03/09/02
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The 16th-ranked men's indoor track team from Mississippi State set a couple of records Friday during the first day of the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.

The Bulldogs recorded the most points in school history at the NCAA Indoor with 13 points Friday from sophomore Marquis Davis and junior Pierre Browne.

Davis, the school record-holder in the 200m, finished second (20.76) in the 200-meter dash, the second-highest finish for a Bulldog at the NCAA Indoors. The last man to place this high at MSU was Festus Igbinoghene, when he placed second in the triple jump in 1990.

Browne took fourth place in the 200m, clocking a 20.84 on the 200-meter banked oval at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

"We are extremely happy with the finish here today," said MSU head coach Al Schmidt. "Both guys ran tremendous races and showed the nation how big of a player Mississippi State track is now."

Browne, the 2000 Canadian Olympian, also advanced to the finals Saturday in the 60-meter dash, setting a new MSU record with his mark of 6.64. Browne last set the mark at the SEC Championships with a 6.68.

The NCAA Indoor Championships conclude tomorrow in Fayetteville, Ark. The finals of the 60-meter dash are slated to start at 7:15 p.m.

2002 NCAA INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS, Fayetteville, Ark.

MSU Individual Results:
200-Meter Dash - 2. Marquis Davis, 20.76; 4. Pierre Browne, 20.84

Team Scores after seven events:
1. Alabama 26
2. Arkansas 21
3, Tennessee 20
4. Colorado 14
5. MISSISSIPPI STATE 13
6. Nebraska 11.5
7. Clemson 10
Princeton 10
Villanova 10
10. LSU 8
North Carolina 8
Texas A&M 8
Idaho 8
Texas 8
Wisconsin 8

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

The 67th-ranked Lady Dogs (4-8, 0-3) started the match in strong fashion, but the Commodores (16-2, 2-1) took advantage of State mistakes to take the doubles point.

"We lost to the best team we've played all year," head coach Tracy Lane said. "They are good at what they do, and they are very consistent. Unforced errors are costing us. We have to make our opponent make plays.

"I thought we showed intensity and fight today in doubles. We were close with them in a lot of games, but errors hurt us."

Vandy took the early momentum as Katie Blaszak and Audra Falk notched an 8-2 win over Justyna Switala and Yumi Ueda at the No. 3 position.

The Commodores had to fight to clinch the early 1-0 edge, however. The 46th-ranked tandem of Kate Burson and Annie Menees had a tough battle, but were able to prevail 8-3 over State's duo of Elaine Fagan and Carole Soubis at No. 2.

State's Magdolna Rekasi and Camila Sage saw their first match of the year at the No. 1 position, and they gave eighth-ranked Sarah Riske and Aleke Tsoubanos a very close affair. Rekasi and Sagae knotted the match at 3-3, but a break of service gave Vandy the lead and an eventual 8-4 win to sweep doubles action.

Vanderbilt took the momentum they established in doubles and carried it over into singles play. Falk picked up a win at No. 6 after Switala was forced to retire with an injury. Tsoubanos then put Vandy a win away from clinching the match with her 6-1, 6-0 victory over Ueda at No. 4.

Menees sealed the win as she took a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 5 over Fagan. Kate Burson then knocked off Rekasi 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3 to put just two matches remaining.

Blaszak, ranked 55th nationally, took the opening set of her No. 2 match with Camila Sagae in convincing 6-1 fashion, but Sagae rallied in the second to cut Vandy's lead to 5-4. Blaszak held serve to clinch the 6-1, 6-4 win.

Soubis fell behind early to ninth-ranked Sarah Riske at No. 1, but State's lone senior battled relentlessly only to fall 6-2, 6-1.

State returns to action Sunday, taking on Kentucky at 12:30 p.m. at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. Sunday's battle with the 11th-ranked Wildcats is the final match of State's current six-match homestand.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

03/06/02
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- (Women's Golf) The Mississippi State women's golf team finished second at the 2002 Green Wave Golf Classic in New Orleans, La. The Lady Bulldogs shot a 306 on Tuesday to improve their score to 625, finishing 24 strokes behind the leader, host school Tulane which carded a 601 for the tournament win.

Junior Anna Knutsson shot two consecutive rounds of 75 at the par-73 Lakewood Country Club, finishing with a four-over-par score of 150 and a second-place finish in the individual competition. Knutsson finished only one stroke back of the winner, Tulane's Carolin Landmann who posted a 149. Knutsson's second place finish is the best finish of her MSU career, improving upon her previous best, a fifth-place finish at the 2001 USF/Beacon Woods Invitational.

Senior Anna Gertsson carded a 157 and finished tied for 12th , while freshman Natalie Booth finished one stroke behind with a 158 and a tie in 15th. Freshman Beth Irwin shot a 160 to tie for 21st, and freshman Janet Dyer placed 45th with a score of 168 to round out the MSU lineup.

Teams were originally scheduled to play three rounds to complete the tournament, but bad weather forced the cancellation of 18 holes on Monday. As a result, the Green Wave Golf Classic concluded on Tuesday after 36 holes of action over the course of two days.

MSU's next tournament play will take place on April 5, as head coach Christi Sanders takes her squad to Athens, Ga., to participate in the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

03/05/02
STARKVILLE, Miss. - (Soccer) Mississippi State soccer head coach Neil McGuire announced the completion of his spring signing class Monday morning as Texas native Shola Gaji (Mesquite, Texas/Mesquite HS) inked her name to a national letter of intent to continue her playing career with the Bulldogs.

Gaji comes to Starkville after an outstanding prep and club career in the state of Texas. She is expected to make an immediate impact upon her arrival in Starkville.

"Shola is another tremendous addition to our squad," McGuire said. "Being a natural goal scorer is only one of the many attributes she will bring to this team. She is very strong, fast, tough and yet, has a wonderful temperament for the game. Like all players we bring into this program, Shola is motivated academically, as well as someone who strives for success on the athletic field.

"We look for her to become an integral part of our program, and look forward to seeing her help this team take another step forward in our progression towards challenging for an SEC title."

A two-time team MVP selection at Mesquite High School, Gaji turned in an impressive junior campaign, scoring 56 points on 23 goals and 10 assists en route to leading the Skeeters to an 18-5 clip. Her efforts did not go unrecognized, however, as she was named 2001 Offensive and team MVP, as well as being named first team all-district 10-5A. She also earned Upper Ninety all-tournament team honors at season's end.

An all-year academic honor roll selection, Gaji currently maintains a 3.62 GPA on a 4.0 scale and ranks 143rd in her class of 687 at Mesquite. Born Shola Wonuola Gaji on April 30, 1984, she is the daughter of Bissy and Dele Gaji. She has two younger brothers, Monsur and Ricky.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

With the loss, State fell to 6-4 overall, 0-2 in Southeastern Conference action. Florida improved to 7-1, 2-0. UF now leads the series 21-14 since 1969, 11-3 in Gainesville.

Florida gained the opening point of the day with victories at the No. 2 and 3 doubles positions and it would proved to be a very big point in the match. At No. 2, 18th-ranked Gators Olivier Levant and Eleazar Magallan notched an 8-4 victory over Bulldogs Max Fomine and Aymeric Henou. At No. 3, UF's tandem of Matt Behrmann and Troy Hahn were 8-4 victors over MSU's team of Luiz Carvalho and Jerome Le Belicard.

State would salvage a doubles win at the top spot, where MSU's 31st-ranked pair of Romain Ambert and Rene-Charles Combette upset 26th-ranked Gators Chris McDonald and Hamid Mirzadeh in a lengthy tiebreaker 9-8(6). That win gave the Bulldog duo their eighth-straight win (13th in 14 outings) and kept them undefeated (11-0) together in dual matches all-time.

After singles play began, MSU evened the match at 1-1 when the freshman Henou improved his dual match record this season to 8-1 with an impressive 6-1, 6-2 victory over UF's Trey Johnson at the No. 6 position.

Florida regained a 2-1 advantage with a 6-3, 6-0 win from Levant over Bulldog David Ruiz at No. 3. MSU knotted the score again at 2-2 when Ambert, ranked seventh nationally, overcame a 4-1 deficit in the second set to down Mirzadeh, ranked No. 102, 6-1, 6-4 at No. 1. It was the ninth consecutive victory for Ambert, who remained perfect in dual matches singles play this year at 9-0 and won for the 13th time in his last 14 contests.

The teams would trade wins in the next two matches as well. UF went up 3-2 with a 6-3, 6-3 victory from Hahn over Carvalho at the No. 4 position. State's Combette then notched a 7-5, 6-1 upset victory over 47th-ranked Gator Magallan at the No. 2 spot to tie the score at 3-3. It was Combette's ninth win in 12 matches.

That left the No. 5 position on the court to decide the match. It would be there where Florida's Behrmann would hold off MSU's Le Belicard 7-6(2), 6-3 to clinch the match for the Gators.

"This is another tough one to take," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "Losing two matches that close is hard to swallow, especially since we had chances to win both of them. But that's how hard it is to win in this league...every match is tough, particularly on the road.

"We had some good things happen in these matches and now we have build on those, put these two behind us, and focus on the rest of the year. There is still a lot of tennis left to play."

State now has nearly two weeks off before its next competition. The Bulldogs will return home to continue SEC action the weekend of March 15-17. MSU will welcome 18th-ranked Auburn on Friday, March 15, before entertaining 22nd-ranked Alabama on Sunday, March 17, both at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Junior Anna Knutsson is tied for third in the individual competition with an opening day score of 75. Senior Anna Gertsson posted an 80 and is tied for 16th, while freshmen Natalie Booth and Beth Irwin are tied for 26th with each shooting an 82 on Monday. Freshman Janet Dyer rounds out the MSU lineup, carding an 89, tying her for 62nd.

Host school Tulane leads the tournament with a score of 308, while Tulane's Alexis Wooster and Alabama-Birmingham's Heather Lourie are tied for the individual lead, each shooting a 74. Teams were originally scheduled to play 36 holes of golf on Monday, but blistering winds forced tournament officials to cancel one round. Teams will conclude the tournament on Tuesday, playing 18 holes beginning at 9 a.m.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

03/04/02
Men's Tennis
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Mississippi State's men's tennis match with the University of Florida scheduled for Sunday was cancelled due to heavy rains on the UF campus. The match between the 13th-ranked Bulldogs and 26th-ranked Gators will now be played at 1 p.m. ET Monday.

Rains plagued the Gainesville area all day Sunday, making the courts at UF's Scott Linder Stadium, as well as the covered courts at Florida's Ring Tennis Pavilion, unplayable.

State, 6-3 overall (0-1 SEC), looks to rebound from a 4-3 upset loss at #30 South Carolina Friday in its Southeastern Conference opener. The Gators (6-1, 1-0) upset No. 6 Mississippi 4-3 on Friday in their league lidlifter.

UF holds a 20-14 edge in the series with MSU (records since 1969), 10-3 in Gainesville. MSU claimed a 5-2 win in the most recent meeting between the squads, which was contested in Starkville last season.

Following Monday's match, the Bulldogs will have 11 days before their next competition, hosting 18th-ranked Auburn on Friday, March 15, before welcoming 22nd-ranked Alabama on Sunday, March 17, both at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

MSU's Codie Mudd was awarded co-medalist honors after tying for first place with four other golfers. The Bulldogs finished in a tie for fourth place as a team, the best overall team performance of the year for State.

Mudd fired a four-under-par 68 for his second tournament crown of the 2001-02 season. He won the individual competition at the Mason Rudolph Championships in Nashville last September. Joe Deraney officially finished tied for 11th after firing a 70. Kellen Maurer finished tied for 16th, while both Eoin Barton and Craig Horrocks finished tied for 88th.

Host LSU won team honors for the second consecutive year. Tulsa finished second.

Mississippi State will return to action March 18-19, as they embark on their longest road trip of the year, competing in the USD Invitational in sunny San Diego.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

The 65th-ranked Lady Dogs (4-7, 0-2 SEC) claimed their lone point over the Lady Gators (5-0, 2-0) at the No. 6 position, where UF's Julie Scaringe retired from her match with Justyna Switala after taking the opening set 7-5.

The Lady Gators jumped out quickly, as second-ranked Jessica Lehnhoff defeated Carole Soubis in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2, at the No. 1 spot. No. 22 Lindsay Dawaf's victory over sophomore Camila Sagae at the No. 2 position didn't come easily. Sagae dropped the first set 6-4, but she rallied in the second to take a lead before Dawaf claimed the final two games and a 6-4, 7-5 victory.

Alexis Gordon, ranked 61st nationally, used a powerful game to knock off sophomore Yumi Ueda 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 and give UF a 3-0 lead. Zerene Reyes had to battle, but she eventually took a straight set win over freshman Magdolna Rekasi at No. 4 to clinch the match for the Lady Gators. Rekasi played solid tennis in the beginning of her match, but Reyes rallied to take the first set tiebreak. The Lady Gator took the second set and a 7-6 (3), 6-1 win to keep Florida perfect on the campaign.

MSU junior Elaine Fagan dropped a tough 6-2, 7-6 (1) decision to Lady Gator Annika Bengtsson. Fagan jumped out to a lead in the second set, but Bengtsson fought back to force the tiebreak and eventually claim the win.

State returns to action Friday, March 8, taking on second-ranked Vanderbilt at 2:30 p.m. at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. The match will be State's second consecutive match against an opponent ranked in the top 10.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

03/03/02
Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Looking to rebound from a tough 4-3 upset loss in their Southeastern Conference opener at #30 South Carolina Friday, Mississippi State's 13th-ranked men's tennis team will conclude their brief two-match road swing Sunday, battling 26th-ranked Florida in Gainesville.

The Bulldogs, 6-3 overall (0-1 SEC), are slated to face the Gators (6-1, 1-0) Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at UF's Scott Linder Tennis Stadium.

Florida, which upset No. 6 Mississippi 4-3 on Friday in its league opener, holds a 20-14 edge in the series with MSU (records since 1969), 10-3 in Gainesville. MSU claimed a 5-2 win in the most recent meeting between the squads, which was contested in Starkville last season.

The match will also be a reunion of sorts for both sides, as the Bulldogs will be going up against their old mentor, Andy Jackson, who departed MSU after 17 years to take the Florida head coaching post last summer.

"There is only one thing I can say about this match...it is going to be a war," said MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard, who was Jackson's assistant for the past six years and succeeded him at MSU. "Andy and I know each others' tricks pretty well after working together for so long. And I know both teams will be motivated to play. I anticipate a battle royale.

"They have a very good team this year and proved that with their win over Mississippi Friday. As I said going into the South Carolina match, no match in the SEC is ever easy and tomorrow will be no different."

Following Sunday's match, State will have nearly two weeks off before its next competition. The Bulldogs will return home to continue SEC action, hosting 18th-ranked Auburn on Friday, March 15, before welcoming 22nd-ranked Alabama on Sunday, March 17, both at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

You can catch all the action on MSU's official athletics site, www.mstateathletics.com.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations

The Lady Bulldogs (4-6, 0-1 SEC) look to rebound against the Lady Gators (4-0, 1-0 SEC) after dropping a 5-1 decision to 25th-ranked South Carolina Friday afternoon.

State's lone win came from the No. 1 position, where senior Carole Soubis knocked off 85th-ranked Katarina Markovski 6-2, 6-3.

MSU has been paced in doubles action by sophomore Camila Sagae and freshman Magdolna Rekasi. The duo has won three of their last four matches during dual-match action.

Florida enters Sunday's contest fresh off a 6-1 win over 39th-ranked Mississippi Friday afternoon in Oxford. Florida has been guided by second-ranked Jessica Lehnhoff in singles and the seventh-rated tandem of Lehnhoff and Lindsay Dawaf in doubles play.

Admission to all MSU home matches is free to the public. Those unable to make it to the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre Sunday can catch all the action on MSU's official athletics site, www.mstateathletics.com.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

The Milton, Fla., senior leaped 20-4 1/2, her best jump of the season, an improvement over her provisional qualifying mark of 20-3 3/4 at the LSU Purple Tiger earlier this season.

Also, sophomore Marquis Davis ranked 15th in the 60-meter dash in the Armory Track & Field Center, completing the race in 6.87.

Next up for the 16th-ranked Bulldogs is the NCAA Indoor Championships at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark., March 8-9.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Host-LSU leads the 20-team field after firing a nine-under-par 279. Tulsa and College of Charleston sit in second and third place, respectively. Jacksonville State is tied with Mississippi State for fourth place.

Joe Deraney and Kellen Maurer both joined Mudd in red numbers for the Bulldogs. Deraney shot a two-under-par 70 to tie for 11th place after the first day. Maurer is tied for 16th after shooting a 71.

"We finally had more than one person put 18 solid holes together," said MSU head coach Greg Martin. "I am pleased with the overall team effort."

Newcomers Eoin Barton and Craig Horrocks both fired a 78 to sit in a tie for 88th place.

"With the weather being nasty tomorrow, the teams that make the fewest mistakes will have a chance," Martin said. "We are going to go out there and give it our best shot.

Less than ideal conditions with bitterly cold temperatures mixed with high winds are expected for Sunday's round.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

03/02/02
Men's Tennis
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Mississippi State's 13th-ranked men's tennis team suffered a 4-3 upset to 30th-ranked South Carolina Friday afternoon on the USC campus, as the Gamecocks rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the match for the victory. The match was the 2002 Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.

With the loss, MSU fell to 6-3 overall on the year. USC improved to 7-0. It marked only the third win for USC over the Bulldogs in 14 all-time meetings between the schools.

State gained the opening point of the day by sweeping all three double matches. MSU's team of Luiz Carvalho and Jerome Le Belicard shutout USC's Seth Rose and Carl Wermee 8-0 at the No. 3 position to lead the way.

Bulldogs Romain Ambert and Rene-Charles Combette, ranked 31st nationally, then clinched the point with an 8-2 win over Gamecocks Angelo Niculescu and Marcus Westman at No. 1. The win kept the MSU pair undefeated together in team matches for their careers (now 10-0) and they have won 12 of their last 13 matches overall.

MSU would complete the sweep of doubles when Max Fomine and Aymeric Henou overcame a 4-0 deficit to win 8-6 over USC's duo of Ben Atkinson and David Nelson at No. 2.

State grabbed its early 3-0 lead in singles play with identical 6-1, 6-2 victories at the No. 1 and 5 positions. MSU's seventh-ranked Ambert bested Rose at No. 1 for his 12th win in 13 contests and remain undefeated (8-0) in dual matches this season. The Bulldogs' Henou was then a winner over Wermee at No. 5 for his sixth consecutive victory.

Then the Gamecocks began making their comeback run, which would include three very tight three-set victories.

At the No. 2 spot, USC's Niculescu rallied from a 5-2 disadvantage in the first set to down MSU's Combette 7-5 6-4. Next, but much later in the match, Gamecock Rodrigo Pacheco posted a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 comeback win over Fomine at the No. 6 position. That left the No. 3 and 4 spots still on the court with most of the third set left to play in each.

At No. 4, USC's Westman would hold off MSU's Le Belicard 7-5, 6-7(1), 7-5 to tie the match at 3-3. Nelson then won 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-1 over Carvalho at No. 3 to complete the victory for the Gamecocks.

"I am extremely disappointed about losing this match," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "We fought hard and had several chances to win it, but just did not win the points when we needed to. At the same time, you have to give South Carolina a lot of credit for the way they hung in and fought. They could have easily given in when we were up 3-0."

MSU continues its roadswing in SEC play Sunday, travelling to Gainesville, Fla., to meet the 26th-ranked Florida Gators. Match time is set for 1 p.m. ET at UF's Scott Linder Stadium.

#30 SOUTH CAROLINA 4, #13 MISSISSIPPI STATE 3
DOUBLES - #31 Romain Ambert/Rene-Charles Combette (MSU) def. Angelo Niculescu/Marcus Westman (USC) 8-2; Max Fomine/Aymeric Henou (MSU) def. Ben Atkinson/David Nelson (USC) 8-6; Luiz Carvalho/Jerome Le Belicard (MSU) def. Seth Rose/Carl Wermee (USC) 8-0.
SINGLES - #7 Ambert (MSU) def. Rose (USC) 6-1, 6-2; Niculescu (USC) def. Combette (MSU) 7-5, 6-4; Nelson (USC) def. Carvalho (MSU) 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-1; Westman (USC) def. Le Belicard (MSU) 7-5, 6-7(1), 7-5; Henou (MSU) def. Wermee (USC) 6-1, 6-2; Rodrigo Pacheco (USC) def. Fomine (MSU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

(numbers preceding names are current national rankings)

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Soubis dominated her match for MSU (4-6, 0-1), winning in convincing 6-2, 6-3 fashion. The Gamecocks (7-1, 1-0) notched straight-set victories in the other five matches to clinch the win in the shortened match and put MSU at 0-3 on its current six-match homestand.

The two teams played singles action to begin the contest due to the threat of rain that was scheduled to move into Starkville Friday.

South Carolina claimed the early 1-0 lead when Tamara Sutton downed State's Justyna Switala 6-1, 6-0. The Gamecocks increased the lead over head coach Tracy Lane's Lady Dog squad when Lynn-Yin Tan staked a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Yumi Ueda at the No. 4 position.

Playing in her first match at the No. 3 position, freshman Magdolna Rekasi dropped a 6-4, 6-2 decision to 138th-ranked Kathy Boyanovich. Carolina clinched the victory with Jodi Kenoyer's 6-2, 6-2 win over Elaine Fagan at No. 5. Camila Sagae put up a fight against Jennifer Radman at No. 2, but the Sao Paulo, Brazil, native fell 6-1, 7-5 to give the Gamecocks the final point.

"We are still a long way from where we need to be," Lane said. "We allowed ourselves to be out-played by unforced errors. We have to be better prepared and not make too many mistakes. In this league, you have to make plays."

The Lady Bulldogs continue their six-match homestand Sunday, taking on fifth-ranked Florida in a match set for a 1 p.m. start at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

#25 SOUTH CAROLINA 5, #65 MISSISSIPPI STATE 1
March 1, 2002; Starkville, Miss.
Singles - Carole Soubis (MSU) d. #85 Katarina Markovski (USC) 6-2, 6-3; Jennifer Radman (USC) d. Camila Sagae (MSU) 6-1, 7-5; #138 Kathy Boyanovich (USC) d. Magdolna Rekasi (MSU) 6-4, 6-2; Lynn-Yin Tan (USC) d. Yumi Ueda (MSU) 6-0, 6-3; Jodi Kenoyer (USC) d. Elaine Fagan (MSU) 6-2, 6-2; Tamara Sutton (USC) d. Justyna Switala (MSU) 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles - Not Played.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

The high school all-American from New Haven, Conn., ran a 21.89 at the Armory Track & Field Center in New York City. Shawn Crawford ranked first in the preliminaries with a 20.53 mark.

Coach Al Schmidt's athletes will be back in action on Saturday, with senior Elisha Williams competing in the women's long jump and McFadden and sophomore Marquis Davis expected to compete in the 60 meters.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department