10/31/05
Men's Tennis
LAFAYETTE, La. ­ Two Mississippi State singles players along with one doubles team advanced to the finals in their respective draws at the Hibernia Tennis Classic on Saturday.

MSU sophomore Pierre Mouillon advanced to the finals of Division A singles after fellow Bulldog Philippe Frayssinoux withdrew from the match.

In Division B singles, MSU senior Florent Girod won a pair of matches to advance to the Division B finals. Girod defeated Juan Carlos Nunez of Arkansas-Little Rock 6-1, 6-3 in his quarterfinal match to open the day. Girod then moved into the finals with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over SoutheastLouisina's Haris Huremovic in the semis. MSU freshman Ryan Farlow split a pair of matches Saturday in Division B singles. Farlow defeated LSU's Eric Deroche 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 in the quarterfinals, but fell 6-3, 6-2 to Southeast Louisiana's Ilie Babinciuc in the semis.

In Division B Consolation, MSU freshman Eric Lim also split a pair of matches. In his quarterfinal match, Lim defeated Shashank Kulkarni of Alcorn State 6-4, 6-0. Lim then dropped a 7-5, 7-6 decision to Vlad Paunic of Southeast Louisiana in the semifinals.

In doubles action, the MSU tandem of Farlow and Lim moved into the finals of Division B with an 8-5 semifinal win over Marcos Hernandez and Kulkarni of Alcorn State. In Division A doubles, Girod and Mouillon fell 8-3 to Southeast Louisiana's Ondrej Krivka and Huremovic in the semis.

Mouillon will battle Southeast Louisiana's Amanjot Singh in the finals on Sunday at 10 a.m. while Girod's match against Babinciuc is also set for 10 a.m. Tomorrow will conclude fall action for the MSU tennis team.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/30/05
Women's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State senior Stephanie Godare paced the lady Bulldogs Saturday, shooting a 73 in the second round of the Chrysler Challenge. As a team, MSU fired a 306 and stands in fourth with one round remaining.

Junior Amanda Mathis stands in a tie for tenth with a two round total of 150. Godare moved up to a tie for 15th, two strokes back of Mathis while Julia Huh moved up to a tie for 26th after shooting a 75 on Saturday. Ashleigh Korzack stands in a tie for 19th with a two-round score of 153. Marli Mikulecky fired an 81 on Saturday to round out scoring for the lady Bulldogs.

"Stephanie played as solid as I have seen her play all semester," said head coach Christi Sanders. "It was also nice to see Julia have a nice score today after her round yesterday. As a team, we look for all five of the girls to play well tomorrow and end the fall season strong."

South Carolina extended their lead on Saturday and now leads second-place Alabama by 17 strokes. South Carolina's Jenna Pearson shot a 71 on Saturday and extended her lead in the individual race to two strokes.

MSU will conclude fall play tomorrow with the final round of the Chrysler Challenge set to begin at 8 a.m. in a shotgun start.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/29/05
Men's Tennis
LAFAYETTE, La. - Bulldog sophomores Philippe Frayssinoux and Pierre Mouillon both advanced to the quarterfinals of the Hibernia Tennis Classic in Lafayette, La. on Friday, winning two matches each in Division A singles play.

Frayssinoux, ranked 84th in the nation, knocked off Marc Lux of Southern Miss 6-3, 6-2 in the his first-round match. He followed with a second round, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Louisiana Lafayette's Shaun Ellison to advance to the quarters. Mouillon advanced with an opening round 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over LSU's James Cluskey and a second-round win over Robin Ley of Louisiana Lafayette by a score of 7-6, 4-6, 7-5. MSU junior Ivan Bjelica, also competing in Division A, dropped a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 decision to Reid Bourgrois of Southern Miss.

In Division B singles, Ryan Farlow and Florent Girod advanced to the semifinals. Farlow won his opening match over Karlis Miljons of Arkansas-Little Rock by a score of 6-0, 7-5. Farlow capured a spot in Saturday's semis, breezing to a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Tommy Maestri of Southern Miss. After receiving a first round bye, Girod advanced after winning a 6-4, 6-3 decision over LSU's John Tragardh. In other Division B action, MSU freshman Josh Irey split a pair of matches while Eric Lim dropped his opening match. Irey was a 6-4, 6-2 winner over Lamar's David Wanja in the first round but fell to Louisiana Lafayette's Matthieu Truong 6-1, 6-2 in the quarters.

Two Bulldog doubles teams won their opening matches Friday in first round action. In Division A, the tandem of Girod and Mouillon won an 8-2 decision over Lamars Filip Kanczula and David Wanja. In Division B, Farlow and Lim knocked off Juan Garzon and Jon Koti of Southern Miss 9-8, advancing to the semifinals.

The Bulldogs will continue action Saturday at the Hibernia Tennis Classic with singles play set to begin at 9 a.m.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State women's golf team shot a 304 on Friday and stands in third after one round at the Chrysler Challenge. The lady Bulldogs stand only three strokes out of second place and seven stokes out of first.

Pacing the Bulldogs in the first round was junior Amanda Mathis. Mathis fired a 72 and stands in a tie for second. Senior Ashleigh Korzack is in a tie for fifth after shooting a round of 73 on Friday. Stephanie Godare fired a 79, Julia Huh an 80 and Marli Mikulecky an 84 to round out the scoring for MSU.

"Amanda had some difficult holes today," said head coach Christi Sanders. "However, she fought through them and saved her round with some good shots. Ashleigh played pretty solid today and came out with a good score."

South Carolina is the first round leader after shooting a 297 on Friday. In the individual race, South Carolina's Jenna Pearson shot a 1-under par in the first round and leads by two strokes.

MSU will begin second round play at the Raven Golf Club Saturday at 8 a.m. with a shotgun start.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Men's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State’s men’s golf team will wrap up the fall season with the Tunica National Intercollegiate on Oct. 31-Nov. 1. The 54-hole event was to be played in Baton Rouge, La. at The University Club, but due to lack of hotel space in that area from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the tournament was shifted to Tunica, Miss.

The Bulldogs are coming off their best finish of the season at the Squire Creek Intercollegiate in Choudrant, La. State concluded the tournament in the third spot in the 20-team field on Oct. 18.

Head coach Clay Homan will start freshmen Noah Goldman, Carlos Sainz, Jr. and Matt Fast. Juniors Jake Lambert and Josh Oller round out the five-man line up. Logan Young will compete this week as an individual.

Goldman leads the squad in scoring with a 71.71 average, while Saniz, Jr. has finished in the top-20 in all four 54-hole events this fall. Lambert will make his second start of the season. Oller is fresh off his best fall performance at the Squire Creek Intercollegiate, carding rounds of 73-72-73 and an 18th-place finish.

"It is important that we finish the fall season strong," said Homan. "This week will give us an opportunity to catch some teams in our district. This week’s field is probably the second-toughest that we have faced this season."

The Tunica National Intercollegiate field features three teams ranked in the top-50 according to Golfweek Magazine. Kent State is ranked No. 23, while Big 12 foe Colorado comes in ranked No. 32. SEC rival LSU is in the No. 48 spot. The rest of the field includes Belmont, College of Charleston, Guilford College, Jackson State, Lamar, North Florida, North Carolina-Greensboro, Ole Miss, South Alabama, SMU, Tulane and UAB.

Tunica National Golf Club is a par-72 course that spans 7,210 in length. The course served as host of the 2005 SEC Women’s Golf Championship.

"It’s a flat course with a lot of water," said Homan. "The wind should be factor, so it will be key to keep the ball in play. We have to keep our mistakes to a minimum and control our driving and ball flight."

The tournament will get underway Monday morning, followed by the second round in the afternoon.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/28/05
Women's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State women's golf team will close out their fall schedule this weekend (Oct. 28-30) in Sandestin, Fla at the Chrysler Challenge. The three day, 54-hole event hosted by Florida State, will be held at the par 71, 5,937 yard Raven Golf Club.

"The field is half the size it was last year because of scheduling conflicts with other teams," said head coach Christi Sanders. "However, the event will be strong and competitive with the teams entered in this year's contest. Six of the seven teams represent the SEC. We are riding some momentum into this tournament coming off a good second-place finish two weeks ago. We look to finish the fall season on a successful note."

The lady Bulldogs lineup for the event will feature 27th-ranked junior Amanda Mathis, seniors Ashleigh Korzack and Stephanie Godare, sophomore Julia Huh and redshirt freshman Marli Mikulecky.

The seven-team field includes host Florida State, Alabama, Florida, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, and South Carolina.

MSU will tee off Friday morning to begin their first round.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Sophomore Bulldogs Philippe Frayssinoux and Pierre Mouillon will join junior Ivan Bjelica, senior Florent Girod and freshman Eric Lim in Division A singles. All five will begin play at 8:30 a.m. Friday. In Division B singles, sophomore Josh Irey and freshman Ryan Farlow will begin play Friday at 10 a.m.

In doubles, two MSU teams will compete in Divsion A while one team will play in Division B. In the first round of Division A doubles, Frayssinoux and Girod will play at 4:30 p.m. Friday while Bjelica and Mouillon will begin at 5:30 after receiving a first-round bye. In the B Division, Farlow and Lim will begin play Friday at 5:30.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Soccer
OXFORD, Miss. - Riding a wave of recent success in the series with its cross-state nemesis, the Mississippi State soccer team will put a year’s worth of bragging rights on the line when the Maroon and White packs up its show for the final time this season to battle #23 Ole Miss in the fourth edition of the battle for the Magnolia Cup Friday evening in Oxford.

The Bulldogs (3-11-3, 2-8-0 SEC) saw their hopes for an SEC Tournament berth fade away with a 4-1 loss to Kentucky at home on Sunday, but can restore their pride against the nationally-ranked Rebels (14-3-1, 8-1-1) who, with a little help from Georgia, could get a taste of their first conference title. A Magnolia Cup victory, coupled with a Georgia victory at home over SEC-leading Tennessee, would give Ole Miss its first league championship in program history.

Kickoff for the Magnolia Cup showdown has been slated for 7 p.m. at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for students 18 and under and can be purchased at the gate or through the Ole Miss Ticket Office at (888) 915-7167. The game can also be followed via a live in-game stats link at the official Internet home of the Mississippi State athletic department, MStateAthletics.com.

Ole Miss will carry a 5-4-2 series lead into the 12th series match-up on Friday, but the Maroon and White will ride a two-game unbeaten streak against the Rebels into Oxford. The Bulldogs fought off a 31-7 shot disparity en route to a 0-0 draw in the last Oxford meeting in 2003 and emerged with a 1-0 triumph over the Rebels on Senior Night in Starkville last season.

Both teams have posted a 2-2-2 series record since the conclusion of the 1999 campaign and are 2-2-1 all-time in each other’s stadium. Ole Miss used a 2-1 decision to oust the Bulldogs from the 2001 SEC Tournament in the only neutral site meeting between the squads. The teams are 1-1-1 in the series since the introduction of the Magnolia Cup prior to a spring match-up in 2003.

"Bottom line - it’s State and Ole Miss," said Mississippi State head coach Neil Macdonald. "Every game between these two teams is going to be a battle regardless of the records. Ole Miss is a very aggressive team that is well-coached and has a knack for scoring goals. I expect both teams to come out and play the game like it’s the World Cup final. There is plenty of pride involved every time these two teams play one another."

Unbeaten in 12 of their last 13 outings, Ole Miss is currently on an eight-game unbeaten streak that stretches all the way back to a 1-0 loss at then-unranked Tennessee on Sept. 25. Featuring a lineup that has eight players with two or more goals, the Rebels are led in the scoring column by freshman Jennifer Hance who has hit the back of the net seven times this season while tallying a trio of assists. Her scoring mate on the front line is sophomore Chrissy Strini who has tallied a trio of goals, as well as a team-leading seven assists.

Defensively, the Rebels are just as solid, featuring a pair of goalkeepers with paltry goals against averages. Sophomore Ann Shelton has collected a bulk of the minutes for Ole Miss this season, tallying a 0.21 GAA and 33 saves, but fellow sophomore Megan Vickery has played just 53 less minutes this season than of her counterpart, collecting a 0.67 GAA and 30 saves. Both could expect to see playing time against the Bulldogs on Friday.

"Ole Miss has as dangerous an offense as you’ll see in the SEC," Macdonald said. "Obviously, Hance and Strini have proven they can find the back of the net, but you also have to defend any of five other people who have the same scoring capabilities. They are a very athletic team that can cause you several problems. But, if we maintain our composure and don’t panic, we should be able to present them problems ourselves."

Following Friday’s tilt in Oxford, State will close out its 2005 campaign on Sunday when the ‘Dogs return home to host Mississippi Valley State (8-5-1) at the MSU Soccer Field. Kickoff between the Delta Devilettes and Bulldogs has been set for 1 p.m.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/25/05
Women's Basketball

Lady Bulldog Quotes from MSU Media Days

Head Coach Sharon Fanning

Opening Comments:
"We're really excited about the season. Our best rebounder on the floor consistently from a practice standpoint is Mamie (McKinney). As I look at their (the team) passion for the game, they will find a way to win. If we were starting a regular season game today, we would see Doceide (Warren) at the 1 or 2, Blessing (Chekwa) at the 3 or 4, and Mamie in the post. Sarah (Johnson) is a ready shooter shooting 63 percent from three-point range. I think if we have players that can break down folks to create some good shots for her so she should be in our starting lineup in some kind of way. And the other position is up for grabs and if there are injury situations that we have to adjust to, we will make those along the way, but that is our thinking right now. There are really 12 people that are really competing for the playing time. You look at Miayorka Johnson and Amy Reeder who will get an initial nod in terms of the time there and the freshman are going to work their way into the position later. We have a challenging schedule and our challenge is to find the combinations and the right combination and the way to find a way to win with this team. We look at the schedule and there are six teams that are in before we start our conference games that were in postseason play last year and there are probably nine actually 10 of our 12 that were invited to postseason play. And probably nine of us went. And so it's a real strong schedule ahead of us. This is a new team with a lot of energy, I think it's a team that can make the extra pass and we are going to have balanced scoring. Probably one of the best teams I have ever coached had five people in double figures and probably 10 or 11 people averaging over 10 minutes of playing time and so there maybe not be the 35 or 40 minute player right now. But there is going to be good depth. And I look back at even Final Four teams and even conference championship teams through the years and those teams had good balance and that's what we are working for and we are going to find a way to win."

On lineup combinations:
"Well, just this last week of practice, tonight's scrimmage will be the old players vs. the new players. Instead of saying upperclassmen and freshman, we just said old and new all week long. After tonight's scrimmage, then we will in the next scrimmage, we are going to try to mix the teams up. The upperclassmen will be given the nod in terms of an initial rotation in our first exhibition game. Unless there is something injury wise or something that I don¹t know about that will happen in the next week or two. But I know the freshmen are knocking on the door. And I know that they are going to be in a rotation. I think that we are on track and it is really exciting to me. I love a challenge and am trying to find a way to win with this team. And that has been the exciting part to us. So everyday in practice we see improvement and everyday we see something more about the team that we have to know as a staff in putting them in the right position because you don't take just the same offense that you run before, you may tweak it a little bit and twist it with time. But you have to find out how to put these people in a position to score. It's a little bit different from what we done before, but you will still see some of the same looks."

On senior forward Mamie McKinney:
"I think that the consistency of a team is what we need. We need consistency and good decisions. We need consistency and work ethic. There is not anybody in the league that can beat her (McKinney) down the floor. And that's just about from guard to forward. Endurance has to get better. I've seen she has gained some good weight, now Mamie has gotten stronger and it has been very good for her. I can see her getting the "and one's", and that is something in practice that Mamie has shed away from is the contact. She has had some really big games, but then there are others where she didn't show. So she has to understand and not get down on herself, if Mamie had as much confidence in herself as I have in her, then she could be an all-SEC player. And that's what I challenge her with and that's what we try to emphasize with her everyday. But you can't be weak-minded in this league and you can't be weak physically you got to compete. If she competes and works hard, she will be a very good ball player for us. She is getting green lights in term of her shots. And the main thing is she believes and expects that this will be a very good year for this team. So we are expecting Mamie to play a very big part in our success for this season."

On junior point guard Sarah Johnson:
"Right now Sarah is playing sort of a 1 and 2 position. Doceide (Warren), I think can make so many things happen in terms of penetration to set up Sarah for a shot. There is no question that Sarah Johnson has shot the best percentage in terms of open shots so that means the team is going to have to know where she is. In transition there is nobody in this country that is going to push a team and have more energy and run for a longer period of time than Sarah Johnson. She pushes the ball down the floor and is communicating. A big question with Sarah is how will she defend in the post. Right now she is fouling a lot. So right now we are trying to teach her good position. But she is feisty and competitive and we will irritate the dog out of you. So I'm hoping that her energy and work ethic is going to make up for that size factor. But she surely is a competitor for us."

On starting a new season without Tan White:
"When we played our last game in the spring, Tan White was no longer on this basketball team. You cannot look back on what you don't have; you have to find a way to get it done with what you have. So that is what we have focused on with these young ladies. I know the seniors have a good spirit about it. They are very unselfish and are always accepting responsibility and that they are going to do it together. They are making each other better right now. But right now we are going to deal with these young ladies and figure out how they can win. Then we will figure out who is that go to player."

On strengths of the team:
"The balance of this team and the versatility of this team they are the two strengths of the team."

On freshman guard Heather Hollis' contributions:
"If you look at the stats of Heather (Hollis) and Robin (Porter), they have depth. There has not been a shot that she (Hollis) has seen and not really liked. So she is ready to go. Heather Hollis is a competitor, she made her mile run the first time and she is a mentally tough kid. She knows how to shoot the basketball and she can come off a screen with and without the basketball to shoot it. She has the three-point shot. Given the consistency she is going to be on the floor, she is going to be helping."

On the SEC:
"Well you look at Tennessee, Georgia, and LSU and those teams are looking to be on the top in the preseason, but I have always said this about our league, you can beat anybody on a given day. We have proven that through the years from year one on. So you have to be prepared. How it's going to shape up. I'm not one to make predictions; we want to win the SEC championship. We have always been in the top half of this league and the top four means you are a final four team. Those are the goals and I don't talk less than that. If you prepare and find a way to win, you can be in the hunt."

Blessing Chekwa - Senior Guard/Forward

On injuries:
"I've been practicing more with the team, so it's getting better. I think I'm about 90 percent."

On ever getting 100 percent playing in this league:
"By the grace of God, but we are going to come out and push it as hard as we can and try to hope for the best."

On the main goal for the season:
"I'm thinking about winning an SEC championship because I want a ring. We do want to make it back to the NCAA tournament."

Mamie McKinney - Senior Forward

On the emphasis of trying to get the ball inside more this year:
"It has always been an emphasis each year. She (Coach Fanning) is constantly hounding us about getting the ball in the paint. It is no more emphasis this year than other years."

On thoughts about the balance of the team this year:
"Just more balanced scoring this year. We don't have one or two players as our primary scorers. We just have more balanced scoring."

On the emphasis of getting stronger this year...:
"My goal this summer was to put on at least 15 pounds because I got tired of being pushed around. That was my main goal for this season as a whole, and to try and maintain it throughout the season."

On the emphasis of being a leader:
"We have a lot of experience. I think she (Coach Fanning) is looking towards more this year as vocal leaders, but I know myself personally, and I'm not a vocal leader. I try to do my best by leading by example and trying to stay positive at all times, not keeping my head down, and these ladies can say the same thing as far as vocal leadership and leading by example."

On the main goal for the season:
"Most definitely make it back to the NCAA Tournament."

On what has to happen for the team to make it to postseason this year:
"Everybody stay healthy. Everybody play together. Everybody stay on the same page as far as what we want to accomplish."

Doceide Warren - Senior Guard

On injuries:
"Right now I'm in and out of practicing rehab everyday just trying to get healthy."

On the backcourt situation:
"We have Sarah (Johnson) and Marneshia (Richard) in and out the one and two (positions). I think our main thing is we have to work on our defense in the backcourt and make good decisions with the ball. I think everything mostly goes through the backcourt as far as keeping us on track. Just limit our turnovers."

On changes in the backcourt:
"It is about the same as last year. I will probably be playing the two (guard) if I'm in with Sarah (Johnson) so I can create (opportunities) for Sarah. That is the main difference."

On the tempo of the game:
"I'm going to continue the same as last year. We always want to run and gun. Just push the ball. Get easy layups with the speed that we have. Frontcourt and backcourt we have the speed to beat any team up and down the court."

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/23/05
Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Facing a must-win situation on both sides of the ball, the Mississippi State soccer team will welcome SEC Eastern Division rival Kentucky to the MSU Soccer Field on Sunday in a game that could, ultimately, decide the SEC Tournament fate for both squads.

Fresh off a 2-0 loss at 21st-ranked Vanderbilt on Friday evening in Nashville, Tenn., the Bulldogs (3-10-3, 2-7-0 SEC) will need a win and some help from two other SEC squads to punch their ticket to the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach, Ala., in two weeks. With a win over the Wildcats, as well as an LSU loss to South Carolina on Sunday and Arkansas next Friday, the Maroon and White will earn a berth into their second consecutive SEC Tournament.

The Bulldogs can also clinch a tournament berth by defeating Kentucky on Sunday, as well as cross-state nemesis Ole Miss on Friday.

On the flip side, Kentucky (6-4-7, 2-4-3) would clinch an SEC Tournament berth outright with a win over MState on Sunday, coupled with an LSU loss or tie at home to the Gamecocks. With a trip to nationally ranked Vanderbilt next weekend looming heavily on the ‘Cats upcoming schedule, a loss to the Bulldogs, coupled with an Arkansas win over LSU next weekend, could conceivably eliminate Kentucky from the SEC Tournament altogether.

"This is what it has come down to for us," said Mississippi State head coach Neil Macdonald. "This game is so important for both sides, so you can expect both teams to come out extremely focused on the task at hand. We need some help from some other squads, but we need to take care of what we can control first. Kentucky is an incredibly well-coached team that will present a very tough challenge for us. There will be no room for mistakes in this game from either side.

"I encourage all Mississippi State fans to come out and support us on Sunday. The support we have from the crowd has been incredibly important throughout the course of the season for us."

State has seen all three of its wins this season come in the comfy confines of the MSU Soccer Field and possess a 3-0-1 record in Starkville on Sundays this season. The Bulldogs are 1-2-0 all time against the ‘Cats at the MSU Soccer Field, but have split the last two meetings at home with UK. State defeated the Wildcats by a 1-0 count in Lexington last season to clinch their first SEC Tournament berth since 2001.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/22/05
Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs will hold two open intersquad scrimmages on Monday, Oct. 24 from 7-9 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 30 from 2-4 p.m. in the Humphrey Coliseum. The scrimmages will be intertwined with team practice and will be opened to the public, free admission.

MSU begins the season with two exhibition games Nov. 4 and Nov. 11, hosting the Houston Jaguars and the Athletes in Action. The Lady Bulldogs then kick off the 2005-06 season at home vs. Southeastern Louisiana on Friday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.

Last season State finished 17-12 overall and 6-8 in the SEC for a sixth place finish. The Lady Bulldogs advanced to postseason play for the seventh time in the last eight years and earned their sixth winning season while under the tutelage of Fanning. State fell at Arkansas State in the first round of the 2005 WNIT in Jonesboro, Ark., 78-61 to end the season. The Lady Bulldogs tallied a school record 12-game winning streak in 2004-05 in addition to graduating Kodak All-American Tan White.

MSU returns eight letterwinners, including two starters to the 2005-06 squad in addition to adding six new faces. Leadership will come from the four seniors highlighting this team in guard/forward Blessing Chekwa, forward Chalandra Hilliard, forward Mamie McKinney and guard Doceide Warren. Head coach Sharon Fanning enters her 30th year as a head coach with a 493-351 career record and 11th year at the Lady Bulldog helm, totaling a 170-125 record at State.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Men's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State’s men’s golf team is ranked third in the Golfstat Top 25 Freshman Class Impact Ranking released on Thursday.

The Bulldogs have three freshmen competing in the starting line up thru the first five tournaments of fall campaign. Noah Goldman of Longwood, Fla., Carlos Saniz, Jr. of Elgin, Ill. and redshirt freshman Logan Young out of Memphis, Tenn. The trio of freshmen are averaging 73.18 in the scoring department, while having a 372.810 relative strength rating according to Golfstat.

"I think this is a very important stat," said MSU head coach Clay Homan. "Once Matt Fast, another freshman can consistently be in the line up, we will be a better team. We really needed for this freshmen class to come in and play well because we lost so many seniors last year."

Goldman has led State in the previous two tournaments. This past week, Goldman and Sainz, Jr. guided the squad to a season-best third-place finish at the Squire Creek Intercollegiate in Choudrant, La.

"Carlos has had an outstanding fall season, hopefully he can pull out a win this season," added Homan.

Young has played in all five competitions for MState this fall with his best finish coming in his hometown at the Memphis Intercollegiate, placing seventh in the field.

The class of 2005 was ranked ninth-best according to Golfweek Magazine.

The Bulldog linksters will close out the fall season Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in Tunica, Miss. at the Tunica National Intercollegiate.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/21/05
Soccer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Having captured wins in two of its last three outings, the Mississippi State soccer team will head to Music City on Friday evening as the Bulldogs begin the front half of a home-and-home SEC weekend by battling 20th-ranked Vanderbilt in a key SEC tilt at the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex.

The Bulldogs (3-9-3, 2-6-0 SEC), who are right in the thick of things in the race for their second consecutive SEC Tournament berth, are fresh off a 2-1 win over South Carolina on Sunday at home. Vanderbilt (13-3-0, 6-2-0) is ripe from a mixed emotions weekend that saw them upset 13th-ranked and SEC leading Tennessee on Friday evening, only to be upset itself by Georgia on Sunday.

Including a current two-game winning streak against the Maroon and White, Vanderbilt holds a 6-1-0 series edge over the Bulldogs, but the squads have split a pair of meetings in Nashville. The Commodores defeated the Bulldogs 4-1 in 2004 regular season play in Starkville and ousted the Bulldogs from the SEC Tournament by a 1-0 count two weeks later. The Maroon and White defeated Vanderbilt 2-1 in the last meeting at the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex on Oct. 18, 2002.

"Vanderbilt is going to present a very tough challenge for us," said Mississippi State head coach Neil Macdonald. "They are very athletic all over the pitch and are very well organized defensively. They will come at you with all they have when they attack and opponents have found it very hard to break them down defensively this season as well. Our girls need to be prepared for a very physical challenge, but I think it is one they are ready for especially considering our recent successes."

The Commodores are led by a quartet of offensive threats, including current scoring leader Kelci Hegg who has punched in five goals this season to complement a trio of assists. However, three other players have tallied 10 or more points this season, the most dangerous of which are Jessica Lenze and Sarah Dennis who are tied with Hegg for the team lead in goals.

Defensively, Vanderbilt possesses a very stingy defense that has allowed a paltry 0.56 goals per game this season. Junior goalkeeper Tyler Griffin, a former Providence player, has already tallied 12 clean sheets this season while turning in 46 saves and a 0.58 goals against average.

Following Friday night’s match-up in the Music City, State will return home on Sunday to battle SEC Eastern Division rival Kentucky (6-3-7, 2-3-3) at the MSU Soccer Field. The ‘Dogs and ‘Cats will square off at 1 p.m. in Starkville and admission to all 2005 MSU Soccer home games is free.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Cross Country
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State University women's cross country team returns to action Friday afternoon at the MSU Short Course Invitational. The 3K race will begin at the MSU Cross Country Course at 4 p.m. CT.

"It's going to be a small meet," said women's head coach Al Schmidt. "We've got SECs next week, so it will only be 3000-meters. It'll be some nice competition."

During the 2005 campaign, State has been led by freshman Michelle Corrigan and senior Zita Magloire. Corrigan was MState's top finisher at the Belmont Opener and Crimson Classic, while Magloire paced the squad at the Notre Dame Invitational and Auburn Invite. They have combined for five top 10 finishes on the season.

As a team, MSU's highest finish came at the Belmont Opener on Sept. 2. The Lady Bulldogs posted 79 points en route to a third-place finish. State has finished fourth on two occasions this season - at the Crimson Classic on Sept. 17 and the Auburn Invite on Oct. 8.

Joining the Lady Bulldogs in competition will be Conference-USA's Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles have been led by senior Naomi Kiprotich. Kiprotich has finished in the top 15 of all three races competed in this season. She was named C-USA Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Oct. 10 after her performance at the Auburn Invite.

Next week, the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs travel to Columbia, S.C. for the Southeastern Conference Cross Country Championships.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/19/05
Volleyball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The MSU-Georgia volleyball match suspended Sept. 25 when an F-1 tornado knocked out power on campus will be replayed Nov. 5 at the Newell-Grissom Building. First serve for the rare Saturday match will be announced after game time for that weekend's MSU-Alabama football game is established. Mississippi State also meets West Georgia (tip-off time TBA) in a season-opening exhibition men's basketball game Nov. 5 in Humphrey Coliseum.

State and Georgia had split the first two games and were tied at 3-3 in the third game when the Newell-Grissom Building lights went out. Results from that original Sunday match will be discarded and the match replayed in its entirety.

The rescheduling gives both teams a grueling three-match run in a three-day span. On Friday (Nov. 4) MSU hosts SEC West-leading Arkansas and Georgia visits Auburn, while on Sunday (Nov. 6) State closes out its home schedule against LSU and Georgia visits Alabama.

MSU and Georgia are scheduled to meet a second time this season on the final weekend of regular season play Nov. 11 in Athens, Ga.

Mississippi State (10-6, 1-6 SEC) entertains instate SEC rival Mississippi (7-13, 1-7 SEC) Wednesday in a 7 p.m. match at the Newell-Grissom Building. It's the first midweek match of the season for MSU and the first of two Bulldog-Lady Rebel matchups this fall. State swept both regular season matches against Mississippi last fall.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/17/05
Men's Tennis
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Mississippi State sophomore Pierre Mouillon fell in his quarterfinal match Sunday at the ITA Southeast Regional Indoor Championships at the Raquet Club of Memphis. Mouillon dropped a 6-2, 6-3 decision to South Florida's Dirk Britzen in his attempt to qualify for the ITA National Indoors. Mouillon's loss concludes play for MSU at the ITA Southeast Regionals.

The next action for MSU will be in Lafayette, La., on Oct. 28-30 when selected Bulldogs will compete at the Hibernia Tennis Classic.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/16/05
Women's Golf
GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Mississippi State women's golf team shot a 305 in the second round of the Lady Paladin Invitational Saturday and stands in third place with one round remaining. The lady Bulldogs are three strokes behind Michigan State for second place after shooting a two-round total of 603.

MSU was led on day two by all-SEC junior Amanda Mathis who shot a 74, and stands in a tie for fifth after two rounds. Jilia Huh fired a 77 in the second round and stands in a tie for ninth while junior Stephanie Godare is in a tie for 13th after shooting a 78 on Saturday. Marli Mikulecky moved up to a tie for 56th after a 76 on Saturday while Ashleigh Korzack fired an 80 and stands in a tie for 76th.

"After 36 holes we are still in the mix," said MSU head coach Christi Sanders. "There are a lot of good teams at the top of the leaderboard and it should make for an exciting finish on a tough golf course tomorrow."

Host Furman retained the lead in the team competition after shooting a 298 in the second round. Michigan State's Sara Brown took over the lead in the individual race after shooting a 71 and leads by two strokes heading into the final round.

MSU will tee off in the final round Sunday at 9 a.m. in a shotgun start format.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Men's Tennis
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Mississippi State sophomore Pierre Mouillon advanced to the quarterfinals of the ITA Southeast Regional with a pair of wins on Saturday.

Mouillon opened the day by breezing to a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Auburn's Terence Nugent in his third-round match. In the round of 16, Mouillon knocked off 68th-ranked and 9-16 seed Alex Hume of Kentucky, rallying from a one set deficit to win 5-7, 6-0, 6-1.

Mouillon will battle Dirk Britzen of South Florida in his quarterfinal match beginning at 9:30 a.m. Sunday morning at the Raquet Club of Memphis. Britzen has beaten the nations 17th and 72nd-ranked players in his run to the quarters. Mouillon must win two matches on Sunday and reach the finals on Monday to qualify for the ITA National Indoor Championships to be held in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 3-6.

In other singles action for the Bulldogs on Saturday, Philippe Frayssinoux and Ivan Bjelica dropped their third round matches. The 84th-ranked Frayssinoux fell 6-1, 6-1 to Kentucky's Bruno Agostinelli. Agostinelli went on to knock off 14th ranked and top-seed Greg Ouellette of Florida to reach the quarters. Bjelica fell 7-5, 7-5 to 20th ranked and third seed Josh Cohen in a hard fought third-round match.

In the only doubles match played by MSU on Saturday, Bjelica and Frayssinoux dropped an 8-4 decision to Florida's Nestor Briceno and Stefan Tell.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/15/05
Men's Tennis
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - All three Bulldog netmen competing in singles play Friday advanced to the third round of the main draw at the ITA Southeast Regional Championships. The tournament is being played at the Raquet Club of Memphis.

Sophomores Philippe Frayssinoux and Pierre Mouillon, along with junior Ivan Bjelica, won their second round matches and advanced to play on Saturday after receiving first-round byes. Frayssinoux, ranked 84th nationally and a 9-16 seed, defeated Florida Atlantic's Kevin Obletz 7-5, 7-5 in his first match of the tournament. Mouillon, ranked 121st, won a 6-4, 6-4 decision over Middle Tennessee State's Kai Schledorn to advance to Saturday's third round. Bjelica pushed his fall record to 8-3 with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 comeback victory over UAB's Anton Mavrin.

In the opening day of doubles action Friday, the Bulldogs dropped a pair of first-round matches. Bulldogs Ryan Farlow and Pierre Mouillon dropped their first-round match by a score of 8-4 to Georgia State's Anze Cevka and Martin Stiegwadt.The Bulldog duo of Florent Girod and Eric Lim also fell, dropping an 8-6 decision to Alabama's Andrew Felsenthal and Joseph Jung. After receiving a first-round bye as a 9-16 seed, the MSU tandem of Bjelica and Frayssinoux, will open play Saturday in the second round of doubles competition.

All three third-round singles matches for MSU will get under way at 9 a.m. Saturday while Bjelica and Frayssinoux begin play at 4 p.m.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Golf
GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Mississippi State women's golf team shot a 298 and stands in second place after the first round at the Lady Paladin Invitational on Friday. MSU trails first place by six strokes with two rounds to play at the lengthy 6,103-yard Furman University Golf Course.

Three lady Bulldogs are in the top-10 after one round of play. Sophomore Julia Huh paced State with a career best 71 and stands in a tie for second. Senior Stephanie Godare fired a 72 on the first day and is currently in a tie for sixth. All-SEC junior Amanda Mathis is in a tie for ninth after a round of 73. Redshirt freshman Marli Mikulecky stands in a tie for 74th, shooting an 82, while senior Ashleigh Korzack rounded out the scoring with an 85.

"I was glad to see our team score break 300 again today," said head coach Christi Sanders. "This course is tougher than last year and I was pleased to see three of the girls have very good rounds. The top of the leaderboard is very tight right now and we just have to go out again tomorrow, have a good team effort, and duplicate what we did today."

Host Furman is the team leader after the first round with a team score of 292. Angie Hill from the College of Charleston is the individual leader after the first round, firing a 70 and leads by one stroke.

MSU will tee off Saturday at 8:30 to begin their second round and will conclude Sunday with a 9:00 tee time.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/14/05
Women's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State women's golf team will compete in Greenville, S.C. this weekend (Oct. 14-16) at the 35th annual Lady Paladin Invitational. The event, which is being hosted by Furman University, will be held at the 6,103-yard par-72 Furman University Golf Course.

"As the fall season moves along, I see the team improving as a whole," said MSU head coach Christi Sanders. "The team scores are becoming more competitive with each event. We just need to get off to a good start this weekend and set the pace for the tournament."

The lady Bulldog lineup for the event includes all-SEC junior Amanda Mathis, seniors Stephanie Godare and Ashleigh Korzack, sophomore Julia Huh and redshirt freshman Marli Mikulecky.

This years field of 17 teams includes Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, Florida International, host Furman, Louisville, Memphis, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi, Mississippi State, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, Northwestern, South Florida, TCU and Winthrop.

Last season MSU finished in 12th and was led by Janet Dyer who finished in a tie for 31st. Furman won the team title a year ago while Furman's Monique Gesualdi won individual honors.

MSU will tee off at 8:30 on Friday and Saturday and 9:30 on Sunday.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. ­ Mississippi State women's basketball will have three road games televised the 2005-06 season. SEC-TV, known as RSN that includes FOX Sports Net South, FOX Sports Net Southwest and Sun Sports, will televise MSU at Mississippi on Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. CT and at LSU on Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. CT, in addition to showing the SEC Tournament games, March 2-5.

Game Times
The Dec. 2 match up at Florida State has been set for 4:30 p.m. ET to be televised on Sun Sports. MSU's home contest vs. Birmingham-Southern on Jan. 2 has been moved from 7 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT in an effort to attract more fans over the holiday break.

In addition the game times have been set for the Caribbean Classic Nov. 25-26 in Cancun, Mexico. The Lady Bulldogs will face TCU on Friday, Nov. 25 at 4 p.m. CT and Arizona State on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. CT.

Venue Change
The Lady Bulldogs game venue vs. New Orleans on Dec. 15th has been moved from New Orleans, La. to the Herrington Patriot Center in Tyler, Texas due to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The date and time of this game have not been changed.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Men's Tennis
MEMPHIS, Tenn. ­ Bulldogs Ryan Farlow and Eric Lim both advanced to the second round of qualifying before falling at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southeast Region Indoor Championships Thursday.

Farlow and Lim, both true freshmen, opened the day with first-round victories. Farlow won a 6-7, 6-2, 6-1 decision over Andrew Naidu of Austin Peay while Lim advanced with a 7-6, 7-5 victory over Alabama's Taylor Striplin. Farlow fell in his second-round match 7-6, 6-2 to fourth-seeded Shauny Hoyes of Miami while Lim dropped his match 6-3, 6-0 to Bryan Bankester of Memphis.

In other first-round qualifying action, top-seeded Florent Girod fell 6-0, 7-5 to Troy's Pascal Duttlinger. MSU sophomore Josh Irey also fell in the first round, dropping a 6-0, 6-2 decision to Ondrej Krivka of Southeastern Louisiana.

Three Bulldogs will receive a first-round bye and will begin their second-round main draw matches on Friday. MSU sophomore Philippe Frayssionoux, ranked 84th nationally, is a 9-16 seed in the tournament. Also competing in main draw singles for the Bulldogs will be 121st-ranked sophomore Pierre Mouillon and junior Ivan Bjelica.

The MSU tandem of Farlow and Mouillon will begin play Friday in the first round of doubles in the main draw. The duo of Bjelica and Frayssinoux will receive a first-round bye and will begin play on Saturday.

Source: MSU Media Relations

STARKVILLE, Miss. ­ Seven Mississippi State netmen will compete in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southeast Region Indoor Championships this week (Oct. 13-17) in Memphis, Tenn. Four Bulldogs will begin play Thursday in the first round of qualifying.

MSU senior Florent Girod garnered the top seed in the qualifying draw while freshman Eric Lim is the three seed. State's Ryan Farlow and Josh Irey will also begin play Thursday in their first-round qualifying matches. The second round of qualifying will also take place on Thursday with the winners advancing to the main draw, which begins on Friday.

Bulldogs Philippe Frayssinoux, Ivan Bjelica, and Pierre Mouillon will all play their first matches in the main draw on Friday. Doubles action will get under way Friday as well with three MSU doubles teams competing in the main draw.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. - Three Mississippi State Lady Bulldog netters advanced to Friday’s third round of the ITA Southern Regional in Athens, Ga. on Thursday. Freshmen Elna de Villiers and Daniela Juskova, along with sophomore Renee Joseph remain in Flight B competition.

State’s Elna De Villiers and Renee Joseph each received first-round byes on Thursday. De Villiers and Joseph are the No. 1 and 2 seeds respectively in Flight B. De Villiers defeated Alabama’s Melissa Day 6-2, 6-1. The Grunau, Nambia product will face Auburn’s Erin Gray on Friday. Joseph topped Antonia Nugent of UAB 6-1, 6-1 in her first match of the Southern Regional. Juskova won back-to-back matches, winning 6-3, 6-3 over Carolina Melo of North Florida in the first round. In her second round match, she knocked off the No. 3 seed in Flight B, Merry Ellen Henry of Ole Miss 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Anastasia Kugakolova, seeded No. 10 in the flight, won her opening round match over Georgia’s Evgenia Subbotina in three sets. Kugakolova dropped the first set 7-6(4), but rebounded to win the next two 6-4, 6-0. The St. Petersburg, Russia native fell in the second round to Alex Haney of Auburn in another three-set match 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.

The doubles portion of the tournament will get underway Friday morning. The Lady Bulldogs have a doubles team in each flight. Kugakolova and de Villiers will compete in Flight A, while Joseph and Juskova will play in Flight B.

The tournament will continue with play beginning at 8 a.m. ET at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on the University of Georgia campus.

Source: MSU Media Relations

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State’s women’s tennis squad travels to Athens, Ga., this weekend, Oct. 13-16, for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Southern Regional. The four-day event will feature 21 schools from the region and will be contested at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on the University of Georgia campus.

The competition will be broken down into an "A" and "B" flights in singles and in doubles play.

MSU will have Anastasia Kugakolova, ranked No. 89 in the country, playing in the A Draw in singles. The St. Petersburg, Russia, senior will team up with freshman Elna de Villiers in the doubles portion of Flight A. The duo teamed up last weekend to win the Open Draw of the Roberta Alison Fall Classic in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Sophomore Renee Joseph, freshmen Daniela Juskova and de Villiers will compete in Flight B. Joseph and de Villiers both sport 6-1 records going into the Southern Regional. In doubles, Joseph and Juskova will pair up in Flight B doubles.

Results of the ITA Southern Regional will be updated throughout each day at UGA’s official athletic website, www.GeorgiaDogs.com.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/12/05
Men's Golf
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Mississippi State’s Noah Goldman and Carlos Sainz, Jr. posted top-20 finishes at the Missouri Bluffs Challenge in St. Charles, Mo. on Tuesday. Both true freshmen finished tied for 19th in the field.

MState moved up one notch in the team standing on Tuesday to finish ninth in the 14-team field. As a team, the Bulldogs tallied a six-over par 290 in the final round.

Goldman, a native of Longwood, Fla. had the low round of the day with a one-under par 70 at the par-71 Missouri Bluffs Golf Course. He finished the 54-hole event at two-over par with rounds of 75-70-70. The tournament marked his first 54-hole collegiate start; he previously played in the Magnolia Cup, which was a one-round event. Sainz, Jr. posted a round of 76 to slide 13 spots in the individual standings. The Elgin, Ill. product was tied for sixth going into the final round.

Redshirt freshman Logan Young shot an even-par round to finish 30th. Junior Greg Huxman carded a 74 during the final round, while Jake Lambert finished his tournament with a 75.

St. Louis University, who trailed 36-hole leader Drake University by seven strokes going into the final round, won the 2005 edition of the Missouri Bluffs Challenge at eight-under par. Missouri placed second at two-under par, while Drake claimed the third spot.

State returns to the course next Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 17-18 at the Squire Creek Intercollegiate, hosted by Louisiana Tech at Squire Creek Golf Club.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/11/05
Men's Golf
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Mississippi State freshman golfer Carlos Sainz, Jr. recorded rounds of 68 and 71 on the opening day of the Missouri Bluffs Challenge at the par-71 Missouri Bluffs Golf Course in St. Charles, Mo. The Elgin, Ill. product stands tied for sixth at three-under par after 36 holes. He is just three shots back of the individual leader.

As a team, MState posted rounds of 287 and 291. The Maroon and White are 10th on the team leaderboard after Monday’s competition.

Freshman Noah Goldman opened the event with a 75 in the morning session, but bounced back to shoot one-under par 70 in the second round. The Longwood, Fla. native is in the 33rd spot in the individual standings. Redshirt freshman Logan Young fired rounds of 73 and 74, good for a tie for 45th. Rounding out the scoring for the Bulldogs were juniors Greg Huxman and Jake Lambert. Huxman’s best round of the day came in the first round, posting an even-par score. Lambert, playing in his first tournament of the season, had back-to-back rounds of 76.

Drake University holds a seven shot advantage over St. Louis University heading into the final 18 holes on Tuesday. DU reported rounds of 281 and 274 to end the day at 13-under par. Host-Missouri is third, while Arkansas State and DePaul University share fourth.

David Perritt of St. Louis blazed the par-71 course with an opening round 65. He shares the top spot with Jeff Berkshire of DU.

The Missouri Bluffs Challenge will conclude with the final round on Tuesday at 8 a.m.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Fresh off capturing its first Southeastern Conference victory of the 2005 campaign on Sunday against Alabama, head coach Neil Macdonald and the Mississippi State soccer team are calling on all Maroon and White supporters to help the program and its mission to ‘Stuff The Stands’ of the MSU Soccer Field when the Bulldogs battle 14th-ranked Florida Friday evening on regional television.

The Gators (9-3-1, 4-1-1 SEC) will look to avenge a 1-0 loss to the homestanding Bulldogs (2-8-3, 1-5-0) in the last series meeting in Starkville in 2003. In that game, the Maroon and White got a goal from Sara Moore in the 65th minute and bunkered down the rest of the way out to turn in the biggest win in school history, as well as the first in its series with then-No. 6 Florida.

"We want to create an environment that is second to none in welcoming Florida to Starkville," Macdonald said. "We want to try to not only beat our attendance record (743), but also be the first team to draw more than 1,000 fans to our field. Our fans are, without a doubt, the best in the SEC and this is their chance to show that in front of a regional television audience."

The game is slated to be broadcast live by Sun Sports Television with kickoff set for 7 p.m. In addition to the excitement that will, undoubtedly, surround the environment at the facility, State’s Class of 2005 * Heather Ammann, Betty Ann Casey, Emily Meyers and Meghan Odom * will be honored in a pregame ceremony as part of ‘Senior Night’ festivities.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/10/05
Men's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State’s men’s golf team will trek to the Show Me State for the Missouri Bluffs Intercollegiate on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 10-11 in St. Charles, Mo. The 54-hole tournament will be hosted by the University of Missouri and the Missouri Bluffs Golf Club. The course spans over 7,047 yards and is a par-71.

The Bulldogs are coming off an eighth-place finish last week at the Memphis Intercollegiate. The squad fired a one-under par 286 in the final round to move three spots up the leaderboard after the opening day.

Head coach Clay Homan will line up includes freshman Carlos Sainz, Jr., who continues to lead the team in the scoring department. The Elgin, Ill. native is tops on the team with a 71.86 average. Redshirt freshman Logan Young will be making his fourth consecutive start this week. Young is coming off a round of 69 at the Memphis tournament, propelling him into the seventh spot on the individual leaderboard.

Junior Jake Lambert will make his first start of the 2005-06 season this week. Greg Huxman, who played last week as an individual, will also be inserted into the line up.

The tournament field includes Arkansas State, Belmont, Drake, DePaul, Iowa, Iowa State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Memphis, Miami (Ohio), Middle Tennessee State, Missouri, North Texas and St. Louis.

The Memphis Tigers won the 2004 edition of the Missouri Bluffs Intercollegiate.

The competition will get underway Monday morning with a shotgun start, followed by the second round in the afternoon.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/9/05
Women's Tennis
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Mississippi State’s doubles team of senior Anastasia Kugakolova and freshman Elna de Villiers won the Open doubles draw at the 20th Annual Roberta Alison Fall Tennis Classic on Saturday at the University of Alabama Tennis Center.

The MSU pairing won the title with an 8-3 decision over Maria Zivcicova of South Alabama and Jelena Krivacevic of Samford.

In singles competition, the Lady Bulldogs had three competitors win semifinal matches on Saturday morning to reach the finals of their respective draws. Kugakolova advanced after getting a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Florida State’s Suzanna Mansour. She dropped a 6-3, 6-0 decision to Iowa’s Millie Veselinovic in the finals.

MState’s Renee Joseph reached the finals of the 3.0 Draw with a straight set 6-4, 6-0 win against Louisiana-Monroe’s Daliny Sithimorada. The Rock Hill, S.C. native dropped her first match of the season, 6-3, 6-4 to Nadia Lysak of Auburn-Montgomery. Freshman Elna de Villiers also reached the semifinals of her Draw by defeating the top seed in the 3.5 draw Marion Lehmann of South Alabama 7-5, 6-4. In the finals Saturday afternoon, she fell to AUM’s Khady Berthe in a three-set match 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

The Lady Bulldogs jump back into action next weekend, Oct. 13-16 in Athens, Ga. at the ITA South Regional.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Cross Country
AUBURN, Ala. - The Mississippi State University men and women's cross country teams posted fourth places finishes on Saturday morning at the Auburn Invitational. The event was held at the Indian Pines Golf Course in Auburn, Ala.

Senior Zita Magloire led the Lady Bulldogs for the second consecutive meet. Magloire's 5K time of 17:21.15 was good enough for a seventh-place collegiate finish. Freshman Michelle Corrigan ran 17:25.89 to take 12th.

"The women ran really well," said women's head coach Al Schmidt. "They had great times, and it was a great race. We beat LSU, South Carolina and Auburn. Hopefully, we can eventually get Alabama."

As a team, the Lady Bulldogs placed fourth overall with 148 points. Samford won with 86 points and Lamar was second with 99. Conference rival Alabama edged out MSU by 10 points to finish third (138). State finished ahead LSU (13th, 323), Auburn (14th, 342) and South Carolina 16th, 431).

On the men's side, the Bulldogs finished fourth overall with 184 points. Host Auburn won with 99 points followed by New Mexico (118) and Georgia State (131). Of teams ranked among the top 15 in the current USCCCA regional rankings, No. 10 MState finished ahead of eighth-ranked Tennessee-Chattanooga, ninth-ranked South Alabama and No. 15 Jacksonville State. Among conference competitors, the Bulldogs finished ahead of LSU (fifth, 186) and Vanderbilt (16th, 413).

Junior Wade Martin led the Bulldogs, completing the 8K course in 24:17.64 to pick up the first top 10 finish of his Maroon and White career. Junior Travis McKay came across in 24:46.93, finishing 28th collegiately.

"It was a great day," said men's head coach Steve Dudley. "Our guys are getting better every week. We beat several teams ranked ahead of us in the region."

Both squads return to action on Friday, Oct. 21. State will host the MSU Short Course at the MSU Cross Country Course at South Farm.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/8/05
Women's Tennis
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Mississippi State’s women’s tennis team won three singles matches, and two doubles teams advanced to the finals, with wins on Friday at the Roberta Alison Fall Tennis Classic at the University of Alabama.

Top seeded Anastasia Kugakolova advanced to the semifinals of the Open Draw with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Zsakay Szilvia of Georgia Southern. State sophomore Renee Joseph remained unbeaten with her 6-0, 6-1 win over Birmingham Southern’s Cammie Nix. Freshman Elna de Villiers also extended her winning streak to 5-0 with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Samford’s Whitnie Warren.

Tatiana Feit lost a three-set match to University of Memphis’s Christina Wieser 7-5, 0-6, 6-4.

In doubles play Friday morning, State had two teams advance to the finals of their respective draws. The MSU team of Kugakolova and de Villiers defeated GSU’s duo of Szilvia Zsakay and Shea Huxtable 8-2 and won over Florida State’s pairing of Suzanna Mansour and Tapiwa Morobela 8-3 in the semifinal match.

In the C Draw of doubles, Joseph and Feit cruised to an 8-0 shutout of GSU’s Jessica Matlosz and Heather Reynolds in the opening round. In the semifinal match, the MState duo topped Beelen Merel and Downlin Krissy of Iowa 9-8(1).

Results will be posted throughout the weekend at www.RollTide.com.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Cross Country
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State University cross country teams return to action on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the 13th Auburn Invitational. The meet is being held at the Indian Pines Golf Course in Auburn, Ala. The men's 8K race begins at 9:30 a.m. CT, followed by the women's 5K race at 10:30 a.m. CT.

In addition to MSU and host Auburn, Southeastern Conference rivals Alabama, LSU, South Carolina and Vanderbilt's men are scheduled to run.

The Lady Bulldogs are looking to rebound following a 24th place finish at the Notre Dame Invitational. State was led by senior Zita Magloire, who finished 54th in 17:54.

"We're going to Auburn full force," said women's coach Al Schmidt. "We're going to concentrate on this meet and our home meet. We're looking forward to the conference competition."

Last year, the Lady Bulldogs finished third behind Samford and Auburn. Jennifer McPherson was the top finisher for the Lady Bulldogs, completing the course in 18:29.44.

The men's team heads to Auburn after finishing 22nd at the Notre Dame Invitational on Sept. 30. Junior Wade Martin led the Maroon and White, running 25:01 and finishing 59th. Junior Travis McKay placed 67th (25:07). State also seeks improve on its sixth-place finish from last season.

"Auburn should be an exciting weekend for our team," said men's head coach Steve Dudley. "This is a large meet in the numbers of teams represented as well as several SEC schools. We look forward in our continued improvement from the past two years."

The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs have also decided not to attend the Pre-National Invitational scheduled for Oct. 15 in Terre Haute, Ind.

"Because of the approach we want to take for the rest of the season, we're going to drop the Pre-National meet and take the A squads to Auburn," Schmidt said. "We decided that since the SEC Championships were moved to South Carolina, this was a better route to take."

Following Saturday's meet, MSU returns to action on Oct. 21 when they host the MSU Short Course.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/7/05
Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State pounded out 31 hits and crossed the plate 26 times in thoroughly outmatching a pair of state junior colleges in the final exhibition games of the fall softball season Sunday afternoon at the Mississippi State Softball Field. The Bulldogs easily routed Co-Lin, 13-0, before putting away Jones County in the nightcap, 13-1.

The doubleheader official put a close to team workouts for the Maroon and White during the unofficial fall season. In six games, a potent MSU batting order turned in a eye-opening .408 (73-for-179) batting average to go along with 50 RBI and 3 runs scored. Defensively, MState held its opponents to just 12 runs and a .161 combined batting average while recording a staff ERA of 1.17.

"I feel good about where we are at now that our fall season is over with," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "I think we made some pretty good strides. Ragan Blake was very impressive this fall with the way that she threw the ball. She has really stepped up her game and shown that she can put this team on her shoulders and carry it.

"Offensively, we made some really good adjustments at the plate from the first weekend to the last weekend. We showed a lot more patience at the plate and really had some kids step up and show what they can do."

Michelle Kinney finished the unofficial portion of MSU’s 2005-06 schedule as the team’s batting average leader, turning in a .625 (10-for-16) clip with a trio of RBI and four runs scored. All-American Courtney Bures was the team’s leading run producer, tallying 14 RBI and six runs scored on a 9-for-17 (.529) hitting line. Sophomores Hayle Guess and Nakita Boyce paced the team in the runs column, scoring 11 apiece.

From the pitching circle, Blake emerged as the staff leader, accumulating three wins and a save en route to allowing just six hits in 20 innings of work. Blake struck out 37, did not surrender a walk and allowed opponents to hit a paltry .088.

Mississippi State will now continue individual workouts as it prepares for what should be an exciting spring campaign. The Bulldogs will open the 2006 season, Feb. 10-12, at the South Florida-hosted Best Western Invitational in Tampa, Fla.

MISSISSIPPI STATE 13, CO-LIN CC 0

Mississippi State scored nine runs in the bottom of the first inning to put the game out of reach early, then bunkered down behind a six-hit shutout from starter Stephanie Comeaux to finish off a 13-0 runaway over Co-Lin CC at the MSU Softball Field.

Sammie Jo Bailey drove in a trio of runs on a double and a home run to pace six players with multi-hit days at the plate for the Maroon and White. Courtney Bures plated a trio of runs on a 2-for-2 tally, with Callye Williams pacing the hit column on a 3-for-4 day at the plate with a pair of RBI and two runs scored. Hayle Guess scored three times on a 2-for0-4 hitting line, Katie Johnson scored once on a perfect 2-for-2 tally and Michelle Kinney drove in a pair of runs and scored once on a 2-for-4 day.

Comeaux scattered six hits and struck out nine across a complete game and was aided by the early lead. The Bulldogs sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning outburst.

MISSISSIPPI STATE 13, JONES COUNTY 1

Mississippi State pounded out a fall-best 17 hits and crossed the plate 13 times behind a 12-strikeout performance from Ragan Blake to put the icing on a perfect fall season with a 13-1 rout of Jones County in Sunday’s nightcap at the Mississippi State Softball Field.

Hayle Guess and Courtney Bures turned in three hits and three runs apiece on 3-for-4 hitting lines to highlight seven players with multi-hit days at the plate. Courtney Bures drove in four runs and scored twice on a 2-for-3 plate tally, while Katie Johnson (2-for-3) and Laura Leigh Reese (2-for-4) added a pair of RBI themselves. Sammie Jo Bailey (2-for-4) and Katie Cooley (2-for-3) also turned in two or more hits in the outing.

Blake worked six strong innings, allowing just one hit and striking out 12, to finish off an unblemished fall season that saw her allow just six hits in 20 innings of work.

MSU got RBI from three different players to manufacture a 3-0 lead heading into the fourth, then put the game away with five runs in the next frame to build the lead out to eight heading into the fifth. The Maroon and White would use six hits, including two-run knocks by Bures and Reese, to cushion its lead to 13-0 after six, before Jones County would spoil the shutout with a run of its own in the seventh.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Men's Tennis
TULSA, Okla. ­ Bulldog junior Ivan Bjelica fell in the first round of the ITA All-Ameican main draw Thursday, dropping a 6-3, 6-1 decision to Stanford's 104th-ranked Matt Bruch. Bjelica's loss snapped a five-match winning streak and ended his run in the main draw of the tournament.

Later in the day, Bjelica dropped a 7-5, 6-1 decision to 36th-ranked Mark Barry of Penn State in the first round of consolation. The loss concludes play for Bjelica and the Bulldogs at the All-American.

The Bulldogs next action will be next weekend (Oct. 13-17) at the ITA Southeast Region Indoor Championships in Memphis, Tenn.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State’s women’s tennis team returns to the courts this weekend in Tuscaloosa, Ala., participating in the 20th Annual Roberta Alison Fall Tennis Classic, hosted by the University of Alabama.

MSU senior Anastasia Kugakolova is the top seed in the singles Open draw in the three-day tournament. The St. Petersburg, Russia native, comes into the tournament with a 1-1 record in singles competition. Freshman Daniela Juskova will play in the B draw, while State’s Polina Kokoulina competes in the D draw.

Sophomore Renee Joseph, who won the White Draw at the Ole Miss Fall Classic on Sept. 16-18, is the top seed in the 3.0 division of the event. Another Lady Bulldog will be going after her second title of the season this weekend. Freshman Elna de Villiers won the Silver Draw in the season opener. She is slated to compete in the 3.5 division. MSU’s Tatiana Feit closes out the singles competition in the 4.0 division.

Head coach Tracy Lane will have three teams competing in the doubles competition. State’s tandem of Kugakolova and De Villiers is the second seed in the doubles Open draw. The duo of Banikova and Juskova will compete in the B draw, while Joseph and Kokoulina will pair up in the C draw.

The tournament features 12 teams and 74 players competing this week at UA’s Tennis Center. Joining the Lady Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa will be Alabama, Auburn-Montgomery, Birmingham-Southern, Florida State, Georgia Southern, Iowa, Louisiana-Monroe Memphis, Samford, South Alabama and South Florida.

Results will be posted throughout the weekend at www.RollTide.com.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Track & Field
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State University men's relay squad is ranked sixth in the 2005 installment of Track & Field News' national relay rankings, released in the publication's October issue. The rankings are based on season results from 2005 and include professional teams and all NCAA divisions.

"This ranking really is a reflection of our team," said associate head coach Steve Dudley. "There is no way we'd be sixth with just one person. Our focus has never been and never will be about an individual. It's about our team. They train very hard and deserve that ranking."

The Bulldogs trailed conference rivals Arkansas, Florida, LSU and Tennessee. Michigan was also ranked in the top five. In specific relay events, State was ranked first in the 4x200-meter relay and 10th in the 4x100-meter relay, fifth in the 4x400 and eighth in the sprint medley relay.

"This ranking is truly a reflection of our coaching staff, school and team," said junior two-time all-American Arthur Davis. "It's a blessing to be ranked among the best. We're growing, getting better. Our hard work, training and coaching instruction is paying off."

4x200-METER RELAY

The Bulldogs took top billing in the 4x200-meter relay, ahead of Florida, LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas. Although the 4x200 is not an NCAA event, MState went 2-1 in event finals. At the Alabama Relays, junior Steve Mullings, senior Jamel Ashley, Davis and senior LaChristopher Lewis ran 1 minute, 21.34 seconds to break the previous Alabama Relays record. Just weeks later at the Texas Relays, State led off with Mullings, followed by Lewis, Davis and Ashley to take first (1:21.62).

Their top qualifying mark of 1:21.31 at the Penn Relays currently ranks as the second-best in school history. The 1:21.77 third-place time posted in the Carnival's final is the only instance MSU did not win a 4x200-meter relay.

4x400-METER RELAY

At the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Championships, the Bulldogs led off the 4x400-meter relay with freshman Elzie Coleman and finished Davis, Lewis and Ashley. With their fifth-place time of 3:01.63, the squad broke a school record untouched since 1982. The finish earned Ashley, Davis and Lewis their second all-America nods in the event, while Coleman, along with junior Kendall Pyant II and freshman Chris Woods - who ran the Mideast Regional final - picked up their first.

At the Mideast Regional, Pyant II and Woods joined with Ashley and Davis to run 3:05.99, taking fifth. Their best regular season performance came at the Penn Relays. In front of a national television audience, the Bulldogs ran 3:03.44 to take third in the Championship of America 4x400-meter final. The Bulldogs won the 4x4 on three occasions during the 2005 campaign. At the season-opening FSU Snowbird, MState won behind Ashley, Pyant II, Mullings and Lewis' 3:07.08. A week later, Ashley, Davis, Pyant II and Lewis won the Alabama Relays title (3:05.84). MSU's other win was at the Jace Lacoste Invitational where freshman Adian Sanderson, Woods, Coleman and Pyant II ran 3:09.44. State's other top 10 finish in the 4x4 included a sixth-place finish at the Texas Relays (3:05.45). Throughout the year, the Maroon and White's 4x4 teams met seven regional qualifying marks.

4x100-METER RELAY

The Bulldogs finished in the top five in the 4x100-meter relay six of the seven times MState ran the event during 2005. In a third-place showing at the Texas Relays, sophomore Eliott Morant, Ashley, Mullings and Lewis ran 39.09, tying the school record from 2003. MSU also finished third at the SEC Outdoor Championships (39.56) and took fourth at the Mideast Regional (39.57). State won the 4x1 on three occasions - running 39.72 at the Alabama Relays, 40.46 at the Bulldog Invitational and 40.52 at the FSU Snowbird.

SPRINT MEDLEY RELAY

The Bulldogs only ran the sprint medley relay twice during the 2005 campaign. Like the 4x200-meter relay, the sprint medley is not an NCAA event. In the first meet of the season, Mullings, Lewis, Coleman and Woods ran 3:20.98 to win at the FSU Snowbird. Mullings, Ashley, Davis and freshman Isaiah Marshall combined to win the Alabama Relays title (3:17.82).

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/6/05
Men's Tennis
TULSA, Okla. - MSU junior Ivan Bjelica advanced to the main draw of the ITA All-American Championships with a 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 win over Colorado's Eric Molnar in the finals of qualifying Wednesday. With the win, Bjelica has now won five straight matches and is 7-1 this fall. He has knocked off four ranked opponents in that span, including three in the top-100.

Bjelica will begin play in the main draw Thursday, taking on fellow qualifyer and 104th-ranked Matt Bruch of Stanford in the first round. That match is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. CT.

With Bjelica's win on Wednesday, MSU has now had at least one qualifier in singles or doubles for the main draw in 61 of the last 64 major collegiate events dating back to 1988.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Soccer
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Having played in front of a Starkville crowd just three times in 2005, the Mississippi State soccer team will return home for the first time since Sept. 18 this weekend when it opens a four-game homestand against SEC West rivals Auburn and Alabama in pivotal league tilts at the MSU Soccer Field.

The Maroon and White (1-7-3, 0-4-0 SEC) will renew its series with Auburn (3-7-1, 2-2-0) for the 10th time in a 7 p.m. Friday evening tilt, before battling rival Alabama (6-3-2, 0-2-2) in a 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon contest. Both games can be followed via a live in-game stats link at the official Internet home for the Mississippi State athletic department, www.MStateAthletics.com. Admission to all 2005 MSU Soccer home games is free.

Seeking its first league victory of the 2005 campaign, State will bring a four-game home unbeaten streak into the weekend that has been enhanced by a 1-0-2 clip in Starkville in 2005. The Bulldogs are coming off a pair of losses at division rivals Arkansas and LSU over the weekend and will play the first home games of its conference schedule against the Tigers and Crimson Tide.

"We worked on some things in practice this week and, hopefully, the stress and rigor that comes with our travel schedule will be lifted this week playing at home," said Mississippi State head coach Neil Macdonald. "Without a doubt, playing at home always helps you mentally because you have such tremendous support coming from the stands.

"The girls seemed a bit more relaxed and attentive this week and that has paid dividends with game preparations. I think that we are ready to turn the corner and start focusing a bit more on the goals we set for ourselves in the preseason."

Trailing a tightly contested series by a 3-6-1 count, the Bulldogs will look for their first victory over the Tigers in three meetings, having last triumphed over Auburn in 2001 en route to the SEC West title. The Tigers defeated MState by a 3-0 count on the Plains last season and snuck by the Bulldogs, 1-0, in the last Starkville meeting on Oct. 17, 2003. Friday’s meeting will mark the first time since 2002 that MSU will face an unranked Auburn squad.

Auburn dropped its second league match-up to SEC-leading Vanderbilt, 1-0, on Friday evening in Auburn, but bounced back with a 2-1 win over Kentucky on Sunday to snap the Wildcats’ 11-game unbeaten streak.

"With or without a national ranking, Auburn is as dangerous a team as you’ll find in the SEC," Macdonald said. "They are well-coached, possess the ball very well and are organized defensively, as well as in their attacks. That will present a huge challenge to us, but it is one that I think our players are ready for."

Although trailing its series with Alabama, 2-6-2, the Bulldogs will bring a three-game unbeaten streak against the Crimson Tide into Sunday’s match-up, having defeated the Crimson and White by a 2-1 count in Tuscaloosa, Ala., last season after tying Alabama, 1-1, in both 2002 and 2003.

The Crimson Tide is coming off a tough weekend that saw it rally to tie Kentucky, 1-1, on Friday evening at home, before dropping a heartbreaking 1-0 decision to the 19th-ranked Commodores on Sunday afternoon.

"Our games with Alabama are always very physical because you have such a phenomenal amount of intensity and desire coming from both sides," Macdonald said. "They are doing very well this season, particularly from an offensive standpoint, and have plenty of dangerous players all over the pitch."

Following this weekend’s matchups in Starkville, State will return to the MSU Soccer Field for a pair of intra-divisional contests next weekend when it battles both perennial SEC powerhouse Florida and SEC East rival South Carolina in a pair of regionally televised games.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/5/05
Men's Tennis
TULSA, Okla. - MSU junior Ivan Bjelica won his second-round qualifying match in comeback fashion Tuesday at the ITA All-American Championships. Bjelica came from a set down to upend 99th-ranked Henrique Cancado of Old Dominion by a score of 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(4). The win propelled Bjelica to the final round of qualifying on Wednesday where he will face Colorado's Eric Molnar. Three out of the last four matches for Bjelica have resulted in wins over a top-100 opponent.

In other singles action, Bulldog Pierre Mouillon fell in his second-round qualifying match to Wisconsin's 80th-ranked Jeremy Sonkin. After winning the first set 6-3, Mouillon lost a tiebreaker in the second set and fell in the third 6-4 to end his tournament run.

In doubles play, Bulldogs Bjelica and Philippe Frayssinoux fell to Virginia's duo of Jarrett Chirico and Marko Miklo 8-4 and were eliminated from qualifying play.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Men's Golf
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Mississippi State fired a one-under par 287 in the final round of the Memphis Intercollegiate at Colonial Country Club in Memphis, Tenn. The Bulldogs moved up three spots from day one to finish eight in the 15-team field. State’s team total was the second-best round fired on Tuesday. In a tightly contested field, MSU was just five strokes out of second place.

Memphis native Logan Young recorded the low round of the day for MState, firing a three-under par 69. Young, a redshirt freshman, finished the 54-hole event alone in seventh place to lead all Bulldog competitiors. He tied with Wisconsin’s Jeff Kaiser for low-round of the day honors. Freshmen Matt Fast and Carlos Sainz, Jr. carded even-par 72 rounds on Tuesday. Sainz, Jr. finished 16th to register his second consecutive top-20 finish in 54-hole events. Sophomore Michael Knight finished up the Maroon and White scoring with a round of 74.

"I was pleased with the way we finished strong," said MSU head coach Clay Homan. "We have to put three good rounds together. We have to continue work on our short game."

Junior Greg Huxman, playing as an individual, finished the event in eighth place. He concluded play with a final round 76. The Miami, Fla. product posted rounds of 69 and 73 on Monday.

Memphis won the tournament for the second consecutive year. The Tigers won by five strokes over runner-up Southern Mississippi. Big 10 foes Wisconsin and Iowa took home low-round honors with a 286. UW placed third, while UI finished in a three-way tie for fourth with Kansas State and Penn State.

UM’s Keven Fortin-Simard won the individual title at eight-under par.

State has a quick turnaround, traveling to St. Louis Mo, next Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 10-11 competing in the Missouri Bluffs Classic, contested at the Missouri Bluffs Golf Course. The tournament is hosted by the University of Missouri.

The classic is the second tournament of a three week stretch of consecutive events.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/4/05
Men's Golf
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Mississippi State fired rounds of 296 and 303 in the first two rounds of the Memphis Intercollegiate at Colonial Country Club’s par 72 South Course. State stands 11th on the team leaderboard after 36 holes of the 54-hole event, but the squad is just three strokes out of fifth.

MSU was led by sophomore Michael Knight, who recorded rounds of 72 and 75 on the day. The Calgary, Alberta, Canada native is currently tied for 13th in the field. Playing in his hometown, redshirt freshman Logan Young fired back-to-back two-over par rounds of 74. The Briarcrest Christian School of Memphis graduate is tied for 17th going into the final round. Freshman Carlos Sainz, Jr. added rounds of 74 and 75 to the MState scorecard.

Greg Huxman, who is competing this week as an individual, carded a three-under-par 69 in the morning round and a one-over par 73 in the second round. The Miami, Fla. junior is in third place at two-under par for the tournament. He is just six shots off the leader.

Tournament host-Memphis is the clubhouse leader after day one at three-over par. The Tigers will take a nine-stroke advantage over Southern Mississippi and Kansas State into Tuesday’s final round. UM had the round of the day, firing a 288 in the second round. Tulane, Penn State and South Alabama round out the top five in the team standings.

Kevin-Fortin-Simard of Memphis leads the individual standings at eight-under par. USM’s Justin Elliott is two strokes off the pace at six-under.

The Memphis Intercollegiate will conclude on Tuesday with the final round getting underway at 8 a.m.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Men's Tennis
TULSA, Okla. ­ Bulldogs Ivan Bjelica and Pierre Mouillon were both straight-set winners in their first-round matches of qualifying Monday at the ITA All-American Championships.

Bjelica notched his second win over a top-100 player in his last three matches with a 7-6(5), 6-3 win over Oklahoma¹s 71st-ranked Alexei Ivanov. Mouillon, ranked 121st nationally, was a 6-4, 6-3 winner over Sandy Farquharson from Texas-Arlington. Bulldog Philippe Frayssinoux could not hold on after winning the first set, dropping a 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-0 decision to Niklas Persson of Denver.

Both Bjelica and Mouillon will face ranked opponents in the second round of qualifying on Tuesday. Bjelica will play Old Dominion's 99th-ranked Henrique Cancado while Mouillon will take on 80th-ranked Jeremy Sonkin from the University of Wisconsin.

The first three rounds of qualifying singles run through Wednesday with main draw play begining Thursday. Qualifying rounds in doubles will also begin on Tuesday. The Bulldog duo of Bjelica and Frayssinoux will take on Virginia's Jarret Chirico and Marko Miklo in the first round.

Singles players and doubles teams must win three qualifying matches to advance to the All-American's main draw, which begins Thursday.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/3/05
Women's Golf
Lexington, Ky. - The Mississippi State women's golf team topped all teams Sunday, shooting a low round of 290 in the final round of the Wildcat Fall Invitational. The team score was the lowest recorded one-round total for MSU since last fall at the Chrysler ACC/SEC Challenge.

All-SEC junior Amanda Mathis paced MSU in all three rounds of the tournament. Mathis tied a career record, shooting a three-round total of 218 and finished in a tie for second. Three other lady Bulldogs set career records this weekend. Senior Stephanie Godare tied a career record with her three-round score of 224 and set a career mark with a 71 in the third round. Ashleigh Korzack set a new career mark with a three-round total of 225 and tied her previous best one-round score of 74 on Sunday. In the second tournament of her career, redshirt Freshman Marli Mikulecky set a new three round record, shooting a 230.

The University of Florida won the team title, shooting an 881 and finished 10 strokes ahead of second-place North Carolina. Florida freshman Mallory Blackwelder shot a four-under-par 212 to win the individual title.

The lady Bulldogs next tournament will be the Lady Paladin Invitational on Oct. 14-16 in Greenville, S.C.

Source: MSU Media Relations

In the only match that was contested, Miami's Tim Krebs and P.J. Passalacqua defeated State's Josh Irey and Florent Girod 8-1. Two other singles matches were in progress before play was suspended.

Three Bulldogs will head to Tulsa, Okla. on Monday to participate in the ITA All-American Championships. Junior Ivan Bjelica and sophomores Philippe Frayssinoux and Pierre Mouillon will play their first singles matches in the qualifying round on Monday. Bjelica and Frayssinoux will also compete in the doubles draw of the tournament, playing their first match on Monday.

The ITA All-American Championships offer the first national singles and doubles titles of the 2005-06 season and will be the first major tournament for MSU this fall.

Source: MSU Media Relations

State is coming off the inaugural Magnolia Cup at Old Waverly Golf Club on Friday, Sept. 23 against Ole Miss. The Bulldogs fired a round of 279 for the one round event in West Point, Miss.

Head coach Clay Homan will start Carlos Sainz, Jr., Michael Knight, Matt Fast, Logan Young and Josh Oller. Greg Huxman will compete as an individual.

Sainz, Jr. leads the team in scoring with a 70.50 average. The freshman from Elgin, Ill. has posted three rounds under par this season. Knight is fresh off a round of 65 at the par-72 Old Waverly course. Fast made got his Bulldog career underway with a two-under par 70 in the Magnolia Cup. Young returns to his hometown of Memphis, Tenn. this week. The redshirt freshman has played in both tournaments this fall.

The Bulldogs are making their second consecutive appearance in the Memphis Intercollegiate, finishing sixth in the field last season. Host-Memphis won team honors last year by seven strokes.

MSU is currently ranked 28th by Golfweek Magazine in the season’s first ranking. Joining the Bulldog linksters in the Bluff City will be Arkansas-Little Rock, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Michigan, Marshall, Memphis, Nebraska, Penn State, South Alabama, South Florida, Southern Miss, Tulane and Wisconsin.

The first and second rounds will be played on Monday with the tournament concluding on Tuesday, Oct. 4.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/2/05
Men's Tennis
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Mississippi State matched up with South Florida in three matches on day two of the Gator Invitational, winning one and dropping two. Bulldog junior Ivan Bjelica followed up his upset win over a top 60 player on Friday with another convincing win on Saturday.

Bjelica posted a 6-2, 6-1 victory over South Florida's Marc Jager a day after upsetting Florida's 56th-ranked Chris Brandi. In the only other singles match, Bulldog senior Florent Girod dropped a 6-2, 6-3 decision to USF's Dillon Brozyna.

In the only doubles action of the day, State's duo of Eric Lim and Pierre Mouillon fell 8-4 to USF's Dillon Brozyna and Jager.

The Bulldog netmen will conclude play at the Gator Invitational Sunday, matching up with the University of Miami. Play will begin at 10 a.m. ET.

Source: MSU Media Relations

10/1/05
Men's Tennis
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Mississippi State's men's tennis team grabbed four victories in eight matches staged against the Florida Gators Friday in their opening day of competition at the Gator Invitational.

The Bulldogs began the day by winning two out of three matches in doubles. MSU's Ivan Bjelica and Philippe Frayssinoux led 3-1 when their opponents, UF's Nester Briceno and Stefan Tell were forced to retire. The Bulldog tandem of Florent Girod and Pierre Mouillon defeated Florida's Chris Brandi and Shaun Young 8-3. State's only setback in doubles came when the freshman duo of Ryan Farlow and Eric Lim dropped an 8-4 decision to UF's Vladimir Obradovic and Ryan Sherry.

State would open singles play by taking two of the first three matches completed. Posting wins for MSU were Bjelica and Mouillon. Bjelica was a 6-1, 7-6(2) upset winner over Florida's 56th-ranked Brandi, while the 121st-ranked Mouillon downed Sherry 6-4, 6-3. MSU's Lim fell 6-0, 6-3 to Tell.

The final two matches of the day both went to a third set, with Florida taking both. In a battle of top 100 players, the 40th-ranked Gator Obradovic had to rally from a one-set deficit to hold of State's 84th-ranked Frayssinoux 5-7, 6-4, 6-1. UF's Young also posted a comeback, defeating MSU's Farlow 3-6, 7-5, 3-6.

The Bulldogs will continue play at the Gator Invitational Saturday at 10 a.m. ET, when they take on the University of South Florida Bulls.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State women's golf team will travel to Lexington, Ky. this weekend, looking to defend its 2004 title at the Wildcat Invitational. The 2005 edition will once again be held at Kentucky's 6,150-yard, par 72 Big Blue Course.

Last season, the Lady Bulldogs won the team title, shooting a three-round total of 898. Amanda Mathis brought home individual honors for MSU, firing a 219.

"We look forward going back to the Wildcat Fall Invitational as defending champions," said head coach Christi Sanders. "I feel like the course sets up to a lot of our strengths as a team. This is the only tournament we will play that is 36 holes the first day and 18 holes the second day. My players are ready for the challenge."

The Bulldogs lineup features all-Southeastern Conference junior Amanda Mathis, seniors Stephanie Godare and Ashleigh Korzack, sophomore Julia Huh and redshirt freshman Marli Mikulecky.

Joining MSU and host Kentucky in the 15-team field will be: UAB, Ball State, Birmingham Southern, East Carolina, Eastern Kentucky, Florida, Memphis, Miami, Murray State, North Carolina, UNC-Greensboro, Richmond and Southern Mississippi.

First-round play will begin Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. with a shotgun style format. Round two will be played Saturday afternoon while the third round is scheduled for Sunday.

Live stats of the event can be found at www.golfstat.com.

Source: MSU Media Relations