Coming off last weekend’s road series on an Olympic-size ice rink in Alaska, the Spartans will turn around and do it all over again tonight and Saturday at Northern Michigan. But stakes are a little higher this weekend, considering the Wildcats (8-3-1 overall, 6-3-1 CCHA) are ranked eighth in the nation and are a prominent contender for the CCHA crown. No.
Although her Spartan volleyball career ended Saturday night, senior outside hitter Erin Hartley is still receiving reminders about her great senior campaign. Hartley was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Mideast Region team Wednesday. Hartley is one of 10 Big Ten players on the 12-person roster. By earning a spot on one of the eight regional teams, Hartley, along with the other 95 regional-team members, is eligible for a place on the AVCA All-America team, which will be announced Dec.
At the beginning of the MSU wrestling team’s season, all eyes turned to freshman Nick Simmons, the grappler who never lost in his high school career.But after two non-scoring tournaments and a matchup against Eastern Michigan, the freshman will likely be redshirted, leading the team to rely on another newcomer to collegiate competition - junior Rashad Evans.After redshirting last year, the team has high hopes for Evans who will wrestle this year in the 174-pound division.“Mentally, he’s very tough,” head coach Tom Minkel said.
Joining the likes of athletic heroes Muhammad Ali, Willie Mays and Steve Young, MSU hockey player Steve Swistak will be one of 11,500 Olympic torchbearers carrying the flame across the country en route to February’s Winter Games in Salt Lake City.Swistak, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman, will run with the torch for one-fifth of a mile near his hometown of West Bloomfield on Jan.
The holidays came a little early for senior guard Mat Ishbia this year.The 5-foot-10, 175-pound walk-on’s status shifted just before the season when men’s head basketball coach Tom Izzo gave him a scholarship.Ishbia said he didn’t see it coming.“It was a great honor,” Ishbia said.
A trip to the Dec. 31 Silicon Valley Football Classic in San Jose, Calif., may cost MSU hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the return on that investment could be the signing of some highly sought after recruits. Recruits are allowed to watch the team’s practice for a bowl game and see the team play on national TV, said Bill Kurelic, a recruiting expert from Midwest Recruiting.
Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak and Cal Ripken’s 2,632 consecutive games played are recognized as two of the most famous streaks in all of sports.
In the 19-team Miami (Ohio) Invitational, the MSU women’s swimming and diving team took first place and the men’s team took second. It was a team effort for the woman’s squad.
MSU fans can pick from full and land-only four-night packages for the Dec. 31 matchup with No. 19 Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Football Classic. Both packages, through the Alumni Association’s Official MSU Bowl Tour, provide lodging from Dec.
The conference season for MSU begins Jan. 5 with a showdown at Minnesota. State News reporter James Jahnke ranks the Big Ten in the order he thinks they’ll finish the season. 1.
MSU’s surprising loss to Alaska-Fairbanks on Friday dropped the Spartans to No. 5 in this week’s USCHO.com poll and No.
Senior diver Carly Weiden took first place in both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events in MSU’s win in the Miami (Ohio) Invitational on Sunday.
MSU senior linebacker Josh Thornhill was the only Spartan named to the All-Big Ten first team by coaches and the media.
The MSU women’s basketball team hits Breslin Center floor for the first time in more than two weeks tonight.After winning four of five games on the road, the Spartans (6-1) look to continue their early season success against Oakland (2-2) at 7 p.m.
MSU has a lot in common with No. 7 Arizona, the team that poses the most imminent threat to ending the Spartans’ record home winning streak.The game, at 2 p.m.
With fewer than 12 seconds left and a one-point differential between the two opposing teams, sophomore forward Julie Pagel stepped to the free-throw line. It’s a setup Pagel is familiar with, after seeing it in the last two MSU women’s basketball games. In the first instance, Wednesday against Detroit, her two free throws gave MSU the 62-61 win. In the second, Sunday against Marquette, she didn’t win the game for the Spartans, missing both shots, but Pagel’s free throws set up a situation that ultimately gave the team a cushion point in its 65-63 win. “I wish I could have made them but, then again, that miss led to (junior center Jennifer Callier’s) O-board so I can’t take anything away,” she said.
The MSU baseball team signed five recruits for 2002, coach Ted Mahan announced Friday.“The five early signees are all good students along with being outstanding baseball players,” Mahan said in a released statement.
Madison, Wis. - The concept seems to be pretty cut and dry in an NCAA Tournament game - either win and keep playing or pack your bags. But for the Spartan volleyball team, things aren’t quite as simple. Instead of dwelling on what went wrong in a 3-0 loss to the No.
So this was 2001, huh? With only one more week of classes and less than a month to 2002, it’s time to remember the highs and lows of MSU athletics this past year. Topping this year’s chart with gold stars: Ryan Miller - Because the junior goaltender won the second Hobey Baker award in MSU history, following in the footsteps of his cousin Kip Miller.