04/30/02
Women's Athletic Banquet
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State honored its female athletes Monday night at the Women's Athletic Awards Banquet held in the Bryan Athletic Administration Building.

Samye Johnson, MSU's Associate Athletic Director for Women's Sports, opened the evening by honoring each State squad. MSU announced the winners of the school's Coaches' Award in five of the sports honored on the night.

Kodak all-American LaToya Thomas earned the first award of the banquet, as she garnered the women's basketball coaches' award for helping guide head coach Sharon Fanning's Lady Bulldog basketball team to the second round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Thomas concluded her junior season tops in the SEC in scoring (24.6 ppg) for the third consecutive season. The three-time SEC Player of the Week also garnered AP all-American accolades along with ESPN the Magazine's Power Forward of the Year after earning MSU's all-time leading scorer honors in just her 68th career game.

Bulldog soccer head coach Neil McGuire awarded the soccer coaches' award to freshman Morgan McDonald. McDonald played and started in all 21 games this past season. She paced the Bulldogs in average minutes played as the squad capped a historic season by winning the SEC Western Division title.

Head coach Al Schmidt announced the cross country and track award winners. Freshman standout Meggan Hodge claimed the honor in cross country after helping the squad to its third-best NCAA regional finish in school annals. Hodge won her first collegiate race en route to pacing the squad in five of the six races on the year.

Senior Camille Harper earned the coaches' award in track after garnering all-America accolades during the 2001 outdoor campaign. Harper broke the 13-year old 100-meter dash record last season, and she paces the squad once again this season in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.

MSU volleyball head coach Brenda Bowlin selected junior Misty Hubenthal as the coaches' award recipient after she led MSU in kills for the 2001 campaign. The junior also earned a spot on the SEC Volleyball Academic Honor Roll with a 3.59 mark in biological sciences.

Following the Coaches' Award presentations, Dr. Walt Newsom presented the Newsom Award for the 12th season to the student-athlete with the highest grade point average. The following athletes garnered the award for the 2001-02 school year: Jennifer Fambrough (Basketball), Ronni Watjus (Cross Country), Catalina Olarte (Golf), Stephanie Lyon (Soccer), Kate Jaspers (Softball), Camila Sagae (Tennis), CeCe Brown (Track) and Jennifer Rousey (Volleyball).

Lyon was then awarded as the overall Newsom Award winner as she will graduate this semester with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

The MSU track teams have as many as three meets remaining for certain individuals; however, the final team competition comes May 9-12 as the squads host the 2002 SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the MSU campus. Softball will host Florida in a three-set series this weekend before heading to Chattanooga, Tenn., for the SEC Tournament. Head coach Christi Sanders' Lady Bulldog golf team saw its season extended this week, earning a spot in the May 9-11 NCAA East Regional in Baton Rouge, La.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Women's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State women's golf team qualified for postseason play and was placed in the NCAA East Regional to be played May 9-11, at the University Club in Baton Rouge, La. The Lady Bulldogs are ranked 36th nationally by Golfstat and are seeded 13th out of 21 participating teams in the regional. Mississippi State is also one of nine Southeastern Conference schools to qualify for the tournament.

"³I'm extremely pleased with our play this year," said MSU head coach Christi Sanders. "It's an honor to qualify for postseason play with such a young team. However, we set high goals at the beginning of this year, and we hope to advance as far as possible in NCAA play."

This marks the second time in three years that Sanders has taken a team to the NCAA tournament. The Lady Bulldogs finished 16th in the 2000 NCAA East Regionals.

The top eight teams from the regional advance to the NCAA Championship, to be held May 21-24, in Auburn, Wash. Also, the top two individual competitors from non-qualifying teams participate at the NCAA Championship.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/28/02
Track and Field
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. ­ Mississippi State's 11th-ranked men's track team tied a school record while placing second in the finals of the short relays at the 2002 Penn Relays.

The sprint relay team of freshman Glenn McFadden, sophomore Marquis Davis, senior Dion Crabbe and junior Pierre Browne tied the school record in the 4x100m relay Saturday. The team rounded the oval at Franklin Field in 39.12, tying the school record set in 1986.

However, the team could not overcome Tennessee's relay teams, who placed ahead of the Bulldogs in both the 4x100m and 4x200m Championship of American races on Saturday. MSU's unit finished just 4/100 seconds behind Tennessee in the 4x100m.

In the 4x200m relay, the Bulldogs finished second with a time of 1:21.58, the third-best time in school history for the event.

"It would have been nice to win the Penn Relays races," said head coach Al Schmidt. "But we know that the most important ones are the next two, the SEC's and the NCAA's."

Schmidt added, "I also want to commend freshman LaChristopher Lewis for helping get to today's races. He did a tremendous job filling in for Glenn yesterday."

The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs have next weekend off to prepare to host the SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The country's premier conference championships begin Thursday, May 9 at W.O. Spencer Stadium/Carl Maddox Track in Starkville, Miss.

Penn Relays, April 27, 2002 ­ Philadelphia, Penn., Day Three Results - Finals

Men's Individual Results:
4x100-Meter Relay ­ 2. McFadden, Davis, Crabbe, Browne, 39.12
4x200-Meter Relay ­ 2. McFadden, Davis, Crabbe, Browne, 1:23.34
Javelin ­ 17. Clay Garner, 183-9

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/27/02
Track and Field
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. ­ Mississippi State's 11th-ranked men's track team showed its strength in the short relays on the second day of the Penn Relays.

The short relay team advanced to the Championship of America races on Saturday in both the 4x100m and 4x200m relays.

The team of freshman LaChristopher Lewis, sophomore Marquis Davis, senior Dion Crabbe and junior Pierre Browne, had the third-best time in the 4x100m, rounding the oval in 40.20. The unit ranked fourth in the 4x200m with a mark of 1:23.34.

Freshman thrower J.D. Erickson also had a good meet, taking ninth in the shot put, throwing the shot 51-6 ½, his best outdoor collegiate mark.

Junior Kelvin Harris just missed the cut in the 110-meter hurdles, ranking 10th in the preliminaries with his time of 14.21.

Action begins Saturday for the Bulldogs at Franklin Field with the men's hammer throw at 12:15 p.m.

Penn Relays, April 26, 2002 ­ Philadelphia, Penn., Day Two Results

Men's Individual Results:
110-Meter Hurdles Prelims ­ 10. Kelvin Harris, 14.21
4x100-Meter Relay Prelims ­ 3. Lewis, Davis, Crabbe, Browne, 40.20
4x200-Meter Relay Prelims ­ 4. Lewis, Davis, Crabbe, Browne, 1:23.34
Sprint Medley Relay ­ 37. Nelson, McFadden, Harris, Kimbrough, 3:33.45
Shot Put ­ 9. J.D. Erickson, 51-6 ½

Women's Individual Results:
100-Meter Dash Prelims ­ 14. Camille Harper, 11.87
Sprint Medley Relay ­ 11. Harper, Barnaby-Pope, Brown, McWilliams, 3:59.65

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/22/02
Women's Golf
ATHENS, Ga. ­ The Mississippi State women's golf team carded a 302 on Sunday in Athens, Ga., to finish tied for ninth at the Southeastern Conference Championships. The Lady Bulldogs posted rounds of 317, 310 and 302 at the par-72 University Golf Course.

Junior Anna Knutsson shot a 226 and finished tied for 26th to lead the Lady Bulldogs. Freshman Natalie Booth came in second on the team, tying for 30th in the individual competition with a 229. Senior Anna Gertsson and freshman Beth Irwin tied for 45th with a score of 237. Freshman Janet Dyer rounded out the MSU lineup, carding a 250 and finished 60th.

South Carolina claimed the conference title with a score of 861, while South Carolina's Kristy McPherson won the individual competition with a score of 209.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Men's Golf
SEA ISLAND, Ga. - The Mississippi State men's golf team carded a final-round 303 Sunday to finish in twelfth place at the 2002 Southeastern Conference Golf Championships. The Bulldogs fired rounds of 306-301-303 over three days for a 910 total at the Sea Island Golf Club's Seaside Course (par 70; 6,885 yards).

Auburn won the title, finishing seven shots in front of second-place Florida. Defending champion Georgia finished nine strokes back. LSU and Vanderbilt tied for fourth place. Auburn's SEC title is the third in its program's history and it is their first crown since 1981.

Mississippi State's twelfth-place finish is the worst showing at the event in school history. The Bulldogs recently put together a two-year string of SEC Championship titles in the mid-1990s.

Louisville, Kent., native Codie Mudd led Mississippi State golfers, finishing the tournament with a 226 total, which tied him for 39th place, after carding a final-round 74 (+4). Mudd was in contention for the individual title after firing a one-over-par 71 on Day One to tie for fifth place. But an 81 in the second round dropped him from the hunt. Freshman Joe Deraney, playing in his first SEC Championship, finished the event in sole possession of 45th place after shooting a six-over-par 76 on Sunday.

Tim Satow also fired a final-round 76 to finish in a tie for 50th place while Kellen Maurer and Craig Horrocks both finished tied for 53rd. Maurer completed his play with a final-round 80 while Horrocks carded a 77 on the tournament's final day. Satow and Horrocks, two mid-year freshmen signees from overseas, and Maurer, a sophomore junior college transfer from Oregon, join Deraney as first-year players at the SEC Championship event.

Florida's Camilo Benedetti overcame a five-shot deficit to capture the individual title with a two-under-par 68, the best score of the day. Georgia's Ryan Hybl finished one shot back, after shooting a final-round 71. Second round leader Jay Mundy of Auburn struggled Sunday, carding a 75 to finish two shots back.

SEC-TV will air highlights of the conference tournament on Thursday, April 25th, at 4:30 p.m. CT.

The Bulldogs will close out the 2001-2002 campaign May 9-10 when they take part in the three-round Atlanta Intercollegiate at Atlanta's Eagle's Landing Country Club.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Track and Field
STARKVILLE, Miss. ­ Mississippi State's 11th-ranked men's track team added two more NCAA qualifiers to its ranks on the final day of competition Sunday at the Mt. SAC Relays.

Junior Pierre Browne and sophomore Marquis Davis finished second (20.68) and third (20.70), respectively, in the 200-meter dash invitational race Sunday. Their times qualify both runners provisionally for the NCAA Championships at the end of the season.

MSU's women also had a good meet this weekend. Late Saturday night, freshman Tiffany McWilliams ran the fastest 1500m (4:23.00) in Lady Bulldog history, provisionally qualifying her for the NCAAs. The Red Bay, Ala., native placed third in the event.

MSU's senior sprinters Dion Crabbe and Camille Harper competed on Sunday and made good showings for themselves. Crabbe placed eighth in the invitational 100m (10.34) event and took second in the university section of the 200m (20.78). The all-American Harper placed fourth in the women's university 100m with a mark of 11.73 and tied for tenth in the 200m (24.06).

MSU's men's 4x100m relay team took yet another victory on Sunday, winning the invitational race in Walnut, Calif. The team of freshman Glenn McFadden, Davis, Crabbe and Browne circled the oval in 39.16, the third-fastest time in school history.

The track teams head out again next week to the Penn Relays, which start Thursday, April 25 in Philadelphia, Penn.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/21/02
Men's Golf
SEA ISLAND, Ga. - The Mississippi State men's golf team remains in twelfth place after two rounds of play at the 2002 Southeastern Conference Championships. State carded a 301 score to combine with yesterday's 306 showing at the Sea Island Golf Club Seaside Course Saturday.

Auburn turned a one-stroke deficit into an eleven-stroke lead after firing a two-over-par 282. Florida and LSU are tied for second place.

"We just got off to an awful start today," MSU head coach Greg Martin said following Saturday's round. "Not to make excuses, but this is the first competition of this calibre for all but one of our guys, and I think that has played a factor. But we are playing a lot better than the scores indicate on a very difficult golf course. We will get back out there tomorrow and compete."

Codie Mudd and Joe Deraney are both tied for 42nd place (+12) after day two to pace MSU golfers. Mudd, who was in contention for individual medalist following Friday's first round, followed his 71 with an 81 in round two. Deraney shot 78-74 over the two days to card the 12-over total. Tim Satow and Kellen Maurer are both sitting in a tie for 47th place while Craig Horrocks is currently tied for 53rd. Satow fired a four-over-par 74 to join Deraney with State's best round of the day.

Auburn's Jay Mundy holds first place individually after firing a tournament-best 67 (-3) in round two, following a first-round even-par 70. One stroke back is Friday's leader, Florida's Camilo Villegas, who payed an even-par second round to currently sit at two-under.

The competition will conclude with a final round on Sunday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/20/02
Track and Field
STARKVILLE, Miss. ­ Mississippi State's 11th-ranked men's track team took first at the Southern Miss Invitational while both squads had a performer place second at the Long Beach Invitational.

Freshman LaChristopher Lewis led the Bulldogs at the USM Invitational on Saturday. He finished first in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes, running a 10.69 in the 100m and 21.40 in the 200m.

Also, junior Dale Moorhouse won the 400-meter hurdles in Hattiesburg with a mark of 53.92. Other notables include freshman Matthew Denton's second-place finish in the high jump (6-8) and freshman Chris Withrow's third in the pole vault (14-0).

As for MSU's women, they took home one first place finish Saturday from Southern Miss. Junior Le'Kisha Barnaby-Pope finished first in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.18. Freshman Jennifer Johnstone also had a good day, placing second in the hammer (143-0). Also finishing with a second-place performance was junior Ronni Watjus, who completed the 5000-meter run in 12:31.97.

The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs had one runner each enter the Long Beach Invitational, and both made the most of that entry. Junior Kelvin Harris took second place in the 110-meter hurdles (14.08), while senior all-American Camille Harper finished second in the 100-meter dash (11.87).

Last night's results from California include freshman Crystal Averitt's throw of 147-2 at the Pimona-Pitzer Invitational in Claremont, Calif., placing 17th. MSU's women's distance crew had a disappointing evening in Walnut, Calif., with junior Christine Zawaski placing 21st (17:20.29) in the 5000-meters and freshman Meggan Hodge finishing tied for 30th (37:16.23) in her first collegiate 10,000 meters competition.

The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs conclude action Sunday at the Mt. SAC Relays.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Women's Golf
ATHENS, Ga. -- The Mississippi State women's golf team shot a 310 on Saturday to improve their score to 627 at the Southeastern Conference Championships in Athens, Ga. Playing at the par-72 University Golf Course, the Lady Bulldogs are in 11th place with one round left to play.

Junior Anna Knutsson leads the MSU field with a score of 152. Knutsson is tied for 25th in the individual competition after posting rounds of 81 and 71. Freshman Natalie Booth is tied for 32nd with a score of 154, carding two consecutive 77's on Friday and Saturday. Freshman Beth Irwin is tied for 48th with a score of 160, while senior Anna Gertsson has posted a 161 through two rounds, good for a 51st place tie. Freshman Janet Dyer is tied for 59th with a score of 168.

Auburn and South Carolina are tied for the team lead, with each carding a 571 through two rounds of play. South Carolina's Kristy McPherson leads the individual competition with a score of 138.

Awards and honors were announced at the SEC Banquet Friday night, and two Mississippi State golfers were honored. Gertsson was named all-SEC Second Team, and Knutsson was named all-SEC Honorable Mention.

SEC action concludes Sunday with 18 holes left to play in Athens, Ga.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/20/02
Men's Golf
SEA ISLAND, Ga. - The Mississippi State men's golf team struggled to a twelfth-place finish after the first round of the Southeastern Conference Championships. The Bulldogs carded a team score of 306 in windy conditions at the Seaside Course of the Sea Island Golf Club (par 70, 6,865 yards) Friday.

Florida holds a one-shot lead in the tournament over second-place Auburn. The Gators fired a 284. Arkansas and LSU round out the top four.

Codie Mudd carded a one-over-par 71 to finish the day tied for fifth place, just three shots out of the lead. The rest of the Bulldog golfers struggled, finishing no higher than 42nd place. Kellen Maurer shot a 77 in the opening round to sit tied for 42nd with three other golfers. Freshman Joe Deraney is one back, in a tie for 46th place, while Tim Satow is currently tied for 52nd after firing an opening-round 80. Craig Horrocks shot an 81.

"I think our guys played much better than we scored," MSU coach Greg Martin said. "Lots of big numbers on the back nine killed us. We were in fourth place after the front nine, but we really struggled coming in. Codie (Mudd) played awesome and he will definitely be right there with a chance to win. We just have to get back out there tomorrow and play better and we can really move up."

Florida's Camilo Villegas holds sole possession of the individual lead after shooting a 68 (-2). Three golfers are two back after firing even-par 70s.

The competition resumes Saturday and Sunday with one 18-hole round to be completed each day. The individual and team champions will be honored following play on Sunday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Women's Golf
ATHENS, Ga. -- The Mississippi State women's golf team carded an opening round score of 317 on Friday at the Southeastern Conference Championships in Athens, Ga. The Lady Bulldogs are in eleventh place with two rounds left to play.

Freshman Natalie Booth led the Lady Bulldogs on Friday, finishing the day tied for 30th in the individual competition, after posting a 77 at the par-72 University Golf Course. Freshman Beth Irwin follows Booth with a score of 78, good for a tie in the 35th spot. Senior Anna Gertsson and junior Anna Knutsson are tied at 47th after each carding an 81. Freshman Janet Dyer shot an 85 and is tied for 58th.

Auburn leads the tournament with a score of 280. There is a four-way tie at the top of the leaderboard in the individual competition.

Play resumes Saturday, as the Lady Bulldogs are scheduled to tee off at 8:30 a.m. The SEC action will conclude on Sunday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Track and Field
STARKVILLE, Miss ­ Mississippi State's women's and 11th-ranked men's track teams split up to compete in a pair of meets this weekend.

Some athletes have traveled cross-country to compete in the Mt. SAC Relays this weekend while others will venture down to Hattiesburg to run in the Southern Miss Relays on Saturday.

The strong sprint corps, who, as a group, includes two automatic NCAA qualifiers and two provisional qualifiers, will lead the men at the Mt. SAC Relays, one of the country's premier events.

The women heading to Walnut, Calif., look to be led by freshman Tiffany McWilliams, where she will compete in the 1500m, the event she currently leads the SEC in.

Leading the Lady Bulldogs to the campus of Southern Miss will be the women's hurdlers Le'Kisha Barnaby-Pope and CeCe Brown. Brown, the school's record holder in the 400m hurdles, could contend for the title in Hattiesburg.

The men hope for another set of strong performances from freshmen J.D. Erickson and Matthew Denton. Erickson, a thrower, leads the team this season in the shot put and discus. Denton is the team's top high jumper, clearing a personal-best 6-10 at last weekend's Jace Lacoste Invitational.

Events get underway at Southern Miss at 10:30 a.m.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Track and Field
STARKVILLE, Miss ­ Mississippi State signed Canadian distance standout Anne Fyfe and junior college national champion Garland Martin, head coach Al Schmidt announced Friday.

Fyfe hails from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where she competed at the provincial level in track, alpine and Nordic skiing. At her previous school, Lisgar Collegiate Institute, she was named the girls' track MVP in 2000.

"We are trying to build a cross country team that will compete for the SEC championship, and she is another big part of that effort," said Schmidt.

Fyfe has excelled in her three sports while adding many academic honors to her record. Fyfe has ranked in the top 25 percent of Canada in mathematics for four years. She was also a member of Lisgar's band and jazz band for five years.

Anne Fyfe is the daughter of Toby and Deirdre Fyfe.

Martin won the NJCAA indoor 60-meter hurdles as a sophomore at Wallace State Community College. He also qualified to run at the World Junior Championships in Santiago, Chile., where he placed ninth in the 110-meter hurdles.

"Martin is one of the premier hurdlers in the country," said Schmidt. "He should score points in both the SECs and NCAAs. We are really pleased to have him."

Martin holds two Missouri high school records, in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles, set while at Poplar Bluff (Mo.) High School. He received the Missouri Athlete of the Year from the MHSAA his senior season.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/18/02
Men's Tennis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Mississippi State's 29th-ranked men's tennis team fell in first round action at the 2002 Southeastern Conference Championship Thursday, dropping a 4-2 decision to ninth-ranked Kentucky.

With the setback, the Bulldogs fell to 10-11 overall. UK improved to 19-8 while avenging a 4-3 loss to MSU earlier this season in Lexington.

In doubles, the Wildcats claimed 8-5 victories at the No. 1 and 2 positions to claim the first point of the day. UK led 7-5 at No. 3 when play was suspended after the point had been clinched.

Kentucky would take a 2-0 lead when State's Luiz Carvalho retired against Wildcat Evan Austin at the No. 3 singles spot. Austin led 6-1, 3-0 when Carvalho was forced to stop playing, still suffering from the shoulder problems that forced him to sit out against Mississippi this past Saturday.

State would gain its first point of the day when sophomore Romain Ambert, ranked 10th nationally, registered an impressive 6-2, 6-0 upset of UK's seventh-ranked Jesse Witten at the top position. The win was Ambert's 17th in his last 20 matches and upped his record on the year to 36-9.

The Wildcats extended their lead to 3-1 when 55th-ranked Karim Benmansour downed MSU's 81st-ranked Rene-Charles Combette 6-3, 6-1 at the No. 2 spot. The Bulldogs would trim the lead back to 3-2 with a 6-4, 6-2 victory from freshman Aymeric Henou over Wildcat Rahim Esmail at the No. 6 spot.

UK would then clinch the team victory when 98th-ranked Gustav Pousette held off State's Jerome Le Belicard 6-3, 6-4 at the No. 4 position.

The final match of the day was suspended, but there was a piece of good news for MSU from that contest in the return of David Ruiz. The senior from Colmar, France, played in his first match since March 20, having been out with a back injury which he had surgery on to repair last month. He was in a first-set tiebreaker with UK's 118th-ranked Johan Grunditz when play was halted.

"We lost this match, but you have to remember that Kentucky is one of the best No. 7 seeds in SEC Tournament history," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "They have a top 10 team, but just struggled a little at the end of the SEC regular season which dropped their position in the draw.

"We certainly lost some matches today that we could have won, but we did have some good things happen. Romain was extremely solid against one of the best players in the country. Aymeric played well against one of the best No. 6 players in the SEC. And probably the thing I was most happy with was seeing David back in the lineup, and he did very well considering he hasn't played competitively in a month."

The Bulldogs will now await their fate for the 2002 NCAA Team Championship. State, which is one of only nine teams in the country to have made 11 consecutive appearances in the national championship, is in position to receive its 12th bid in a row to the field. The selections and bracket for the tournament will be announced Thursday, May 2.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/18/02
Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's men's tennis team, ranked 29th nationally in the latest Omni Hotels Collegiate Rankings (released Wednesday) will begin action in the 2002 Southeastern Conference Championship Thursday in Knoxville, Tenn., meeting ninth-ranked Kentucky. Match time between the Bulldogs and Wildcats is set for 11 a.m. ET at Tennessee's Varsity Courts.

State, 10-10 overall and 3-8 in the SEC, is the No. 10 seed in this weekend's tournament. The Bulldogs are led by sophomore Romain Ambert, who is ranked 10th in the country in singles, and junior Rene-Charles Combette (81st). Ambert and Combette are No. 31 nationally together in doubles.

Kentucky will enter the match 18-8 overall, 6-5 in the SEC, and is seeded seventh in the event. The Wildcats are paced by Jesse Witten, who is ranked seventh in the nation in singles. Witten, a rookie, was named SEC Freshman of the Year Wednesday.

The teams have met 31 times in recorded history (since 1969). UK holds a slim 16-15 advantage over State during that period. The Bulldogs upset the Wildcats earlier this season in Lexington in a dramatic 4-3, come-from-behind victory.

"This is a scary match," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "We know we can beat Kentucky because we have already done it. But we also know that they are a very good team and will be very difficult to beat again. We just have to go out there and fight and give our best effort to give ourselves a good chance to win."

Should State upset UK once again, it would then face second-seeded and fifth-ranked, arch-rival Mississippi in the quarterfinals at 11 a.m. ET Friday morning.

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Five Mississippi State men's tennis players have been named to the 2002 Southeastern Conference Men's Tennis Academic Honor Roll, released Tuesday by the SEC. The 2002 Honor Roll is based on grades from the 2000-01 academic calendar.

To be eligible for the SEC honor roll, a student-athlete must (1) have a 3.0 grade point average for either the past year or for his career, (2) be a sophomore or higher in terms of academic classification, and (3) have 24 semester hours toward a degree.

Bulldogs named to this year's team were Marco Baron, Rene-Charles Combette, Chris McDonald, David Ruiz and Mathieu Soto. Baron, Combette, Ruiz and Soto were all repeat selections to the squad.

Baron, a senior last year, earned his fourth selection to the team with a 3.91 GPA in international business.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State women's tennis team opens the 2002 Southeastern Conference Tennis Championships Thursday, taking on Auburn in first-round action in Columbia, S.C.

State, the 11th seed in the event, enters the tournament 5-15, 1-10 in SEC play, while Auburn finished the campaign 13-7 and 6-5 in conference action to win the SEC Western Division and take the No. 6 seed in the tournament.

The two teams battle for the second time Thursday morning at 9 a.m. CDT at the Maxcy Gregg Tennis Complex.

State dropped a hard-fought 6-1 decision to the Lady Tigers back on Mar. 17. State won at the No. 3 position as freshman Magdolna Rekasi claimed a three-set victory over Carolina Maurer. Head coach Tracy Lane's squad took three more matches to the full three sets before falling in the trio of contests to give AU the win.

The Lady Dogs look to pull the upset Thursday and advance to the second round of the event for the third straight year.

STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State women's tennis team placed five players on the 2002 SEC Women's Tennis Academic Honor Roll, the conference released Tuesday.

Former Lady Dogs Amelie Detriviere, Linda Mattsson, Claudia Oliveira and Anca Vasiloaica were named to the 2002 honor roll along with current standout Carole Soubis. The five selections tied State with LSU and South Carolina for the fifth-most selections.

The honor roll selections are based on the 2000-01 academic calendar. To be eligible for the SEC Academic Honor Roll, student-athletes must (1) have a 3.0 grade-point average for the past year or her career, (2) be a sophomore or higher in academic classification, and (3) have 24 semester hours toward a degree.

Detriviere, Mattsson and Vasiloaica were each awarded with their fourth selection to the squad.

Detriviere earned the accolade after posting a 3.89 GPA in marketing and general business. Mattsson garnered her fourth selection with a 3.91 mark in international business. Vasiloaica rounded out the fourth-year selections with a 3.62 GPA in general business administration.

Oliveira gained her third selection to the conference's honor roll after compiling a 3.48 average in general business administration. Soubis, State's lone senior this season, garnered her second selection to the honor roll after wrapping up her undergraduate degree with a 3.72 mark in marketing.

"This is a great honor for these five girls," head coach Tracy Lane said. "They have taken great pride in their academic work as well as what they have achieved on the court. They have meant a great deal to this program's success, not just athletically, but academically as well."

State has now placed at least five student-athletes on the women's tennis honor roll the past four season. The Lady Dogs have had at least two selections each year since 1984.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Track and Field
STARKVILLE, Miss ­ Mississippi State's women's track team has announced the signing of Jessica Braswell and Mina Thorstenson.

Braswell hails from Oak Mountain, Ala., where she lettered in track for coaches Jessica Godwin, Marty Springfield and Paul Anderton. She placed fifth in the state 5A 800-meter run as a junior. She also helped Oak Mountain High School to place second at the state indoor track championships this year.

Thorstenson is from Waukesha, Wis., where she won the WISAA state championship in the 3200 meters as a sophomore. She has also helped her team to a second-place finish the past three cross country seasons. She also took first place in the indoor conference meet her junior year.

"Thorstenson will be another important ingredient for a run at the SEC cross country title," said head coach Al Schmidt.

"The coaches feel that in the future, Braswell will help us move up in the SEC. She is another solid addition to our team."

Braswell is the younger sister of Auburn track star Erica Braswell.

Thorstenson's best time in the 1600m is 5:17 and ran her best 3200m in 11:19. She has been named to the honor roll and is a member of the National Honor Society.

Mina Thorstenson is the daughter of Mary and Eric Thorstenson. Jessica Braswell is the daughter of Debbie and Wendell Braswell.

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's head track coach Al Schmidt announces the signing of Vestavia Hills' Trey Hardee and Wallace State Community College's Jamel Ashley.

Hardee attends Vestavia Hills High School, where he has lettered four years in track and field. An accomplished vaulter, Hardee holds the Alabama state record in the pole vault indoors at 15-2, which he set this spring.

Hardee took first place in the pole vault and 55m hurdles at the indoor state 6A championships this year while placing second in two other events. He has been selected at the MVP of field events for Vestavia Hills three straight years.

Ashley, a Dublin, Ga., native, anchored the junior college national championship 4x100m relay team at Wallace State last season. Ashley also finished second in the nation in both the 100 and 200 meters last season.

"Trey is going to be a real asset for this program in the future," said Schmidt. "We are really pleased with his capabilities in many different areas."

"The coaches feel that Jamel is one of the best sprint prospects in the nation. He will definitely fill some spots where we lose people after this year."

Hardee is a well-rounded individual, also earning letters in basketball, football and soccer in athletics while maintaining a 3.7 grade point average. He also is a member of the German Honor Society.

Ashley won the state championship as a senior at West Laurens (Ga.) High School in the 100 and 200 meters, setting a school record with his 10.26 mark in the 100m. He also earned letters in basketball and football while in high school.

Trey Hardee is the son of Jan and Frank DiCesare. Jamel Ashley is the son of Martin and Mary Ashley.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/14/02
Track and Field
STARKVILLE, Miss. ­ Mississippi State's fifth-ranked men's track team took first-place honors on a record-setting day at the seventh annual Jace Lacoste Invitational in Starkville, Miss.

Senior Dion Crabbe set two of the eleven meet records tied or broken at the meet named in honor of the former Bulldog decathlete. There were also two school records broken on the women's side Saturday at Spencer Stadium/Maddox Track.

The Bulldogs won the men's side of the team competition, amassing 159 ½ points on the afternoon. The Lady Bulldogs placed fifth with 105 ½ points on the tightly contested women's half. Fifteen points separated first from fifth at the final regular-season home meet in Starkville.

The senior sprinter Crabbe set two meet records in winning two races on the day, tying the 100-meter dash record of 10.32 while breaking the 200-meter meet record with his 20.71 mark. Those marks qualified Crabbe provisionally for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Baton Rouge, La., at the end of the season.

On the women's side, senior CeCe Brown broke her old record in the 400-meter hurdles with her 1:01.32 mark Saturday. Freshman Crystal Averitt also broke the school's discus record with her throw of 147-4, shattering Trish Curtis' mark of 143-3 set last year.

All told, the men took four first place finishes while the women had three. Freshmen LaChristopher Lewis and Matthew Denton took the other wins behind Crabbe's two, with Lewis winning the 400-meter dash (47.05) and Denton leaping 6-10 to win the high jump competition.

The women's winners included Brown's 400-meter hurdle win, freshman Tiffany McWilliams' victory in the 1500 meters and junior Le'Kisha Barnaby-Pope's finish in the 100-meter hurdles.

The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs will return to action next weekend in two different events next weekend. Some athletes travel to Walnut, Calif., for the Mt. SAC Relays April 20-21, while others venture to Hattiesburg for the Southern Miss. Relays.

JACE LACOSTE INVITATIONAL, April 13, 2002 ­ Starkville, Miss.

Team Scores:
Men: 1. Mississippi State, 159 ½; 2. SW Missouri State, 119; 3. Memphis, 113; 4. SE Missouri State, 86; 5. Mississippi, 85; 6. Southern Mississippi, 66; 7. Louisiana Tech, 45; 8. Rhodes College, 5 ½.

Women: 1. SW Missouri State, 119; 2. SE Missouri State, 108; 3. Mississippi, 107 ½; 4. Southern Mississippi, 106; 5. Mississippi State, 105 ½; 6. Louisiana Tech, 88; 7. Memphis, 37; 8. Rhodes College, 24; 9. Alabama-Huntsville, 21.

Women's Individual Results:
100-Meter Dash ­ 12. Kia James, 12.50; 15. Janice Zawaski, 12.61.
200-Meter Dash ­ 13. Le'Kisha Barnaby-Pope, 25.29; 19. Janice Zawaski, 25.82.
400-Meter Dash ­ T4. Nicole Dunn, 57.78.
800-Meter Run ­ 5. Kristin Tallent, 2:15.31; 15. Mary Francis Wright, 2:26.42, 17. Martha Hudsonpillar, 2:29.09.
1500-Meter Run ­ 1. Tiffany McWilliams, 4:30.49; 14. Trina Hobyan, 5:08.28.
3000-Meter Steeplechase ­ 8. Cassie Hanan, 12:45.37.
5000-Meter Run ­ 2. Meggan Hodge, 17:47.64; 4. Ronni Watjus, 18:30.84; 6. Christine Zawaski, 18:45.51; 16. Jackie Rentschler, 20:51.67.
100-Meter Hurdles ­ 1. Le'Kisha Barnaby-Pope, 13.80; 5. CeCe Brown, 14.98.
400-Meter Hurdles ­ 1. CeCe Brown, 1:01.32.
4x100-Meter Relay ­ 6. Buie, Barnaby-Pope, J. Zawaski, James, 47.30.
4x400-Meter Relay ­ 2. Brown, Dunn, Tallent, James, 3:51.28.
Shot Put ­ 10. Crystal Averitt, 34-11 ¾; 11. Jennifer Johnstone, 34-7 ¾.
Discus ­ 3. Crystal Averitt, 147-4; 10. Jennifer Johnstone, 119-10.
Hammer ­ 2. Jennifer Johnstone, 154-5; 3. Crystal Averitt, 142-1.
Javelin ­ 13. Jennifer Johnstone, 85-0.
Long Jump ­ 5. Andrea' Buie, 18-1 ½.
High Jump ­ 3. Renata Hendrix, 5-4.
Pole Vault ­ 4. Jourdan Steinberg, 8-6.

Men's Individual Results
100-Meter Dash ­ 1. Dion Crabbe, 10.32; 3. Glenn McFadden, 10.60.
200-Meter Dash ­ 1. Dion Crabbe, 20.71; 3. Glenn McFadden, 20.98; 24. Lewis Seals, 22.89; 27. Marquis Davis, 24.42.
400-Meter Dash ­ 1. LaChristopher Lewis, 47.05; 7. Keston Nelson, 48.29.
800-Meter Run ­ 6. James Kimbrough, 1:54.79.
1500-Meter Run ­ 7. Chris Boldt, 4:02.07; 13. Jonathan Begnaud, 4:16.81.
5000-Meter Run ­ 6. Tommy Barksdale, 16:06.00; 9. Steven Cornelius, 16:29.35; 10. Michael Landry, 18:14.55.
110-Meter Hurdles ­ 2. Kelvin Harris, 14.21; 8. Dale Moorhouse, 15.42.
400-Meter Hurdles ­ 3. Dale Moorhouse, 53.21; 6. Brad Rowland, 57.03.
4x100-Meter Relay ­ 2. Lewis, McFadden, Nelson, Browne, 39.85.
4x400-Meter Relay ­ 6. Hunter, Harris, Moorhouse, Nelson, 3:16.44.
Shot Put ­ 4. J.D. Erickson, 50-5 ½; 9. Viktor Mara, 44-5 ¼; 13. Matt Huey, 37-10 ½.
Discus ­ 3. J.D. Erickson, 157-1; 9. Viktor Mara, 131-5.
Hammer ­ 2. Viktor Mara, 162.9; 4. J.D. Erickson; 136-5; 6. Matt Huey; 132-6.
Javelin ­ 2. Clay Garner, 163-9; 3. Dan Hunter, 160-11; 5. J.D. Erickson, 145-1.
Long Jump ­ 5. LaChristopher Lewis, 23- ½; 6. Lewis Seals, 22-11 1/4 Triple Jump ­ 5. Lewis Seals, 43-6 ½.
High Jump ­ 1. Matthew Denton, 6-10.
Pole Vault ­ 2. Kevin Pittman, 15-6; 6. Chris Withrow, 14-0; T7. Zach Brumfield, 13-0.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Men's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. - Mississippi State's 26th-ranked men's tennis team dropped a 5-1 decision to fourth-ranked Mississippi Saturday afternoon on the UM campus.

The loss, which was the ninth straight the Bulldogs have suffered to the Rebels, dropped them to 10-10 overall, 3-8 in Southeastern Conference play. Mississippi improved to 17-4, 8-3 in the league.

UM gained the first point of the day with victories at the No. 2 and 3 doubles positions. The Rebels then posted convincing wins at the No. 3, 4 and 6 singles positions to clinch the triumph.

First off the court was senior Martin Selin, ranked No. 113 nationally, who downed MSU freshman Aymeric Henou 6-1, 6-2 at the No. 4 spot. Rebel Claes Lindholm followed with a 6-2, 6-0 triumph against Bulldog Michael Hailey. The MSU junior from Jackson was playing the first singles dual match of his career.

The match-clinching point for Mississippi would come from Catalin Gard at the No. 3 position, where he downed State's Jerome Le Belicard 6-1, 6-1.

The Bulldogs' lone point of the day came at the top spot in the lineup. It was there that MSU's seventh-ranked Romain Ambert continued his impressive play this year with a 6-3, 6-1 ousting of UM's 17th-ranked Alex Hartman. The win was Ambert's 35th of the 2001-02 campaign. He improved to 16-3 in dual matches, 9-2 in the SEC, all while competing at the No. 1 spot this spring.

UM's fifth point of the match was notched by Paul Ciorascu at the No. 5 position with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Max Fomine. The final match the day, which featured State's 78th-ranked Rene-Charles Combette and 52nd-ranked Rebel Kristofer Stahlberg, was suspended in the second set by mutual agreement of the teams. Stahlberg led by a set with the players at 2-2 in the second.

Bulldogs Luiz Carvalho and David Ruiz both sat out the match due to injury. Carvalho, who has been battling a shoulder problem most of the year, felt more pain in that shoulder prior to the match. Ruiz, who had back surgery in late March to repair a problem he has had since February, is still not fully rehabilitated from that setback.

"We had some some tough breaks with injuries, but that wasn't the difference in this match," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "They (Mississippi) have a great team this year and they played very well today. We knew it would be tough to win here even if we had our team at full strength.

"But we aren't going to let this match discourage us. We have the SEC Tournament coming up and must focus on that now. The tournament is a big opportunity because every team is good and you never know what can happen."

The 2002 SEC Championship will be held next weekend, April 18-21, in Knoxville, Tenn. State is a lock to be the No. 9 seed in the event and will face eighth-seeded South Carolina, currently ranked 24th nationally, Thursday in the first round. The Gamecocks edged the Bulldogs 4-3 in Columbia to open the SEC slate this season. Finalized seedings and pairings for all teams will be released Sunday once all play around the conference has been completed.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/13/02
Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State women's tennis team concluded the 2002 regular season Friday afternoon with a 6-0 loss to in-state rival Mississippi at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on the MSU campus.

The loss drops MSU to 5-15 overall and 1-10 in SEC play, while the 35th-ranked Lady Rebels improved to 11-9 and 4-7 in conference action with their 13-straight victory over MSU.

"We did not have the fight today that we had at Arkansas Sunday," head coach Tracy Lane said. "We put ourselves behind early with errors, and you can't do that against a team like Mississippi. I thought Elaine (Fagan) did a nice job coming back in the second set, but unfortunately, she just couldn't force the deciding set."

Sabrina Peppl took the opening set of her match with Fagan in convincing 6-2 fashion, but the Lady Bulldog from Dublin, Ireland, rallied from a two-game deficit to take a 6-5 lead. Peppl broke serve to force the tiebreak, and the Lady Rebel held off Fagan's furious rally to claim the set and the 6-2, 7-6 (1) victory.

UM's 12th-ranked Mira Radu put the Lady Rebs on top early as she knocked off State senior Carole Soubis 6-2, 6-1. Alesya Ignatieva followed closely behind at the No. 2 spot, as she held off freshman Magdolna Rekasi 6-4 in the opening set before sealing the win with a 6-2 second-set victory.

Audra Adams put UM a point away from the victory as she downed Yumi Ueda 6-0, 6-1 at the No. 6 position. The Lady Rebels won the match with Karem Harboe's hard-fought victory over Camila Sagae at the No. 3 spot. Sagae took the early first-set edge, but Harboe battled to win the opener 6-3 before rolling in the second to claim a 6-3, 6-2 win. Justyna Switala battled in the early-going as well, but she was unable to hold on as Florencia Basile claimed a 6-3, 6-2 win.

State returns to action Thursday, as the squad travels to Columbia, S.C., for the 2002 SEC Championship. State will most likely be the fifth seed out of the Western Division for the University of South Carolina-hosted tournament.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Track and Field
STARKVILLE, Miss ­ Cordova, Tenn., cross country star Michelle Kinney and Columbus jumper/sprinter Bernice Ellis have signed with Mississippi State's women's track team.

Kinney excelled in cross country for three years at St. Benedict in Cordova, Tenn. She won the state championship during her sophomore campaign and took the regional championship twice. She was also named the team MVP the past two seasons.

Ellis was the Mississippi 5A long jump champion last year and helped her team to the state title. A versatile athlete, she played soccer and basketball for two years at Columbus, winning the best defensive player on the soccer team last year.

"Kinney will be a great asset to our program," said head coach Al Schmidt. "She has a large amount of potential in both cross country and track."

"Ellis is definitely one of the best sprinters in the state who we hope will help us fill some voids on our team."

Kinney also starred on the softball team, where she earned all-state honors last season. She is a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta.

Bernice Ellis is the daughter of Annie and Ernest Ellis.

Michelle Kinney is the daughter of Jack and Dotty Kinney.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/12/02
Track and Field
STARKVILLE, Miss ­ Mississippi State's women's and fifth-ranked men's track team host the Jace Lacoste Invitational Saturday, April 13 at W.O. Spencer Stadium/Carl Maddox Track.

The men's team, ranked fifth by http://www.trackwire.com, return home after an impressive showing at the Texas Relays, where the 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams won in convincing fashions in both races.

Senior Dion Crabbe, junior Pierre Browne, sophomore Marquis Davis and freshman Glenn McFadden will all be in action Saturday in the 200-meter dash. Browne and Davis were all-Americans indoors at the same distance, while Crabbe provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoors in the 200m. McFadden was a high school all-American last year in sprints.

The distance contingent looks to once again lead the women's side for head coach Al Schmidt. Junior Christine Zawaski had a good showing in the 5000 meters in Austin, placing second last weekend. Freshman Tiffany McWilliams, last week's SEC female athlete of the week, also placed high, taking sixth in the 1500 meters.

Field events begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at Spencer Stadium/Maddox Track, with the running slated to begin at noon.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Track and Field
STARKVILLE, Miss ­ Mississippi State head track coach Al Schmidt announced the signing of Scottsboro (Ala.) High School star Lauren Johnson.

Johnson has won 13 individual state titles while at Scottsboro, while setting school records in seven different events. The reigning Alabama 5A champion in the 100-meter hurdles, Johnson owns the state indoor record in the 55-meter hurdles (8.46).

She has helped her teams to two state indoor track championships and one championship in both cross country and outdoor track. She has won three 5A track MVPs and has received Scottsboro's MVP award the last five seasons.

Johnson is a member of the National Honor Society and was selected as a NCA all-America cheerleader. The captain of the Golden Stars Danceline, she performed in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl Parade. She was also named head of the class by the Huntsville Times.

She is the daughter of Joey and Jennifer Johnson and the niece of former MSU football standout Eric Underwood.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State women's tennis team closes out the 2002 regular season Friday, hosting in-state rival Mississippi in a 2:30 p.m. showdown the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

State (5-14, 1-9 SEC) looks for its second straight win when the annual battle with the 35th-ranked Lady Rebels (10-9, 3-7 SEC) is renewed on Senior Day at the Pitts Tennis Centre. Prior to the match, the Lady Dogs will honor lone senior Carole Soubis' accomplishments during a three-year career.

UM leads the overall series 38-5, including wins in the last 12 meetings. The last MSU victory in the series was claimed by the 1989 squad that went on to finish with a school-best No. 20 national ranking.

The Lady Bulldogs head into the showdown looking for a second-straight victory after snapping an 11-match losing skid with Sunday's 4-3 win over Arkansas. Head coach Tracy Lane's squad dropped the doubles point for the 10th-consecutive outing, but the Lady Dogs rallied in singles to take four of the six matches and their first conference win of the season.

Soubis played an integral role in Sunday's win in Fayetteville, Ark., knocking off Adriana Lopez 7-6, 6-3. Soubis has been instrumental in MSU's growing success on the courts.

The Moulins, France, native concludes her career ranking fifth in school history for single season victories after claiming a 25-9 mark her first season playing for the Lady Dogs. She will also conclude her three-year tenure in Starkville rating eighth in school annals with a .735 single-season winning percentage.

Soubis and partner Eimear Sloan tied for ninth place in school history during the 2000 season with 14 victories that propelled them as high as No. 24 in the national rankings. During her career, she played in integral part of State's runs to the second round of the SEC and NCAA Tournaments the last two seasons. During her rookie season, she helped MSU to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a victory at No. 3 over Oregon's Janice Nyland. Last season her victory over Kristy Dascoli at No. 1 assisted with State's win over Ohio State in the opening-round of NCAA regional action.

State's match with UM is free to the public. Those unable to attend the 2:30 p.m. contest can follow all the action on the Mississippi State Official Athletic Site, www.mstateathletics.com.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/09/02
Women's Golf
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Mississippi State women's golf team shot a 920 over the weekend at the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic to finish sixth. The Lady Bulldogs posted rounds of 309, 304 and 307 at the par-72 University Club in Baton Rouge, La.

Freshman Natalie Booth led all MSU golfers with a score of 228. Booth carded rounds of 79, 75 and 74 to finish tied for 12th, the best finish of her MSU career. Junior Anna Knutsson finished one stroke back from Booth, shooting a 229 at the tournament and tying for 14th. Senior Anna Gertsson shot a 232 and tied for 22nd, while freshman Beth Irwin tied for 26th with a score of 233. Rounding out the MSU lineup, freshman Janet Dyer posted a 244 and tied for 53rd.

Auburn won the tournament with a score of 883, while Louisiana State's Meredith Duncan took home the individual title with a score of 215.

MSU's next tournament action will be on April 19, in Athens, Ga., as the Lady Bulldogs participate in the Southeastern Conference Championships.

LSU/CLEVELAND GOLF CLASSIC, THE UNIVERSITY CLUB, Par-72 6,265 Yards

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1. Auburn 290-289-304=883 +19
2. Louisiana State 297-293-305=895 +31
3. South Carolina 303-306-302=911 +47
4. Vanderbilt 300-308-305=913 +49
5. Mississippi 305-306-307=918 +54
6. Mississippi State 309-304-307=920 +56
7. Alabama 302-313-309=924 +60
Tulane 307-302-315=924 +60
9. Texas A&M Corpus Christi 314-304-326=944 +80
10. Alabama-Birmingham 316-315-317=948 +84
11. New Orleans 325-326-323=974 +110
12. Augusta State 322-324-329=975 +111
13. Birmingham Southern 320-338-331=989 +125

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State soccer team got goals from three different players, then had its shutout spoiled on a late penalty kick, as the current Bulldogs walked away with bragging rights after a 3-1 victory over the alumni team in the first annual Alumni Game Saturday afternoon at the Mississippi State Soccer Field.

"Today's game was a whole lot of fun to watch," said Mississippi State head coach Neil McGuire. "We want to thank all of our fans for their support, as their enthusiasm certainly added to the players experience, as well as the overall atmosphere. The Alums played very well, especially in the first half, and our team had to play hard to pull out this win. It was nice to be able to try different players in several positions, as well as several new formations and offensive strategies.

"We hope to make this an annual tradition and will always welcome former Mississippi State soccer players back with open arms."

The Bulldogs got things going right before the halftime whistle when 2001 leading scorer Amy Van Zandt found a breakaway and rounded Stephanie Lyon before finishing with a tap-in in the 45th minute (44:20).

Following a very competitive first half, Saturday's alumni festivities were highlighted by a halftime ceremony in which the 2001 SEC Western Division champions were presented with rings commemorating the first SEC title of any kind for a women's team at Mississippi State. Kelyn McGuire, the infant daughter of head coach Neil McGuire, presented the final ring to MSU senior woman's administrator Samye Johnson.

State pushed its lead out to a pair, 2-0, 15 minutes into the second period (59:43) when Becca Edwards found open space and fired a shot from 40 yards out that found its way over the outstretched fingertips of 2000 second team all-SEC goalkeeper Kirstin Olson. The Maroon and White added an insurance goal just more than 15 minutes later (75:13) when, after outstanding work down the right side of the pitch, Ngum Suh connected on a shot from six yards out to push the lead out to 3-0.

The alumni squad finally lit up the scoreboard with just less than six minutes remaining (84:18) when, after State keeper Krystal Werges was penalized for pushing, 1995 and 1997 second team all-SEC midfielder Meredith Riekert made good on a penalty kick to spoil the shutout.

Mississippi State will again be in action this weekend when the Bulldogs travel to Oxford for the Mississippi 7 v. 7 tournament at the Ole Miss Soccer Complex, before closing out spring workouts against Alabama in Orange Beach, Ala. on April 20. The Bulldogs will open up their 2002 schedule on August 31 when the Maroon and White travels to Waco, Texas, for the Baylor Labor Day Tournament.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/08/02
Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's 28th-ranked men's tennis team recorded an impressive 6-0 shutout of No. 18 Arkansas Sunday afternoon on the MSU campus.

With the win, the Bulldogs improved to 10-9 overall, 3-7 in the Southeastern Conference. UA fell to 13-7, 3-7. The win also gave MSU a 14-4 advantage in the series, 11-0 since UA joined the SEC in 1992.

MSU earned the first point of the day by posting victories at the No. 1 and 3 doubles positions. First off the court were Bulldogs Luiz Carvalho and Jerome Le Belicard with an 8-2 triumph over Razorbacks Kristofer Ivarsson and Nathan Price at No. 3. State's 24th-ranked duo of Romain Ambert and Rene-Charles Combette then notched an 8-4 win over UA's tandem of Tiago Azevedo and Oggie Kolev at No. 1 to clinch the doubles point.

In singles, things were very tight early, but State would win five of the six first sets by either 6-4 or 7-5 scores to setup the eventual team victory.

State gained a 3-0 lead in the match with victories at the bottom two positions in the lineup. Sophomore Max Fomine came back from a 5-4 (and service break) deficit in the first set to register a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Arkansas' Azevedo at the No. 6 position. Bulldog freshman Aymeric Henou then posted a 6-4, 6-4 win over Ivarsson at No. 5.

The Bulldogs would then register wins at the top two positions to clinch the team win. While Combette was locked in lengthy final game on court No. 2 with Price, Ambert would provide the fourth and decisive point for MSU at No. 1. The seventh-ranked sophomore rallied from being down 5-4 and a break in the second set to win 6-4, 7-5 over Kolev, ranked 32nd. The win was the 34th of the year for Ambert (now 34-9), making him the first 34-match winner for MSU in a single season since Mark Jeffrey went 34-20 in 1989. He also improved to 15-3 in dual match singles on the year.

Moments after that, the 78th-ranked Combette would finally break Price to post a 6-4, 6-2 victory and put State up 5-0 in the match. At No. 3 singles, play was suspended late in the second set between Carvalho and UA's Aleksey Bubis by mutual agreement of the head coaches. At No. 4, MSU's Le Belicard completed the shutout with a 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(4) victory over Eduardo Pacheco, the junior's third consecutive triumph.

"This was a big win for us today against a solid Arkansas team," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "We did a very good job of fighting hard today when the matches were close. There was a point early in singles where we could have lost the first set in every match and we ended up winning five of them. Those are the types of things that are so important every time out."

State now sets sights on its regular-season closer, which will be a battle with fifth-ranked, arch-rival Mississippi in Oxford this Saturday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Women's Tennis
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Mississippi State women's tennis team used solid singles play to claim a 4-3 win over Arkansas Sunday in Fayetteville.

State improved to 5-14, but more importantly claimed its first conference win of the season to move ahead of Arkansas (6-13, 0-10) in the SEC Western Division standings. The victory makes it two straight for State against the Lady Razorbacks, and it cuts UA's edge in the series to 6-5.

Head coach Tracy Lane's Lady Bulldogs dropped a pair of close doubles matches to go down 1-0 on senior day at the UA Varsity Courts. The Lady Razorback tandem of Anna Dybicz and Megan Ferreira held off a tough fight from freshman Magdolna Rekasi and Camila Sagae to claim an 8-5 win. UA then clinched the pint as Iliana Pancheco and Adriana Lopez posted a tight 8-6 victory over senior Carole Soubis and Yumi Ueda.

Arkansas had not lost this season when winning the doubles point, but that was not the case Sunday as the Lady Dogs rallied to win three of the six singles contests contested after MSU won at No. 6 by default.

"I thought we came out a little nervous in doubles today," Lane said. "Give the girls credit, however. They fought hard in singles and won the three matches they needed to win. This was a big win for us today. I am very pleased with this win, and we needed this win heading into the final stretch of the season."

Sophomore Justyna Switala put the Lady Dogs on track to snapping an 11-match losing skid as she rolled to a 6-2, 6-1 win over Christian Kincannon at the No. 5 spot. Pacheco tied the match at 2-2 as she notched a 6-1, 6-3 win over junior Elaine Fagan, but MSU regained the lead with Soubis? straight-set win over Adriana Lopez at the No. 1 position. Soubis clinched the first set in a tiebreak, but then she picked up momentum in the second to post a 7-6 (3), 6-3 win.

Sagae had to go the full three sets for the second straight match, but unlike the first, she was able to hold on for a big victory that clinched the team win for State. The Sao Paulo, Brazil, native took the first set in convincing 6-3 fashion over Ferreira, but the Lady Razorback rallied to take the third. The final set belonged to Sagae, as she blanked Ferreira to claim the 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 win.

Dybicz cut the lead to its final margin as she handed Rekasi her second straight loss at the No. 2 position with a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

State returns home Friday to host in-state rival Mississippi in the season finale. Match time for the SEC battle is set for 2:30 p.m.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

AUBURN, Ala. - The Mississippi State men's golf team completed play at the Auburn-hosted Billy Hitchcock Intercollegiate Sunday, finishing fourth in the three-round event. The Bulldogs fired a final-round 295 (+7) to finish five shots behind Southern Methodist. Auburn won the event, finishing six shots ahead of second-placed Southeastern Louisiana.

Codie Mudd and Kellen Maurer both finished in a tie for seventh place to pace Mississippi State. Mudd shot a final-round 74 (+2), while Maurer fired a two-under-par 70 for the Bulldogs. Joe Deraney began the day three shots out of first place, but struggled with a 78 on Sunday to finish 17th. Tim Satow finished tied for 41st and Craig Horrocks finished in a tie for 49th.

Auburn's Craig Haefner (-9) won individual medallist honors by four strokes over Southeastern Louisiana's Andy Smith.

State will take two weeks off before competing in the Southeastern Conference Championships, to be held April 19-21 at the Sea Island Golf Course in Sea Island, Georgia.

Billy Hitchcock Intercollegiate
1 Auburn University 284 283 294 861 -3
2 Southeastern La 291 288 288 867 +3
3 Southern Methodist 291 287 292 870 +6
4 Mississippi State 289 291 295 875 +11
5 Jacksonville State 297 286 294 877 +13
6 Florida State 288 295 300 883 +19
7 Mississippi 294 299 291 884 +20
8 Memphis 300 293 299 892 +28
9 Middle Tennessee State 295 302 298 895 +31
10 Georgia State 305 297 296 898 +34
11 Vanderbilt 307 293 301 901 +37
12 Tulane 302 305 304 911 +47

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/07/02
Track and Field
AUSTIN, Texas ­ The relay teams of the fifth-ranked Mississippi State men's track squad posted wins in two events Saturday to conclude action at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

The team of freshman Glenn McFadden, sophomore Marquis Davis, senior Dion Crabbe and junior Pierre Browne won both the 4x100m and 4x200m relays at Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.

In the 4x100, the team rounded the oval track in 39.13, just 1/100 of a second off the school record set in 1986 but still good enough for an automatic bid into the NCAA Championships. The Bulldogs took the 4x200-meter relay with a time of 1:22.89.

Browne also tied for third in the invitational section of the 100-meter dash. The Toronto native won his heat with a mark of 10.29, the best time of any collegiate athlete in the race.

In the 100-meter dash university finals, Crabbe (10.43) and Davis (10.49) took sixth and seventh, respectively. Crabbe's time is his best this season.

Also, freshman distance standout Tiffany McWilliams finished sixth in the 1500-meter run. The current SEC female track athlete of the week ran a 4:26.00, inching ever closer to a provisional qualifying time.

The teams will return home next weekend for the Jace Lacoste Invitational at Spencer Stadium/Maddox Track Saturday, April 13.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Women's Golf
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Mississippi State women's golf team shot a 309 on Friday and a 304 on Saturday for a score of 613 at the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic. The Lady Bulldogs stand in seventh place with one round left to play at the par-72 University Club in Baton Rouge, La.

Four of the five MSU golfers are within one stroke of each other, led by freshman Beth Irwin, who has carded a 153 over the course of two days to place tied for 19th in the individual competition. Senior Anna Gertsson, junior Anna Knutsson and freshman Natalie Booth are all tied for 23rd with each golfer registering a 154, while freshman Janet Dyer has shot a 162 and is tied for 50th.

Auburn leads the tournament with a score of 579, and Auburn's Celeste Troche is in first place in the individual competition with a score of 141.

Play concludes Sunday with 18 holes left to play at the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Men's Golf
AUBURN, Ala. - The Mississippi State men's golf team fired a second-round 291 (+3) to place themselves in fourth place with one round to play on Sunday at the Auburn-hosted Billy Hitchcock Intercollegiate. Auburn is in first place, 13 strokes ahead of the Bulldogs, but State is just two strokes out of second place.

Joe Deraney is in a tie for third place, individually, after firing an even-par 72. He is just three strokes out of first place, held by Auburn's Kevin Haefner. Codie Mudd is currently tied for sixth place, after shooting a second-round 72. Kevin Maurer is tied for 20th, Tim Satow is tied for 30th, and Craig Horrocks is tied for 55th heading into Sunday's final round.

The competition will conclude with a single round on Sunday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's 28th-ranked men's tennis team will close out its 2002 home regular season Sunday, when the Bulldogs host 18th-ranked Arkansas in Southeastern Conference action. Match time is set for 1 p.m. at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

The Bulldogs are led by sophomore Romain Ambert, who is ranked seventh in the country in singles, and junior Rene-Charles Combette (78th). Ambert and Combette are No. 24 nationally together in doubles.

Arkansas will enter the match 13-6 overall, 3-6 in the SEC, with its most recent outing being a 5-2 loss to fifth-ranked Mississippi Friday in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks are paced by senior Oggie Kolev, who is ranked 32nd in the nation in singles.

The teams have met 17 times in recorded history (since 1969). State holds a 13-4 advantage over the Razorbacks during that period, 6-1 in Starkville. MSU is also 10-0 against Arkansas since UA joined the SEC in 1992, including a close 4-3 victory in Starkville last season.

"We have another big opportunity tomorrow," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "Arkansas is a good team and will be tough. Hopefully, we can end our home season on a solid note with a win. We hope our fans will come out and support us in this important match."

Following Sunday's action, the Bulldogs will finish off its entire 2002 regular season next Saturday, travelling to Oxford to take on the fifth-ranked Rebels.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State women's tennis team returns to the road Sunday to take on Arkansas in an SEC Western Division tilt in Fayetteville, Ark.

State (4-14, 0-9) looks for its first conference victory of the season after a tough 7-0 setback to LSU Friday afternoon at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

The Lady Bulldogs and Lady Razorbacks have met 10 times since Arkansas joined the conference, with the Lady Backs holding the slim 6-4 advantage.

State looks to make it two straight versus the Hogs as head coach Tracy Lane's team took last season's meeting by a narrow 4-3 margin. Last season's win was the first against Arkansas for the Lady Dogs since Lane took over as head coach in 1997.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/06/02
Track and Field
AUSTIN, Texas ­ The 15th-ranked Mississippi State men's track team sprint corps once again showed its strength, with Dion Crabbe and Marquis Davis advancing to the finals of the 100-meter dash Saturday at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

The senior Crabbe ranked fifth with sophomore teammate Davis eighth after the preliminary round of competition in the 100m at Myers Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas.

Davis and Crabbe joined up with freshman Glenn McFadden and junior Pierre Browne to take fourth place in the preliminaries of the 4x100-meter relay. Their time of 39.83 was the team's second-best time of the season, ranking behind their winning mark of 39.29 at the Alabama Relays.

Junior Pierre Browne will also be in action Saturday in the invitational section of the 100-meter dash. Browne, coming into the weekend, owned the second-fast 100m timing in the country with a 10.13 mark in the outdoor opening SEC Quadrangular.

The teams complete competition in Austin Saturday at Mike A. Myers Stadium.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Men's Tennis
BATON ROUGE, La. - Mississippi State's 28th-ranked men's tennis team suffered a very tight 5-2 loss at 55th-ranked LSU Friday afternoon in Southeastern Conference action in a match that featured five three-set affairs and three tiebreakers in singles.

With the setback, State fell to 9-9 overall, 2-7 in the SEC. LSU improved to 6-11, 1-8, and upped its lead in the series with the Bulldogs to 24-8-1.

LSU claimed the opening point of the day with victories at the bottom two doubles positions. State's 24th-ranked team of Romain Ambert and Rene-Charles Combette did salvage a win at the No. 1 spot, downing Tigers Daniel Kiernan and Jason Hazley 8-3.

In singles, the Tigers came out roaring, taking the first set in all six matches, but State would split sets in five of those contests to setup an extremely close finish to the match.

LSU did gain a quick 2-0 lead when Cory Ross ousted MSU's Max Fomine 6-3, 6-1 at the No. 6 position in the only match that did not see a third frame.

Bulldog Jerome Le Belicard cut the lead to 2-1 when he notched a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 come-from-behind triumph over LSU's Sebastian Rutka at the No. 4 spot. It was his second-straight win after eight consecutive setbacks. The Tigers upped the lead to 3-1 when Bryan Fisher outlasted MSU freshman Aymeric Henou 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 at No. 5.

State's Ambert, ranked seventh nationally in singles, cut the LSU advantage back to 3-2 when he broke a two-match losing skid with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Kiernan (ranked 89th) at the No. 1 spot. It was Ambert's 33rd victory of the year, making him the first Bulldog since Thomas Dupre in 1996 to win 33 matches in a single season and only the fifth MSU player to win that total or more in the modern era.

With MSU needing the last two points, both of the final two matches (position Nos. 2 and 3) would go to third-set tiebreakers and LSU would claim victory in both of them. Clinching the match was Hazley, who held off Bulldog Luiz Carvalho 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(1) at No. 3. Peter Richman completed scoring for the Tigers with a 7-6(4), 3-6, 7-6(5) upset over State's 78th-ranked Rene-Charles Combette at No. 2.

"I'm very disappointed with this loss," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "We knew this would be a tough one down here, but we dug too big of a hole in singles to be able to come out of it. Even though we did a good job of fighting back, you just can't expect to lose the first set in every match and still be able to win. We have a big match, our last one at home, coming up Sunday and we have to focus on it now."

The Bulldogs return to Starkville Sunday to close out their 2002 regular season home schedule, hosting 18th-ranked Arkansas. Match time is set for 1 p.m. at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State women's tennis team dropped a hard-fought 7-0 decision to 53rd-ranked LSU in a four-hour marathon Friday afternoon at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

Head coach Tracy Lane's squad dropped to 4-14, 0-9 in SEC play with its 11th-straight loss. LSU claimed its second-straight SEC victory to improve to 2-7 in conference action and 10-9 overall.

The Lady Tigers had a tough battle, but they managed to hold on and claim the early doubles point. Tami Botts and Amy McIlhaney started LSU off with an 8-0 win over Carole Soubis and Yumi Ueda, and the 34th-ranked LSU tandem of Bruna Colosio and Rocio Fantilli proved too much for State's pairing of Magdolna Rekasi and Camila Sagae as they claimed an 8-2 win to take the early lead.

State didn't go down fighting in doubles action, however. The MSU duo of Elaine Fagan and Justyna Switala prevented the sweep with an 8-5 win over Perri Budd and Amanda Mang at the No. 3 spot. The win was the first of the spring for the State pairing, and it snapped a four-match losing skid for the duo dating back to the fall campaign.

The Lady Dogs weren't ready to give in despite losing the opening point for the ninth-straight outing. State took the early lead in four of the six singles contests, but the Lady Dogs were unable to hold on despite three of the matches going the full three sets.

"This is really the first match this season we've had the opportunity to win late in the match. It's tough to finish matches off when you haven't really experienced that," Lane said. "Give LSU credit, they are playing really well right now and have a lot of momentum after knocking off Kentucky."

The Lady Tigers went up 2-0 as Fagan was unable to finish her match with Mang after dropping the opening set 6-1. Rekasi started her first career match at the No. 2 position, and she took the early edge over Fantilli before the LSU sophomore rallied to claim a 6-4, 6-0 win. Colosio, the 65th-ranked player in the nation, had a tough battle at No. 1 with Soubis, but the LSU senior also fought back from an early deficit to take a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Despite the win already being clinched, State continued to play solid tennis. Switala cruised to a 6-1 win in the opening set of her match with McIlhaney at No. 5, but McIlhaney shifted the momentum when she claimed the second in a tiebreak. McIlhaney held on in the third to post the 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2 win.

Ueda and Sagae also saw their matches go the distance Friday afternoon. Ueda fought off a Budd comeback at No. 6 to take the opening set tiebreak, but Budd answered to claim the final two sets and the 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 win.

Sagae dominated the opening set of her match with Botts at the No. 3 spot, but the Lady Tiger senior took the second set in a tiebreak and carried that momentum over into the third set to claim a 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5 win.

The Lady Dogs return to the road Sunday, traveling to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on Arkansas in an SEC Western Division showdown.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Women's Golf
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Mississippi State women¹s golf team shot a 309 on Friday at the par-72 University Club in Baton Rouge, La. The Lady Bulldogs stand in eighth place at the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic after one round of play.

All five MSU golfers are within three strokes of each other in the individual standings. Junior Anna Knutsson, freshman Janet Dyer and freshman Beth Irwin each posted a 77 and are tied for 26th. Senior Anna Gertsson shot a 78 to tie for 33rd, while freshman Natalie Booth carded a 79 and is tied for 39th.

Auburn leads the tournament with a score of 290, while Auburn¹s Celeste Troche and Louisiana State¹s Meredith Duncan and Lindy Hitdlebaugh are tied for first in the individual competition, each player carding a 71.

Play resumes Saturday at the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic and concludes Sunday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

Men's Golf
AUBURN, Ala. - The Mississippi State men's golf team fired a first-round 289 (+1) Friday, good enough for third place at the Auburn-hosted Billy Hitchcock Intercollegiate. The Bulldogs are five strokes off of the lead, held by Auburn. Florida State is currently holding down the second-place position, one shot ahead of MSU.

Joe Deraney fired a two-under-par 70 to finish in a tie for third place, one shot behind first-round leaders Kevin Haefner of Auburn and Andy Smith of SE Louisiana. Codie Mudd is currently two shots out of the lead after shooting a one-under-par 71.Kellen Maurer and Tim Satow each fired a 74, and Craig Horrocks shot an 83 to round out the scoring for State.

The three-round competition will continue Saturday and Sunday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

04/04/02
Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's men's tennis team, ranked 28th nationally in the latest Omni Hotels Collegiate Rankings released Wednesday, will jump back into Southeastern Conference action Friday, meeting 55th-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge. Match time is set for 4 p.m. at LSU's Dub Robinson Tennis Stadium.

State, 9-8 overall and 2-6 in the SEC, is coming off a solid 5-2 home victory over 33rd-ranked Middle Tennessee Tuesday. The Bulldogs are led by sophomore Romain Ambert, who is now ranked seventh in the country in singles, and junior Rene-Charles Combette (78th). Ambert and Combette are No. 24 nationally together in doubles.

LSU will enter the match 5-11 overall, 0-8 in the SEC, with its most recent outing being a close 4-3 loss to 41st-ranked SMU. The Tigers are paced by senior Daniel Kiernan, who is ranked 89th in the nation in singles.

The teams have met 32 times in recorded history (since 1969) with LSU owning a 23-8-1 advantage in the series. State took a tight 4-3 decision in the teams' only meeting last season, which was contested in Starkville.

"This is a big match for both teams," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "We have both been struggling in the SEC this year and we are both hungry for a win. LSU is always tough to beat in Baton Rouge and this year will be no different. Their record Is not indicative of how good their team is because a lot of their losses have been to top 20 teams."

Following Friday's action, the Bulldogs will return home Sunday to host 18th-ranked Arkansas in another key SEC battle which will help close out Super Bulldog Week activities. That match is slated for a 1 p.m. start at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

Women's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State women¹s golf team travels to Baton Rouge, La., this weekend to participate in their final regular season tournament of the year, the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic. The tournament will be played at the par-72 University Club.

Senior Anna Gertsson leads the Lady Bulldogs into this weekend¹s tournament action. Gertsson placed second for the third time this year in MSU¹s previous tournament, the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic. Junior Anna Knutsson and three freshmen - Natalie Booth, Beth Irwin and Janet Dyer - complete the Lady Bulldog lineup for head coach Christi Sanders.

Joining Mississippi State at the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic are Alabama, Alabama-Birmingham, Auburn, Augusta State, Birmingham Southern, host Louisiana State, Mississippi, New Orleans, South Carolina, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Tulane and Vanderbilt.

The Lady Bulldogs tee off Friday morning with 18 holes of action scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's women's tennis team returns home from a four-match road swing to host LSU Friday afternoon in a 2:30 p.m. contest at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on the MSU campus.

State heads into the SEC Western Division showdown with a 4-13 overall mark and an 0-8 record in conference play. The Lady Tigers claimed their first conference win of the season Monday, knocking off then-No. 13 Kentucky 4-3 in Baton Rouge to improve to 9-9 and 1-7 in conference play.

LSU leads the series 22-6, but the Lady Dogs claimed the last meeting in the opening round of the SEC Tournament at the Pitts Tennis Centre. The Lady Tigers took the regular season meeting, but prior to that, Lane's squads won the last two contests.

The Lady Bulldogs and Lady Tigers have fought on even terms since the 1997 campaign when Lane took over as State's head coach. Over that span, the two teams have notched a 3-3 record in the series, including a 2-2 mark in matches contested in Starkville.

Admission to Friday's match, which is part of MSU's Super Bulldog Week festivities, is free to the public. Those unable to attend can follow all the action via live updates on MSU's Official Athletic Website, www.mstateathletics.com.

Track and Field
AUSTIN, Texas ­ Junior Christine Zawaski placed second in the 5000-meter run in the second day of competition at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

The Edmonton, Alberta, native finished the race in 17:00.21, a team and personal-best time, to place behind Baylor's Debbie Thornhill (16:40.73). Freshman Meggan Hodge took sixth in the race with her time of 17:22.68.

The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs will be in action again Friday at Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, for the third day of competition at the 2002 Texas Relays.