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Sports

SPORTS

8 recruits join women's team for next season

Megan Homanick
July 7, 2005

The MSU women's soccer team will have eight new players in the fall, joining a team that went 12-8-1 in 2004. The eight players are defensemen/midfielder Kelley Amormino from Sterling Heights, forward Lauren Carter from Rochester Hills, goalkeeper Danielle Petri from Rochester Hills, midfielder Kristi Timar from Novi, goalkeeper Lindsey Wrege from Portage, goalkeeper Ashley Crandall from Glen Ellyn, Ill., goalkeeper Demaree Bruck from Loveland, Ohio, and midfielder Michelle Telebar from Oakville, Ontario, Canada. "We (are) very happy to have a great group of freshmen eager to come in and contribute to our program in the fall," head coach Tom Saxton said in a written statement.

BASKETBALL

Agent says undrafted Anderson will report to Charlotte Bobcats

Megan Homanick
July 5, 2005

Former MSU forward Alan Anderson will report to the Charlotte Bobcats this week as an undrafted free agent, Anderson's agent Henry Thomas confirmed. Anderson was projected to be selected in the NBA Draft last week, as high as the 26th pick to the Detroit Pistons, but was still waiting after 60 selections. Anderson played four years at MSU, finishing his career with 1,195 points - tying him for 22nd on MSU's all-time scoring list with fellow 2005 senior Kelvin Torbert.

BASEBALL

All-Star voting rules should be rewritten

Once again Major League Baseball's All-Star teams will be a concoction of some of the best players in the game - and a bunch of guys who had a good first half of the season. MLB's brilliant idea of allowing the fans to vote in the starters - America's biggest popularity contest - usually works out, but it's way too much power for the fans to have their hands on. The rest of the process involves the players getting to vote for the reserves for each team, the managers making sure each team is represented by one player, and finally, the last spot on each roster is voted by the fans from a list of five players. Right now, managers choose a few players, players choose the rest of the reserves, fans choose one reserve and all of the starters.

FOOTBALL

MSU football player ineligible for season

Alex Abate
June 30, 2005

Wide receiver Agim Shabaj will not be returning to the MSU football team as he has been ruled academically ineligible for the 2005 season, said John Lewandowski, assistant athletics director and director of Sports Information. Shabaj, a high school teammate of junior quarterback Drew Stanton, played in 11 games and had 29 catches, with one touchdown last season.

SPORTS

Lugnuts fall to Devil Rays, 5-4

Megan Homanick
June 30, 2005

Lansing - The Lansing Lugnuts had plenty of chances to tie the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays, down one in the eighth and ninth innings, but couldn't get a run across in a 5-4 loss at Oldsmobile Park Wednesday afternoon. "When you outhit a team, you should probably win a game," manager Ken Joyce said.

FOOTBALL

Spartan quarterback enjoys summer without injuries

Megan Homanick
June 28, 2005

The year-plus between December 2003 and spring 2005 for junior quarterback Drew Stanton has been well documented - serious knee injury, long rehabilitation process, and a shoulder injury during the 2004 season and then more rehab. After all those hurdles, Stanton seemed to hit a flat stretch with no obstacles. "They're both feeling real good," Stanton said of his injuries.

SPORTS

Stanton on preseason Maxwell Award list

Megan Homanick
June 27, 2005

A total of 24 Big Ten players have been named to watch lists of four of college football's top awards, including MSU junior quarterback Drew Stanton, who is on the watch list for the Maxwell Award. Stanton is the only MSU player on any of the lists.

SPORTS

MSU-Ky. 'Best Game' ESPY Award finalist

Megan Homanick
June 27, 2005

The MSU vs. Kentucky South Regional Final game, in which the Spartans won 94-88 in double overtime, has been named as one of three nominees for the ESPY Award in the Best Game category. The game featured 10 ties and 19 lead changes between two of the more recognizable programs in the country. Kentucky guard Patrick Sparks' 3-pointer at the buzzer of regulation hung on the rim for a few seconds before dropping in, but the question was not whether it was in time or not.

SPORTS

MSU runners on 2005 All-America teams

Megan Homanick
June 27, 2005

MSU cross country runners Michelle Carson and Nathan Egger were named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America teams for cross country/track and field. Carson was selected to the second team on June 22 by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

SPORTS

Spartans name award winners for past year

Megan Homanick
June 23, 2005

On Wednesday, MSU announced the award winners of the George Alderton Male and Female Athletes of the Year, the Chester Brewer Leadership Award and the Dr. James Feurig Achievement and Service Award, while the Big Ten announced the male and female Medal of Honor winners from MSU. Former women's basketball player and current WNBA player for the Sacramento Monarchs, Kristin Haynie, won the George Alderton Female Athlete of the Year Award and also was named the Chester Brewer Leadership Award winner. Haynie led MSU women's basketball to its first-ever Final Four in 2004-05, en route to ending her career as the program's leader in assists, with 574, and steals, with 346. "It's a great honor to get this award, especially since Michigan State has so many great female athletes," Haynie said in a written statement.

SPORTS

Win would make Detroit best ever

I'm not going to predict tonight's Game 7 of the NBA Finals, but I will remind people of just how impressive the Detroit Pistons have been in the playoffs over the last two years. With a record of 16-7 in the playoffs last year and a suspect 15-9 this season (compared to the Lakers 15-1 a few years back), one might not look at the Pistons as a dominant team. But looks can be deceiving - it's how the Pistons have accomplished two straight trips to the NBA Finals and possibly two titles, which has been almost unthinkable. In both 2004 and 2005, the Pistons disposed of an unworthy opponent in the first round, beating Milwaukee 4-1 last season and Philadelphia 4-1 to begin their current playoff run. In round two against the New Jersey Nets last season, Detroit faced a 3-2 deficit against a team with arguably the best point guard in the NBA - Jason Kidd.

BASKETBALL

Brown to try out for national b-ball team

Alex Abate
June 21, 2005

MSU men's basketball junior guard Shannon Brown accepted an invitation to attend the Under 21 National Team Trials in Dallas on July 21-23. The trials are used to choose the members of the 12-player team that will defend the gold medal for the United States in the 2005 FIBA U21 World Championship in Mar de Plata, Argentina in August. During his sophomore season, Brown averaged 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

SPORTS

Lugnuts take out Wizards in 4-3 win

Megan Homanick
June 20, 2005

The Lansing Lugnuts didn't have much to play for in their final two games of the first half of The Midwest League season, after being eliminated from the playoffs by virtue of losing 2-1 at Fort Wayne on Friday. However, Lansing (37-32) didn't let that get in the way of winning the final two games of the first half, including a 4-3 win Sunday afternoon.

FOOTBALL

Gridiron upgrade

Megan Homanick
June 20, 2005

With less than three months until the season opening game against Kent State, the $64 million Spartan Stadium addition continues to take shape. "This isn't only to benefit the people who can afford the (suite and club level seating)," Associate Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Greg Ianni said.

SPORTS

2 leave Taiwan for shot at MLB

Megan Homanick
June 16, 2005

There's no question that baseball is an international sport, but most of the players who are not speaking English are conversing in Spanish instead. More and more, however, there are players coming from other areas, especially the Far East - home to Lugnuts pitchers Chi-Hung Cheng and Po-Hsuan Keng. "The biggest transition for some of the American players, English-speaking players, is that there are players from other cultures, and they have no idea what these guys are all about," manager Ken Joyce said.