6/29/05
Volleyball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Twelve home matches at the Newell-Grissom Building and competition in a trio of September tournaments highlight Mississippi State University's 26-match volleyball schedule for 2005.

The Bulldogs open the season and a 12-match home schedule August 27 against instate non-conference rival Southern Miss.

State returns five starters from last year's squad which posted a a 14-16 record. MSU matched a school record with five wins in Southeastern Conference play in Tina Seals' first season as head coach.

"It's another challenging schedule, but we're looking forward to the opportunity to build on last year's success," said Seals. "We'll face some good competition in the early portion of our schedule, and we want to use that to prepare us for what we expect will be a rugged run of 16 consecutive Southeastern Conference matches."

Mississippi State makes first-time trips to Blacksburg, Va., and Dayton, Ohio, for early-season tournament competition at Virginia Tech (Sept. 2-3) and the University of Dayton (Sept. 9-10). MSU then closes out non-conference competition hosting Arkansas-Little Rock, Louisiana-Lafayette and Tennessee-Martin in the 2005 MSU/Microtel Classic. The two-day event, along with MSU's other nine home matches, will be contested in the Newell-Grissom Building.

State opens its 16-match 2005 Southeastern Conference schedule Sept. 23 when the Bulldogs entertain perennial SEC power Florida. MSU also hosts league matches with SEC East foes Georgia and Kentucky and SEC Western Division rivals Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Louisiana State and Mississippi.

Mississippi State plays all but two of its 26 matches on weekends this fall. Both of MSU's matchups with instate league foe Mississippi - Oct. 19 in Starkville and Nov. 2 in Oxford - are Wednesday night matches.

In addition to playing all home matches at the Newell-Grissom Building, MSU's 2005 volleyball schedule includes one other change. First serve for Mississippi State's three Sunday home matches with Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana State is 1:30 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than State's past standard Sunday match start times.

The eight-team, double-elimination 2005 SEC Volleyball Tournament is set Nov. 18-20 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

2005 MSU VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 27 - Southern Miss

Sept. 2 - vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Sept. 3 - vs. Georgetown
Sept. 3 - at Virginia Tech
Sept. 9 - vs. Indiana State
Sept. 10 - vs. Virginia
Sept. 10 - at Dayton
Sept. 16 - UL-Lafayette
Sept. 17 - UT-Martin
Sept. 17 - Arkansas-Little Rock
Sept. 23- Florida
Sept. 25 - Georgia
Sept. 30 - at South Carolina

Oct. 2 - at Tennessee
Oct. 7 - Auburn
Oct. 9 - Alabama
Oct. 14 - at Louisiana State
Oct. 16 - at Arkansas
Oct. 19- Mississippi
Oct. 23 - at Auburn
Oct. 28 - Kentucky

Nov. 2 - at Mississippi
Nov. 4 - Arkansas
Nov. 6 - Louisiana State
Nov. 11 - at Georgia
Nov. 13 - at Florida
Nov. 18-20 - SEC Tournament (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Source: MSU Media Relations

6/21/05
Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. - A 10-game home fixture, as well as four games against teams that qualified for NCAA tournament play last season, highlight the 20-game 2005 Mississippi State soccer schedule released Monday afternoon by head coach Neil Macdonald.

Playing an 11-game conference schedule for just the second time in league history, the Bulldogs will face five of their Southeastern Conference foes in Starkville, including a mid-October four-game league homestand. The Maroon and White will face both SEC divisional winners on the road, including a late-September clash at defending SEC champion Tennessee.

The SEC finished third in last year's final RPI power numbers. The SEC's RPI finish was highlighted by a quartet of NCAA Tournament teams, including the Lady Vols who advanced through to the round of 16.

Mississippi State will open its 2005 slate at home, renewing a two-game old series with Iowa State under the lights on August 26, before taking on Samford to close out the weekend on Sunday afternoon. State will then hit the road for consecutive weekends, first traveling for games at Georgia State on Sept. 2 and South Alabama on Sept. 4, then heading to El Paso, Texas, for the Sun City Invitational where it will battle host-UTEP on Sept. 10 and Sacramento State on Sept. 11.

The Bulldogs final tune up for league play will come in the form of a split weekend, Sept. 16-18, as the Maroon and White travels for its annual clash with regional rival Memphis, before returning home on Sunday afternoon to host Charlotte at the MSU Soccer Field.

In a reverse trend from the 2004 schedule, the Bulldogs will open league play with four consecutive road games, traveling for dates with Tennessee and Georgia on September 23 and 25, respectively, before closing out the road trip at Arkansas and LSU on September 30 and October 1. A Friday evening tilt with Auburn on October 7 will kick off a four-game homestand that will welcome the likes of Alabama, Florida and South Carolina as well.

A home-and-away weekend against Vanderbilt and Kentucky, Oct. 21-23, as well as an October 28 clash against Ole Miss in Oxford will put a wrap on the league schedule, with the Bulldogs closing out regular season play on October 30 in a home contest with Mississippi Valley State. The 2005 SEC Tournament will take place, Nov. 3-6, in Orange Beach, Ala.

Mississippi State will return six starters and 12 letterwinners from its 2004 squad that finished the season 9-9-3, including its second berth into SEC Tournament play.

2005 MISSISSIPPI STATE SOCCER SCHEDULE

Date (Day) - Opponent - Location - Time

August 26 (Friday) - IOWA STATE - STARKVILLE - 7 p.m.
August 28 (Sunday) - SAMFORD - STARKVILLE - 1 p.m.
September 2 (Friday) - at Georgia State - Atlanta, Ga. - 7 p.m.
September 4 (Sunday) - at South Alabama - Mobile, Ala. - 1 p.m.
September 10-11 - at Sun City Invitational - El Paso, Texas
September 10 (Saturday) - at UTEP - El Paso, Texas - Noon
September 11 (Sunday) - vs. Sacramento State - El Paso, Texas - Noon
September 16 (Friday) - at Memphis - Memphis, Tenn. - 7 p.m.
September 18 (Sunday) - CHARLOTTE - STARKVILLE - 1 p.m.
September 23 (Friday) - at Tennessee - Knoxville, Tenn. - 7 p.m.
September 25 (Sunday) - at Georgia - Athens, Ga. - 2 p.m.
September 30 (Friday) - at Arkansas - Fayetteville, Ark. - 7 p.m.
October 2 (Sunday) - at LSU - Baton Rouge, La. - 1 p.m.
October 7 (Friday) - AUBURN - STARKVILLE - 7 p.m.
October 9 (Sunday) - ALABAMA - STARKVILLE - 1 p.m.
October 14 (Friday) - FLORIDA - STARKVILLE - 7 p.m.
October 16 (Sunday) - SOUTH CAROLINA - STARKVILLE - 1 p.m.
October 21 (Friday) - at Vanderbilt - Nashville, Tenn. - 7 p.m.
October 23 (Sunday) - KENTUCKY - STARKVILLE - 1 p.m.
October 28 (Friday) - at Ole Miss - Oxford, Miss. - 7 p.m.
October 30 (Sunday) - MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE - STARKVILLE - 1 p.m.
November 3-6 - at SEC Tournament - Orange Beach, Ala. - TBA
November 11-13 - NCAA First/Second Round Campus Sites - TBA
November 18-20 - NCAA Third Round - Campus Sites - TBA
November 25-27 - NCAA Quarterfinals - Campus Sites - TBA
December 2-4 - NCAA Women’s College Cup - College Station, Texas - TBA

Source: MSU Media Relations

6/13/05
Men's Golf
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Mississippi State’s men’s golf coach Clay Homan won the 2005 Mississippi State Amateur Championship on Sunday at the Hattiesburg Country Club. The second-year coach fired a final-round eight-under par 64 to finish the 72-hole event at 13-under par.

This year’s title is the second for Homan. He captured the 1994 State Amateur title at Colonial Deerfield. Homan qualified for the event on Monday with an even-par round to take the last qualifying spot in the field.

The Fulton, Miss. native came into the final round trailing MSU signee Matt Fast by four strokes. Fast finished at 11-under par with a two-under par 70 to finish runner-up to his future head coach in the fall.

State sophomore Josh Oller posted a fourth-place finish after recording a final round score of 73. MSU’s Jake Lambert finished the four-day event in 22nd-place.

Source: MSU Media Relations

6/12/05
Track & Field
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Mississippi State University men’s outdoor track and field team closed on the 2005 season on Saturday night at the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The event was held at the Alex G. Spanos Complex in Sacramento, Calif.

"The 400-meter dash was a tremendous race," said MSU head coach Al Schmidt. "It was Jamel’s (Ashley) fifth 400 on the weekend. His last three races were 44.98, 44.75 and 44.80 on a relay. Everybody stepped up for us tonight. LaChristopher (Lewis) hadn’t run a 400 since the Penn Relays because of his injury. Elzie (Coleman) did a great job. He really just popped out of the blocks and that’s a lot to ask of a freshman.

"Jamel running the anchor leg allowed LaChristopher to take some pressure off, and he ran quite a leg. Hopefully, we’ll be top 25 after this. We’re proud of our athletes. After everything we’ve been through this week, they’ve helped with the stress and pain. They’ve handled themselves with class, and the people here have treated them with respect. We’ll be back."

In the 400-meter dash, senior Jamel Ashley finished second in 44.75 seconds, breaking his day-old school record. The Dudley, Ga.-native was awarded his second all-America honor in the event. Darrold Williamson of Baylor won in 44.51. SEC 400-meter dash champion Kelly Willie of LSU (45.17) and Arkansas’ Terry Gatson (45.68) finished sixth and seventh, respectively.

In the 4x400-meter relay, State led off with freshman Elzie Coleman and followed with sophomore Arthur Davis, senior LaChristopher Lewis and Ashley. The Bulldogs clocked a school record 3:01.63, breaking the second-oldest standing record from 1982. The previous school record was 3:02.80 run by Michael Hadley, Daryl Jones, Michael Moore and George Washington when they won the 4x400-meter relay national championship.

Davis, Ashley and Lewis were each garnered with their second all-American awards in the event, while Coleman, junior Kendall Pyant II and freshman Chris Woods picked up their first.

As a team, the Bulldogs finished tied for 26th with 12 points.

Source: MSU Media Relations

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Mississippi State University senior all-American Jamel Ashley inched one step closer to improving on his eighth place finish from a year ago in the 400-meter dash on the third day of the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The event is being held at the Alex G. Spanos Complex in Sacramento, Calif.

Ashley posted the second-best semifinal time, running a blistering 44.98, a personal and school record for the Dudley, Ga.-native. The previous school record was held by Jude Monye (45.04), set in 1995.

Ashley finished ahead of Arkansas’ Terry Gatson and 2004 Olympian Kelly Willie of LSU. Saturday’s final is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT.

Senior LaChristopher Lewis was awarded all-American status in the long jump after finishing 11th during Thursday’s competition. Lewis was previously named an all-American in the 400-meter dash (2003) and 4x400-meter relay (2004).

MSU’s 4x400-meter relay team of freshman Elzie Coleman, sophomore all-American Arthur Davis, Ashley and senior all-American LaChristopher Lewis close out the 2005 campaign on Saturday at 10:35 CT.

"If Arthur (Davis) can run what he has been again and with Jamel running like he did tonight, we could run 3:01 in the 4x4 final tomorrow," said MSU head coach Al Schmidt. "Jamel’s going at it in the 400 and will be running in the 4x4 as well. He just needs to keep doing what he’s doing. We may still finish top 15 as a team. Hopefully, through all of the adversity, we can show we’re still one of the top teams in the country."

Source: MSU Media Relations

Men's Golf
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Mississippi State men’s golf signee Matt Fast sits atop the leaderboard at the 90th Mississippi State Amateur Championship being contested at the Hattiesburg Country Club. The future Bulldog leads the 72-hole event at nine-under par. The Hattiesburg, Miss. native has registered rounds of 67, 69 and 71.

MSU sophomore Josh Oller trails Fast by just two strokes at seven-under par thru 54 holes. The Brandon, Miss. product posted a 67 on Saturday after carding back-to-back 71’s on Thursday and Friday.

State head men’s golf coach Clay Homan, who captured the 1994 title is currently tied for fifth at five-under par. Homan opened the championship with 71. On Friday the Fulton, Miss. native fired a 67. He closed out his third round with a 73.

Sophomore Jake Lambert heads into Sunday’s finale sitting in 37th-place. He opened the tournament with a 69 on Thursday. On the weekend he has scored rounds of 75 and 79.

Final results of the State Amateur will be posted at the conclusion of the final round on the Mississippi Golf Association’s web site www.missgolf.org.

Source: MSU Media Relations

6/10/05
Track & Field
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Mississippi State University men’s track and field team closed out the second day of the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with the 4x400-meter relay squad advancing to the finals. The event is being held at the Alex G. Spanos Complex in Sacramento, Calif.

"We were real pleased with the 4x400-meter relay," said MSU head coach Al Schmidt. "They looked good. LaChristopher’s (Lewis) spinal bifida is something he was born with and it got to him today."

In the 4x4, State ran 3 minutes, 3.81 seconds, the fourth-best time in school history and seventh-best qualifying time in the preliminaries. MSU led off with freshman Elzie Coleman, followed by sophomore all-American Arthur Davis, senior all-American Jamel Ashley and senior all-American LaChristopher Lewis. The 4x4 final is Saturday at 10:35 p.m. CT.

In the long jump finals, Lewis finished 11th with a leap of 23-9 1/2.

Ashley will compete in the 400-meter dash semifinals on Friday at 9:25 p.m. CT.

Source: MSU Media Relations

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships got underway on Wednesday at the Alex G. Spanos Complex. Mississippi State University senior all-Americans Jamel Ashley and LaChristopher Lewis advanced in their respective events on the opening day.

"Jamel (Ashley) ran well," said MSU head coach Al Schmidt. "LaChristopher (Lewis) had decent jumps. Just getting through is the main thing. Our goal here is to have some all-Americans and finish top 20 nationally."

In the 400-meter dash, Ashley finished second in his heat, eighth overall, in the preliminaries in 46.18 seconds. Sophomore all-American Arthur Davis finished 24th overall in the event.

In the long jump qualifying round, Lewis leaped 24-3 1/2 to finish fourth in his flight and 10th overall and advance to Thursday’s final.

On Thursday, Lewis competes in the long jump final at 9 p.m. CT and the Bulldogs’ 4x400-meter relay team takes the track for the qualifying round at 10:40 p.m. CT.

Source: MSU Media Relations

6/9/05
Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Spots remain open for either of two summer soccer camps to be offered by Mississippi State next week, head coach Neil Macdonald announced Wednesday afternoon.

A girls residential camp, as well as boys and girls day camp, will both be offered next week. The girls residential camp, which runs Monday through Thursday, is open to females ages 10 and older and the boys and girls day camp is open to children ages 6 to 12. The day camp will be offered Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

In the residential camp, campers will be grouped according to age and ability. Each daily session will be devoted to technical skills training as well as tactical development. Evening sessions will consist of full-field games which will incorporate daily topics. All sessions will be held at the Mississippi State Soccer Field.

Campers will receive 24-hour supervision on a daily basis and will be housed in air conditioned dormitories. Training sessions are with coaches, as well as former and current MSU Soccer players. All MSU camps are staffed full-time by certified athletic trainers and all campers will receive an MSU Soccer Camp ball and t-shirt.

Teams are invited to attend the girls residential camp. This camp is designed to develop team tactics at the select level. Each team will be trained by select college coaches. Various tactical and functional topics will be covered according to age and skill level of the team. Sessions will focus on team attacking and defending principals as well as dynamics in small groups. Teams that attend with a minimum of six players will receive a discount when signing up at the same time.

In the boys and girls day camp, campers will be grouped according to age and ability. Each daily session will begin with a technical skills topic, with the latter part of training leading into tactical development.

For more information on the MSU Soccer summer camps, or to obtain an application, please contact camp administrators at (662) 325-2722. Applications for the camps can also be obtained by logging on to Mississippi State's official athletic department website, www.MStateAthletics.com.

Source: MSU Media Relations

6/8/05
Men's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State’s men’s golf coach Clay Homan has qualified for the 90th Mississippi State Amateur Championship, June 9-12 at the Hattiesburg Country Club in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The second-year coach fired a 72 in the qualifying round on Monday at the Hattiesburg CC course. Homan is no stranger to the State Amateur Championship setting. The Fulton, Miss. native captured the 1994 State Amateur Title at Colonial Country Club at Deerfield.

Homan will be joined in the field by two current Bulldog golfers and an in-coming signee. Sophomore Josh Oller will be competing for the third consecutive year. In 2004, the Brandon, Miss. product placed fifth in the final standings. He placed 25th in the 2003 State Championship. MSU’s Jake Lambert will also vie for the crown this week in the Hub City.

Matt Fast, who signed with the Maroon and White last fall, will be playing in the 72-hole, four-day event in his hometown. Fast won the Mississippi Class 5A State Championship this past spring. He will be playing with Oller in the first two rounds of competition.

The tournament is a 72-hole stroke format. The field will be trimmed to 60 players after 36 holes of play. The last time the event was held at Hattiesburg CC was in 1987.

Results of the State Amateur will be posted daily after conclusion of each round on the Mississippi Golf Association’s web site www.missgolf.org.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Track & Field
STARKVILLE, Miss. - On the brink of one of the finest men’s sprints seasons in Mississippi State University track and field history, four individuals and two relay teams are set to represent the Bulldogs at the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The event is being held at the Alex G. Spanos Complex in Sacramento, Calif.

"LaChristopher (Lewis) is day-to-day (with his hip flexor injury)," said MSU head coach Al Schmidt. "He’ll compete in the long jump, 4x100 and 4x400. We’ve got subs that could step in if we needed it. Jamel (Ashley) leads off the 4x4 and that’s a critical role. Only someone with experience can do that. LaChristopher anchoring solidifies our relays. He’s the type of runner you want running the backstretch on the 4x4. They both bring leadership qualities.

"Steve’s one of the best 100-meter dash guys in the county. I think he runs the best 4x100 third leg in the country. Arthur (Davis) is a much better 400 runner. He’s reliable. You have to have someone who can handle the baton ­­ handing it off and taking it. Steve’s very experienced in the 100. He has great acceleration and turnover. Walter Dix (Florida State) is one of the best freshmen in the nation. The wind direction could play a role in the race. Anything could happen."

MSUs’ athletes in attendance at the championship include Southeastern Conference and Mideast Regional 100-meter dash champion Steve Mullings, SEC long jump champion and all-American LaChristopher Lewis, all-American Jamel Ashley, all-American Arthur Davis, Elzie Coleman, Eliott Morant, Kendall Pyant II and Chris Woods (complete athlete bios are below).

State’s 4x100-meter relay team will take the track at 5:45 p.m. CT on Wednesday. Lewis’ qualifying round of the long jump begins at 5:30 p.m. CT and Mullings’ first round of the 100-meter dash and Ashley and Davis’ first round of the 400-meter dash are scheduled for 7:40 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. CT, respectively Wednesday.

Thursday opens with Mullings running in round one of the 200-meter dash at 7:10 p.m. CT. If Lewis advances to the long jump finals, it is scheduled for 9 p.m. CT. The 200-meter semifinals are slated for 9:05 p.m. CT and the 4x400-meter relay’s round one competition is at 10:40 p.m CT.

Should the 4x100-meter relay and Mullings (100) advance to their event finals, those are scheduled for Friday. The 4x100-meter final is set for 8:30 p.m. CT and the 100 final at 10:20 p.m. CT.

The final day of competition may feature three individual finals and a relay event for the Bulldogs. If Ashley and Davis advance to the final, it is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT. Mulllings’ 200-meter dash final would follow at 9:10 p.m. CT. State’s 4x400-meter relay team could run in the finals at 10:35 p.m. CT.

Here is a look at Mississippi State’s competitors at the NCAA Championships:

Jamel Ashley
All-American, 400-meter dash and 4x400-meter relay

Ashley returns to the national championships hoping to improve on his finish from last season. During the 2004 NCAA Championships in Austin, Ashley finished eighth in the 400-meter dash (45.63) and was a member of the third-place 4x400-meter relay team (3:03.57). Both performances earned him all-American honors.

In 2005, Ashley ran the third-fastest time in school history at the Mideast Regional, finishing third in 45.38. He finished second in 400 at the SEC Championships (45.72). Ashley won the Jace Lacoste Invitational 400-meter dash title (45.69) and took fourth at the LSU Alumni Gold meet (46.57).

In relay events, Ashley ran the first leg of the 4x100- and 4x400-meter relays at the Mideast Regional and ran the second leg of the 4x1 at the SEC Championships. Ashley also ran the first leg of the 4x4 relay team that finished third at the Penn Relays (3:03.44) and ran the third fastest time in school history. At the Texas Relays, Ashley ran the second leg of the third-place 4x1 who ran 39.09, tying the school record.

Elzie Coleman

In his first season for the Maroon and White, Coleman has left his mark in school history as a member of the 4x400-meter relay team. Running the third leg of the 4x4, Coleman was on the third-place Penn Relays squad (3:03.44), the third fastest time in school history. At the Mideast Regional, Coleman stepped in as an alternate and ran the anchor leg of the 4x100-meter relay (39.57).

Arthur Davis
All-American, 4x400-meter relay

Last season in Austin, Davis ran on the third-place 4x400-meter relay team (3:03.57). Previously this season, he finished seventh in the finals off the 400-meter dash at the Mideast Regional (46.65) and SEC Championships (46.84). Running the third leg of the 4x100, Davis and the Bulldogs finished fourth at the Mideast Regional (39.57). He also ran the second leg of the 4x4 team that finished fifth (3:05.99). At SECs, State’s 4x1team took third (39.56). At the Penn Relays, Davis ran the 4x4 third leg (3:03.44), the third-fastest time in school history.

LaChristopher Lewis
All-American, 4x400-meter relay
2005 Southeastern Conference Long Jump Champion

Last season in Austin, Lewis also ran on the third-place 4x400-meter relay team (3:03.57). This season, he will compete in the 4x100- and 4x400-meter relays and the long jump. At the Mideast Regional, Lewis finished sixth in the long jump (24-3 1/2). Lewis won the SEC long jump title in Nashville with a leap of 25-1 1/4 and ran the anchor leg of the 4x1 (39.56). At the Penn Relays, Lewis ran the 4x4 anchor leg (3:03.44), the third-fastest time in school history and at the Texas Relays, he ran the anchor leg of the third-place 4x1 who ran 39.09, tying the school record. In the long jump, in addition to winning the SEC title, Lewis won the Bulldog Invitational (25-1 1/2). His mark of 24-10 was good enough for sixth at the Texas Relays.

Eliott Morant

As a sophomore, Eliott Morant has had a breakout season for MSU. Morant ran the first leg of the 4x100-meter relay at the Texas Relays. The team finished in third and ran 39.09, tying the school record. He also ran the first leg of the 4x1 teams that won the Alabama Relays title (39.72) and FSU Snowbird title (40.52).

Steve Mullings
2005 Southeastern Conference 100-meter dash Champion
2005 Mideast Regional 100-meter dash Champion

The 2005 Southeastern Conference and Mideast Regional 100-meter dash champion comes to Sacramento with high hopes. Mullings posted the fastest regional qualifying time twice this season with wins at the Texas Relays and the Bulldog Invitational. His 10.06 posted in Austin is a Myers Stadium and Texas Relays record. At the Mideast Regional, he won in 10.13 and won the SEC title in a Vanderbilt Track record 10.15. Mullings will also compete in the 200-meter dash. He won the LSU Alumni Gold meet title (20.45) and Bulldog Invitational title in 20.68. He finished fourth at the SEC Championships (20.48) and fifth at the Mideast Regional (20.53). As a member of the 4x100-meter relay team, Mullings ran the first leg at SECs (39.56) and the second leg at regionals (39.57). At the Texas Relays, he ran the third leg of the third-place 4x1 who ran 39.09, tying the school record.

Kendall Pyant II and Chris Woods
Kendall Pyant II and Chris Woods stepped up for the Bulldogs at the Mideast Regional. As alternates, Pyant II ran the third leg and Woods ran the anchor leg of the 4x400-meter relay. The team finished fifth in 3:05.99.

Source: MSU Media Relations

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University associate head track and field coach Steve Dudley has announced the signing of Vicksburg, Miss. native Alan Cassell to a national letter-of-intent. Cassell will begin competing for the Bulldogs during the 2005-06 season.

"Alan’s a good high jumper that we feel will be a great high jumper with the level of competition he’ll face in the SEC," Dudley said. "He will help our program to continue to improve in the field events."

The Porter’s Chapel Academy graduate is the current overall and Academy Class A Mississippi Private Schools Association (MPSA) champion in the high jump. The 6-8 clearing was a state meet record. Cassell won the state title previously in 2004 at PCA and in 2002 while attending Chamberlain Hunt School in Port Gibson, Miss.

Cassell also holds the North State record (6-6). He was named to the all-District team this past season and the Most Valuable Player of the track and field team all three seasons at PCA. Cassell participated in the 2004 Junior Olympics.

"I’m really excited to be coming to Mississippi State," Cassell said. "There’s no other place I want to be. I’m anxious to get there and work hard and reach my full potential. I’m looking forward to great things."

He also played football, soccer, basketball and baseball. In 2003, he was a member of the state championship baseball team and named all-District and all-North State in soccer in 2004.

Outside of athletics, Cassell was senior class president, president of the Key Club, secretary of the Student Council, named Most Athletic, Mr. Porter’s Chapel Academy and the Prom King. During his senior season, he completed over 60 hours of community service work.

The son of Becki Dunn and Jimmy Cassell plans to major in pre-pharmacy at State.

Source: MSU Media Relations

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University senior high jumper Matt Denton has been named to the 2005 ESPN the Magazine Academic all-District VI team as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America on Friday. Denton was one of 11 student-athletes selected to the district squad, which covers the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

In his final season for the Maroon and White, Denton posted two regional qualifying marks in the high jump. His personal best came at the Jace Lacoste Invitational where he cleared 7-0 1/2 to win the meet title. At the Southeastern Conference Championships, he leaped 6-10 3/4 to finish fourth.

Denton won the FSU Snowbird (6-8 3/4) and Bulldog Invitational (6-8) titles this season. He also finished second at the LSU Alumni Gold meet with a mark of 6-9. At the Alabama Relays, he topped 6-6 3/4 to finish fourth. Denton posted 6-8 3/4 at the Texas Relays (T15th) and Penn Relays (tied for seventh).

Denton has been a four year selection to the SEC Academic Honor Roll, named to the Bulldog Honor Roll for eight semesters and the President’s and/or Dean’s List every term at MSU. In 2003, he was named to the National Collegiate Division I Track Coaches Association all-Academic Team. He is scheduled to graduate in December 2005 with his degree in business information systems.

As a district honoree, Denton will be nominated for ESPN the Magazine's 2005 Academic all-America Track and Field University Division team, which will be released later this summer.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY - On the heels of one of the most impressive rookie seasons in school history, Courtney Bures (Haymarket, Va./Stonewall Jackson HS) added her name to a distinguished list of highly decorated Mississippi State softball players Wednesday evening (June 1) as the shortstop was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association first team all-American squad in a banquet that officially kicked off the NCAA Women’s College World Series.

Bures became the first Mississippi State freshman since 1999 to earn a spot on the NFCA all-American squads, but the first rookie in program lore to be named to the first team. The accolade also marked the sixth-straight year that an MState player has been decorated with all-America honors and follows an impressive month of May that saw Bures take home first team all-South Region, first team all-SEC, freshman all-SEC and SEC Freshman of the Year laurels.

Bures was one of a record 11 Southeastern Conference players on the three all-American squads, joining Georgia first baseman and SEC Player of the Year Kim Wendland and Tennessee lefthander, SEC Co-Pitcher of the Year Monica Abbott on the first team and Lady Vol outfielder Sarah Fekete on the first team.

"This is a tremendous honor, not only for Courtney, but also for our program, Mississippi State and the Southeastern Conference," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "To earn all-America honors as a freshman says a lot about a player’s work ethic. To earn first team recognition in your first year as a collegiate athlete says a lot more about your dedication. Courtney is very deserving of this honor and this is a very good sign for us as we look to the future of our program."

Having tallied a .500 (11-for-22) batting average with four home runs in her first official weekend as a collegiate athlete, Bures would eventually become just the fourth Bulldog all-time to topple the .400 batting average plateau in regular season play. She finished the regular season campaign with a .428 (80-for-187) batting clip that complemented 37 extra-base hits, 53 RBI and 49 runs scored. Her home run total was the most ever for an MSU freshman and fell just one shy of matching the school record.

Bures also finished her rookie campaign with a school record 156 total bases, while leading the team in both game-winning RBI (7) and game-winning runs scored (8). Her numbers also included just nine strikeouts in 187 total at-bats (1 every 20.8 at-bats). She also took home team Most Valuable Player and Top Hitter honors.

She will join 42 other current and former collegiate athletes later this month at the USA Softball National Team Selection camp to be held at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., June 13-17. An 18-member national team and 16-member Elite team will be selected from this camp to represent the United States in various international events in 2005.

Source: MSU Media Relations

6/1/05
Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Spots remain open for any of four softball camps to be offered by Mississippi State in the months of June and July, head coach Jay Miller announced Tuesday afternoon.

An elite skills camp, as well as youth day camp a pitching and catching camp and a hitting camp, will be offered at various points over the next two months. The youth day camp is open to children ages 12 and under and the elite skills camp is open to kids ages 12 and older. Both the hitting camp and the pitching and catching camp is open to children ages 10 and older.

The youth day camp will be offered from June 13-16 with each athlete having an opportunity to work on all aspects of the game, with activities available to keep participants busy throughout the day. The youth day camp will run from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m., Monday through Wednesday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Thursday.

The elite skills camp, an overnight or commuter camp that will be offered from July 18-21, will cover all aspects of the game of softball which will be learned in both an individual and team setting. The athletes will have an opportunity to work with some of the top coaches in Mississippi and in the country, along with current and former Mississippi State softball players.

The pitching and catching camp that is offered on June 20 and 21 is designed to provide intensive instruction for both the softball pitcher and catcher. With two full days of activity, the athletes involved will have the opportunity to work in an individualized manner to improve their pitching and catching skills.

The hitting camp on June 22 and 23 is designed to provide intensive instruction on how to be a better hitter with two full days of hitting skills and drills. The camp will build from the fundamentals of hitting to the advanced aspects. Both the pitching and catching camp and the hitting camp are offered as an overnight or commuter package.

Miller, the 13th winningest active coach in NCAA Division I softball, has developed 26 all-American players over the past 16 years. He was a member of the USA national team coaching staff for the 2004 Olympic Games and, in 1997, was selected as the Big XII Conference and Midwest Region coach of the year while serving as the skipper at Missouri. This season, he became the 23rd collegiate coach all-time to reach the 800-win plateau.

Miller has taken two teams to the NCAA Women's College World Series and eight teams to the NCAA Regionals, including three appearances with the Bulldogs who are fresh off competing as the No. 2 seed at the NCAA Region 4 Tournament in Austin, Texas, for the fourth consecutive season.

For more information on the MSU Softball summer camps, or to obtain an application, please contact camp administrators at (662) 325-0572. Applications for the clinics can also be obtained by logging on to Mississippi State's official athletic department website, www.MStateAthletics.com. An online camp registration option is also available.

Source: MSU Media Relations