Wrestling has always been part of Nick Simmons' life. The MSU wrestler didn't discover the sport in junior high or high school like many kids.
Redshirt junior Mickie Rzepka will compete in the pole vault for the MSU women's track and field team at this year's NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif., on Thursday.
The MSU hockey team announced in late May that they named former Spartans player Rob Woodward as volunteer assistant coach for the upcoming season. "I believe Rob will be a good fit for our program," MSU head coach Rick Comley said in a written statement.
Senior Mike Palmer and junior Mark Langlois will compete in the Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif., starting Wednesday. There are 27 athletes entered in the competition, 20 of them qualified based on their regional marks and the other seven will compete based on scores from earlier in the season. Both Palmer and Langlois are in the tournament because of their performances in the regional competition. Palmer had a vault of 17 feet, 3/4 inches, which puts him in 20th place going into the competition, and teammate Langlois enters the field with a mark of 16 feet, 7 1/4 inches, which ranks him in a tie for the 26th spot. MSU has had two previous All-American pole vaulters.
The defending NBA Champion Detroit Pistons will have a chance to defend their title, after beating the Miami Heat, 88-82. Richard Hamilton led the Pistons with 22 points on 11-16 shooting; he added seven assists and three rebounds.
Senior Women's Crew member Erin Robertson was named a 2005 Pocock All-American first-team selection on Friday. Robertson, a native of Middleville, Mich., was selected to the team by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association and is one of 20 members honored by the group.
MSU Hockey recruit and incoming freshman goalie Jeff Lerg will be honored with two awards at the 2005 USA Hockey Annual Congress, held June 8-12. Lerg will receive the Dave Peterson Goalie of the Year and USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year awards. The first award is a goaltender chosen from the pool of goalies who attended the USA Hockey National Goaltenders Camp and the USA Hockey Select 16 and Select 17 festivals.
On Friday, MSU senior runner Nathan Egger and senior pole vaulter Mike Palmer were named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV University Division Men's Track and Field/Cross Country first team.
MSU Men's Golf senior Andrew Ruthkoski, sophomore Matt Harmon and freshman Ryan Brehm were chosen for the PING All-Midwest Region Team on Friday. All three are now eligible for the PING All-America team honors as selected by the American Golf Coaches Association of America. Harmon, Ruthkoski and Brehm played in all 11 events for the Spartans this season, recording the second, fourth and fifth lowest stroke averages in school history, respectively. Harmon led the team with a 72.53 stroke average, which was second only to former Spartan Eric Jorgensen's 72.00 average from 2002.
Spartan men's head basketball coach Tom Izzo announced Wednesday that Jim Boylen has been hired as an assistant coach. Boylen returns to the same university that he coached at in previous years.
Michigan State men's soccer coach Joe Baum announced the addition of four new recruits to the Spartan fall 2005 team. The Spartans are hoping these new additions will help fill the holes of the departed seniors.
The Michigan State rowing team had two boats compete in the NCAA Championship races in Sacramento, Calf., this weekend. The Spartans finished 10th overall, ahead of Wisconsin which placed 12th, but behind Michigan and Ohio State, which finished 8th and 4th, respectively.
The MSU men's and women's track teams competed in the NCAA Mideast Regional this weekend at Indiana University.
MSU freshman sprinter Jeremy Orr hasn't had a typical track season, but that's what makes the Big Ten Men's Outdoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year award he won last week even more impressive. "I didn't really expect it," Orr said last Tuesday.
The MSU women's basketball team will be traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands for a tournament from Nov.
The MSU women's crew team will race at the CSUS Aquatic Center on Lake Natoma in Sacramento, Calif., at the NCAA Rowing Championships on May 27-29. This is the eighth consecutive trip the Spartans are making to the NCAA Championships and fourth with an entire crew.
On Tuesday, MSU announced that assistant softball coach Kathryn Gleason has been promoted to associate head softball coach. Gleason becomes the first associate head coach in MSU softball history.
Six members of the MSU women's track team will compete this weekend at the NCAA Mideast Regional in Bloomington, Ind. Sophomore Cynetheia Rooks will compete in the prelims for the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes on Friday.
The MSU baseball team did finish its season losing three of its last four games, but the Spartans were close to winning almost all of their last nine games.
The men's track and field team will have six individuals competing Friday and Saturday in the Mideast Regional at Indiana University. Senior Julien Williams is seeded third in the long jump and will compete on Friday.