Other State Notables

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University head women's golf coach Christi Sanders announced Thursday the signing of Decatur, Ala., native Suzanne Stanley to a national letter-of-intent to play for the lady Bulldogs in the fall of 2006.

"I am pleased that Suzanne will be joining the Mississippi State squad next year," said Sanders. "I expect her to become a tough competitor in the Southeastern Conference. She is very athletic and has a love for all sports, especially golf and the challenges the game can offer. Suzanne will not only bring a great level of talent to the team but also great enthusiasm."

Stanley, a member of the boy's golf team at Decatur High School, led her team in two events last spring. She finished first on her team at the Boys' Cullman Invitational and also led her team at the Dominoes/Pepsi Classic at the Decatur Country Club, making the All-Tournament Team.

Other accomplishments this season on the course for Stanley include five first-place finishes along with three second-place finishes. Stanley won the Alabama Girls' State Sectionals and the Alabama Girls' State Tournament last spring. Stanley became the first person in her school's history to win the Alabama High School Athletic Association girls state golf championship.

Stanley also won the Robert Trent Jones Junior Tournament last May in Anniston, Ala. She finished first at the Optimist Tournament State Qualifier and at the Mississippi-Alabama District Optimist Tournament, which allowed her to advance to the Optimist Tournament. Stanley won the Grand National Junior Classic on the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour this past summer. She finished second at the Girls' Athens Invitational, the Girls' Bob Jones Invitational and at the Girls' Cullman Invitational.

Stanley's home course is Burningtree Country Club and her instructor is Elvis Larkin. Stanley was a member of the varsity basketball team and varsity softball team for three years as well as the cross-country team and volleyball team for a year. She was elected to the homecoming court this year as a senior.

She is the daughter of Pat and Sandy Stanley.

Source: MSU Media Relations

11/17/05
Women's Golf
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University head women's golf coach Christi Sanders announced Wednesday the signing of Helena, Ark., native Gina Sharp to a national letter-of-intent to compete with the lady Bulldogs in the fall of 2006.

"I am happy that Gina will be wearing Maroon and White next season," said Sanders. "She not only has a lengthy, successful junior golf resume, but she has also been very involved in many extracurricular activities at her high school. Gina has a great work ethic, good ball striking ability and a versatile short game. She is very outgoing and will bring a lot of energy to the team."

Sharp, a senior at Desoto School and member of the boy's varsity team, has won medallist honors in two out of the last three North A State tournaments. In 2004, Sharp won medallist honors at the event and won co-medalist honors in 2003. This past season, Sharp helped lead Desoto School to a first place finish at North A and State A tournaments, and to a fourth-place finish at the Mississippi Private School Association Overall tournament.

Sharp has also excelled while playing summer golf. In 2004, Sharp had six first place finishes. Sharp won the Cadron Valley ASGA Jr., the Bruce Jenkins Memorial, the ASGA Jr. Match Play Championship, the GCS-HSCC Jr. Invitational, the AR Independent Insurance Agents Classic, the Arkansas Women's Golf Association Jr. Girls Stroke Play Championship and the ASGA Jr. Girls Stroke Play Championship.

This past summer, Sharp finished second at both the AWGA Match play and the ASGA Jr. Girls Stroke Play Championship. She was also a member of the Arkansas Junior Cup Team as well as the Fore State Cup Team.

Sharp's instructor, Bob Wolcott, is the General manager and director of Golf at the Tunica National Golf Course which hosted the 2005 SEC Women's Golf Championships.

Off the course, Sharp played on the varsity basketball team for three years, the track team for a year, served on the student council for two years and served as class president for two years. She was also the secretary of Fellowship of Christian Athletes for two years and was elected to the Homecoming court three years. She was voted most athletic for the 12th grade at Desoto School. She is the daughter of Rusty and Debbie Sharp.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State women's basketball team adds two home TV games to the 2005-06 slate to be televised by Comcast Sports Southeast. The Jan. 15 game vs. Tennessee at 2 p.m. CT and the Feb. 9 matchup vs. Florida has been moved to 6 p.m. CT, will both be on CSS.

The Lady Bulldogs will now have five games to be televised this season including two road games on SEC-TV and one on Sun Sports. 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. Sun Sports will televise MSU when it travels to Florida State on Dec. 2 at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Game Time Change
The Jan. 2 meeting with Birmingham-Southern has been moved back to 7 p.m. CT at Humphrey Coliseum.

Source: MSU Media Relations

11/16/05
Women's Basketball
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Due to the destruction of Hurricane Wilma in Mexico, the venue for the Caribbean Classic Nov. 25-26 has changed from Cancun, Mexico to Playa del Carmen, Mexico for the Mississippi State women's basketball team and six other participants. The event headquarters was previously at the Moon Palace in Cancun but has been relocated to Aventura Spa Palace about 60 miles south of the city of Cancun, near Playa del Carmen. All games and practices will be held at this new resort in the Convention Center.

The Aventura Spa Palace has experienced limited damage and will accept all the reservations previously held at the Moon Palace but fans should call Sally at Triple Crown Sports (970) 223-6644, ext. 139, to confirm the transfer of their reservations. Any additional questions, contact MSU Director of Basketball Operations Stephanie Siler at (662) 325-5465.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - A player considered one of the top national prep prospects, a prep standout from the state of Georgia and a three-sport athlete from the Midwest comprise the 2005 Mississippi State softball recruiting class announced Tuesday afternoon by head coach Jay Miller.

Chelsea Bramlett (Cordova, Tenn./First Assembly Christian School) will join Jessie Bailey (Lithonia, Ga./Mt. Vernon Christian School) and Laurie Siebert (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland HS) as freshmen on the 2006-07 edition of the MState softball team. Miller is very excited about the prospects of the newcomers.

"We really helped ourselves with this class," Miller said. "We have got three players coming in and I feel really good about the class. I think we helped ourselves offensively, helped our speed a lot and gave ourselves some additional depth on the mound."

Mississippi State wrapped up its fall season with a perfect 6-0 record in mid-October and has continued off-season workouts in preparation for its 2006 season opener at the USF-hosted Best Western Invitational, Feb. 10-12, in Tampa, Fla. The Maroon and White return six starters and four pitchers off of last season’s 35-31 squad that advanced to its fourth-consecutive NCAA postseason appearance by competing at the NCAA Region 4 Tournament in Austin, Texas.

2005-06 MISSISSIPPI STATE SOFTBALL SIGNING CLASS

Name Pos. Ht. Hometown/High School
Jessie Bailey INF/P 5-7 Lithonia, Ga./Mt. Vernon Christian School
Chelsea Bramlett C/SS 5-8 Cordova, Tenn./First Assembly Christian School
Laurie Siebert INF 5-2 Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland HS

JESSIE BAILEY, INF/P, 5-7, LITHONIA, GA. (MT. VERNON CHRISTIAN SCHOOL)
High School/Club: Prepped at Mt. Vernon Christian School for coach C.E. Rhoades - Played club softball for Georgia Titans and coach Jody Bailey -Played and started every game as a prep junior and helped Mt. Vernon to a perfect 14-0 record and the state championship - Hit .636 (28-for-51) with 14 extra-base hits (5 HR) and 28 RBI - Also proved successful on 12 of 15 stolen base attempts - Did not allow a run in 60 innings of work from the pitching circle, striking out 166 and allowing just three hits and 12 walks - Also recorded 11 shutouts, including five no-hitters and a pair of perfect games - Led her Georgia Titans travel ball team to a 65-7 record over the summer en route to six tournament championships and a second place finish at the Colorado Fireworks tournament - Hit .285 at the plate, while recording a 10-2 record with a 0.29 ERA from the pitching circle - A three-sport athlete at Mt. Vernon, helped lead her basketball team to the state tournament and her volleyball team to the state championship.

Personal: Born Jessica Denise Bailey on April 22, 1988 - Daughter of Denise and Jody Bailey - Has an older sister, Sammie Jo, who is currently a freshman infielder for the Bulldogs, and a younger brother, Jay - Scored a 1550 on the SAT and currently maintains a 4.0 GPA at Mt. Vernon as a member of the National Honor Society - A state finalist for the Wendy’s High School Heisman award - Has been named three times to the Who’s Who of American High School Students list - Ranks first in her senior class at Mt. Vernon - Undecided on a major at Mississippi State.

MILLER ON BAILEY: "Jessie is an outstanding pitcher which will give us some help on the mound. She is a great infielder as well and plays third base for her summer team when she isn’t pitching. She is a great athlete who is very versatile."

CHELSEA BRAMLETT, C/SS, 5-8, CORDOVA, TENN. (FIRST ASSEMBLY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL)
High School/Club: Prepped at First Assembly Christian School for coach Phillip Spain - Played club softball for the Memphis Fusion and coach Rose "Coach K" Kalisak - Played and started every game as a prep junior and helped lead FACS to a 34-8 record and a spot in the state tournament - Hit .735 (86-for-117) with 26 extra-base hits (10 HR) and 41 RBI - In addition, proved successful on 96 percent of her stolen base attempts (98-of-102) - Also tallied a 19-2 record as the Lady Crusaders ace pitcher - A "Best of Preps" selection by The Commercial Appeal - A three-sport athlete, also lettered in basketball and volleyball at FACS and was named to The Commercial Appeal's "All-Metro" squad in both sports.

Personal: Born Chelsea Leigh Bramlett on Sept. 22, 1987 - Daughter of Judi and Mike Bramlett - Has a younger brother, Micah - Maintains a cumulative 4.0 GPA as a member of the National Honor Society at FACS - Plans to major in Teaching and Coaching at Mississippi State.

MILLER ON BRAMLETT: "Chelsea is an outstanding catcher that can play anywhere on the field and can do a lot of things for us. She has tremendous speed, as well as a tremendous arm, and is just a great athlete overall. She is probably one of the top recruits in the nation in the 2006 class."

LAURIE SIEBERT, INF, 5-2, SUGAR GROVE, ILL. (KANELAND HIGH SCHOOL)
High School/Club: Prepped at Kaneland High School for coach Dennis Hansen - Played club softball for Aurora Raiders and coach Gary Hunley - Played and started every game as a prep junior and helped lead Kaneland to a 25-9 record and the region and division crown - A two-time all-state selection - Hit .449 (48-for-107) with 19 extra-base hits (4 HR), an area-leading 42 RBI and 24 runs scored - Also turned in 15 walks and a pair of stolen bases - Tallied a .528 on-base percentage and a .757 slugging percentage - Has also posted two consecutive runner-up finishes at the Illinois state hitting derby - Helped lead her Aurora Raiders U-18 squad to a 51-11 clip and a fifth place finish at the USSSA National Tournament in Shawnee, Kan. - Hit .385 (63-for-164) with 19 extra-base hits (4 HR), 35 RBI and 28 runs scored - A three-sport athlete at Kaneland having also lettered in basketball and volleyball.

Personal: Born Laurie Michelle Siebert on Dec. 4, 1987 - Daughter of Bonnie and Steve Siebert - Has an older brother, Brad, and an older sister, Stacey - Maintains a 4.7 weighted GPA at Kaneland while also serving on the student advisory committee - Undecided on a major at Mississippi State.

MILLER ON SIEBERT: "Laurie has a bit of a punch offensively. She will be a great infielder for us. She can play third, but we’ll probably use her some at second base as well. She is an excellent student as well who has been on the national honor society and will help maintain our longstanding tradition of academic success as well."

Source: MSU Media Relations

Track & Field
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University associate head track and field coach Steve Dudley has announced the signing of Wallace State (Ala.) Community College's Golden Coachman, Bruce Davis, Jamil Hubbard, Ezra Jones and Delandus O'Neal to national-letters-of-intent. Davis and Jones will arrive on campus in January 2006, while Coachman, Hubbard and O'Neal will begin competing during the 2006-07 school year.

"I don't think we've ever had five guys sign with the same school," said Wallace State CC head coach Stan Narewski. "I feel real good about sending them over to Starkville. I've known Al (Schmidt) and Steve for years. They've always been gentlemen and have treated us like family. It's like having one of your children leave home to go stay with another relative. I've seen athletes coached by those men just get better. These guys are very talented and focused."

BRUCE DAVIS
Davis, a native of Phenix City, Ala., was a member of the 2005 National Junior College Athletic Association national championship 4x400-meter relay squad. The squad ran 3 minutes, 7.01 seconds to capture the title. Last season, Davis finished third in the 400-meter dash at both the indoor and outdoor national meets. He is a three-time all-American in the 400 and 4x4.

"Gaining Bruce has given us added strength and depth in the long sprints," Dudley said. "He will help fill some big shoes lost last year. He is one of the premier 400-meter runners coming out of the junior college ranks, and we are very happy to add him to our team."

As a prep at Central High School, Davis finished as state runner-up in the 4x800-meter relay as a junior and in the 400 as a senior. He was also an all-State selection in the decathlon. As a cross country athlete, he finished third at the regional meet his junior season.

His personal record is 46.4 in the 400-meter dash. Davis participated at the 2000 and 2003 Junior Olympics.

The son of Patricia Davis intends to major in education at State.

EZRA JONES
Jones comes to MSU from WSCC, where he was a member of the 4x400-meter relay NJCAA national championship team from a year ago. As a freshman, Jones ran on the second-place indoor 4x4 squad and the fourth-place 4x4 outdoor team at the national championships. He has been named an all-American on two occasions.

"Ezra was part of the national junior college champion 4 x 400-meter relay team," Dudley said. "It is always exciting for our program to add someone that knows how to win, and he will bring this experience to our younger guys here at Mississippi State."

A native of Wildwood, Fla., Jones ran at Wildwood High School for head coach Khalil Tucker. In his final season, Jones captured the state championship in the 400-meter dash, running a personal record 47.5. He was an all-District and all-State selection and named Florida's Track Athlete of the Year his senior season. He participated in the 2003 Junior Olympics.

Jones plans to major in sports medicine and is the son of Avon Hambrick.

GOLDEN COACHMAN
Coachman hails from Birmingham, Ala., where he prepped at Huffman High School. At Wallace State in 2003, he garnered all-America honors in the indoor 800-meter run with a fifth-place finish at the national championship. He also ran the 4x800-meter relay, which finished fourth at that same meet. During the outdoor season, Coachman finished fifth at nationals to earn all-America status in the 800. His personal record in the 800 is 1:51.90. Coachman did not compete during the 2004-05 season due to active military duty in Iraq.

"I wished we could sign 25 athletes per year with the backbone and discipline Golden will bring to our team," Dudley said. "He has not only been a junior college All-American; he has also been to Iraq to fight for our country."

At Huffman, Coachman won a state championship as a senior in the 4x400-meter relay. He finished second in the 800-meter run. For his efforts, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the team and his senior season was named Birmingham's City Track Star.

In 2002, he took second in the 800-meter run at the AAU Junior Nationals. He finished fourth in the event in 2001. He placed fifth in the 1500-meter run in 2002.

The son of Colleen Minniefield, Coachman plans to major in biological sciences/pre-medicine studies.

JAMIL HUBBARD
Hubbard placed third at NJCAA nationals in the 200-meter dash and was a member of the national title 4x400-meter relay last season. His personal records are 20.7 in the 200 and 47.2 in the 400.

"We are very fortunate to gain Jamil to our team," Dudley said. "We needed some additional help in the short sprints and the addition of the third-place 200-meter runner at the NJCAA national championships will do this nicely."

A native of Atlanta, Ga., Hubbard ran for Alex Jacobbs at Salem High School. He won the state title in the 400 as a senior and finished runner-up the three seasons prior. Hubbard is a four-time regional champion in the 200- and 400-meter dashes. He was also a regional champion in the 4x4 on three occasions and in the long jump once. Hubbard won the county title in the 200 and 400 all four years of school. For his efforts, he was a four-time all-District and all-State selection. Off the track, He was a state meet qualifier in wrestling.

In 2002, Hubbard won the 400-meter dash title at Junior Olympics. He finished third in the 200 in 2002. He represented Team USA as a member of the 2002 World Junior Team.

Hubbard is the son of Sandra and Victor Adams. He plans to pursue a degree in criminal justice.

DELANDUS O'NEAL
O'Neal earned all-America honorable mention honors in 2005 for finishing fourth at the national championship in the 400-meter hurdles, running a personal record 52.6.

"The addition of Delandus not only brings a talented 400-meter hurdler but a very energetic student-athlete to our program," Dudley noted. "It has been quite sometime since Mississippi State has had a 400 hurdler of his talent."

O'Neal ran for Craig Musselwhite at Carrollton (Ga.) High School. During his sophomore and junior seasons, he was a part of team state championship. As a freshman and junior, he won the state title in the 300-meter hurdles. He was also named all-Area. O'Neal also competed in football, where he was an all-Area selection as a junior and senior and picked up a preseason all-State nod as a senior.

O'Neal is the 2000 Junior Olympics national champion in the triple jump and 200-meter hurdles. He won the 400-meter hurdles title in 2001.

O'Neal will attend MSU to receive a business degree. He is the son of Jackie O'Neal.

Source: MSU Media Relations

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University head track and field coach Al Schmidt has announced the signing of Tupelo High School's Wendy Copeland to a national-letter-of-intent. Copeland will begin competing for the Lady Bulldogs during the 2006-07 school year.

Copeland will work closely with assistant coach Kurt Thomas, who oversees jumps.

"Wendy's marks are good enough to score at SECs as a freshman," Thomas said. "With that type of talent, we wanted to keep her in-state. We're happy to have her at Mississippi State. The sky's the limit with her potiential. She adds to the already outstanding recruiting class we have. We're looking forward to next year."

Under head coach Chris McCrae in 2005, Copeland won the Mississippi High School Activities Association's Class 5A state titles in the long and triple jumps. As a sophomore and junior, Copeland was a district, regional and North State champion in both events. Her personal record in the long jump is 19-1, while she has leaped 39-00 ¾ in the triple.

The 2005 Mississippi Track and Field Gatorade Player of the Year has also been recognized by THS as the Outstanding Field Event Athlete the past two seasons. She was a nominee for the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame's PopStar Award. As a member of the Lady Golden Wave basketball team, she has earned the Hustle Award and Heart of a Champion Award.

"It's an honor to have a chance to compete in the Southeastern Conference," Copeland said. "I hope to improve on my personal records and become a leader to the team."

Outside of athletics, Copeland is a member of the National Honor Society and Anchor Club. She enjoys going to church and is currently working with the Tupelo Charity Ball.

The daughter of Velma Bowdry plans to major in biological sciences/pre-medical studies.

Source: MSU Media Relations

11/15/05
Track & Field
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University head track and field coach Al Schmidt has announced the signing of Starkville High School track athlete Santana Lowery to a national-letter-of-intent. Lowery will begin competing for the Lady Bulldogs during the 2006-07 season.

Lowery will work closely with assistant coach Kurt Thomas, who oversees women's sprints.

"Santana is a great addition to our team," Thomas said. "She is such a top quality sprinter, who is obviously one of the best in the nation. She will help with the future of our sprints program. We're happy she chose to stay close to home."

One of the most recognized faces on the junior track circuit, Lowery has competed at the Amateur Athletic Union's Junior Nationals in Detroit, Michigan, winning the 200-meter dash. She is a Junior Nationals regional record holder in the 200 (24.5 seconds) and a personal record 400-meter dash (54.00).

Last year, she was invited to compete at the New York Armory Indoor Meet at the New Balance Track and Field Center in New York City. At the 2005 National Scholastic Indoor Championships, Lowery ran a 7.51 in the 60 to finish fourth. She took second in the 200 with a time of 23.94.

Under head coach Bill Reeves, Lowery has seen limited action due to injury, but she competed at the Mississippi High School Activities Association's Class 5A state meet as a freshman. Lowery took second in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. As a junior, she ran a personal record 11.26 in the 100 at the Falcon Relays to set a new meet record. During the indoor season, she won the 55-meter dash at the LSU High School Invitational, clocking in at 6.92 seconds. Lowery's personal record in the 200 is 23.7.

Lowery was recognized as Starkville High School's Most Athletic, Best Friend and Most Valuable Player. She also received the Comeback Award.

"I'm very excited to be staying close to home," Lowery said. "It'll be an experience. I'm nervous. It's a big opportunity to run against such great competition."

Lowery is undecided on her major. She is the daughter of Susie Lowery and former Mississippi State football player David Fair.

Source: MSU Media Relations

11/12/05
Cross Country
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State University cross country squads return to action on Saturday morning, Nov. 12, at the NCAA South Regional. The event is being held at the University of Florida Golf Course in Gainesville. The men's 10K race begins at 10 a.m. ET, followed by the women's 6K at 11 a.m. ET.

The Lady Bulldogs enter Saturday morning's race coming off a sixth-place finish two weeks ago at the Southeastern Conference Championships. Senior Zita Magloire led the way for MSU, earning all-SEC accolades with her 10th-place finish.

"Right now, we're ranked seventh in the region," said women's head coach Al Schmidt. "We're hoping to improve on that. We're close enough to every team we're running against, that the chance to qualify (for nationals) as a team is still there. There's a real good chance Zita (Magloire) could qualify as an individual. We're running really well right now, and we hope that continues."

Magloire won the MSU Short Course title earlier this season and led MSU at the Auburn Invitational and Notre Dame Invite.

State's freshmen have played an intrical part in the Lady Bulldogs' success this season. Michelle Corrigan took 26th at the conference meet and has posted two sixth-place showings on the campaign. Brittany Detzel has also come on strong, posting top 30 finishes on three occasions.

State's men enter the South Regional coming off an eighth-place showing at the conference championship. Junior Travis McKay was MSU's top finisher at the meet, coming in 28th.

"We're going to the NCAA Regional to improve upon our finishes the last two years," said men's head coach Steve Dudley. "This will let us know as a team that we are heading in the direction of eventually qualifying for the national championships."

McKay also took a third place finish (top collegiate finisher) at the season-opening Belmont Opener. A week later, he finished fifth at the Crimson Classic. The Bulldogs will also rely on junior transfer Wade Martin. Martin has been the team's top placer twice this season, including at the Notre Dame Invitational.

The top two teams from Saturday's meet along with the next four individuals not on those qualifying teams will advance to the 2005 NCAA Cross Country Championships on Nov. 21 in Terre Haute, Ind.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Women's Basketball
ELON, N.C. - Former Lady Bulldog Ann Lashley, 40, succumbed to her battle with cancer, passing away on Thursday, Nov. 10. Lashley lettered at State in women's basketball from 1984-88, tallying 1,086 points during her four-year career. She was entering her 12th season as the associate head coach for the women's basketball team under head coach Brenda Paul, a former Lady Bulldog head coach.

Lashley joined the Phoenix staff with Paul after four years as her assistant coach at Georgia State University. In addition to her coaching experience at Georgia State, Lashley also spent a year (1989-90) as an assistant at Georgia Tech, as well as working on Paul's staff at Mississippi State University during the 1988-89 campaign as a student assistant coach and undergraduate assistant for athletic academic services.

Following the 2002-03 season, Lashley was named one of the AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year Award recipients. The award is given to assistant coaches to recognize their otherwise unheralded behind-the-scenes efforts to make a program successful. She was one of only eight North Carolina recipients, and the only one of those eight at a Division I institution.

During her playing days, Lashley was a four-year starter for the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs. She averaged 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds during her senior season, leading Mississippi State to a program-best 19-13 finish, for its fourth winning season ever and a berth in the NIT. Lashley ended her career as the school's all-time leading rebounder while ranking second in career field goal percentage, fourth in free throws made and sixth in scoring with over 1,000 points.

Lashley has worked with USA Basketball in several different capacities. She served as the site coordinator for the 1991 U.S. Olympic Festival South Regional Trials, hosted in Atlanta by Georgia State, and was a member of the support staff at both the U.S. National Team Trials and the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1991.

A native of Coventry, England, Lashley was a member of the English National Basketball Team from 1981-88. She competed for Great Britain on the World University Games team in 1985 and 1987, and the Olympic Team in 1988.

A 1989 honors graduate from Mississippi State, Lashley was named Academic All-Southeastern Conference twice and earned her undergraduate degree in biological engineering. She also holds a master's degree in sports administration from Georgia State.

Lashley is survived by her parents, Keith and Ettie, her brother, Brian, and her nephews, Bradley and Courtney. Elon's exhibition women's basketball game, scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight versus Lenoir-Rhyne at Alumni Gym, has been cancelled.

Source: MSU Media Relations and Elon University Athletic Web Site

11/4/05
Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs host the Houston Jaguars on Friday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. for the fifth straight year in their first exhibition game of the 2005-06 season in Humphrey Coliseum. This will mark the first game of the season for State while the Jaguars will have played three opponents.

State is 3-1 vs. the Houston Jaguars over the last four seasons. The Jaguar’s roster could potentially boast three former Lady Bulldogs: Renea Jones (2000-03), player coach LaCharlotte Smith (1992-96) and LaToya Thomas (1999-03). Houston has fallen to Connecticut (65-71) and North Texas (56-87) in its first two games while facing SMU Thursday night.

The Lady Bulldogs have competed in two preseason intersquad scrimmages. Several Lady Bulldogs scored in double digits reinforcing the idea of more balanced scoring this season. The first scrimmage paired the returning players vs. the newcomers. The returning players won with sophomore Miayorka Johnson tallying a game-high 23 points with senior Blessing Chekwa and junior transfer Sarah Johnson posting 20 points a piece. On the newcomer side, freshman Heather Hollis led all scorers with 22 points while junior Natasha Henderson tallied 19 and Lauren Roberts recorded 14. The second scrimmage rosters were more balanced, with the White team edging out the Maroon team, 81-80. Underclassmen led in the point’s column with sophomore Amy Reeder tallying 20, including three 3-pointers, and freshman Robin Porter recorded 20 points and 11 rebounds.

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 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

It'll be the second time around for MSU against two of this weekend's opponents. State dropped 3-0 decisions at LSU (20-30, 21-30, 30-32) and at Arkansas (22-30, 24-30, 28-30), missing solid opportunities for match-extending game three wins in Baton Rouge and Fayetteville. LSU snapped MSU's modest two-match series win streak in the Tigers' first home match of the season Oct. 14 and leads the all-time series 38-6. Arkansas, meanwhile, kept its perfect series record intact with a shutout win at Barnhill Arena Oct. 16 and leads State 24-0.

This will be the second attempt this season at an MSU-Georgia match at the Newell-Grissom Building. An F-1 tornado spawned by remnants of Hurricane Katrina Sept. 25 knocked out electrical power on campus and forced a suspension of the original MSU-Georgia match. The match was tied at 1-1 after two games and the third game was deadlocked at 3-3 when the arena went dark. The SEC later ruled that the match would be replayed in its entirety on Saturday, Nov. 5 and earlier this week established a 6:30 p.m. start time. The teams enter week seven of the eight-week conference season tied for seventh place. They'll meet a second time this season Nov. 11 (6 p.m.) at Athens, Ga.

With five league matches remaining over the next nine days, State finds itself in the thick of a hunt for its first qualifying berth in an SEC volleyball tournament. The Bulldogs, a 3-0 winner in a midweek match at Mississippi, enter the weekend tied for seventh with Georgia, a team MSU meets Saturday in Starkville and again six days later in Athens, Ga. South Carolina (3-9 SEC) is percentage points behind both MSU and Georgia in ninth place while No.10 Auburn (2-10 SEC) trails both Bulldog teams by 1-1/2 games. The teams with the top eight winning percentages advance to this year's SEC Tournament Nov. 18-20 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. It will be the final SEC volleyball tournament, as the event will be discontinued following the 2005 season.

SENIOR SALUTE SUNDAY
Mississippi State pays tribute and bids farewell to its four senior volleyball players and one senior manager prior to Sunday's 1:30 p.m. match with LSU. Concluding their playing days on the home court are outside hitter Rachel Cooper of Roscoe, Ill., defensive specialist Jamie Cross of Southaven, Miss., setter Andrea Mead of Washington Court House, Ohio, and opposite hitter Kelly Willinger of Louisville, Ky. Also wrapping up two seasons as student manager is Denise Counts of Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Source: MSU Media Relations

11/3/05
Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State’s women’s tennis squad will close out fall competition this weekend, Nov. 3-6, at the Southeastern Conference’s Fall Coaches Classic in Peachtree City, Ga. All 12 conference schools will participate at the Peachtree City Tennis Center.

Competition will get underway Thursday evening with the first two rounds of doubles. The singles portion of the event will start Friday morning. The tournament field will be broken down in to an A & B Draw, along with a consolation draw. The Lady Bulldogs will have six competitors in the singles draws.

Sophomore Renee Joseph leads MState this fall with a 9-2 record thru three events. In her last outing, she reached the semifinals of B Draw at the ITA Southern Regional Championships in Athens, Ga., on Oct. 15. The doubles team of senior Anastasia Kugakolova and freshman Elna de Villiers sports a 3-1 record heading into the final fall tournament.

The Peachtree Tennis Center is home to 12 hard courts and is a nationally-recognized USTA facility.

Source: MSU Media Relations

Soccer
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. - Mississippi State rookie defender Bethany Frazier was among 13 players selected to the 2005 SEC Freshman All-SEC squad announced Wednesday on the eve of the opening round of the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach, Ala.

Frazier, a Madison native and Jackson Academy graduate, was one of just three players to start all 19 games for the Bulldogs this season and accumulated more than 1,742 minutes of playing time as a true freshman. Frazier was an integral part of a staunch Mississippi State backline this year that will return entirely intact for the 2006 campaign.

Having collected a handful of the Maroon and White’s 17 team saves this season, Frazier tallied her first collegiate score in State’s 2-1 win over SEC West rival Alabama more than three weeks ago. Her 35-yard direct kick gave the Bulldogs an early lead, before Jessica Davis netted the game-winning score in the 70th minute for MSU’s first conference victory of the season, while also extending State’s unbeaten streak against the Crimson Tide out to four games.

"Bethany was just a phenomenal player for us this season," said Mississippi State head coach Neil Macdonald. "Her efforts to the cause this year has our coaching staff extremely excited about the rest of her career. She is going to be a phenomenal leader for us down the road."

Frazier tallied 20 shots this season, 13 of which came on goal, for a team-best .650 shot on goal percentage. She played every minute of 16 contests for the Bulldogs this season as well.

The 2005 SEC Tournament will get underway on Thursday at high noon with the first of four consecutive quarterfinal games. Friday’s semifinals will feature contests at 5 and 7:30 p.m. with Sunday’s 3:30 p.m. championship game set for a regional broadcast on Fox SportsNet South.

Source: MSU Media Relations

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Sophomore goalkeeper and Snellville, Ga., native Stephanie Dallas was among 12 Southeastern Conference soccer student-athletes selected to the SEC Soccer Good Works Team announced Wednesday morning by the league office in Birmingham, Ala.

Dallas saw action in three games for the Bulldogs this season, logging more than 78 minutes in the nets behind senior starter Emily Meyers. In appearances against Auburn, as well as 11th-ranked Florida and 20th-ranked Vanderbilt, the sophomore collected a pair of saves while recording a 2.30 goals against average.

The SEC sponsors Good Works Teams for all 20 league sponsored sports. The Good Works Team looks to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to their community in superior service efforts. The third annual women's soccer Good Works Team follows:

Stephanie Dallas, Goalkeeper, Mississippi State
Dallas is a member of the M-Club, Mississippi State's student-athlete community service organization which is regularly involved in Starkville and Oktibbeha County community service projects. The clinical exercise physiology major has spent time reading to local elementary school children and participated in a Thanksgiving canned food drive. She also has assisted in campus clean-up on local roads and highways in the Starkville area. Dallas is also a member of the leadership team of MSU’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Kailey Corken, Midfielder, Alabama
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Corken has volunteered her time at Arcadia Elementary school in Alberta City, Alabama. The freshman midfielder has also spent her summer working at the Bethany House, a women's shelter in Cincinnati, Ohio. Corken is a member of the Key Club, and also was selected to be apart of the National Honor Society.

Andrea Sparks, Defender, Arkansas
Sparks took a 10-day mission trip to Yanaranguila, Honduras where she participated in medical clinics, pouring of concrete floors for houses and sports clinics. She helped raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims and collected canned foods for the battered women's shelter. Sparks has participated in AAO's reading at elementary schools along with collecting gifts for underprivileged children through AAO at Christmas. She also traveled to West Fork, Ark., to participate in their annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Anna Fiser, Goalkeeper, Auburn
Fiser has been a integral part of her community while at Auburn, volunteering her time at community markets and food pantries. The nutrition major reads to children at the Cary Woods Elementary school every week, and has worked at the Red Cross assisting hurricane victims. Fiser, who resides in Jackson, Miss., was a part of the "Clean Sweep" program which collects toiletries for battered women's shelters.

Jessica Young, Forward/Midfielder, Florida
Young has involved herself in many community service projects including visiting the Shands Hospital with her team, the Gator Track Delivery (delivering new sneakers to underprivileged children), and encouraging college students to vote in 2004 through the "Chomp the Vote" campaign. A senior from Jacksonville Beach, Fla., she also is a participant in the Gator Club, which serves breakfast to kids in the Children's Cancer Center.

Ali Williams, Forward, Georgia
Williams, a sports studies major, has been apart of several charity programs in the Athens area. She participated in Toys for Tots and Adopt-A-Family for Thanksgiving, where she helped provided meals to local citizens. The native of Norcross, Georgia has been active in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee during her college tenure. She has also contributed to the Kicks for Breast Cancer program.

Kelsey Fenix, Midfielder, Kentucky
A sophomore from Westlake, Ohio, Fenix worked at a food drive for God's Pantry. She also served meals to residents at The Hope Center, a shelter in downtown Lexington. The exercise science major stuffed Christmas stockings for families as part of the Salvation Army Stocking Stuffers. Fenix also took time to play BINGO with patients at the UK Children's Hospital.

Elena Sutherland, Forward, LSU
A native of Sugarland, Texas, Sutherland is an active participant in the STRIPES program at LSU, which held a tailgating event for all incoming freshmen to LSU before the fall semester. The biological sciences major helped orient freshmen to life at LSU an shared her experiences with them. She has also done community service projects with the 4-H University Club.

Ashley Ferree, Defender/Midfielder, Ole Miss
Ferree is a member of Reading with the Rebels, a program which helps to promote reading to area students. She also participated in the SAAC Annual Canned Food Drive and is a Habitat for Humanity volunteer. A native of Cordova, Tenn., Ferree has stressed the importance of being drug and alcohol free as a member of the Ole Miss Choices Program.

Kimmy Gillespie, Midfielder, South Carolina
Gillespie, a exercise science major, has assisted with the HOST program at Keels Elementary School. She was a volunteer at Children's CHANCE dinner, and has helped with the Harvest Hope Food Drive. The native of Simpsonville, SC, also helped with Scholastic Read 2004 at L.W. Conder Elementary School, a reading program designed to promote school children to the fundamentals of education.

Talia Wright, Defender, Tennessee
A exercise science major, Wright has participated for three years in the annual National Student Athlete Day community service event, known as April Play Day. She has read to several children at the 2004 Farragut Elementary Book Fair and donated to the Thanksgiving Holiday canned food drive to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank. The native of Chattanooga, Tenn., joined her teammates in providing skill and drill instruction for the Smokey Mountain Soccer Club East Tennessee Soccer Academy.

Kari Boersma, Defender, Vanderbilt
Boersma spends reading days at area schools and has visited kids at Children's Hospital. She is the secretary of the Student Athlete Advisory Council and helped plan the annual SAAC Holiday party and Springfield day for inner-city children. Boersma was the recipient of the team's "Unsung Hero" award.

Source: MSU Media Relations