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Sports | 1000

SPORTS

HARDY: Willingham brings hope to Notre Dame, other black coaches

In the land under the Michigan-Indiana border once sat the tarnished golden dome of the Fighting Irish. Marked by scandal - the resignation of former Irish head coach George O’Leary over inaccuracies found in his résumé and threatened sanctions by the NCAA concerning activity under the Lou Holt era - their golden helmets glowed less, showed a few more scratches and chipped a little easier.

SPORTS

Women golfers ready for first tournament on home links

Dawn Klemish
September 20, 2002

Unfortunate events have prevented the women’s golf team from hosting a tournament the past two years, and head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll hopes the third time really is a charm. In 2000, rain scattered golfers and forced the Mary Fossum Invitational to end after just 18 holes.

SPORTS

Pigskin Prognosticators

Last week was a fun week in college football, especially with the Wolverweenies going down. Both Death Ro (11-4) and McSkinny (9-6) went 3-2, but Death Ro was the one who sold out and went with Michigan.

SPORTS

Heisman watch

Andrew Fifer
September 20, 2002

Here’s a look at the top candidates for the Heisman Trophy: Front-runners: Ken Dorsey senior quarterback, Miami After two solid performances, Dorsey put up numbers that were closer to Heisman standards in a 44-21 win over Temple.

SPORTS

Turnovers key for Irish and Spartans

Coming into the season, the MSU football team was expected by many experts to be undefeated when the men from South Bend, Ind., came to Spartan Stadium.Instead, it’s Notre Dame (3-0) that boasts a perfect record.“They’re not beating themselves,” MSU head coach Bobby Williams said.

SPORTS

Classic honors Munley, runners

Patrick Walters
September 19, 2002

MSU athletes kept pace alongside Mid-Michigan runners Tuesday night at what the program touted as “not your traditional track meet.” And the second annual Spartan Classic Track Meet was anything but traditional, as MSU varsity and club athletes and community members joined to celebrate running, physical fitness and the life of a fallen Spartan. The event, the first track meet at the new Ralph Young Field, featured distance running, long jump and the inaugural Munley Relays, named after John Munley, an MSU swimmer who died while jogging in April 2001. Johnny Allen, assistant director of IM Sports and the event coordinator, said he hoped the event would unite the community and MSU with running and would honor Munley. Munley was a four-time letter-winner swimmer for MSU when he died at 22.

SOCCER

Indiana streaks into U

Dawn Klemish
September 19, 2002

A successful UMass Classic last weekend has the MSU men’s soccer team riding a 4-1 record into a pair of games against teams from the Hoosier State this weekend. Although unranked and below .500 so far this season, Valparaiso upset No.

SPORTS

Players will whine, but booing understandable

There’s nothing more exhilarating for an athlete than taking the field in front of thousands of supportive, cheering fans. It gets the blood flowing, the adrenaline pumping and reminds you how great it is to be playing the game you love. But on the flip side, there’s nothing more painful than hearing those same fans rain down boos of displeasure. It’s like Brutus stabbing Caesar in the back.

VOLLEYBALL

Miller relaxes into star role

Chris Mackinder
September 19, 2002

When she came to MSU in 2000, Emmy Miller faced a gigantic challenge - playing volleyball.Miller was a three-year letter winner at Okemos High School and played for Lansing Area Volleyball Association and USA Michigan teams before becoming a Spartan.But all that experience didn’t prime her for collegiate ball - not mentally or physically.“Her freshman year, she was just really overwhelmed,” head coach Chuck Erbe said.

SPORTS

Special teams look to make up for blunders

Andrew Fifer
September 18, 2002

Most observers of the Spartans’ 46-22 loss to California found it hard to find a bright spot - head coach Bobby Williams is no exception.“It’s really hard to find anything positive from that football game,” he said at a weekly press conference Tuesday.

SPORTS

New Pistons, same old style of play

James Jahnke
September 18, 2002

Chauncey Billups doesn’t know his way around Detroit yet, but he’s already learned what Detroit basketball is all about.“We got great talent, we’ve got a great coach and we’ve got a great opportunity,” said the point guard, who is about to start his first year as a Piston after signing a six-year contract in July.

VOLLEYBALL

3 Spartans on pace to set career records

Chris Mackinder
September 18, 2002

Despite only one match scheduled for this weekend, the No. 21 MSU women’s volleyball team could experience more than one triumph that night.A number of milestones are just a fingertip length away for some Spartans, including head coach Chuck Erbe.Erbe, in his 10th season as coach, will be gunning for his 200th victory in Friday night’s match against Northern Illinois (6-3). With a win, Erbe will become only the second coach in MSU volleyball history to eclipse the 200-win mark.Only Annelies Knoppers, the Spartans’ volleyball coach from 1974-1984, has more wins in Spartan history with 250.

ICE HOCKEY

Team picked second in both CCHA polls, adopt rule changes

James Jahnke
September 18, 2002

Both the CCHA’s media and coaches, voting in polls released Tuesday, picked the MSU hockey team to repeat last year’s second-place league finish.Archrival Michigan was named by both polls as the preseason favorite, but this could also be the first year since Lake Superior State won in 1995-96 that a team other than MSU or U-M claims the conference title.The CCHA playing field has seemingly been leveled, thanks to early defections from the league’s perennial powers.

BASKETBALL

Cleaves to meet fans at shopping center

James Jahnke
September 17, 2002

Former Spartan basketball star Mateen Cleaves will be signing autographs from 5-7 p.m. Friday at Eastwood Towne Center in Lansing Township. Cleaves, who is about to start his third NBA season, will meet and greet fans at the grand opening of the Sprint store, 2959 Preyde Blvd., in the new shopping center, located on Lake Lansing Road near U.S.