07/30/04
Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's men's and women's tennis teams have been awarded national honors on both the team and individual levels by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association for the 2003-04 season, as the ITA announced its yearly academic awards Monday.

Both the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs earned the ITA's All-Academic Team Award, which is bestowed upon teams that record a cumulative 3.20 grade point average or higher for the year. State's men's roster notched a very impressive 3.55 team GPA in earning the ITA's team award for the fifth straight year. The Lady Bulldogs posted an excellent 3.39 mark to claim the laurel for the eighth consecutive season. For the second straight year, Mississippi State was the only school in the Southeastern Conference to have both its men's and women's squads earn the team award.

On the individual level, four of State's men's tennis student-athletes, and three women, earned the ITA Scholar-Athlete Award. To qualify, a player must hold a 3.5 GPA for the year, be a varsity letterwinner, and have been enrolled at least two semesters at their present school.

Bulldog Luiz Carvalho, with a 3.59 GPA in journalism/broadcasting, earned his second career appointment. Joining the senior-to-be Carvalho were Bulldogs Matt Armstrong, Florent Girod and Jose-Carlos Pinto, who were all first-time honorees for the award. The departed senior Armstrong notched a 3.64 grade point in his double major of banking & finance/real estate. Girod, who will be a junior for MSU in 2004-05, had a flawless 4.00 GPA in journalism. Pinto, a first-year transfer, was also a perfect 4.00 student, his work coming in the banking & finance field.

On the women's side, Marcelle Hirt, Magdi Rekasi and Hayley Rudman were all first-time honorees for the individual award. Hirt, a senior, carried a 3.51 grade point average in fitness management this year. The senior-to-be Rekasi posted a 3.72 in communications. Rudman, a true freshman in 2003-04, held a 3.81 GPA in business.

Source: MSU Media Relations

A fifth place finish at the Canada Cup was highlighted by a trio of wins over Olympic competitors. Having opened with a 3-0 blanking of Chinese Taipei, the Elite suffered their first loss of the summer at the hands of Japan Elite before rattling off five-straight victories including a mercy rule victory over New Zealand.

Having eliminated Canada from the tournament with a 3-2 triumph in its first game of double elimination bracket play, Australia avenged last year's championship game loss with a 1-0 nail biter, before the USA split a pair of games with China, the latter of which eliminated the Elite squad.

"We only had two practices before we went up to Canada and it was tough to really gel together as a team and, in addition, they were all young kids," Miller said. "For most of them, it was their first experience with USA Softball. I thought that they matured very well over the two weeks that we were up in Canada. We just seemed to get better and better.

"The Canada Cup was a great experience for them because we played against a lot of Olympic teams up there that will be playing in Athens. We were able to get some good competition from some of our young players that will help us down the road in 2008 and 2012."

Miller, who has now been a member of the USA coaching staff for eight years, has coached the USA Elite team to phenomenal success over the past three seasons, including gold medal honors at the 2003 Canada Cup.

"Everything starts over again next year," Miller said. "The plan right now is to have this group represent the United States at the World University Games in October and then there will be a USA Softball National Team Camp in mid-January to pick two teams for next summer. That will probably include all of our olympians and a lot of the pro league players, as well as all of these players. It will be a big group in January, but it will put these people in position to get selected for the national team going into the 2008 Bejing games."

Source: MSU Media Relations

07/23/04
Softball
MSU will start the process of building a 100' x 100' indoor facility for softball sometime in August. My understanding is it will be just one of two in the entire SEC.

07/20/04
Women's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. ­ Mississippi State University's Beth Irwin, Amanda Mathis and Catalina Olarte were named to the 2004 National Golf Coaches Association's all-American Scholar Team, released by the NGCA on Wednesday. The Division I, II and IIII NGCA selected 318 women's collegiate golfers for the prestigious honor.

The criteria for selection to the all-American Scholar Team are some of the most stringent in all of college athletics. The minimum cumulative grade point average is 3.50, and student-athletes must have competed in at least 50% of the college's regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the year.

"I was proud to have three players earn a spot on the NGCA All-American Scholar Team," said head coach Christi Sanders. "It takes a great deal of time, work ethic and dedication to be successful in competition and in the classroom. When we travel, the players study on van rides, on planes and in hotel rooms. I give credit to these young ladies, they manage their time wisely, and they are perfect examples of a true student-athlete."

Irwin, a native of Germantown, Tenn., received the honor for the third time in her career. The marketing major holds a 3.80 grade point average entering her senior season. A native of Picayune, Miss., Mathis was named to the team as a freshman with a 3.90 grade point average in communications.

A computer engineering major, Olarte appeared on the team for the second time in her career with a 3.97 grade point average. The Bogota, Columbia, native competed in her final season in Maroon and White this past year.

Of the 197 athletes selected from Division I schools, 23 Southeastern Conference golfers received the honor.

Source: MSU Media Relations

07/15/04
Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - New York/New Jersey Juggernaut first baseman Kellie Wilkerson defeated Akron Racers outfielder Iyhia McMichael in the all-Mississippi State final of the inaugural NPF Home Run Challenge, which took place prior to Wednesday evening's All-Star Game in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Wilkerson hit eight home runs in the three-round contests, including two in the final round to oust McMichael, who failed to hit a long ball in the final. Both Wilkerson and McMichael tallied four-home run rounds. Wilkerson's came in the first while McMichael belted four in the semifinal.

McMichael, a two-time all-American for the Bulldogs from 2001-04, ranks first on MSU career home runs chart while Wilkerson, a four-time all-American in Starkville from 1999-02, ranks second. Both players also ranked among the top all-time home run hitters in the Southeastern Conference as well. Following the Home Run Derby, the power-hitting duo joined forces as members of the NPF East All-Star squad in the inaugural NPF All-Star Game pitting the East vs. the NPF West All-Stars.

Former University of Texas standout Lindsay Gardner hit one homer in the semifinal round to finish third. Gardner, the starting second baseman for the Texas Thunder, advanced to the semifinal after hitting three straight deep balls in a playoff with NY/NJ Juggernaut shortstop Lyndsey Klein (UCLA) and Texas third baseman Clare Burnam (Oregon State), both of whom failed to hit a homer.

California Sunbirds third baseman Jaime Foutch (Oklahoma State) was the fourth semifinalist, advancing after hitting two in the first round.

The six players were each allowed ten outs in the first round, with each non-home run counting as an out. The four semifinalists were given seven outs, while the finalists were allowed five outs.

07/14/04
Softball
Former Mississippi State all-Americans Iyhia McMichael and Kellie Wilkerson headline the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) East All-Stars which will compete in a contest against the NPF's West All Stars Wednesday evening in Oklahoma City, Okla.

The top two power hitters in the history of Mississippi State Softball, McMichael and Wilkerson head into the break ranked 1-2, respectively, in batting average. McMichael, who is the starting centerfielder for the Akron Racers, has churned out a league-leading .413 (31-for-75) batting clip with eight extra-base hits (2 HR), 11 RBI and 14 runs scored. Wilkerson ranks second in the NPF with a .323 (31-for-96) hitting tally included in which are five extra-base hits (1 HR) and a NPF-best 16 walks.

The two will go head-to-head in the league's first annual home run derby prior to the NPF All-Star Game on Wednesday evening, before collaborating as teammates when the East takes on the West. McMichael's Akron Racers currently pace the NPF with a 20-8 record, while Wilkerson's NY/NJ Juggernaut are 1/2 game back in second place with a 22-11 tally.

NPF All-Star Week will begin Tuesday evening with the first of two games pitting each NPF all-star squad against Team USA. First pitch of the twinbill is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. with the other all-star squad taking on team USA immediately following.

NPF, the world's premier professional fastpitch softball league for women, consists of six teams located throughout the United States and features former USA Softball Women's National Team members, collegiate All-Americans and all-conference selections. NPF's 60-game regular-season schedule began on Tuesday, June 1 and concludes Wednesday, Aug. 18. The 2004 season features the inaugural NPF All-Star Game, the first-ever NPF Championship Semifinal and the first NPF Championship Series.

National Pro Fastpitch is the only professional women's fastpitch league in the United States. The league is headquartered in Denver, and has been in operation since 1997 under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Professional Softball League (WPSL).

MSU Media Relations

07/13/04
Track and Field
STARKVILLE, Miss. ­ Mississippi State University's Tiffany McWilliams was named the 2004 Southeastern Conference Female Runner of the Year, announced Friday by the conference office.

"This is a great way for Tiffany to end her SEC career," said head coach Al Schmidt. "I think it is well deserved. I'm really pleased because this award is voted on by the coaches of the conference, and they thought that much of her."

McWilliams added the award to her already impressive athletic resume. She recorded her second and third NCAA Championships this season, winning the indoor mile in 4:32.24 and the outdoor 1500m in 4:11.59. The four-time all-American is a seven-time SEC Champion, making her the most decorated female track athlete in MSU's history.

She currently holds four indoor and four outdoor school records in her three-year career as a Lady Bulldog. In addition, she was been named indoor all-SEC eight times and outdoor all-SEC six times.

Also excelling in the classroom, she was named to the 2004 SEC Academic Honor Roll and a member of the 2003 all-Academic Team by the National Collegiate Division I Track Coaches Association.

Source: MSU Media Relations

More Track and Field
STARKVILLE, Miss. ­ Mississippi State University's Clay Garner and Renata Hendrix were named to the Southeastern Conference Good Works Team, announced by the SEC on Friday. The SEC sponsors Good Works Teams for all 20 league sponsored sports. The Good Works Team looks to highlight athletes from each school who give back to their community in superior service efforts.

"The Good Works Team, of course, are the types of student-athletes you want in your program," said head coach Al Schmidt. "Both Clay and Renata have done great jobs with community service."

Senior thrower Clay Garner, a native of Prentiss, Miss., has volunteered to read books to local elementary school children. He has also participated in litter pick-ups in the Starkville area, as well as helping in other community and campus cleanups. A teaching and coaching major, Garner has been a mainstay at the Thanksgiving Food Drive and MSU Halloween Carnival and spoke for the Dare program at a local elementary school.

Garner is also a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, a member of FCA and a four-year member of the M-Club. He was also a 2003 all-Academic Team honoree by the National Collegiate Div. I Track Coaches Association.

A native of Clinton, Miss., senior jumper Renata Hendrix has donated her time to both her university and the town of Starkville. She was a keynote speaker at Ward Elementary School and also volunteered at Rock Hill Methodist Church. The marketing major also distributed food to needy families for Thanksgiving and donated clothing to the Palmer's Children Home, Goodwill and Salvation Army. She also participated in litter pick-ups in the Starkville area and on campus and assisted with the Take-a-Kid to the game day for Football and Basketball.

A President's Scholar, Hendrix was named to the Who's Who Among College Athletes and SEC Academic Honor Roll. The three-year member of the M-Club also received the Outstanding Achievement Award from Holmes's Diversity Center.

Source: MSU Media Relations

07/09/04
All Sports
STARKVILLE, Miss. - A total of 33 Mississippi State University freshmen student-athletes were named to the Southeastern Conference freshmen academic honor roll for 2004, announced by the league office Thursday.

MSU ranked sixth among all conference schools. The University of South Carolina led all schools with 56 honorees, while Florida placed 47. A total of 427 first-year athletes made the honor roll. The list is based on grades from the 2003-04 academic calendar.