Mississippi State

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/22/05
Women's Golf
MIAMI, Fla. -­ The 28th ranked Lady Bulldog golf team moved from ninth place to fourth on day two of the Papa John's Collegiate Golf Tournament. Improving by 19 strokes, MSU shot a 294, the lowest round recorded by a team at the tournament so far. The Miami University-hosted three-day event is being held at Don Shula's Golf Resort, a 6,190 yard, 72 par course.

"I was really proud of the efforts the team put forth today," said head coach Christi Sanders. "It was a great comeback round after having such a slow start. Beth put in another good performance, and it is nice to see her name on top of the leader board. Amanda stepped up today and played more to her ability."

Germantown, Tenn., native Beth Irwin recorded her second collegiate hole-in-one on her 12th hole of the day, the third hole of the course. Irwin shot a 70, moving her into first place overall. She is one stroke ahead of Miami's Josie Shinn and Hagen Weintraub and UNC-Wilmington's Michelle Jarman, all tied for second place, entering the final day.

"I hit a knock-down seven wood just below the hole, and it rolled up into the hole," said Irwin. "It was my second hole-in-one in competition. This was just an exciting day."

Picayune, Miss., native Amanda Mathis moved from tied for 28th to tied for eighth place shooting a 72, improving by six strokes from day one. Stephanie Godare also improved her score by six strokes, firing a 75 to move her into a tie for 31st. Freshman Julia Huh is tied for 39th place with her 77 in the second round. Ashleigh Korzack recorded an 83, leaving her tied for 49th place.

The final day of competition will begin in a shotgun start at 7 a.m. CT on Tuesday.

The Lady Bulldogs are ranked 28th in the country by the latest GolfWeek Rankings. Germantown, Tenn., native Irwin is 55th in the nation and 14th in the Southeastern Conference. Mathis, from Picayune, Miss., sits 94th in the nation and 23rd in the SEC.

The field includes #32 North Carolina State, #37 UNC-Wilmington, #39 Virginia, Alabama, College of Charleston, East Carolina, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, South Florida and Southern Mississippi.

Papa John's Collegiate Golf Tournament

Mississippi State

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/21/05
Women's Golf
MIAMI, Fla. - Mississippi State women's golf team is in ninth place after the first round of competition at the Papa John's Collegiate Golf Tournament. The Miami University-hosted three-day event is being held at Don Shula's Golf Resort, a 6,190 yard, 72 par course.

"Beth played extremely well from tee to green," said head coach Christi Sanders. "However, the entire team struggled around the greens. We made some adjustments after the round, hoping to improve our performance tomorrow."

Senior Beth Irwin paced the team with her 75 in the first round, leaving her tied for 13th place. Sophomore Amanda Mathis is tied for 28th place with her round of 78, and junior Ashleigh Korzack shot a 79 in the opening round, tying her for 35th place.

Junior Stephanie Godare is tied for 42nd place, shooting an 81. Newcomer Julia Huh shot an 82 in the second tournament of her MSU career. She is tied for 49th place.

Host Miami and East Carolina are tied for the team lead after shooting a 296 on day one. The individual leaders are Hagen Weintraub of Miami and Emelie Lind of East Carolina. Both fired a two-under par 70.

Action will on Monday at 7 a.m. CT on the first tee and in a shotgun start at 7 a.m. CT on Tuesday.

The Lady Bulldogs are ranked 28th in the country by the latest GolfWeek Rankings. Germantown, Tenn., native Irwin is 55th in the nation and 14th in the Southeastern Conference. Mathis, from Picayune, Miss., sits 94th in the nation and 23rd in the SEC.

The field includes #32 North Carolina State, #37 UNC-Wilmington, #39 Virginia, Alabama, College of Charleston, East Carolina, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, South Florida and Southern Mississippi.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State women¹\'s tennis team recorded its fourth straight shutout of the season, downing the New Orleans Privateers, 4-0, on Sunday. Due to inclement weather, the match was moved indoors to MSU's McCarthy Gym during doubles action.

With the win, head coach Tracy Lane has led her squads to 67 wins in her MSU coaching career. She is only two wins away from having the most career coaching victories in Mississippi State history. Andy Jackson, current men's head coach at Florida, holds the record with 68 wins.

On court one, the Lady Bulldog's 46th ranked duo of Zsuzsanna Fodor and Anastasia Kugakolova shutout UNO's Lucie Mazinova and Laetitia Zembski, 8-0. Giving State its first point of the match, Polina Kokoulina and Magdi Rekasi defeated Michaela Fogelberg and Inge Veerman at the second spot, 8-2. The No. 3 match between MSU's Hayley Rudman and Tarryn Rudman and Privateers' Angela Dangord and Yuliem Dominguez was suspended at 6-1, in favor of MSU.

28th-ranked Fodor took the first singles match of the day, defeating Zembski in a 6-1, 6-1 decision on court one. Fodor increases her record to 24-4 on the season, leaving her tied for seventh on the MSU all-time list for singles wins in a season. Next, Tarryn Rudman took her match over UNO's Dangord in a 6-0, 6-2 decision at No. 3. Clinching the match, junior Kugakolova defeated Mazinova 6-1, 6-4 in the second and third sets at the second position after falling 6-2 in the first.

Next, the squad heads to Mobile, Ala., to face the 43rd-ranked South Alabama Jaguars on Thurs., Feb. 24. The match is set to begin at 11 a.m.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - With one game complete and another on the brink of completion, heavy rain that moved through the Starkville area Sunday afternoon halted any other action scheduled to be played in the round-robin tournament.

Tallying a 3-1 record through four games, including a pair of wins on Saturday, Mississippi State (9-3) took home its fourth consecutive home tournament championship, edging out the Troy Trojans (11-3) who turned in a 3-2 record through five outings. The Bulldogs also sent a tournament-high five players to all-tournament team honors, including Madison’s Tanelda McDonald who took home Tournament MVP accolades.

MSU’s Blair Geddings, Callye Williams, Nakita Boyce and Kelli Miller were also among the 11 chosen for all-tournament laurels.

Mississippi State will return to action this weekend when the Bulldogs head to Palm Springs, Calif., for the 2005 Palm Springs Classic, hosted by Oregon State. The Maroon and White is schedule to take on four nationally ranked ball clubs in California, including No. 1 Cal-Berkeley in their tournament opener on Friday morning.

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/20/05
Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - In a match that was played outdoors and indoors, featured two three-set contests and three tiebreakers, and took nearly seven hours to complete, Mississippi State's 33rd-ranked men's tennis team ultimately came away with a 5-1 victory over visiting Memphis Saturday on the MSU campus. The match, which started outdoors at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, was moved inside to McCarthy Gymnasium due to rain and completed there.

MSU improved to 5-2 on the 2005 season, 4-0 at home, while winning its third straight match. Memphis fell to 3-5. It was the Bulldogs' seventh win over the Tigers in the last 10 meetings between the schools.

Memphis got the first point of the day by sweeping doubles. Tigers Mark Finnegan and Alex Jago remained perfect (now 7-0) in '05 by posting an 8-3 win over Bulldogs Florent Girod and Pierre Mouillon at the No. 3 position. At No. 2, UM's pair of Alex Bucewicz and Marten Tamla notched an 8-4 victory over State's Ivan Bjelica and Philippe Frayssinoux. At the top spot, a match that took nearly 30 more minutes to complete, UM's tandem of Scott Felsenthal and James Spence upset 10th-ranked Bulldogs Luiz Carvalho and Jose-Carlos Pinto in a tight 9-7 decision.

In singles, State came out strong, winning the first set in four of five contests before the poor weather halted action (one opening set was still undecided at that point). Roughly an hour-and-half into singles play, rains hit the area and forced the match indoors. A little over an hour later, played resumed at McCarthy Gym. Once indoors, the Bulldogs would end up winning five consecutive matches for the victory, with the final position being suspended.

State evened the match at 1-1 when the true freshman Frayssinoux came back from a set down to complete a 1-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory over UM's Spence at No. 2. The Bulldogs went up 2-1 when Pinto, ranked 95th nationally, held off a late second-set charge from Jago at No. 3 to win 6-1, 7-6(3). The Bulldogs got their third point of the match when Carvalho outlasted UM's Bucewicz at the top spot for a 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-4 triumph.

The match-clinching victory would come from MSU's Girod at the No. 4 spot. The junior from Belfort, France, remained undefeated (6-0) in singles dual matches this season, ousting Finnegan 6-3, 6-2.

The Bulldogs' final point would come at No. 5, where the rookie Mouillon finished off a 7-6(1), 6-1 win over Felsenthal. The No. 6 matchup between MSU's Arnaud Roussel and Tamla was not restarted. Roussel was up a set and trailing 3-1 in the second in that match.

"This was a very good win for our team to pull it out the way they did," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "Memphis has played some other highly-ranked teams very close this season. They are extremely talented in doubles and they really hurt us there today. But we did a good job of establishing leads in singles and that's what the difference was in this match. We now have eight days before our next match and we have plenty of things to work on this week."

State will continue its current five-match homestand next Sunday, Feb. 27, when the Bulldogs welcome No. 45 Middle Tennessee. That match is slated for a 1 p.m. start at the Pitts Tennis Centre. Following that contest, MSU will open Southeastern Conference action the next weekend, hosting No. 13 Kentucky (Mar. 4) and No. 18 Vanderbilt (Mar. 6).

Source: MSU Media Relations

Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State blistered Troy starter Kacie Flinn for eight hits and three runs in just less than four innings of play to rally behind a three-hit shutout from sophomore Kelli Miller and bounce back from a Friday evening loss to Tennessee Tech with a 3-0 blanking of the Trojans Saturday afternoon at the MSU Softball Field.

Miller (4-1) pitched brilliantly from the get-go, surrendering her first hit of the contest with two down in the fifth. The Colorado native finished the game with a three-hit shutout - her third of the season - and one strikeout. The victory also marked Miller’s 10th winning decision in her last 14 appearances dating back to last season.

Courtney Bures, Blair Geddings and Lindsay Hunley each tallied one RBI apiece to pace the MSU (8-3) offense, with Geddings (2-for-4) and Callye Williams (2-for-3) each turning in multi-hit days at the plate. Three different players recorded hits for the Trojans (10-3) who tumbled to their second consecutive loss.

Mississippi State got four hits through the first two innings of play, but could not find the key hits to bring the runs across and stranded five runners in the same time frame. However, the Maroons continued their hitting barrage in the third, this time using four hits to score a trio of runs that, ultimately, put the game away.

After chasing Troy starter Kacie Flinn with the third inning outburst, Aussie righthander Jocelyn McCallum cooled off the MSU bats in an after-the-fact relief appearance. Troy managed their first hit of the contest on a bunt single in the fifth and got its first and only scoring chance in the fourth when Bonnie Belin moved into scoring position on an MSU fielding error.

Source: MSU Media Relations

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Righthander Melissa Massey took a perfect game into the fifth inning of play, then held off a late charge by visiting Tulsa in the last two innings, to finish off a perfect Saturday for Mississippi State at the 2005 Bulldog Classic with a 4-2 victory over visiting Tulsa in the nightcap at the MSU Softball Field.

The win gave Massey 50 career victories, helping her break a tie with former MSU righthander Autumn Anderson, atop MState’s career victories list. The Fayetteville, Tenn., native struck out eight or more batters for the third time this season and allowed five hits to even her 2005 record at 2-2. Tulsa starter Ami Day took the loss for the Golden Hurricane after allowing four earned runs on two hits and a quarter of walks in just two and two-thirds innings of work.

Madison native Tanelda McDonald accounted for nearly all of MSU’s (9-3) scoring punch, scoring once on a 2-for-3 hitting line while also driving in a pair. Callye Williams added a RBI of her own on a 1-for-3 night at the plate, with three other Bulldogs crossing the plate once. Lindsey Galloway paced the Tulsa (6-8) hitting attack on a 2-for-3 night.

Blair Geddings drew a one out walk in State’s half of the first and, after a groundout by Courtney Bures, McDonald finished off the scoring play with a double to the gap in leftfield that plated the runner from second base. MSU put together a three-run rally in the third, getting RBI singles from McDonald and Williams, while also plating Bures on a wild pitch from Fennell.

"Overall, I was pleased with the way we played today," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "I thought we were tentative at the plate at times, but we took advantage of our opportunities. We still have some work to do defensively, but I thought we were focused today."

Barring inclement weather, State will close out action in the 2005 Bulldog Classic with a 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon doubleheader against Tennessee Tech and Troy.

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/19/05
Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Tennessee Tech got a lethal dose of run production from the top five hitters in its lineup, then held back a late rally by homestanding Mississippi State, to shock the Bulldogs, 5-3, in the nightcap of the first round of the 2005 Bulldog Classic Friday evening at the MSU Softball Field.

Tech’s first five hitters combined for a 5-for-10 night at the plate, paced by second baseman Samantha Lovelady who provided a pair of RBI to complement a 1-for-1 hitting line and a pair of sac hits. State’s Tanelda McDonald smacked her first career home run to highlight a 2-for-3 night at the plate, with Katie Johnson driving in a run on a 2-for-3 line as well. Tennessee Tech (3-3) also got a pair of hits from centerfielder Jennifer Markham who recorded two hits in as many trips to the plate.

MSU starter Melissa Massey (1-2) allowed four runs on four hits and a walk in just two and one-thirds innings of work to take the loss for the Bulldogs, while Ragan Blake pitched admirably over the last three and two-thirds innings of work to get the no decision. Blake fanned three and allowed a lone run in a season-long appearance. Sarah Street (1-1) got the victory for the Golden Eagles, scattering five hits and striking out two in five and one-thirds innings of work.

Tennessee Tech used its short game to take an early advantage in the ballgame, using a leadoff double from Beth Boden and a sac bunt by Lovelady to move a runner to third and set the table for Ashley Potts whose sac fly to centerfield gave the Purple and Gold a 1-0 lead heading into the second. State matched the run in the next frame, however, utilizing a clutch run-scoring double from Johnson to knot the game back up.

Tech used a trio of hits, as well as a costly MSU throwing error, to put a three spot up in the third, then pushed its lead out to 5-1 on Lovelady’s RBI double in the fourth. State got a one-out single from Jennifer Jessup in the fifth, then cut the lead to a pair on McDonald’s shot to rightfield. The Bulldogs would continue the rally into the top of the seventh, getting a pair of runners into scoring position for the top of its order, but Golden Eagle reliever Bonnie Bynum doused the rally, getting Courtney Bures on a liner to shortstop before striking out Lindsay Hunley.

"We’re fighting with some injuries right now and we have a lot of kids playing out of position, but we still have to go and make plays. We didn’t do that tonight," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "Melissa is struggling a little bit right now, but she is a good pitcher and I think she will step up and get the job done. I thought Ragan came in and did a good job. She came in and shut them down and that gave us an opportunity to win. We just didn’t do a good job of executing offensively."

Mississippi State will continue action in the Bulldog Classic on Saturday afternoon with a 2 p.m. doubleheader that begins with Troy University who improved its record to 10-1 on the season with a pair of wins Friday. The Bulldogs will conclude Saturday’s action at the round-robin tournament with a rematch against Tulsa. Sophomore righthander Kelli Miller (3-1) is expected to get the start against the Trojans in the early game.

Source: MSU Media Relations

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State scored twice in each of the first and third innings to rally behind a seven-strikeout performance from sophomore Kelli Miller and key a 5-0 triumph over visiting Tulsa with a 5-0 win in its Bulldog Classic opener Friday afternoon at the MSU Softball Field.

State got two hits apiece from sophomore Blair Geddings (2-for-3) and Callye Williams (2-for-3), with Williams crossing the plate twice. Stephanie Sliepen paced the hit column for Tulsa (5-7), tallying two of the Golden Hurricane’s three hits, while walking once.

Miller (3-1) shook off a rough outing at fifth-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday with a near-dominating performance against Tulsa Friday, striking out seven and walking just one in five innings of work. Stephanie Comeaux came on in relief of Miller in the sixth and recorded her first save of the season, allowing one hit and walking two, in six outs of work. Julie Fennell (1-4) took the loss for Tulsa after surrendering four runs on four hits and a walk in just two innings of work.

MState came out of the gates on fire, getting a runner into scoring position with its first two at-bats before a Jennifer Jessup single, coupled with a wild pitch by Fennell, brought Courtney Bures racing home from third with the game’s first run. Two batters later, Tanelda McDonald’s sac fly would plate Jessup from third with the 2-0 advantage.

State continued its scoring barrage in its second frame, this time using a more conventional approach in pushing its lead out to four. RBI knocks from Nakita Boyce and Bures would provide the damage in the inning. The Bulldogs added an insurance run on Geddings’ RBI single in the sixth, then hit cruise control the rest of the way out.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State women’s golf team returns to action on Sunday at the Papa John’s Collegiate Golf Tournament in Miami, Fla. The Miami University-hosted three-day event will be held at Don Shula’s Golf Resort, a 6,190 yard, 72 par course.

"We are looking forward to getting the season underway in Miami this weekend," said head coach Christi Sanders. "The team has worked hard in the off season and has continued that focus into the spring practices."

Competing for the Maroon and White will be senior Beth Irwin, juniors Stephanie Godare and Ashleigh Korzack, sophomore Amanda Mathis and freshman Julia Huh. Irwin leads the team with a 73.91 stroke average, competing in all four fall tournaments.

Action will begin on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. CT in a shotgun start. On Monday, competition will start at 7 a.m. CT on the first tee and in a shotgun start at 7 a.m. CT on Tuesday.

The Lady Bulldogs are ranked 28th in the country by the latest GolfWeek Rankings. Germantown, Tenn., native Irwin is 55th in the nation and 14th in the Southeastern Conference. Mathis, from Picayune, Miss., sits 94th in the nation and 23rd in the SEC.

The field includes #32 North Carolina State, #37 UNC-Wilmington, #39 Virginia, Alabama, College of Charleston, East Carolina, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, South Florida and Southern Mississippi.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State’s women’s tennis team will host the New Orleans Privateers on Sun., Feb. 20, at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre in a match set for 1 p.m. MSU and New Orleans have faced off in only three dual matches in school history, with MSU winning all three. Last time, State took the victory in a 4-3 decision in Starkville.

"We are looking forward to playing New Orleans at home this weekend," said head coach Tracy Lane. "We had a really competitive match with them last year, and they have some of the same returnees. This is also our last home match prior to heading to South Alabama next week. We just keep taking each match and using it as a way to make improvements and build momentum."

Sophomore Zsuzsanna Fodor leads the team with a singles winning percentage of .852 and a 23-4 overall record. Second on the squad is Hayley Rudman with a .824 winning percentage. In doubles, 46th-ranked Fodor and Anastasia Kugakolova pace the squad with a 10-3 overall record, going 4-1 at No. 1.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's 33rd-ranked men's tennis team will host Memphis Saturday to continue its current five-match homestand. Match time between the Bulldogs and Tigers is set for 1 p.m. at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. In case of inclement weather, the match will be moved indoors to the McCarthy Gymnasium on campus.

In recent action, State (4-2) has posted successive wins at 21st-ranked Tulane (last Sunday in New Orleans) and over 49th-ranked South Alabama at home Thursday.

Memphis is 3-4 overall thus far in 2005. UM has claimed victories over Rhodes, Oral Roberts and Tennessee Tech. All four of the Tigers' setbacks have come to top 50 teams, three in the current top 30.

State and Memphis have met on the tennis court 24 times in recorded history. The Tigers hold a 13-11 lead on the Bulldogs, but State has won six of the last nine meetings between the teams. The schools last met in 2003 in Starkville, the first clash since 1988, with the Bulldogs posting a close 4-3 win.

Following Saturday's action, State will have eight days away from action before continuing its homestand against No. 45 Middle Tennessee on Sunday, Feb. 27. State will then open Southeastern Conference play the next weekend by hosting No. 13 Kentucky (Mar. 4) and No. 18 Vanderbilt (Mar. 6).

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/18/05
Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Coming off a rain-shortened weekend that saw them achieve a six-game winning streak before dropping a tough game to the fifth-ranked team in the country, the Mississippi State softball team will return home this weekend to host the Bulldog Classic at the MSU Softball Field.

Barring inclement weather expected to move into the Starkville area on Saturday evening, the three-day, 12-game event will bring in some of the most underrated teams in the country, including Tulsa (5-5), who finished with a 45-18 record last season and a second place finish in the Western Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs (6-2) will also welcome Troy (8-1) and Tennessee Tech (2-2) to the MSU campus. Troy is an eight-game winner through nine games this season, while Tennessee Tech has given the Bulldogs fits in a handful of series meetings and is coming off a 44-25 campaign in 2004.

The Trojans and Golden Eagles will open up play in the round-robin-style tournament in a 10 a.m. game on Friday, with Mississippi State opening up their portion of tournament play with a doubleheader later in the day. The Bulldogs will battle the Golden Hurricane in a 2 p.m. tilt and will take on Tennessee Tech immediately following (approximately 4 p.m.). All 12 games of the 2005 Bulldog Classic can be followed via a live stats link at the official Internet home of the Mississippi State athletic department, www.MStateAthletics.com and admission to all games of the tournament is free.

"I think it will be a good field," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "I thought Tulsa should have been an NCAA tournament team last year and had a great season. Troy has picked up one of the top pitchers out of Australia and she will be very tough having pitched with her national team program out there. We don’t know much about Tennessee Tech, but I think they will round out the field and give us a good strong weekend of play."

Fresh off a rain-shortened weekend at the Louisiana-Lafayette-hosted Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational in which the Bulldogs blanked McNeese State before a crucial fourth-inning error cost the Maroon and White its game against the fifth-ranked Ragin’ Cajuns. Despite the loss, the Bulldogs still managed to score the first earned runs on the UL-Lafayette pitching staff in 48 and two-thirds innings of work, while attaining the most hits surrendered by first team all-American righthander Brooke Mitchell all season.

Having battled nagging injuries from the start of the campaign, State will be without the services of all-conference outfielder Hayle Guess on the weekend as the sophomore will be sidelined with a shoulder injury. Despite the setback, Miller will continue to experiment with defensive lineups in hopes of obtaining some consistency when the Bulldogs face a quartet of nationally ranked teams next weekend in Palm Springs, Calif.

"It’s been a struggle with all of the injuries," Miller said. "We’ve had to move people around a lot and we’re going to have to continue to do that this weekend. We’ve had a hard time settling in on a lineup and getting any consistency. Despite that, we’ve hit the ball very well and we’ve gotten some great pitching. Defensively, we haven’t played as strong as I had hoped and that’s an area that we need to improve on."

A near miss on selection Sunday last season, Tulsa will bring a very experienced team into Starkville, having returned 13 letterwinners and eight starters from last year’s club that finished second behind WAC champion and perennial softball powerhouse Fresno State. Having split their first 10 games of the 2005 campaign, the Golden Hurricane are led offensively by junior first baseman Katie Torres (.455, 3 RBI) and in the circle by sophomore southpaw Julie Fennell who has turned in a 1-2 record and a 1.59 ERA through four appearances.

Likewise, Tennessee Tech will return eight starters off of last season’s 44-25 club that was anchored with a ton of offense and just enough from the pitcher’s circle. Sophomore catcher Ashley Potts looks to be the Golden Eagles’ prime offensive weapon having turned in a .600 (6-for-10) batting clip, a pair of home runs and six RBI. From the circle, sophomore righthander Bonnie Bynum has put together a 1-1 record and a 1.23 ERA and has made appearances in all four games for TTU this season.

Top to bottom, Troy could be one of the more dangerous teams in this weekend’s tournament, getting balance from both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Aussie righthander Jocelyn McCallum, this week’s Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Week, has belted out a flawless 4-0 record and 0.00 ERA to go along with 46 strikeouts in just 25 innings of work. In the batter’s box, the Trojans are paced by three batters hitting at or above the .400 plateau, including senior outfielder Jenny Boyd, who is hitting .500 (13-for-26) to go along with four extra-base hits, nine RBI, eight stolen bases and 13 runs scored.

Sophomore righthander Kelli Miller (2-1) is expected to get the start for Mississippi State in its tournament opener against Tulsa, with Melissa Massey (1-1) slated to start the Bulldogs’ game with Tennessee Tech. With one more win this season, Massey will become MSU’s all-time winningest pitcher.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's 33rd-ranked men's tennis team notched a solid win over visiting South Alabama Thursday afternoon, downing the 49th-ranked Jaguars 5-2 at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on campus. The win moved the Bulldogs to 3-0 at home this season.

The victory, which was the 800th in MSU men's tennis history, upped the Bulldogs' 2005 record to 4-2. USA suffered its first loss of the season after a 4-0 start. State has now won 10 of the last 16 meetings between the teams.

State won a close doubles point to gain the early momentum. After the teams traded wins at the No. 2 and 3 positions, the 10th-ranked MSU tandem of Luiz Carvalho and Jose-Carlos Pinto overcame a 4-1 deficit to down 49th-ranked Jaguars Franticek Babej and David Kepka 8-6 at the No. 1 spot for their sixth straight win together.

In singles, the Bulldogs established one-set leads at every position but No. 1 to set up the team victory. Junior Florent Girod remained perfect (5-0) in 2005 dual matches, putting State up 2-0 in the match with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Tiago Esperito Santo at the No. 4 spot. USA got its first point of the day when the 32nd-ranked Babej, an NCAA semifinalist last season, downed MSU rookie Philippe Frayssinoux 6-2, 6-1 at the top position.

MSU went up 3-1 with a 6-2, 6-0 victory from sophomore Arnaud Roussel, who cruised over Jaguar Mark Gellard at the No. 6 spot. The victory-clincher was provided by true freshman Pierre Mouillon, who held off USA's Juraj Sekera 7-5, 6-4 at the No. 5 position.

The teams would split the last two matches on court. State's 95th-ranked Pinto, who missed singles in the last two matches due to effects from the flu, registered a solid 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Kepka at No. 3. At No. 2, Bulldog Ivan Bjelica and Jaguar Dias Doskarayev split sets and then played a supertiebreaker to determine the outcome. Doskarayev ultimately prevailed 2-6, 6-3, 1-0(5).

"This was a very good win," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "As I said going into the match, South Alabama is a dangerous team and I would not be surprised at all if they end this season in the top 20 or 30 in the country. Now we will quickly turn our focus to a good Memphis team coming in here Saturday."

MSU will host the Tigers at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Pitts Tennis Centre to continue its current five-match homestand. During the homestand, State will also welcome No. 45 Middle Tennessee (Feb. 27), No. 13 Kentucky (Mar. 4) and No. 18 Vanderbilt (Mar. 6).

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/17/05
Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's men's tennis team, ranked 33rd in the country in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association national poll, will host No. 49 South Alabama Thursday to begin a five-match homestand. Match time between the Bulldogs and Jaguars is set for 2 p.m. at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

State (3-2) is coming off a come-from-behind upset win at 21st-ranked Tulane Sunday in New Orleans. The Bulldogs overcame a 3-1 deficit in that match, winning two three-set affairs to get the victory.

USA, the defending Sun Belt Conference champion, is 4-0 this season, having defeated Tennessee Tech, Troy, Southeastern Louisiana and Jacksonville. The Jaguars have dropped only two points in those four contests.

MSU and USA have met on the tennis court 15 times in the modern era (since 1969). State holds a 9-6 series advantage over the Jaguars in that time, 5-4 in Starkville. Of the five non-SEC home matches State has lost in its last 67 non-league home affairs, South Alabama has represented two of those losses (2001, 2003).

Both teams have impressive streaks going in the NCAA Championship. State has made 14 consecutive appearances, while South Alabama has made the field 11 straight times.

"South Alabama is another very dangerous team," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "They beat us here two years ago and we had to win three three-setters to edge them last year. It will be another tough matchup. We need our fans to come out and support us."

Following Thursday's action, State welcomes Memphis Saturday at 1 p.m. During the homestand, the Bulldogs will also entertain No. 45 Middle Tennessee (Feb. 27), No. 13 Kentucky (Mar. 4) and No. 18 Vanderbilt (Mar. 6).

Source: MSU Media Relations

Men's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State senior golfer Joe Deraney finished tied for second in the University of Central Florida/Rio Pinar Intercollegiate in Orlando, Fla. on Tuesday. The Statesboro, Ga. product fired the lowest round of the day with a six-under-par 66, but lost on a playoff to UCF’s Andreas Hoegberg on the 10th hole.

"Joe (Deraney) played outstanding today," said MSU head coach Clay Homan. "He had a chance to win and that is all that you can ask for. I think he gained a lot of confidence this week." As a team the Maroon and White posted its fourth top-10 finish with a three-round total of 884 to tie with Texas-Arlington for ninth in the 18-team field. MSU rebounded from an opening round 302 on Monday to post a 292 and 290 respectively.

Sophomore Jake Lambert opened his 2004-05 season with a top-20 finish. The Jackson, Miss. native finished the 54-hole event with rounds of 74, 69 and 76. His three-under-par score in the second round was a career-best for Lambert.

"It’s good to see him play well," said Homan. "He hasn’t played since the Auburn tournament last season, so it was good to get him back in competition."

Senior Tim Satow finished tied for 50th with scores of 81, 72 and 75, while Josh Oller placed 55th and Greg Huxman closed out the tournament with a 77.

Tournament host UCF claimed the team title with a two-under-par final tally.

The Bulldogs return to the Sunshine State on March 7-8 to participate in the University of Notre Dame-hosted Irish Spring Invitational in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. The tournament will be competed at Mission Inn Golf Club’s El Campeón course.

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/16/05
Men's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State senior golfer Joe Deraney finished tied for second in the University of Central Florida/Rio Pinar Intercollegiate in Orlando, Fla. on Tuesday. The Statesboro, Ga. product fired the lowest round of the day with a six-under-par 66, but lost on a playoff to UCF's Andreas Hoegberg on the 10th hole.

"Joe (Deraney) played outstanding today," said MSU head coach Clay Homan. "He had a chance to win and that is all that you can ask for. I think he gained a lot of confidence this week."

As a team the Maroon and White posted its fourth top-10 finish with a three-round total of 884 to tie with Texas-Arlington for ninth in the 18-team field. MSU rebounded from an opening round 302 on Monday to post a 292 and 290 respectively.

Sophomore Jake Lambert opened his 2004-05 season with a top-20 finish. The Jackson, Miss. native finished the 54-hole event with rounds of 74, 69 and 76. His three-under-par score in the second round was a career-best for Lambert.

"It's good to see him play well," said Homan. "He hasn't played since the Auburn tournament last season, so it was good to get him back in competition."

Senior Tim Satow finished tied for 50th with scores of 81, 72 and 75, while Josh Oller placed 55th and Greg Huxman closed out the tournament with a 77.

Tournament host UCF claimed the team title with a two-under-par final tally.

The Bulldogs return to the Sunshine State on March 7-8 to participate in the University of Notre Dame-hosted Irish Spring Invitational in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. The tournament will be competed at Mission Inn Golf Club's El Campeón course.

MSU INDIVIDUALS

TEAM STANDINGS

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/15/05
Men's Golf
ORLANDO, Fla. - Mississippi State stands in 10th with Charlotte after one round of competition at the University of Central Florida/Rio Pinar Intercollegiate in Orlando, Fla. The 18-team field was unable to finish second round play due to darkness. The tournament will continue on Tuesday with the completion of the second round, followed by the final 18 holes.

Senior Joe Deraney led all Bulldog individuals in the opening round with a one-under-par 71, currently in third place after at the conclusion of the day. Playing in his first competitive round of the season, sophomore Jake Lambert fired a two-over-par 74, placing him tied for 19th in the field. Miami, Fla. native Greg Huxman carded a 78, while Josh Oller finished with a 79. Senior Tim Satow rounded out the MSU scorecard with an 83.

Tournament host UCF took advantage of playing its home course, firing a tournament leading 291. The Golden Knights will take a four-shot lead over Tulane in to the second round. Louisville, North Carolina-Wilmington and Lamar round out the top-five squads. Tulane's Chris Wheeler leads the individual competition posting an opening round 69.

Play will get under way at 8 a.m. ET at the par 72 Rio Pinar Country Club on Tuesday.

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/14/05
Men's Tennis
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Down 3-1 early in the match, Mississippi State's 37th-ranked men's tennis team won the last three points of the day to come back and upset 21st-ranked Tulane 4-3 on the road Sunday. The win, which was ultimately decided by three-set comeback wins from sophomores Ivan Bjelica and Arnaud Roussel in the last two matches on court, ended a nine-match road losing skid for the Bulldog netters.

MSU, which improved to 3-2 overall this season, and Tulane (6-3) have now split their last four matches together. State now leads the series 9-6 since 1969.

Early in the day, it looked as if Tulane would run away with the match. TU gained the opening point with doubles wins at the No. 1 and 3 positions. Bulldogs Florent Girod and Pierre Mouillon salvaged the No. 2 spot with a 9-8(3) win over the 54th-ranked Green Wave tandem of Ted Angelinos and Jacobo Hernandez.

In singles, Tulane was strong early as well, winning the first set in four of the six matches to set up what looked to be an easy victory. The teams split the first four matches complete, all ending in straight-set fashion. State true freshman Philippe Frayssinoux knotted the score at 1-1 when he upset 81st-ranked David Goulet 7-6(7), 6-1 at the No. 2 spot. Tulane grabbed the next point when Angelinos downed the MSU rookie Mouillon 6-2, 6-4 at the No. 4 spot.

The Green Wave went up 3-1 in the match when 59th-ranked Dmitriy Koch posted a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Bulldog Luiz Carvalho at the top position in a battle of seniors. MSU's comeback then started with a 7-5, 6-2 triumph from Girod over Alberto Sottocorno at No. 5. The junior Girod improved to 4-0 in singles dual matches this season.

That left the No. 3 and 6 spots, where State had lost the first set, on the court to decide the match. At No. 3, Bjelica evened the match at 3-all with an exciting 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 comeback win over Hernandez to improve to 4-1 in dual matches this year. The match-clincher would come at No. 6 where Roussel, playing in his first team match of the spring, notched an incredible 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 marathon triumph over TU's Jonah Kane-West. Roussel was down a service break twice in the third set of the match, but won the last three games of the contest to hand the Bulldogs the team win.

"This is the kind of match you love to win and hate to lose," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "Fortunately for us, we got the job done today and won't have a long ride home. We beat a very good Tulane team today, a team that beat the No. 11 team in the country (Ohio State) two weeks ago.

"Our guys fought like Bulldogs today and should be very proud of this effort, especially considering it was a tough adjustment as our first outdoor match since our season opener. We were also without Jose-Carlos Pinto in singles for the second match in a row, as he is still not fully recovered from the effects of the flu. It was just a great team win all-around."

MSU returns home to start a five-match homestand that begins with No. 46 South Alabama this Thursday, Feb. 17. That match will begin at 2 p.m. at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. During the homestand, State will also welcome Memphis (Feb. 19), No. 53 Middle Tennessee (Feb. 27), No. 13 Kentucky (Mar. 4) and No. 18 Vanderbilt (Mar. 6).

Source: MSU Media Relations

Men's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State’s men’s golf team will open spring competition at the Fourth Annual University of Central Florida/Rio Pinar Country Club Intercollegiate on Monday, Feb. 14. in Orlando, Fla.

Head Coach Clay Homan’s lineup will consist of seniors Joe Deraney and Tim Satow. Three sophomores round out the five-man crew – Josh Oller, Greg Huxman and Jake Lambert.

"We are excited about getting started," said MSU head coach Clay Homan. "We have had a chance to play a lot of rounds under the tough weather conditions around here. There are five district teams in the field, so it will be important to play well."

Deraney led the team during fall competition with a scoring average of 71.75, while Satow and Huxman were second on the team with a 73.83 average last fall. Lambert will be making his sophomore season debut in the event. He did not compete during the fall campaign.

"Jake (Lambert) is playing much better now than he did last fall," said Homan. "He is keeping the ball in the fairway, so he is excited about getting play this week."

Competing along with the Bulldogs in the tournament will be Charlotte Davidson, East Carolina, Iowa State, Jacksonville State, Lamar, Louisville, UNC-Greensboro, UNC-Wilmington Mercer, Richmond, South Alabama, Texas-Arlington, Tulane, South Florida and host UCF. State competed against nine of the 18 teams converging at Rio Pinar Country Club during the fall of 2004. State will be making its initial appearance in the tournament.

Rio Pinar Country Club was designed in 1957 by Mark Mahanna. It plays to a par 72 and ranges over 6,978 yards. In the 2004 edition of the tournament, South Alabama captured the team title in a playoff with UCF.

The first two rounds will be played Monday, followed by Tuesday’s final round. Play will get underway at 8 a.m. on both days.

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/13/05
Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's t75th-ranked women's tennis team defeated the Blazers of UAB, 7-0, at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on Saturday, improving their overall record to 3-0. The Lady Bulldogs now lead the series with UAB, 18-3.

State took the first point of the match, winning two out of the three doubles matches. MSU's 46th-ranked duo of Zsuzsanna Fodor and Anastasia Kugakolova defeated UAB's Antonia Nugent and Julia von Samson, 8-1, in 29 minutes at the first position. At No. 3, Renée Joseph and Hayley Rudman won their match in an 8-5 decision over Annemieke Elsholz and Jana Wild. Polina Kokoulina and Magdi Rekasi dropped their match to Gulsah Esen and Ornischa Maier-Knapp, 8-6, at the second spot.

28th-ranked Zsuzsanna Fodor won the first singles match of the day for MSU, defeating von Samson, 6-2, 6-1, at No.1. Kugakolova was victorious over Esen in a 6-2, 6-2 decision at the second position. Clinching the match for State, Hayley Rudman won a three-set match against Nugent, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, at the sixth position.

Rock Hill, S.C., native Joseph took her three-set match against Elsholz, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, on court five, giving State a 5-0 lead over UAB. At No. 4, senior Rekasi defeated Samrin Tanzeem, 6-3, 7-5. Kokoulina was victorious over Maier-Knapp, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, to give State their third shutout victory of the season.

Next, the Lady Bulldogs host New Orleans at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre in a 1 p.m. on Feb. 20.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Looking to break a two-match losing skid, Mississippi State's 37th-ranked men's tennis team will meet 21st-ranked Tulane in New Orleans Sunday. Match time is set for 1 p.m. CT at TU's Goldring Tennis Center.

MSU (2-2) has dropped two straight matches since opening the season 2-0 with 6-1 victories over New Orleans and UAB. The Bulldogs fell in a tight 4-3 match at #48 Louisville last Saturday and fell 4-0 to sixth-ranked Mississippi in Jackson Thursday in the River Hills Cup.

Tulane will enter Sunday's battle with a 6-2 overall record. The Green Wave started the season with a 5-0 mark, including an upset of then-11th-ranked Ohio State in the first round of the Northwest Shootout in Seattle, Wash. TU then dropped a pair of 4-3 decisions to No. 43 Minnesota and No. 18 host Washington in that event. Most recently, Tulane downed UNO 5-2 at home on Friday.

The Bulldogs and Green Wave have met many times over the course of history. State leads the series 8-6 since 1969. The teams have met three times in the last two years, the first clashes since 1984. TU took a 4-1 win over the Bulldogs in New Orleans in 2003 and the teams split a pair of close matches last year. Though records are incomplete, the teams met often prior to '69, when the Green Wave was a dominant member of the Southeastern Conference, winning 18 league crowns from 1938-66.

Following Sunday's matchup, MSU will return home to start a five-match homestand that begins with No. 46 South Alabama this Thursday, Feb. 17. During the homestand, State will also welcome Memphis (Feb. 19), No. 53 Middle Tennessee (Feb. 27), No. 13 Kentucky (Mar. 4) and No. 18 Vanderbilt (Mar. 6).

Ssource: MSU Media Relations

02/12/05
Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's t75th-ranked Lady Bulldog netters play host to the UAB Blazers on Sat., Feb. 12, at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. The match is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

"We are looking forward to our match this weekend against UAB," said head coach Tracy Lane. "Over the years we have had some pretty tough and competitive matches with them. It is a great match to allow all the players the opportunity to play and for us to get better prepared for what lies ahead."

Last season, State defeated UAB, 4-0, indoors at MSU's McCarthy Gym.

Newcomer Zsuzsanna Fodor is ranked 28th in the nation, and sophomore Tarryn Rudman is ranked 124th. Fodor has a 22-4 singles record, playing mostly at the first position. Rudman has played mainly at the third spot with a 17-7 record. In doubles, MSU's tandem of Fodor and Anastasia Kugakolova are ranked 46th with a 9-3 overall record and a 3-1 record in dual action competition.

Fodor has 22 wins so far in her first season at MSU. She is now tied with Ivana Belancic and Andrea Lord for 10th place in the MSU record books for singles victories in a season. Lord holds the most wins in school history with 31 during the 1999-2000 season. Fodor recorded 18 wins during the fall, ranking her tops in the record books for tournament wins in a season.

In their last match, MSU improved to 2-0 on the season with their 7-0 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks. State started the match winning the doubles point with shutouts at the first and second positions and sweeping all six singles matches.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Indoor Track & Field
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Former Mississippi State University track and field standout Tiffany McWilliams placed fifth in the women's 800-meter run Friday evening at the Powered By Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. McWilliams finished in 2 minutes, 4.70 seconds. ESPN2 will air the event on a tape-delay basis Saturday evening beginning at 8 p.m. CT. Current MSU standout Jennifer McPherson was a late scratch in the women's mile run due to a leg injury.

"She ran a great race," said MSU head coach Al Schmidt, who has continued to train McWilliams during her professional career. "She's not really an indoor 800-meters runner, although this was a personal best in the event for her. She runs the 800 much better outside. The big meet is in two weeks. It's 1500--her race. She'll go out and make them run her race. She's a championship runner, and it's her first chance at a national championship on the pro level. We pulled Jennifer (McPherson) out because we need her at SECs and NCAAs."

Hazel Clark took the meet title in 2:02.68. Marian Burnett (2:03.17), Kameisha Bennett (2:03.85), and Anita Denton (2:03.91) rounded out the top four. Heather Hennigar finished in sixth behind McWilliams (2:05.35). Alice Schmidt (2:06.04), Michelle Ballentine (2:06.91), Mishael Bertrand (2:07.00), Frances Santin (2:07.20), and Perry Fields (2:10.33) finished out the competitors.

Previously this season, McWilliams has posted two fourth place finishes. At the Boston Indoor Games, she finished the 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 5.68 seconds. The following week at the Millrose Games in New York City, McWilliams competed in the mile run (4:37.16).

In three seasons at State, McWilliams captured three NCAA individual titles: two in the outdoor 800-meter run (2003 & 2004) and the indoor mile (2004).The four-time all-American and seven-time Southeastern Conference champion was named the 2004 SEC Female Runner of the Year. For her efforts in the classroom, she was named to the 2004 SEC Academic Honor Roll and 2003 National Collegiate Division I Track Coaches Association all-Academic Team.

McWilliams' next event is the 2005 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships scheduled for Feb. 25-27 at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College in Boston. According to the USATF, the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships is the world's oldest indoor track championship, with the first meet being held in 1888 in New York and is the concluding event of Visa Championship Series.

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/11/05
Men's Tennis
JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi State's 37th-ranked men's tennis team fell 4-0 to sixth-ranked Mississippi Thursday night in the eighth-annual River Hills Cup. The Bulldogs fell to 2-2 on the young 2005 season while UM improved to 3-0.

The Rebels gained the opening point of the evening in doubles. After the teams traded wins at the top two positions, UM's duo of Jakob Klaeson and Bram Ten Berge edged Bulldogs Pierre Mouillon and Jose-Carlos Pinto 8-5 at the No. 3 spot. That matchup was on serve most of the way through, but the Rebels got a service break on very close game with MSU serving at 5-6 that proved to be the difference.

UM gained a 3-0 lead in the contest with straight-set wins at the top two positions in singles. At No. 1, Rebel Catalin Gard, the nation's No. 1-ranked player at present, had to hold off a second-set challenge from MSU's Luiz Carvalho (Carvalho led 4-2) before finally pulling out a 6-3, 6-4 win. At No. 2, UM's Eric Claesson downed State's Ivan Bjelica 6-3, 6-2.

No. 3 singles would then prove to be the decisive point for the Rebels. In a battle of rookies, Bulldog Philippe Frayssinoux rolled to a 6-0 score in the first set. But Mississippi's Ten Berge would rally to post an 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory that clinched the victory for UM.

In the two other matches that had gotten underway, State's Mouillon was out to an early 3-1, first-set lead on UM's Erling Tveit at the No. 4 spot, while MSU's Florent Girod was even at 1-1 with Klaeson at No. 5. No. 6 singles never got started.

State remains on the road this weekend, travelling to New Orleans to take on 21st-ranked Tulane Sunday. Match time is set for 1 p.m. on the TU campus.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Indoor Track & Field
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Former Mississippi State University track and field standout Tiffany McWilliams will compete in the 800-meter run at the 2005 Powered By Tyson Invitational Friday, Feb. 11, evening at the Randal Tyson Indoor Track Complex in Fayetteville, Ark. ESPN2 will air the event on a tape-delay basis Saturday, Feb. 12, evening beginning at 8 p.m. CT.

"She's dropping down to the 800 since they don't have the mile at this event," said MSU head coach Al Schmidt, who has continued to train McWilliams during her professional career. It's a good tune up for national championships."

Other competitors in the event include the United State's Kameisha Bennett, Hazel Clark, Treniere Clement, Perry Fields, Francis Santin, and Alice Schmidt; Canada's Heather Hennigar and Aimee Teteris; Guyana's Marian Burnett; and Jamaica's Michelle Balentine and Anita Denton.

Already this season, McWilliams has posted two fourth place finishes. At the Boston Indoor Games, she finished the 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 5.68 seconds. The following week at the Millrose Games in New York City, McWilliams competed in the mile run (4:37.16).

In three seasons at State, McWilliams captured three NCAA individual titles: two in the outdoor 800-meter run (2003 & 2004) and the indoor mile (2004).The four-time all-American and seven-time Southeastern Conference champion was named the 2004 SEC Female Runner of the Year. For her efforts in the classroom, she was named to the 2004 SEC Academic Honor Roll and 2003 National Collegiate Division I Track Coaches Association all-Academic Team.

The 2005 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships are scheduled for Feb. 25-27 at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College in Boston. According to the USATF, the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships is the world's oldest indoor track championship, with the first meet being held in 1888 in New York and is the concluding event of Visa Championship Series.

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/10/05
Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State soccer head coach Neil Macdonald announced the completion of his coaching staff Wednesday afternoon as former Iowa Central Community College head coach Andy Manners was hired as an MSU assistant. The hiring is pending approval by the Board of Directors, Institutions of Higher Learning.

Manners comes to Starkville following a very successful coaching career in Fort Dodge, Iowa, where he was charged with the head coaching duties of both the Triton and Lady Triton soccer teams. He will start work with the team immediately as the Bulldogs begin offseason conditioning and workouts.

"Andy is going to bring an awful lot to the table for us," Macdonald said. "He is a very intelligent person and he knows the game of soccer inside-out. He is a very good on-the-field coach and I don’t know if I have ever worked with anyone better than he is. He is the type of guy that expects excellence from his players and will demand greatness from them everyday."

Prior to his appointment as ICCC head coach, Manners served two stints (1999, 2001) as an assistant in Fort Dodge under Macdonald where the duo led both squads to a pair of NJCAA national tournament berths. As head coach of the nationally ranked ICCC programs the past two seasons, Manners has collected a 33-6-3 record as head coach of the men’s team and a 26-9-3 clip as skipper of the Lady Tritons.

Having secured the Region XI championship for the second straight season under Manners’ guidance, the ICCC men concluded the 2004 campaign with a 15-4-3 record that was stopped short on a heartbreaking overtime loss to South Suburban CC in the district tournament. The Lady Tritons finished their season with a standout 13-5-1, but were stopped short of their seventh consecutive Region XI championship with a loss to Iowa Western in the finals.

While in Fort Dodge, Manners mentored three females and one male to NJCAA all-American accolades, while his tutelage also led to eight all-region accolades (five women) for his athletes.

"Neil and I worked alongside one another for three years in Iowa and were very successful so I am excited for the opportunity to work with him again," Manners said. "He is an excellent coach and leader and her communicates well with his players at any level. I am looking forward to learning a lot from him, especially at the Division I level."

Manners played in 80 games (79 starts) during his career at George Mason (1994-97) and scored 35 points on 12 goals and 11 assists from his central defender position. While in Fairfax, Va., he helped lead the Patriots to a combined 44-32-10 record, including a trip to the 1996 NCAA Tournament. A first team all-Colonial Athletic Association and second team all-Virginia honoree as a junior, Manners was also a three-time recipient of CAA Scholar-Athlete laurels as well. In addition to his playing career at George Mason, Manners has also played professional soccer in England for both Watford F.C. and Sunderland.

Manners earned his Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Health, Fitness and Recreation Resources from George Mason in 1998 before taking a break from coaching in 2000 to earn his Master’s Degree in Education from Augusta State in 2002.

A native of Sunderland England, Manners currently holds his ‘C’ coaching license from the United States Soccer Federation, an English ‘C’ coaching certificate and a NSCAA level 2 goalkeeping diploma.

Source: MSU Media Relations

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Two instate products, a talented quartet from Texas, and one player each from Georgia and Iowa comprise the eight-member Mississippi State soccer signing class announced Wednesday morning by Mississippi State head soccer coach Neil Macdonald.

The class is the largest signed by MSU for the second consecutive year, having signed eight last season as well. Six MSU soccer players completed their final year of eligibility this past season in MState's run to a 9-9-3 record, a second place finish in the SEC West and an appearance in the conference tournament.

"This is an important class because we lost some quality seniors," Macdonald said. "We have done a good job of bringing in a balanced class. They are all very athletic and they all have the potential to play a number of different positions for us. I think that, across the board, every single player is a solid player that will fit into the Mississippi State style of play."

MARY KATE AYERS, D, 5-7, DALLAS, TEXAS (PLANO WEST SENIOR)
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Prepped at Plano West High School for coach Jennifer Gow; Played club soccer for Dallas Inter Blue ’87 and coach Chris Ring; Helped lead Plano West to the state semifinals as a prep junior, as well as the Region II championship; Played and started every game for Dallas Inter Blue and helped lead club organization to championship honors at the Plano Labor Day Tournament and an appearance in the semifinals of the 2004 State Cup tournament; A one-year participant (2000) in the North Texas Olympic Development Program.
PERSONAL: Born Mary Kathleen Ayers on Dec. 1, 1986, in Dallas, Texas; Daughter of Tom and Cheryl Ayers; Has an older brother, Thomas, an older sister, Jennifer, and a younger sister, Rebekah; Currently ranks 86th in her senior class of 893 at Plano West while maintaining a 4.03 weighted GPA; An AP scholar, as well as a member of the National Honor Society; Expected to major in Interior Design or Architecture at MSU.
MACDONALD ON AYERS: "Mary Kate is very quick and athletic, as well as technically sound and fluent with the ball at her feet. She has the potential to play a number of positions for us."

ASHLEE DRAKE, M/F, 5-6, ANKENY, IOWA (ANKENY)
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Played club soccer for Ankeny Premier and coach Ozzie White; Played and started every game for the club organization and helped captain the squad to five state championships; A seven-year participant in the state of Iowa Olympic Development program under coach Ian Bradley; Earned a letter as a freshman in soccer at Ankeny High School ... Also played on Ankeny’s 2004 state championship basketball team.
PERSONAL: Born Ashlee Ann Drake on Oct. 8, 1986 in Ames, Iowa; Daughter of Shirlee Drake; Has a younger brother, Clint; Currently ranks in the top eight percent of her class of 400 at Ankeny while maintaining a 4.0 GPA; Member of her high school's honor roll as well as the National Honor Society; Recipient of the Presidential Academic Achievement Award; Undecided on a major at MSU.
MACDONALD ON DRAKE: "Ashlee is a natural leader. She organizes everyone around her. She is very astute tactically and is a player that has experience playing a number of different roles. She is good in front of the goal and she can anchor a midfield very well."

MARICLAIRE FANCHER, D, 5-9, GREENWOOD, MISS. (PILLOW ACADEMY)
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Prepped at Pillow Academy for coach BoBo Mitchell; Played club soccer for Jackson Futbol Club; Played and started every game as a prep senior and helped lead Pillow Academy to the district and state championship; Played and started every game as a prep junior as well and helped lead Mustangs to the district championship while collecting most valuable player honors; Played and started every game for Jackson F.C. and helped lead club organization to Crossroads Tournament championship; Also lettered in track, cross country and basketball at Pillow; Helped lead basketball team to state championship, as well as four consecutive district championships; Also collected state championship honors in the 400 yard run.
PERSONAL: Born Mariclaire Louise Fancher in Greenwood, Miss.; Daughter of Myron and Terry Fancher; Has an older brother, Andy, and a younger brother, Michael; Undecided on a major at MSU.
MACDONALD ON FANCHER: "Mariclaire is a very strong athlete. She has great pace and she is a player whose role will expand as she continues to develop technically. She is a player who has incredible potential for the college game because of her big heart and incredible work ethic. She will be 100 percent committed to the cause."

BETHANY FRAZIER, D, 5-3, MADISON, MISS. (JACKSON ACADEMY)
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Prepped at Jackson Academy for coach Justin Vorster; Played club soccer for Mississippi United and coach David Johnson; Captained Jackson Academy to a 7-3 record as a prep senior, scoring 17 points on four goals and nine assists; Due to injury, did not play as a prep junior; Five-time captain for Mississippi United and helped lead club organization to the Mississippi state championship, as well as numerous other tournament championships; A two-year participant in the state of Mississippi Olympic Development Program and was a regional pool selection on both occasions; Was also named an all-conference basketball player at Jackson Academy and was named to the state all-star team as a junior.
PERSONAL: Born Bethany Lauren Frazier on Aug. 13, 1987, in Jackson, Miss.; Daughter of Phil Frazier and Janice Carden; Has an older brother, Matt, an older sister, Casey, and a younger sister, A.J.; Undecided on a major at MSU.
MACDONALD ON FRAZIER: "Bethany is a very good attacking left back. She is fundamentally sound as a player and she is great at getting forward out of the back and serves a great ball into the 18. She is a player with tons of experience playing with the region team and is definitely one that we will look to have an immediate impact."

CAITLIN GALLAGHER, M/D, 5-7, FORT WORTH, TEXAS (NOLAN CATHOLIC)
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Prepped at Nolan Catholic High School for coaches Jay and Todd Fitzgerald; Played club soccer for Dallas Solar ’87 and coach Fleur Benatar; Has helped lead Vikings to 14-7-1 record through 22 games of her senior season and has scored 18 points on seven goals and four assists; As a prep junior, helped lead Nolan Catholic to 18-10-5 record, a regional championship and an appearance in the state championship game; Scored nine points on three goals and three assists and was decorated with second team all-district and Fort Worth Star-Telegram all-area team honors; Was an all-tournament selection in the state final four; Played and started every game for Dallas Solar and helped lead club organization to a 9-6-2 clip and a fourth place finish in the Lake Highlands Division I league; Also lettered in track at Nolan Catholic.
PERSONAL: Born Margaret Caitlin Claire Gallagher on Sept. 3, 1986, in Fort Worth Texas; Daughter of Patrick and Janet Gallagher; Has two younger brothers, Ryan and Carey, as well as one younger brother, Miles; Expected to major in Communications at MSU.
MACDONALD ON GALLAGHER: "Caitlin is a great athlete. She has a tremendous engine and can work from 18 to 18 at great pace. She is an intelligent player that makes great decisions on the ball and is always looking to combine with the players around her. She is a good all-around midfielder."

MEREDITH JACOBSON, D, 5-5, TOMBALL, TEXAS (TOMBALL)
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Prepped at Tomball High School for coach Rod Spears; Played club soccer for the Texas Challenge and coach Dan O’Toole; Has captained Tomball to an undefeated record so far this season, scoring a pair of assists; Played strictly club/travel soccer as a prep junior, starting every game in the defensive third for the Challenge 86/87; Earned first team all-district honors as a prep freshman and sophomore at Tomball; A four-year participant (2000, 2002-04) in the South Texas Olympic Development Program under coaches Bobby Murphy and Greg Arntor.
PERSONAL: Born Meredith Lee Jacobson on Feb. 10, 1987, in Houston, Texas; Daughter of Bill and Debbie Jacobson; Has an older brother, Tucker; Currently ranked 15th in her senior class of 583 at Tomball while maintaining a 4.0 GPA; A member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society; Expected to major in Biological Sciences (pre-med) at MSU.
MACDONALD ON JACOBSON: "Meredith is a very talented center back that reads the game extremely well. She understands defending and is good in the air. She is another player that has the abilities to make an immediate impact for us in her first year. She has good solid pace and is good all-around in the back."

MALLORY STAUB, D, 5-7, PLANO, TEXAS (PLANO SENIOR)
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Prepped at Plano Senior High School for coach Diane Davey; Played club soccer for Dallas Inter Blue ’87 and coach Chris Ring; Will be a starter for Plano Senior High once 2005 season begins; As a prep junior, played and started in every game for the Wildcats, scoring eight points on four goals; Played and started every game for Dallas Inter Blue.
PERSONAL: Born Mallory Sylvia Staub on June 21, 1987, in Minneapolis, Minn.; Daughter of Rick Staub and Cindy Harrison-Staub; Has an older sister, Kalina; Ranks in the top 11 percent of her class of 1,124 at Plano Senior while maintaining a 3.88 GPA; Member of Plano’s National Honor Society; Undecided on a major at MSU.
MACDONALD ON STAUB: "Mallory is a player that can play a number of different roles for us. She looks to combine with people going forward from the back and is good attacking from the back as well. She can play as a central defender as well and probably has the ability to play in the defensive midfield. She is a player that has tons of options because of her athleticism."

MARLYCE STEIN, M, 5-6, CUMMING, GA. (SOUTH FORSYTH)
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Prepped at South Forsyth High School for coach Ken Gilmore; Played club soccer for Tophat Soccer Club and coach Andy Trevers; Played and started every game as a prep junior and helped lead War Eagles to a 16-3-1 record, the region championship and an appearance in the state final four; Scored 74 points on a school record 31 goals and 12 assists; Played and started every game for Tophat S.C. and helped lead club organization to the Texas Thanksgiving Showcase tournament championship; Also lettered in track and cross country at South Forsyth.
PERSONAL: Born Marlyce Amber Stein on Dec. 22, 1986, in Flint, Michigan; Daughter of Bob and Sherry Stein; Has two older sisters, Michelle and Megan; Currently ranks in the top 20 percent of her class of 429 at South Forsyth and maintains a 3.857 GPA; Member of the Beta Club and Math National Honor Society; Expected to major in Marketing at MSU.
MACDONALD ON STEIN: "Marlyce is a very quick player that is technically good on the ball. She is a player that we are going to look to get behind our opponents’ back lines and serve quality balls. She can probably play as a striker as well."

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/09/05
Women's Indoor Track & Field
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University women's indoor track and field standout junior Jennifer McPherson moved up five spots this week on the Trackwire Dandy Dozen list, as released by the organization today. McPherson now ranks No. 5 in the country in the mile run and is the top performer in the event in the Southeastern Conference.

"This is well deserved," said MSU head coach Al Schmidt. "She's been in the shadows of Tiffany (McWilliams) for the last year. I am glad she's getting some recognition. I'm also pleased that she'll be running at the Tyson meet."

McPherson will compete in the college women's mile run at the 2005 Powered By Tyson Invitational on Friday, Feb. 11, evening at the Randal Tyson Indoor Track Complex in Fayetteville, Ark. ESPN2 will air the event on a tape-delay basis on Saturday, Feb. 12, evening at 8 p.m. CT.

Other competitors in the event include Erica Sigmont of Arkansas, Leaora Jordan of Western State, Addeh Mwamba and Olha Kryv'yak of Abilene Christian, Anne Shadle of Nebraska, Beth Hoge of Arizona and Ann Gaffingan.

Already this season, the Nampa, Idaho-native has met an NCAA provisional qualifying mark with her second-place finish (4:42.79) at the Boston University Terrier Classic on Jan. 29. She also won the 800-meter run (2:12.34) and the mile run (4.49.10) at the Clemson Invitational. In her first race of the season, McPherson finished second (2:10.29) to former MSU all-American Tiffany McWilliams in the highlighted 800-meter run championship at the Purple Tiger Invitational.

McPherson and the Lady Bulldogs return to Fayetteville Feb. 25-27 for the 2005 Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships.

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/08/05
Softball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - After collecting a .500 batting average and four home runs in her first official weekend as a collegiate athlete, Mississippi State freshman outfielder Courtney Bures (Haymarket, Va./Stonewall Jackson HS) was named SEC Player of the Week Monday afternoon by the league office in Birmingham, Ala.

Bures, who was one of five MSU players named to the Bulldog Round-Robin all-tournament team on Sunday evening, hit a collective .500 (11-for-22) in six starts this past weekend and was one of the main cogs in State’s run to a 5-1 record and its second consecutive Bulldog Round-Robin tournament championship. Having also turned in a 1.091 slugging percentage with 24 total bases in 22 official at-bats as well as a .571 on-base percentage, Bures also drove in seven runs and scored six times, recording hits in all six games.

Sunday evening, she became one of just five Mississippi State players all-time to homer twice in one game, joining the likes of former MSU all-Americans Kellie Wilkerson and Iyhia McMichael on the distinguished list. Bures’ four-baggers came in consecutive at-bats as the rookie went yard in both her fourth and fifth-inning at bats. Bures has also accounted for four of MSU’s five game-winning RBI this season, while also tallying a lone game-winning run.

The league offensive honor is the first for a Mississippi State freshman since McMichael nabbed the honor on March 26, 2001. Kelli Miller collected SEC Pitcher of the Week accolades for the Bulldogs as a rookie last season. The accolade also marks the ninth consecutive season that the Maroon and White has had at least one SEC weekly award.

"I think it was a great opening weekend for our ball club and, obviously, to have a freshman step up and hit four home runs in her first series and bat .500 on the year, is a great start for Courtney as well," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "To achieve recognition from the SEC right off the bat is a tremendous honor for her and our ball club as well."

As a prep senior, Bures helped lead her Stonewall Jackson HS squad to a 27-2 record, the Virginia Group AAA state championship and a No. 24 ranking in the final NFCA High School Top 25 poll. She was the winning pitcher in the state championship game and scored the game’s only run after an infield single, two stolen bases and a wild pitch against one of the top pitchers in the state.

In the summer of 2003, she was one of 50 players to be invited to the USA Junior World National Team tryouts after leading her summer ball team - the Virginia Shamrocks - to a second place finish at the ASA Gold Nationals, marking the highest finish for a team from the East coast in the history of the tournament.

Source: MSU Media Relations

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Freshman Courtney Bures hit solo home runs in consecutive at-bats and Hayle Guess tallied a solo shot as well as Mississippi State used the long ball to scamper past Mississippi Valley State 8-0 in six innings and clinch the title of the 2005 Bulldog Round-Robin Sunday evening at the MSU Softball Field.

Bures became just the fifth player in school history to go yard twice in one game, joining the likes of former MSU all-Americans Kellie Wilkerson and Iyhia McMichael on the distinguished list. The rookie from Haymarket, Va., finished her opening weekend of collegiate play with a .500 (11-for-22) hitting line that complemented one double, four home runs and seven RBI. Guess, one of eight Bulldogs (5-1) with base hits against the Delta Devilettes (1-5), homered for the second time in her career prior to Bures’ second dinger in the fifth.

MSU starter Stephanie Comeaux (2-0) collected her second victory of the weekend after two-hitting the Devilettes in five innings of work while collecting four strikeouts. Freshman Ragan Blake struck out two in a hitless sixth to pick up the second save of her young career.

Bures, one of just three players on the weekend to hit .500 or better at the MSU Softball Field over the weekend, was joined on the all-tournament team by four of her teammates, including sophomore righthander Kelli Miller who collected tournament MVP honors after posting a 2-0 record, including a no-hitter against Louisiana Tech on Friday, as well as MSU’s decisive victory over N.C. State on Saturday. Junior Callye Williams, sophomore Katie Johnson and freshman Lindsay Hunley also earned spots on the squad.

Scoreless through three and a half innings of play, Bures put the first run of the game on the board with a mammoth shot in the fourth, before State would explode for a five-run fifth inning that put the game away. Guess’ RBI groundout with one out in the bottom of the sixth plated Hunley with State’s eighth run to put the mercy rule into effect.

"The kids adjusted very well at the plate, and that’s a good sign for this time of the year," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "Overall, I think we hit the ball well up and down the lineup over the course of the weekend and we really gave ourselves a good start to the season. If we can go 5-1 every six games the rest of the way we are in good shape. It was a good first weekend for us."

Mississippi State will return to action this weekend when the Bulldogs make the trip to Lafayette, La., as one of three teams involved in the Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational. MState will begin its portion of round-robin tournament play on Sunday at 11 a.m. against McNeese State, before locking horns for the first of two games with seventh-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette later in the day.

Source: MSU Media Relations

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Jennifer Jessup’s pinch-hit two-run home run capped off a six-run sixth inning for Mississippi State to help the Bulldogs erase a four-run deficit after the top half of the frame as the Maroon and White kept their tournament championship hopes alive with a thrilling 9-7 victory Sunday afternoon at the MSU Softball Field.

Four different players recorded multi-hit nights at the plate for the Maroon and White (4-1), but it was a clutch three-run triple by senior Tanelda McDonald that sparked the rally in the sixth that, ultimately, decided the outcome. Sophomore Hayle Guess crossed the plate three times on a 3-for-4 tally to pace the hit column for the Bulldogs. Brittany Stanley scored twice on a 3-for-4 tally to pace the Louisiana Tech (1-5) hitters.

Melissa Massey (1-1) matched a career high with 10 strikeouts, but had to shake off a rocky start that saw the Bulldogs fall behind early in the contest. Tech starter Leslie Aycock (1-1) saddled the loss for the Lady Techsters, allowing eight earned runs on a season-high 13 Mississippi State hits.

Louisiana Tech used a myriad of Maroon and White errors to take a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the first, but the Bulldogs loaded the bases with their first three at-bats of the first and, eventually, scored a pair of runs to answer Tech. The Bulldogs would eventually tie the score on an illegal pitch by Aycock in the second that gave Guess a free pass home from third base.

However, Louisiana Tech rallied for two runs in the fourth, then stretched their lead out to four on a crucial fielding error by the Bulldogs in the sixth. MSU got consecutive hits from Keri McFarling and Guess to begin their half of the frame, then got a RBI single from Lindsay Hunley to shrink its deficit to three. Katie Johnson drew a one-out walk two batters late to set the table for McDonald who delivered a bases-clearing triple to the gap in rightfield. Two batters later, Jessup would deliver her fifth career homer over the wall in the same stretch of land.

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/07/05
Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - MSU's 72nd-ranked Lady Bulldog netters improved to 2-0 on the season with their 7-0 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks on Sunday at the A. J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

State started the match winning the doubles point with shutouts at the first and second positions. MSU's 46th-ranked duo of Zsuzsanna Fodor and Anastasia Kugakolova defeated Kansas's Elizaveta Avdeeva and Lauren Hommell, 8-0, at No. 1. Polina Kokoulina and Magdi Rekasi won their second spot match against Brittany Brown and Ashley Filberth, 8-0. Hayley Rudman and Tarryn Rudman took their match in an 8-5 decision over Luiza Loureiro and Christine Skoda at the third position.

In singles, senior Rekasi won the team's second point of the match with her 6-1, 6-1 win over Filberth at No. 5. Winning the third point, Kokoulina defeated Hommell, 6-3, 6-3, at the fourth spot. 28th-ranked Fodor clinched the match for MSU with her 6-3, 6-2 win against Jayhawk Avdeeva at the first position.

Tarryn Rudman, ranked 124th, won the first set of her match at No. 3 against Brown, 6-3, and took the second set in a 7-6(4) tiebreaker. After falling 6-2 in the first set, freshman Renée Joseph came back and won her match at the sixth spot, defeating Stephanie Smith 6-0, 6-0 in the second and third set. At No. 2, Kugakolova won her match against Christine Skoda in a 7-6(5), 6-4 decision.

Next, State will host the UAB Blazers in a 1 p.m. at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on Sat., Feb. 12.

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/06/05
Men's Tennis
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In a match that featured three three-set affairs and two tiebreakers, Mississippi State's 30th-ranked men's tennis team dropped a tight 4-3 decision at 48th-ranked Louisville Saturday evening on the road. The win for UL extended the Cardinals' home winning streak to 32 consecutive matches.

State (2-1) suffered its first loss ever to the Cardinals (now 4-1). The teams were playing for the first time since 2000.

State gained the opening point of the day by pulling out two close doubles contests at the top two spots. After State fell 8-2 at No. 3, 10th-ranked Bulldogs Luiz Carvalho and Jose-Carlos Pinto held on to an early service break for their fifth consecutive win, an 8-6 triumph over Cardinals Jeremy Clark and Jakob Gustafsson at No. 1. At No. 2, MSU's tandem of Ivan Bjelica and Florent Girod led 7-5 only to see UL tie the score at 7-7. But State held serve and then broke to down Louisville's duo of Jhonny Berrido and Mark Kennedy 9-7.

State would gain a 2-0 lead in the match when the junior Girod notched a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Clark at the No. 6 singles spot to improve his dual match record to 3-0 this season. Louisville then gots its first point of the day with a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory from 124th-ranked Damar Johnson, who bested Carvalho 6-3, 7-6(3) at the top position. The Cardinals knotted the score at 2-2 when Octavian Nicodim posted a 6-1, 6-4 decision over State's 95th-ranked Pinto at the No. 4 spot.

The last three matches of the day, which all featured first-year players for the Bulldogs, would all go three sets, producing a close finish. Louisville gained a 3-2 lead when Berrido rallied to down State rookie Pierre Mouillon 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-0 at the No. 5 position. Bjelica then evened the score for the Bulldogs, holding off UL's Nicolas Houard 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 at No. 2.

That left State true freshman Philippe Frayssinoux and the the Cardinal junior Gustafsson on the court to decide the match. After the players traded sets, Gustafsson gained an early 3-1 lead in the third. Frayssinoux then reeled off three straight games for a 4-3, one-break advantage. But Gustafsson would return the favor, winning the last three games of the match to hand Louisville the win. Frayssinoux fought off two match points in the last game before Gustafsson finally put away the contest on the third opportunity.

"We knew this would be a tough challenge for us. It was a classic 4-3 match that could have easily gone either way," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "Louisville is very good at home and had a great crowd to support them. Our guys gave a good effort, but we just didn't quite get over the hump. We had three young players playing in those last three matches on and they all played very well given the circumstances. They will win matches like that the more they get experience in that type of situation. We will build on this loss and improve on the areas where we came up short today."

State now turns its focus to its annual battle with sixth-ranked, arch-rival Mississippi in the River Hills Cup. That contest is slated for this Thursday, Feb. 10, at 5 p.m. CT at River Hills Club in Jackson. For ticket information, State fans should contact River Hills at 601-987-4438.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Indoor Track & Field
NEW YORK - Former Mississippi State University track and field standout Tiffany McWilliams finished fourth (4:37.16) in the Fred Lebow Women's Mile at the 98th Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden on Friday evening.

"It was a good opening mile for her," said MSU head coach Al Schmidt, who has continued to coach McWilliams during her professional career. "We've got three weeks until nationals. We know what we have to do."

Canada's Carmen Douma-Hussar won the event in 4:32.47. The United States' Sarah Schwald (4:33.69) and Mary Jayne Harrelson (4:36.26) placed second and third, respectively. Ethipoia's Mestawat Tadesse finished in fifth behind McWilliams in 4:39.11. Amy Mortimer (4:38.72) and Meskern Legesse (4:57.69) rounded out the field.

"Every race that I run, I learn something," McWilliams said. "This race was a good experience for me. I know what I need to do now. I am looking forward to the rest of the season."

In three seasons at State, McWilliams captured three NCAA individual titles: two in the outdoor 800-meter run (2003 & 2004) and the indoor mile (2004). The four-time all-American and seven-time Southeastern Conference champion was named the 2004 SEC Female Runner of the Year. For her efforts in the classroom, she was named to the 2004 SEC Academic Honor Roll and 2003 National Collegiate Division I Track Coaches Association all-Academic Team.

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/04/05
Women's Track & Field
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Former Mississippi State track and field standout Tiffany McWilliams will compete in the Fred Lebow Women's Mile at the 98th Millrose Games Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. NBC will air the event on a tape-delay basis Saturday at 1 p.m. CT.

Other competitors in the event include: Carmen Douma-Hussar, the 2004 world indoor silver medalist for Canada; Meskeren Legesse, who competed against McWilliams last week in Boston; Mary Jayne Harrelson, a two-time NCAA outdoor champion and 2003 Pan Am silver medalist; Sarah Schwald, the 1995 NCAA 3000-meter indoor champion and 2001 world championships semifinalist; Amy Mortimer, a two-time Big XII champion; and Mestawat Tadesse, a 2004 Olympian.

In three seasons at State, McWilliams captured three NCAA individual titles: two in the outdoor 800-meter run (2003 & 2004) and the indoor mile (2004). The four-time all-American and seven-time Southeastern Conference champion was named the 2004 SEC Female Runner of the Year. For her efforts in the classroom, she was named to the 2004 SEC Academic Honor Roll and 2003 National Collegiate Division I Track Coaches Association all-Academic Team.

According to the organization, the Millrose Games has been a sporting fixture in New York City since 1908. Held annually since 1914, the Millrose Games is the longest running sporting event in Madison Square Garden history. In all, 87 world indoor records have been set or equaled and 117 Millrose Winners have been Olympic Champions. The Millrose Games is part of the prestigious USA Track & Field "Golden Spike Tour". For more information, please visit www.millrosegames.com.

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/03/05
Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's 30th-ranked men's tennis team posted a 6-1 victory over visiting No. 72 UAB Wednesday, moving to 2-0 on the season in a match that was moved indoors due to poor weather conditions.

MSU now owns a 20-1 lead in the series with UAB (2-1). The teams have met every season since 1991. State has won 12 in a row between the teams.

State got out to the early 1-0 lead by claiming the doubles point. After the teams traded wins at the top two positions, the MSU rookie tandem of Philippe Frayssinoux and Pierre Mouillon notched an 8-4 win over Blazers Anton Mavrin and Kristijan Mitrovski.

In singles, State would claim the first three matches completed to quickly secure the team victory.

MSU posted identical 6-4, 6-4 wins at the top two spots in the lineup for a 3-0 lead. Senior Luiz Carvalho downed UAB's Sebastian Falk at No. 1 while sophomore Ivan Bjelica bested Mavrin at No. 2. Clinching the match for MSU would be the freshman Frayssinoux, who was a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Thomas Werkmann at No. 3.

The Blazers' lone point of the day came in a tight match at the No. 4 spot, where Andre Maier held off State's Jose-Carlos Pinto 6-2, 4-6, 1-0(7).

Bulldogs Mouillon and Florent Girod then cruised to straight-set wins at the bottom two spots to cap State's scoring on the day. Mouillon was a 6-3, 6-1 victor over UAB's Mitrovski at No. 5, while Girod ousted Filip Kanczula 6-1, 6-1.

"Even though UAB is ranked 72nd in the nation, this is a big win for our team," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "UAB has a very talented team and we took care of business at some critical times today against them. The doubles point could have gone either way and one and two singles were both very tight. The guys did a good job of focusing at the right times in this match and giving us the momentum. Now we have a tough road match to get ready for Saturday."

MSU hits the road this Saturday, Feb. 5, to meet 48th-ranked Louisville in Louisville, Ky. The Bulldogs and Cardinal have not met since a State win in Waco, Texas, in the first round of the 2000 NCAA Championship.

Source: MSU Media Relations

02/02/05
Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's men's tennis team, which maintained its No. 30 national ranking in Tuesday's latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll, will continue its 2005 schedule Wednesday, hosting UAB. Match time between the Bulldogs and Blazers is set for 2 p.m. at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. In case of inclement weather, the match will be moved indoors to McCarthy Gymnasium.

State is coming off a season-opening win over New Orleans Sunday afternoon on campus. The Bulldogs swept doubles play against the Privateers and posted straight-set wins at five singles positions to notch the victory. UAB, coming in at 72nd nationally in Tuesday's poll, is 2-0 on the year, having registered shutout wins over Alabama A&M and 68th-ranked Central Florida early on this season.

Mississippi State and UAB have met on the tennis court 20 times in the modern era (since 1969), with State holding a 19-1 advantage over the Blazers. The teams have met every season since 1991, all meetings having been in Starkville. UAB's lone victory in the series came in 1993 in a 5-2 upset (MSU was ranked #7, UAB was #18). State went on to win the SEC title and reach the NCAA round of 16 that year.

"As they are every year, UAB will be a tough matchup for us again this season," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "(Coach) Derek (Tarr) is a veteran of college tennis and always has great talent on his teams. This year is no different and they have played very well in their first two matches. We will have to be very prepared for this match."

Following Wednesday's matchup, MSU will hit the road this Saturday, Feb. 5, to meet 48th-ranked Louisville in Louisville, Ky. The Bulldogs and Cardinals have not met since a State win in Waco, Texas, in the first round of the 2000 NCAA Championship.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Indoor Track & Field
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University women's indoor track and field standout Jennifer McPherson entered the Trackwire Dandy Dozen list at the No. 10 spot for the mile run for the week of Feb. 1, as release by the organization today.

"I think she has been the best kept secret in the country over the last year and a half," said MSU head coach Al Schmidt. "Everyone is going to see how good she is. It's her time to shine. We hope great things are ahead for her."

The junior from Nampa, Idaho has finished first or second in each race she has competed in this season. On Jan. 15, McPherson finished second to former Lady Bulldog Tiffany McWilliams in the highlighted 800-meter run championship at the Purple Tiger Invitational in Baton Rouge, La., with a collegiate-best time of 2:10.69. The following week at Clemson, she won the 800-meter run (2:12.34) and the mile run (4:49.10). This past weekend at the Terrier Classic in Boston, McPherson met an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the mile run, finishing second with a collegiate-best time of 4:42.79.

McPherson and the Lady Bulldogs return to action on Feb. 25-28, at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.

According to the organization, factors used to build the Dandy Dozen include quantitative values that measure performances in past major competitions (such as conference championships, national championships and Olympic competition), durability and freedom from injuries, demonstrated ability to compete well in multiple rounds of competition, ability in other events, head-to-head competition with other top athletes, and personal or seasonal bests. For more information on Trackwire's Power Rankings or Dandy Dozen, please visit www.trackwire.com.

02/01/05
STARKVILLE, Miss. ­ Mississippi State Athletics and Recreational Sports are promoting women in sports in conjunction with National Girl¹s Sports Day this Saturday, Feb. 5, at Joe Frank Sanderson Center on the MSU campus and with "Take A Kid To The Game" promotion on Sunday, Feb. 6 at the Lady Bulldog basketball game vs. LSU at 2 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum.

On Saturday, Feb. 5, Recreational Sports will host Girl's Sports Day at the Sanderson Center. Girls ages 6-18 years old are invited to participate in a day of promoting fun and healthy activities to encourage girls' involvement in sports. These activities include aerobics, yoga, a soccer clinic and a volleyball clinic. Registration begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5, at the Sanderson Center. Admission is free and parents are welcome to participate. Activities are from 8:30 a.m. ­ 12:30 p.m. Participants will also receive complimentary tickets to a Lady Bulldog softball game vs. Mississippi Valley State on Saturday at 2 p.m. and to the women's hoop's game vs. LSU on Sunday at 2 p.m.

"It's a two-day event. Our portion will provide instruction in soccer, volleyball, aerobics and yoga," said Director of Recreational Sports Laura Walling. "We are doing this in part with National Girl's Sports Day. We are hoping this year will be another big event. Last year we had 250 girls sign up and we have 160 girls with a week to go. It's great for the girls to interact with other athletes and learn more about sports in general. They can learn other ways to stay active and healthy with aerobics and yoga."

The Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs will host top-ranked LSU in a 2 p.m. showdown on Sunday afternoon in Humphrey Coliseum. In an effort to get children involved in sports, MSU will participate in "Take A Kid To The Game", where any child (18 and under) who is accompanied by a paying adult, will get into the game free. Each adult may bring any number of youths with them.

MSU women's athletics home weekend schedule:

Friday, Feb. 4
2 p.m. MSU Softball vs. NC State
4 p.m. MSU Softball vs. Louisiana Tech

Saturday, Feb. 5
2 p.m. MSU Softball vs. Mississippi Valley State
4 p.m. MSU Softball vs. NC State

Sunday, Feb. 6
Noon MSU Women's Tennis vs. Kansas
2 p.m. MSU Women's Basketball vs. LSU
2 p.m. MSU Softball vs. Louisiana Tech
4 p.m. MSU Softball vs. Mississippi Valley State

Source: MSU Media Relations