Speed of running backs surprises head coach
MSU football head coach John L. Smith held his first spring practice Saturday, which gave him a chance to assess his personnel."We're going to be fine along the offensive line," Smith said in a written statement. "We have experience and depth at those positions. I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw from our running backs. In fact, we may have to incorporate some of that quickness at wide out because we simply don't have enough receivers.
"It's a little scary when I take a look at the defensive side of the ball. We don't quite honestly have enough numbers at any position."
But the Spartans have plenty of players at the quarterback position.
Still, Smith said senior quarterback Jeff Smoker won't compete for a spot on the first team this spring. He added if Smoker earns full reinstatement in August, he will be able to compete for the starting job.
Of the 85 players at practice, three are being restricted from contact drills this spring - senior center Brian Ottney, sophomore center Chris Morris and sophomore tight end Ryan Woods.
The team will be without offensive guard Joe Patrick. The Ashley native, who would have been a senior next season, quit football because of continuous lower back pain he first started suffering from at the beginning of the 2001 campaign.
He played in no games this past season, but started in five games and played a total of 12 games as a sophomore in 2001. The former Ithaca High athlete recorded 39 pancakes in 2001.
Kristofer Karol
Grapplers finish 18th Two MSU wrestlers garnered All-American status with their performances at the NCAA Wrestling Championships.
Senior Gray Maynard (157 pounds) and freshman Nick Simmons (125 pounds) both placed seventh in their respective weight classes to earn All-American honors.
Maynard ends his collegiate career with three consecutive All-American selections.
The top eight finishers in each weight class earn All-American honors.
Seniors Rashad Evans, Nik Fekete and Karl Nadolsky fell one win short of achieving All-American status. Fekete and Evans lost their matches 7-6 and 3-2, respectively.
As a team, the Spartans finished 18th out of 70 teams with 32 points, while Oklahoma State captured its 31st national title by tallying 143 points.
The 18th-place finish marks the eighth time in the last nine years MSU has finished in the top 25 at the championships.
Jason Carmel Davis
Team sets 'U' record The MSU gymnastics team closed out the 2003 regular season with a split in a tri-meet with Michigan and Pitt.
The Spartans (15-7, 2-3 Big Ten) defeated the Panthers (6-13) for the second consecutive weekend, but came up short against the Wolverines (9-4, 3-1).
MSU set a new school record by posting a score of 196.575, while Pitt tallied 194.450 points and U-M notched 196.700 points for the win.
Freshman Sarah Alexander won the floor exercise with a 9.975.
Senior Julie Devaty and sophomore Anna Hunsinger's performances gave the Spartans the top three spots in the event as they posted scores of 9.925 and 9.900, respectively.
Jason Carmel Davis
Tennis smashed by PSU The MSU men's tennis team dropped to 0-2 in Big Ten play as it fell to Penn State, 5-2.
The 73rd-ranked Spartans (9-7 overall) have lost five matches in a row and seven of eight after starting the season 8-0.
The 75th-ranked Nittany Lions (10-2, 1-1 Big Ten) took two of three doubles matches from MSU and won four of six singles contests.
The doubles tandem of sophomore Cameron Marshall and junior Eric Simonton picked up the Spartans' only doubles win.
Marshall also notched his team-leading 18th win in singles play.
Jason Carmel Davis
Softball wins 3 of 4 The MSU softball team returned to its winning ways by sweeping a Saturday doubleheader against Miami (Ohio) and splitting a Sunday doubleheader with Dayton.
The Spartans (18-8) bested the RedHawks 8-0 and 6-3, respectively, while they split with Dayton. MSU lost the first game, 1-0, but shut out the Flyers 3-0 in the nightcap.
Senior outfielder Tiffany Wallace led the attack in the first game against Miami as she homered twice and was one of three MSU players to go yard in the opener.
The Spartans needed eight innings to defeat the RedHawks in the nightcap. Sophomore second base Carrie Cousino scored the winning run on a single by senior catcher Lacy Hauxhurst en route to a three-run inning.
In the win against Dayton, junior pitcher Jessica Beech struck out 13 batters and only allowed one hit.
Beech's record is now 12-3 on the season. She picked up all three MSU wins, allowing just seven hits and fanning 24 batters.
Jason Carmel Davis
Sluggers still struggling The MSU baseball team dropped three of four games to Ohio in a weekend series.
The Spartans (4-13) fell to the Bobcats 4-2 Friday, as two MSU errors in the eighth inning allowed the Bobcats (11-6) to seal the victory.
In the loss, junior pitcher Bryan Gale (2-3) pitched a complete game and struck out six.
In Saturday's doubleheader, the teams split with MSU winning the opener 6-2, however, the Spartans were mauled in the nightcap, 9-1.
In the win, sophomore pitcher Tim Day improved his record to 2-3 as he threw a complete game, scattering seven hits.
Sophomore second baseman Travis Gulick went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs.
In the second game of the doubleheader, MSU pitching allowed 16 hits.
Senior pitcher Pat Gill (0-3) allowed eight hits and three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings.
On Sunday, the Spartans ended the series just as it began, with a 4-2 loss.
Senior outfielder Brett Wattles provided the lone highlight, hitting a two-run home run.
Jason Carmel Davis
