramsey Smith at a time to be announced.

In addition to daily updates on MSU's official athletic site, www.mstateathletics.com, MSU's play in the 2001 NCAA Men's Tennis Championships can be followed on the web at www.ncaachampionships.com, as well as www.georgiadogs.com.

The Osuna Award is annually presented to the collegiate player who displays sportsmanship, character, excellent academics, and has had outstanding tennis playing accomplishments as well.

Baron, a native of Nantes, France, is currently ranked second nationally in singles and 21st in doubles, and was named the NCAA Singles Championship's top seed on Wednesday. He is 22-4 overall this year in singles, helping lead MSU back to the NCAA Championship's round of 16 for the 10th time in 11 seasons.

The SEC's Player of the Year, he had a 14-match winning streak that spanned two months from February to April, with all 14 of those wins coming in straight sets at the No. 1 position. That skein included ITA National Player of the Month honors for March. He has now won 19 of his last 20 matches in singles.

Baron, who holds a 3.89 grade point average in international business, is an Academic all-American and three-time Academic all-SEC selection.

"I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of Marco for achieving this award," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "Certainly, everyone is familiar with what he has done on the court in terms of results. But sometimes his actions both on and off the court go unnoticed. He has exemplified precisely what being a good sport means during his career and has exhibited tremendous character as a person. He is very deserving of this outstanding honor."

Baron is also one of three finalists in the country for the Tennis Magazine/Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship & Leadership Award, which will be determined by the national tennis publication later this summer.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

05/20/01
Track and Field - Mississippi State junior Camille Harper won the 100 meters Saturday, and long jump sensation Elisha Williams took second place Friday night to lead the MSU track and field teams at the Georgia Tech Last Chance Invitational in Atlanta, Ga.

Williams landed a 20-5 1/4 mark to finish behind South Florida's Kerine Black, who took the win with a 20-7 1/4 leap.

The runner-up showing stands as the 14th top three finish this season for the Milton, Fla., native. Her only non top-three showing this season came at last weekend's SEC Championships, where she took fifth place.

Harper won the 100 meters with an 11.49 mark that meets NCAA provisional qualifying standards. Harper ran a school-record 11.38 at the Texas Relays earlier this season, but the timing did not qualify toward the NCAA Championships due to excessive wind readings.

The lone Bulldog competing this weekend, senior Vance Clarke finished sixth in the triple jump. Clarke leaped 49-3 1/2 after taking third at last weekend's SEC Outdoor Championships. Sophomore Pierre Browne did not run for the second straight meet along with junior Dion Crabbe, who had an outstanding weekend for the Blldogs in Columbia, S.C., a week ago.

Head coach Al Schmidt's squads now wait to see which individuals will accompany Williams to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. This year's NCAA meet will be run May 30-June 2 in Eugene, Ore.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

That match, along with the round of 16 contest between second-seeded UCLA and No. 15 seed Washington, has been rescheduled for 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Due to the altered schedule created by Saturday's inclement weather, the remainder of this year's NCAA Team Championship will be pushed back one day with the quarterfinals now on Monday, the semifinals on Tuesday and the title match now slated for Wednesday.

The winner of the MSU-SMU contest will meet the UCLA/Washington winner on Monday at 4 p.m. ET in the quarterfinals. State, which is now one of only five teams in the country (Georgia, LSU, MSU, Stanford and UCLA) to have reached the NCAA round of 16 in 10 of the last 11 seasons, will be looking to advance to the quarters for the sixth time in eight years.

Teams advancing to the quarters via Saturday's completed round of 16 matches were (in seeding order): No. 1 Stanford, No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 5 TCU and No. 8 Tennessee. No. 6 Duke and No. 11 Miami were still playing late Saturday evening.

In addition to daily updates on MSUšs official athletic site, www.mstateathletics.com, MSU's play in the 2001 NCAA Men's Tennis Championship can be followed on the web at www.ncaachampionships.com, as well as www.georgiadogs.com.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

05/18/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's 17th-ranked men's tennis team will continue action in the 2001 NCAA Team Championship here Saturday, meeting eighth-ranked Southern Methodist in the "Sweet Sixteen". Match time between the Bulldogs and Mustangs is set for 5 p.m. ET at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Historically, State (14-10) and SMU (22-2) have been very infrequent opponents, having met only two times in recorded history. The Mustangs took both contests, a 7-2 victory in 1980 in the Corpus Christi [TX] Invitational and a 5-2 win at the Rolex National Team Indoor Championships in 1999 in Seattle.

The teams have had four common opponents this season. Both teams beat Baylor and LSU once. MSU downed Arkansas twice while SMU did once. The only differing result between the teams was a 4-2 Mustang win over South Alabama, a team that the Bulldogs fell to 4-3.

State is led by senior all-American Marco Baron, currently ranked second nationally in singles. State also boasts ranked players in freshman Romain Ambert (22nd) and Rene-Charles Combette (68th). Baron and sophomore Chris McDonald are ranked 21st nationally in doubles.

SMU is paced by senior Genius Chidzikwe, who is ranked sixth in the country in singles. Mustang Jon Wallmark is 30th. Johan Brunstrom and Wallmark team to form the nation's No. 3 doubles team.

"We are ready to play," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "We have had a solid week of practice and are looking forward to this match.

"We are at the point in the tournament where every team will be a big challenge for us and SMU will certainly be no exception. They have a talented team and have had a great season. As was the case in our first two NCAA matches, we will have to be very prepared and very focused. But, as we proved at Illinois with two big wins, we are certainly capable of winning this match."

The winner of the MSU-SMU contest will meet the No. 3 UCLA/No. 18 Washington winner on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET in the national quarterfinals. State, which is now one of only five teams in the country (Georgia, LSU, MSU, Stanford and UCLA) to have reached the NCAA round of 16 in 10 of the last 11 seasons, will be looking to advance to the quarterfinals for the sixth time in eight years.

In addition to daily updates on MSUšs official athletic site, www.mstateathletics.com, MSU's play in the 2001 NCAA Men's Tennis Championship can be followed on the web at www.ncaachampionships.com, as well as www.georgiadogs.com.

Baron, a native of Nantes, France, garnered two of the region's awards. The senior all-American was named Region III ITA/Farnsworth Senior Player of the Year and was also honored with the Tennis Magazine/Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sportsmanship and Leadership Award for the region.

Currently ranked second nationally in singles, Baron is 21-4 overall this year, 18-2 in dual matches, in leading MSU back to the NCAA Championship's round of 16 for the 10th time in 11 seasons. The SEC's Player of the Year, he had a 14-match winning streak that spanned two months from February to April. All 14 of those wins were in straight sets at the No. 1 position. That skein included wins over the nation's top-two-ranked players and ITA National Player of the Month honors for March. Baron has won 18 of his last 19 dual matches, 25 of 27 dating back to last season.

Ambert, a native of Toulouse, France, was named Region III's ITA Player to Watch on Tuesday. The first true freshman in MSU tennis history to garner first-team, all-SEC laurels, Ambert has made an immediate impact on State's results in his first season.

Prior to suffering a broken ankle in State's match with Georgia on March 25, Ambert had compiled a 26-9 overall record. He was 10-4 in dual matches, 4-1 in the SEC, with all but one of his contests being played at the No. 2 position. Presently ranked 22nd nationally, he returned to the MSU lineup this past weekend and went 2-0 in doubles, 1-0 in singles, in MSU's run back to the NCAA round of 16. His lone singles contest was a three-set, match-clinching triumph in State's second-round upset at #11 Illinois on Sunday.

As ITA regional award recipients, Baron and Ambert automatically become candidates for the ITA's national awards in the categories they have won on the regional level. The national honors will be awarded during next week's NCAA Championships in Athens, Ga.

Baron, Ambert and the rest of the 17th-ranked Bulldog squad open play in the NCAA "Sweet Sixteen" this Saturday at 5 p.m. ET against eighth-ranked Southern Methodist. The tournament is being held at the University of Georgia's Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Reprintecd with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

Five of head coach Al Schmidt's harriers will make the trip to Atlanta. Lady Bulldogs Elisha Williams and Camille Harper will compete at the Georgia Tech Invitational along with Bulldogs Pierre Browne, Vance Clarke and Dion Crabbe.

Williams will use the Atlanta-based meet as a final tune-up in the long jump before heading to Eugene, Ore., to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships May 30-June 2. Williams currently holds the top long jump mark in the SEC. Her 21-7 1/4 leap claimed at the Texas Relays led the nation until last week when Nolle Graham of Seton Hall topped the mark. The Milton, Fla., native took fifth at last week's SEC Outdoor Championships in Columbia, S.C., with a 20-3 mark.

Harper currently leads the team in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. The Clinton, Miss., native has enjoyed a stellar outdoor season, as she claimed the school record in the 100m with an 11.38 clocking in the prelims at the Texas Relays. Harper also helped the Lady Dogs' 4x100-meter relay team to fourth place at the Michael Johnson Classic in a school-record 44.92.

Mississippi State sophomore Pierre Browne looks to make a strong return to competition after missing the SEC Championships with an injury suffered at the Penn Relays. Browne, like Harper, provisionally qualified in the 100m at the Texas Relays. Browne ran a stadium-record 10.17 before winning the event with a 10.19 effort. The Toronto, Ontario, native also qualified in the 200 meters with a 20.57 clocking run in a win at the Michael Johnson Classic.

Clarke and Crabbe both had solid efforts at the SEC Championships last weekend. Crabbe took seventh in the 100 meters (10.55) after placing eighth in the long jump with a 24-2 1/2 leap. Clarke provisionally qualified for the NCAA meet in the triple jump with a 52-3 1/4 that gave him third. The Bulldog senior bettered that mark last weekend in Columbia, leaping 52-5 1/2 to take third place among the conference's best triple jumpers.

Action at the Georgia Tech-hosted meet begins with Williams and Crabbe in the long jump Friday evening. The remainder of MSU's competitors this weekend close out the regular season Saturday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

05/14/01
Track and Field - A third-place finish in the triple jump by senior Vance Clarke and a pair of fifth-place showings by Elisha Williams highlighted Sunday's final day of action for the Mississippi State track teams at the 2001 SEC Outdoor Championships in Columbia, S.C.

Clarke earned six points for the Bulldogs Sunday with his 52-5 1/2 triple jump mark that stands as the best leap of the season for the native of Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis.

Williams took fifth Sunday in the long jump, as she leaped 20-3 to earn four points toward the Lady Bulldogs' team total. Sunday marked the first time in 13 meets this season the Milton, Fla., native has finished outside the top three in long jump competition.

Williams' second top-five showing at Weems Baskin Track came in the javelin where she tossed a school second-best 137-11 effort to take fifth place. She also took 10th in the triple jump with a 39-10 3/4 mark that betters her previous school third-best 39-10 jump she recorded in 1999.

Clarke's third-place effort sparked the MSU men to a 10th-place team showing with 19.50 points. The Bulldogs finished 1.50 points ahead of in-state rival Mississippi, while Tennessee amassed 153 points to take the team title and snap Arkansas' nine-year winning streak at the SEC Outdoor Championships.

Williams led the Lady Dogs to 12th place with 12.50 points. Arkansas captured the women's title for the second consecutive season with 182 points, 70 points better than second-place Florida.

Junior Dion Crabbe helped the MSU men's team effort with a seventh-place showing in the 100-meter dash finals. Crabbe clocked a 10.55 mark after advancing in the event with a personal-best 10.41 timing in Saturday's preliminary.

In other women's action, the Lady Bulldogs' 4x100-meter relay team ran the third-fastest time in school history (45.15) to capture seventh-place honors.

Next action for head coach Al Schmidt's MSU track teams comes May 18-19 when select individuals travel to Atlanta, Ga., to compete at the Georgia Tech Invitational in a last attempt to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, which will be held May 30-June 2 in Eugene, Ore.

2001 SEC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, Columbia, S.C.; Weems Baskin Track

FINAL MEN'S TEAM SCORES
1. Tennessee, 153; 2. Florida, 107.50; 3. Arkansas, 104; 4. Alabama, 91.50; 5. Georgia, 78; 6. LSU 77.50; 7. Auburn, 71; 8. South Carolina, 68; 9. Kentucky, 28; 10. MISSISSIPPI STATE, 19.50; 11. Mississippi, 18.

MSU MEN'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
100-Meter Dash -- 7. Dion Crabbe, 10.55.
4x100-Meter Relay -- 6. Mississippi State, 40.72.
Triple Jump -- 3. Vance Clarke, 52-5 1/2.
Javelin Throw -- 10. Clay Garner, 178-1.

FINAL WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES
1. Arkansas, 182; 2. Florida, 112; 3. South Carolina, 109; 4. LSU, 103; 5. Auburn, 67; 6. Alabama, 63.50; 7. Georgia, 55; 8. Mississippi, 39; 9. Tennessee, 31; 10. Kentucky, 29; 11. Vanderbilt, 15; 12. MISSISSIPPI STATE, 12.50.

MSU WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
4x100-Meter Relay -- 7. Mississippi State, 45.15.
4x400-Meter Relay -- 9. Mississippi State, 3:53.32.
Long Jump -- 5. Elisha Williams, 20-3.
Triple Jump -- 10. Elisha Williams, 39-10 3/4.
Javelin Throw -- 5. Elisha Williams, 137-11.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

The Bulldogs, who will be making their 10th appearance in the round of 16 of the national championship in 11 years, will meet eighth-ranked Southern Methodist (22-2) there on Saturday at a time to be announced. MSU and SMU have met only twice in recorded history, with SMU winning both contests. The Mustangs advanced to Athens with a tight 4-3 win over No. 27 Arkansas Sunday.

"I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am of this team," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "Considering the adversity we have been through this year, this is a great accomplishment and a big win against a very good Illinois team. At the same time, it is an accomplishment that we set as one of our goals at the beginning of the season, and by no means is our season satisfied with this win. We now turn our attention to another very talented team in SMU and will focus on getting to the quarterfinals against them."

Sunday's victory over Illinois (27-7), which improved MSU to 13-10 all-time in the NCAAs, was State's first against the Illini in three all-time meetings and was won in dramatic fashion. It marked only the second home loss all season for the Illini.

State gained the first point of the day in tightly contested doubles play. After the teams split decisions at the No. 1 and 3 positions, the 21st-ranked Bulldog duo of Marco Baron and Chris McDonald held off Illinois' second-ranked tandem of Amer Delic and Graydon Oliver 9-8(5) at the No. 1 spot to clinch the opening point.

In singles, things were very close early on, as each team claimed three first sets to set up a very exciting finish.

Illinois evened the match quickly when Nathan Zeder downed Bulldog Jerome Le Belicard 6-1, 6-2 at the No. 6 position. The Bulldogs went back on top 2-1 with a 6-4, 6-4 win from true freshman Luiz Carvalho at the No. 5 spot over the Illini's Michael Calkins.

UI knotted the score once again at 2-2 when 61st-ranked Phil Stolt won a torrid affair with State's 68th-ranked Rene-Charles Combette 7-5, 7-6(6) at the No. 3 position. MSU would then pull out two three-set contests to clinch the victory.

Providing the Bulldogs with a 3-2 advantage was Baron. After dropping the first set in a tiebreaker, the senior all-American provided yet another solid performance with a 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-2 comeback triumph over Oliver, ranked 26th, at the No. 1 spot. It was Baron's 18th victory in his last 19 matches and his 27th victory in his last 29 singles dual matches dating back to the 2000 season.

But the story of the day had to be at the No. 2 position. It was there that true freshman Bulldog Romain Ambert, playing his first singles match since breaking his ankle on March 25, claimed a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, win over Illinois' Delic to clinch the team victory for MSU.

In the lone match that went unfinished, State's David Ruiz held a slight lead over UI's Mike Kosta at 7-6(3), 4-4 when Ambert posted the winning margin.

"It was tough for us to have to win this match on the road when we knew we were a better team than our results showed," Jackson continued. "We also felt it was a bit unfair to Illinois because they had to play a tougher team than they should have drawn at home.

"In terms of making it back to the round of 16, we knew we had the capability to do that even without Romain in the lineup. But it's a bit justifying that we are now able to play with our team near the strength it should have been all season."

MSU joins Southern Cal as the only two teams advancing to this year's NCAA Championship round of 16 that were not among the nation's top 16 seeds in the tournament.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

05/13/01
Men's Tennis - Mississippi State's 17th-ranked men's tennis team opened action in the 2001 NCAA Team Championship in excellent fashion Saturday, ousting familiar foe Middle Tennessee 4-0 in first-round action at the University of Illinois' Atkins Tennis Center.

With the win, State moves into Sunday's second round where it will face 11th-ranked host Illinois at Noon CT for the right to advance to the NCAA round of 16, which will be held next Saturday, May 19, in Athens, Ga. MSU will be looking to make the round of 16 of the national championship for the 10th time in 11 years.

Saturday's victory over Middle Tennessee upped MSU's record to 13-10 on the season and kept the Bulldogs perfect against the Blue Raiders all-time, now 13-0. MTSU ended its season at 16-7.

State gained the opening point of the day with 8-3 victories at the No. 1 and 3 doubles positions, while dropping the match at No. 2 by the same score. Notable for MSU in doubles was the return of true freshman Romain Ambert, who was in the lineup for the first time since breaking his ankle on March 25. He teamed with Rene-Charles Combette at No. 3 for the Bulldogs' win there. MSU's other win came from the 21st-ranked pair of Marco Baron and Chris McDonald at No. 1 over 38th-ranked Blue Raiders Oliver Foreman and Robert Gustafsson.

In singles, the Bulldogs came out storming, taking the first three matches completed to win the match by the final 4-0 score.

First off the court for MSU was Jerome Le Belicard. The sophomore broke a seven-match losing skid with an impressive 6-0, 6-3 win over Blue Raider Kirk Jackson at the No. 5 position.

Putting State on top 3-0 in the match was junior David Ruiz who was victorious for the sixth time in his last eight contests. He posted a 6-0, 6-2 triumph over MTSU's Foreman at the No. 3 spot.

Clinching the match for the Bulldogs was Baron. The senior all-American registered his 20th victory of the season (now 20-4) with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over 41st-ranked Blue Raider Daniel Klemetz at the No. 1 position. It was the 17th victory in 18 matches for the SEC Player of the Year.

Though the remaining three matches were suspended at that point, MSU gained more confidence at those spots as well. Bulldogs Luiz Carvalho and Mathieu Soto were serving for their respective matches at the No. 4 and 6 positions, and Combette led 6-4, 3-3 in his, when the fourth point was obtained by Baron.

"We play a solid opening-round match today," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "The guys played very focused and did the things they needed to do. I am very proud of this effort against a solid Middle Tennessee team who was ready to play us.

"Now we have to quickly turn our attention to a huge challenge against Illinois tomorrow. They have an outstanding team and will be playing on their home courts. It will certainly not be easy, but we can definitely win the match if we continue to be as focused as we have been."

With Saturday's victory, State also improved to 12-10, all-time in the NCAA Team Championship and won its opening match in the tournament for ninth time in, this, its 11th-consecutive appearance. MSU's only two losses in opening-round NCAA matches came in 1992 and 1993, both against Notre Dame, when the field only featured 16 teams.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

"I'm obviously disappointed with today's result," head coach Tracy Lane said, "but we ran into a great team on their home court."

Georgia's Lady Bulldogs took an early lead, winning the doubles point for the 17th time this season. Mariel Verban and Christa Grey of Georgia finished up first, defeating senior Linda Mattsson and freshman Yumi Ueda 8-3 at No. 3. Georgia clinched the doubles point at No. 2 as Agata Cioroch and Tina Hojnik handed senior Amelie Detriviere and freshman Camila Sagae an 8-5 loss.

"We actually started out pretty strong in two of our doubles matches and we were close with Georgia in a lot of the games. We started out pretty good but then they caught up. It was like a roller coaster from there and Georgia just rolled over us," said Mississippi State Head Coach Tracy Lane.

In singles, Georgia did not miss a beat, taking the first sets in all six singles matches. Georgia's lead increased to 2-0 at as Cioroch improved to 23-0 on the season with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over senior Anca Vasiloaica at No. 4. At No. 5, Lori Grey put Georgia in position to clinch the match as she defeated Ueda 6-1, 6-0. Venkatesan then finished off MSU with her 6-0, 6-3 win over junior Carole Soubis at No. 1.

Georgia now advances to the finals site to play the winner of the regional at Baylor University.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

Crabbe ran a personal-best 10.41 to take third in his heat and finish seventh overall in the prelims. Crabbe also notched an eighth-place showing in the long jump with a 24-2 1/2 leap.

In other men's action, Kevin Pittman landed the third-best pole vault in school history (16-3 1/4) to tie for sixth place Saturday. Pittman went over 16-0 for the first time in his young career before thunderstorms moved into Columbia and forced the lengthy suspension of action at Weems Baskin Track.

Junior Camille Harper took third in her heat of the 100 meters, also just missing a spot in the finals with an 11.70 timing. Elisha Williams cleared a 5-5 high jump to take sixth place Saturday.

Williams was scheduled to vie for the SEC title in the long jump Saturday, but the inclement weather that moved through the area pushed the event to Sunday's final day of competition.

2001 SEC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Weems Baskin Track; Columbia, S.C.

MSU MEN'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
100 Meters (Prelims) -- 7. Dion Crabbe, 10.41.
Long Jump -- 8. Dion Crabbe, 24-2 1/2.
Pole Vault -- 6. Kevin Pittman, 16-3 1/4.

MSU WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
100-Meter Hurdles (Prelims) -- 9. LeKisha Barnaby-Pope, 14.06.
3000-Meter Steeplechase -- 9. Joey Hansen, 11:26.26; 10. LeeAnn Ripstra, 11:46.18.
High Jump -- 6. Elisha Williams, 5-5; 10. Renata Hendrix, 5-3.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

05/12/01
Track and Field - Mississippi State sophomore Daniel Hunter recorded a personal-best 7,074 total points to place fourth overall and earn five team points for the Bulldogs in Friday's second and final day of decathlon competition at the 2001 SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Hunter capped Friday's decathlon performance by earning second-place honors in each of the day's final two events, leaping 13-9 1/2 in the pole vault and throwing a personal-best 187-7 in the javelin. The D'Iberville native bettered his previous PR decathlon effort of 7,060 points by just 14 points - a mark set earlier this year during a fifth-place finish at the Texas Relays. Hunter's two-day point total at South Carolina's Weems Baskin Track stands fourth on the school's all-time decathlon performance list.

In other track and field action Friday on the USC campus, Lady Bulldog veteran sprinters Camille Harper and Collette Gibbs both set personal-best records in the prelims of the 200-meter dash with identical times of 23.77. Finishing third in their respective heats and just failing to advance to Sunday's finals, Harper and Gibbs stand tied for third on MSU's all-time outdoor performance list as a result of Friday's efforts.

On the men's side, junior college transfer Dion Crabbe finished second in his heat of the 200 meters with a PR clocking of 21.11, though he failed to advance to Sunday's finals.

Coach Al Schmidt's Mississippi State track and field squad continues competition Saturday at the University of South Carolina, with final-day meet action set for Sunday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

The Lady Bulldogs, ranked 32nd nationally, moved their record to 9-12 on the season, while Ohio State finished its season at 17-11.

"We've been in this position a number of times throughout the course of the season," said head coach Tracy Lane. "We have some players that have played better this season than they did today, but Ohio State is an outstanding team. They are the toughest team that we have had to play in the first round of the NCAAs. We were very fortunate to win this match."

State jumped out to an early lead by winning the opening doubles point for just the seventh time all season. After dropping the match at No. 3, Soubis and senior Claudia Oliveira jumped out to a 4-1 lead over Kristy Dascoli and Monica Rincon. Yet, Dascoli and Rincon broke the Mississippi State duo to take a 6-5 lead. Soubis and Oliveira broke back to tie the match at 6-6 and went on to win 8-6. MSU then clinched the doubles point at No. 2, where senior Amelie Detriviere and freshman Camila Sagae defeated Sadhaf Pervez and Laura Maloney 8-6.

In singles, the Lady Bulldogs built a quick 3-0 lead with wins by Detriviere and Mattsson. Mattsson finished up first at No. 6, taking a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Claudia Castro. Detriviere, ranked 84th nationally, then defeated 98th-ranked Rincon 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2.

Ohio State then responded with three straight wins to even the match. Maloney started the Buckeyes run at No. 5 as she upended freshman Yumi Ueda 6-3, 6-1. Erica Fisk then cut the MSU lead to 3-2 when she defeated senior Anca Vasiloaica 6-3, 7-5 at No. 4. Pervez tied the match with a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win over Oliveira at No. 3.

With all other matches finished, Soubis and two-time BigTen Player of the Year Kristy Dascoli fought for the match. Dascoli took the first set 7-5, and Soubis won the second 6-2. In the third set, Dascoli took a 3-0 lead over Soubis. However, Soubis broke Dascoli to take a 5-4 lead and eventually won the match 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to clinch the victory for the Lady Bulldogs.

This is the third straight year that Mississippi State has advanced past the first round of the tournament. In 1999, the Lady Bulldogs faced Georgia in the second round and in 2000, they faced Arizona State. Mississippi State now will face the winner of Georgia and Coastal Carolina Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

MSU and MTSU will square off at 2 p.m. CT Saturday afternoon at the Atkins Tennis Center on the University of Illinois campus. The Bulldogs, a 17-32 seed in the tournament, are 12-10 overall. The Blue Raiders, a 33-48 seed, are 16-6.

State and Middle Tennessee are no strangers to each other, having met 10 times in the last nine seasons. MSU has won all 10 of those contests, including a 6-1 victory earlier this year in Starkville. Three Bulldog singles players are currently ranked among the nation's top 70, along with one doubles team in the top 25. MTSU sports two top 85 singles players and one top 40 doubles tandem.

"Middle Tennessee will be a very difficult test for us in the first round," MSU head coach Andy Jackson said. "We were able to beat them in Starkville, but it was not easy and it certainly will not be any easier on a neutral court. They will be ready to play us, but our guys are ready to play as well."

The winner of the MSU-MTSU contest will meet the No. 11 Illinois/Murray State winner on Sunday at Noon CT for the right to advance to the NCAA Championship's round of 16, which will be held in Athens, Ga., May 19-22.

Mississippi State has now earned a spot in the NCAA Championship field 11-straight seasons, one of only nine teams in the country (Florida, Georgia, MSU, Notre Dame, Pepperdine, Southern Cal, Stanford, Texas Christian and UCLA) to have done so. The Bulldogs are also one of only six squads (Georgia, LSU, MSU, Stanford, Texas and UCLA) to have reached the round of 16 or better at the NCAAs in nine of the last 10 years.

The 2001 NCAA Men's Tennis Championship can be followed on the web at www.ncaachampionships.com.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

05/11/01
Women's Tennis - Mississippi State's 32nd-ranked women's tennis team begins play in its third consecuitve NCAA Team Championship against 34th-ranked Ohio State on Friday morning in Athens, Ga. Match time is set for 9 a.m. CT at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on the campus of the University of Georgia.

State, 8-12 on the season, will be the No. 3 seed and Ohio State (17-10) is seeded second. The Lady Bulldogs were seeded in the 33-48 range, while Ohio State was placed in the 29-32 bracket.

Although the two teams have never met, both have common opponents this season. Both teams played Kentucky with Ohio State dropping a heart-wrenching 4-3 decision and the Lady Bulldogs defeating the Wildcats 4-3 in Starkville. Both teams dropped 5-2 decisions at Tennessee, and MSU gave the Lady Vols a better match in Starkville at the SEC Tournament, but still fell 4-0.

MSU has only one player ranked in the ITA's top 100, senior Amelie Detriviere, the nation's 84th ranked singles player.

The Buckeyes are led by two-time Big Ten Player of the Year Kristy Dascoli. Ranked 27th currently, Dascoli has posted a 28-12 record on the season in singles, while winning 27 doubles matches. And at the No. 2 position, #98 Monica Rincon has posted a 23-11 record, with 15 dual-match wins.

The winner of the MSU-Ohio State contest will meet the No. 4 Georgia/Coastal Carolina winner on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT for the right to advance to the NCAA Championship's round of 16, which will be held in Stone Mountain, Ga., May 17-20.

The 2001 NCAA Women's Tennis Championship can be followed on the web at www.ncaachampionships.com, and MSU's action this weekend can be followed at www.georgiadogs.com.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

Hunter stood in seventh place after throwing a personal-best 38-3 1/4 shot put mark that gave him seventh place in the event, but he made a move into fifth with a career-best 6-5 high jump effort and a winning 48.84 400 meters mark.

Hunter started the two-day event with a fourth-place showing in the 100 meters in 11.09. He took sixth in the second event of the day, the long jump, with a 21-10 3/4 mark.

Hunter's decathlon action this weekend marks his second time this season competing in the event. The D'Iberville, Miss., native claimed fifth place earlier this season at the Texas Relays with a school fourth-best 7,060 points.

Hunter concludes decathlon action Friday with the 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1500-meter run. The remainder of head coach Al Schmidt's track squads begin action following the conclusion of the decathlon.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

Rain forced the Bulldogs off the course during the second round of the 54-hole event, and the steady showers placed MSU tied with Alabama and host Georgia State for fourth. Florida and top-ranked Georgia lead the tournament at Eagle's Landing Country Club with a 282 mark.

Redshirt freshman T.J. Washburn leads State after he carded a 72 in the opening round to finish the first day of play tied for eighth place. Sophomore Codie Mudd fired a 73 to tie for 15th place with senior co-captain Scott Shelton.

Junior Jason McKenzie opened the season finale for Greg Martin's Dogs with a 77 that put him in a two-way tie for 31st position. Freshman Andrew Saft shot an 83 Thursday to finish the day tied for 44th position.

MSU concludes second-round play Friday before turning around and ending the 2001 campaign with third-round action.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

05/09/01 (10:35 p.m.)
Track and Field - The Mississippi State track teams head to Columbia, S.C., this weekend to compete at the 2001 SEC Outdoor Championships beginning Thursday at Weems-Baskin Track on the South Carolina campus.

The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs will be looking to rank among the conference's elite at the four-day event hosted for the first time by the Gamecocks.

Action at the championship meet gets underway with Thursday's decathlon and heptathlon events, while the remainder of head coach Al Schmidt's squads begins competition Friday. Meet action concludes with Sunday's finals and relays.

The Lady Bulldogs look for all-SEC performances from Elisha Williams in the long jump and Camille Harper in the sprints.

Williams, the SEC leader in the long jump, will be vying for her first SEC individual title in the long jump after posting a stellar 2001 season in which she claimed the nation's top mark in the event (21-7 1/4) at the Texas Relays a few weeks ago. Williams has finished in the top three in her specialty event 13 straight times this year, and she claimed third at the SEC Indoor Championships before taking runner-up accolades at the NCAA Indoor Championships earlier this year.

Harper, a junior from Clinton, Miss., currently ranks fifth in the conference and 13th nationally in the 100 meters. Harper will be vying for points in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes, as well as in the 4x100-meter relay with LeKisha Barnaby-Pope, Collette Gibbs and Karen Lee. The 400-meter relay unit ran a school-record 44.92 mark in a fourth-place finish at the Michael Johnson Classic three weeks ago.

The MSU men will look for a strong showing from sophomore Pierre Browne in the 100m and 200m. Browne currently stands fifth in the conference in both events, running a national ninth-best 20.57 clocking in the 200m at the Michael Johnson Classic and recording the seventh-best 100m time in the country (10.17) at the Texas Relays.

Senior Ian Robertson looks for a strong showing in his final SEC Championships appearance. The Austin, Texas, native currently ranks 12th nationally in the triple jump with a 52-8 3/4 mark claimed earlier this season at the Alabama Relays. Fellow senior triple jumper Vance Clarke will also be vying for all-SEC accolades as he currently holds the 19th-best mark in the nation with a 52-3 1/4 leap he claimed in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

05/09/01
Track and Field - Head coach Al Schmidt's Mississippi State men's and women's track teams had a combined 23 athletes named to the 2001 Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll Wednesday.

The Lady Bulldogs matched last year's school-record number of honorees with 16 selected to this year's squad, while the MSU men placed seven on the honor roll this season. The 16 women's selections rate as the third most in the conference behind South Carolina (23) and Florida (21). State's men tied Alabama and Mississippi for the seventh-most selections to the list.

"We are very happy having 23 athletes named to the honor roll," Schmidt said. "It is a very strong showing by the women's team. Being ranked 23rd in the nation on the track and third in the conference academically is a great combination."

Selections to the 2001 SEC Academic Honor Roll are based on the 1999-2000 academic calendar year. Athletes must have a 3.0 grade-point average for the previous year or their career, be a sophomore or higher in academic classification, and have 24 semester hours countable toward a degree to be eligible for the yearly honor.

Former Lady Bulldogs Crystal Gibbs, Karin Haber and Monika Haber each earned a fourth selection to the honor roll. Gibbs accumulated a 3.41 GPA in fitness management for the 1999-2000 year, while Karin Haber garnered her fourth selection to the list with a 3.46 GPA in fitness management last year. Haber's twin sister Monika posted a 3.60 average in fitness management.

Six MSU women, including five currently competing for the Lady Dogs, claimed spots on the list for the third time. Senior Ann-Marie Anderson earned a spot with a 3.69 cumulative GPA in banking and finance, while fellow senior Trish Curtis recorded her third selection to the SEC's list with a 3.00 overall average in landscape architecture.

Senior standout Andréa Ingleton garnered a third selection to the list thanks to a 3.29 overall GPA in accounting, and Stacey Salmon, who is currently pursuing a master's degree in business administration, tallied a 3.81 cumulative average. Elisha Williams, the nation's leader in the long jump, earned a spot on the honor roll behind a 3.50 overall GPA in chemical engineering. The five were joined by former distance harrier Elizabeth Davis, who acquired a 4.00 in special education last year to earn her third selection to the list.

Four Lady Bulldogs garnered spots on the list for the second consecutive season. CeCe Brown led the two-year selections with a 3.55 cumulative average in microbiology. Collette Gibbs, the sister of Crystal Gibbs, earned a second nomination to the list with a 3.53 mark last year in fitness management. Junior Kristin Tallent tallied a 3.15 cumulative average in communication, while redshirt sophomore Christine Zawaski posted a 3.16 overall GPA in wildlife management.

A trio of MSU athletes earned the SEC accolade for the first time. Lady Bulldog distance runner Ronni Watjus compiled a 3.83 cumulative average in animal and dairy science to earn her first selection to the honor roll. Former Lady Dog Martha Hudsonpillar earned a spot on the list with a 3.76 overall average in fitness management, while Katie Longmire posted a 4.00 mark in communication to record her first academic honor roll selection.

Former Bulldog Ben Rudolphi led the MSU men with his second selection to the list. Rudolphi earned a 3.23 GPA in biological engineering to lead the men's selections to the list.

Six first-year honorees rounded out the Bulldog selections to the yearly honor roll. Sophomore Chris Boldt led the first-year nominees with a 3.71 average in industrial engineering, while fellow second-year standout Daniel Hunter compiled a 3.48 mark in physical education to garner his first honor roll selection. Senior Vance Clarke landed a 3.42 mark in general business education, while Kelvin Harris posted a 3.18 GPA in microbiology to earn a spot on the list. John McCaskill (3.28 in management) and Iheanyi Obia (3.14 in political science) rounded out MSU's first-year nominees.

The MSU track teams compete May 10-13 at the SEC Championships in Columbia, S.C.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

05/03/01 (8:00 p.m.)
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 2001 NCAA Team Championship May 12-13 in Champaign, Ill. State's first- and second-round NCAA site, which will be one of 16 nationally, will be hosted by the University of Illinois.

MSU (12-10), currently ranked 17th nationally and a 17-32 seed, will meet a familiar foe in the first round in 42nd-ranked Middle Tennessee (16-6), a 33-48 seed, on Saturday, May 13, at 2 p.m. CT. If State wins that contest, the Bulldogs would advance to play the winner between 10th-seeded and 12th-ranked host Illinois and Murray State (a 49-64 seed) on Sunday, May 14, at 12 p.m. CT. That match would be for a spot in the NCAA Team Championship round of 16, which will be held May 19-22 in Athens, Ga.

Middle Tennessee (16-6), a finalist for the Sun Belt Conference title, has won six of its last eight matches entering the NCAAs. The Bulldogs and Blue Raiders will be meeting for the 11th time in the last nine years. State is 10-0 in the previous 10 affairs, including a 6-1 decision earlier this year in Starkville.

Thursday's selection marks the Bulldogs' 11th-consecutive appointment to the NCAA Team Championships field, 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 nine of the last 10 seasons. 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 very hard to gain our 11th-straight selection to the NCAAs, which is one of our goals each season, and we are looking forward to trying to make the round of 16 for the 10th time in the last 11 years. And considering the adversity we have been through this season, we are very proud of our position in the draw as a No. 2 seed.

"As with any NCAA competitor, Middle Tennessee will be a very tough matchup for us in the first round. They have always been a very difficult opponent for us and I know Coach (Dale) Short will be ready for the NCAAs. We will have to prepare well in the coming week for them."

Also released Thursday were the selections for the NCAA Singles (64 players) and Doubles (32 teams) Championships, to be played May 23-27 in Athens, Ga. Senior Bulldog Marco Baron, ranked second nationally, was named an automatic selection to the singles field, while true freshman Romain Ambert (22nd) gained an at-large bid to that draw. In doubles, Baron and partner Marco Baron (21st) were an at-large selection as a duo. Those selections mark the 12th time in the last 13 seasons that MSU has had at least one participant in both the singles and doubles draws at the NCAAs.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

Women's Tennis - Mississippi State's 32nd-ranked women's tennis team accepted its third-consecutive bid to the 2001 NCAA Team Championship on Thursday. The Lady Bulldogs will travel to Athens, Ga. for the first- and second-rounds May 11-12. The first- and second-round NCAA site will be hosted by the University of Georgia.

State, 8-12 on the season and ranked 32nd-nationally, will face No. 33 Ohio State on Friday, May 11 at 10 a.m. The winner of that match will then face either No. 4 Georgia or Coastal Carolina on Saturday, May 12 at 4 p.m.

"We're excited to have another opportunity to play in the NCAAs," head coach Tracy Lane said. "Ohio State is a very good team and we will need to play well to beat them and get another shot at Georgia."

The Lady Bulldogs assignment to the Athens, Ga. regional was eerily similar to the draw in 1999. Two years ago, MSU was sent to UGA where its first round opponent was also the 33rd-ranked team in the country. The Lady Bulldogs advanced to the second round with a 6-0 win over No. 33 Washington State before falling to third-ranked host Georgia, 5-0.

The Buckeyes are led by two-time Big Ten Player of the Year Kristy Dascoli. Ranked 25th currently, Dascoli has posted a 28-12 record on the season in singles, while winning 27 doubles matches. And at the No. 2 position, Monica Rincon has posted a 23-11 record, with 15 dual-match wins.

The Lady Bulldogs will be the No. 3 seed and Ohio State (17-10) is seeded second. The Lady Bulldogs were seeded in the 33-48 range, while Ohio State was placed in the 29-32 bracket.

Although the two teams have never met, both have common opponents this season. Both teams played Kentucky with Ohio State dropping a heart-wrenching 4-3 decision and the Lady Bulldogs defeating the Wildcats 4-3 in Starkville. Both teams dropped 5-2 decisions at Tennessee, and MSU gave the Lady Vols a better match in Starkville at the SEC Tournament, but still fell 4-0.

"We will concentrate on our final exams for a few days and get caught up on rest," Lane said. "And then we will continue to practice this weekend and next week to get ready for a good showing in Athens."

11 teams from the SEC selected for the field of 64, as well as three of MSU's non-conference opponents making a total of 15 of State's 20 matches this season against NCAA-bound teams.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

05/02/01
Track and Field - The Mississippi State track and field team has signed Canadian distance standout Meggan Hodge and Louisiana runner Cassie Hanan to letters of intent, MSU head coach Al Schmidt announced Tuesday.

Hodge comes to Starkville after starring for Beaumont High School and the Leduc Track Club. Hanan joins the Lady Bulldogs after a stellar career with St. Mary's Dominican High School in New Orleans, La.

"We feel really fortunate to have both Meggan and Cassie coming to run distance for us," Schmidt said. We have good relations with Meggan's track club in Canada, and we are very fortunate to get her here. Cassie is one of the better distance runners in Louisiana, and we feel that she will be a great addition to our distance group."

Hodge, a native of Beaumont, Alberta, Canada, claimed Female Track Athlete of the Year last season after claiming the provisional championship in the 3000 meters and third-place cross country accolades at the provincial championships.

The Beaumont High product helped Alberta to third place overall at the Canadian National Cross Country Championship.

Hodge joins fellow Beaumont natives and Leduc track members Christine and Janice Zawaski at MSU.

During her time running for Leduc, Hodge has won three provincial championships in the 3000 meters. She claimed the junior indoor title in the event this past season after taking the junior championship in the event outdoors during the 2000 season.

Hodge has run personal-best clockings of 4:58.68 in the 1500m, 10:54.64 in the 3000m, 5:23.66 in the 1600m and 19:04.97 in cross country 5k action.

Hanan placed second at the Louisiana Class 5A cross country meet during the fall for Dominican High School, and she won the state title in the 3000 meters at the 2000 state indoor meet. At the 2000 Class 5A meet, Hanan placed fifth in the 1600-meter run.

Hanan won the district 1600 and 3200-meter runs a couple of weeks ago to garner the meet's Most Valuable Runner accolades. She followed up her pair of district wins with regional titles in both events that advance her to the state meet next week.

Hanan took seventh in the mile run at the Mobile Meet of Champions, one of the premier high school meets in the South, and she won the event at the Nokia Sugar Bowl Track and Field Classic this year with a 5:17 mark.

Hanan is the daughter of Mark and Kathryn Hanan.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

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