SPORTS
Gymnasts ready for Big Ten Championships
The women’s gymnastics team (15-6, 2-4) will compete in the Big Ten Championships on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. The No.
ICE HOCKEY
Tigers present classic rematch
Senior defenseman Jon Insana remembers being overwhelmed during MSU’s game against Colorado College in the NCAA Tournament West Regional in Madison, Wis., on March 28, 1999. MSU was trailing the Tigers 3-2 late in the third period and, with less than two minutes separating the Spartans from a disappointing end to their season, emotions started to burst out. “I remember (former defenseman Brad) Hodgins on the bench, literally in tears,” said Insana, who was a freshman at the time.
SPORTS
Women rewriting records as McCallie works with just 9 players
After the Spartans defeated DePaul 87-76 in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament it was clear MSU had finally meshed. It was sophomore forward Julie Pagel’s 20th birthday, and the entire MSU team gathered at midcourt to sing “Happy Birthday.” “I wish the team would do more of that,” Spartan head coach Joanne P.
FOOTBALL
Gridders take the field for spring practice
The MSU football team’s spring season sprung into action Wednesday with the first of 15 practices.
SPORTS
Grapplers ready for NCAAs
The 2002 NCAA Wrestling Championships start today in Albany, N.Y., and five Spartans are looking to claim titles. Senior Chris Williams and juniors Karl Nadolsky, Gray Maynard, Rashad Evans and John Wechter will take the mat representing the green and white on the national stage. It will take five-straight decisions for each Spartan to claim the NCAA Championship, but a top-eight finish is enough to garner All-America honors. Spartan head coach Tom Minkel is confident each wrestler has a chance at becoming an All-American. “I think all five of them have the potential to have an outstanding NCAA Tournament,” Minkel said. Last season, the Spartans sent five wrestlers to nationals and four returned with All-America honors - graduate Pat McNamara, junior Nik Fekete, Williams and Maynard. Nadolsky (24-12) was the only Spartan participating in last year’s nationals not to earn All-America honors.
SOCCER
Spartan soccer signs 7
The MSU men’s and women’s soccer teams signed seven new recruits. The women’s team signed four Tuesday.
SOCCER
NCAA considers overtime rule change
A new proposal by the NCAA may change the way overtime games in men’s and women’s soccer will be decided.During its annual meeting in February, the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Soccer Rules Committee proposed to eliminate ties by shortening the sudden-victory overtime periods and implementing penalty kicks if the game has not been decided.Currently, men and women play two 45-minute halves.
SPORTS
Spartans prove their versatility
With another high-scoring win against Alabama on Tuesday night, the Spartans continue to prove they can win playing both offensive and defensive styles of basketball.Early in the season, the MSU women’s basketball team (19-12) was known for shutting down its opponents defensively.
SPORTS
MHSAA plans released for new seasons
The first plans by the Michigan High School Athletics Association to realign high school sports seasons will be unveiled today at Breslin Center. As part of a December U.S.
SPORTS
Juniors look for title
One year ago, junior John Wechter made himself a promise - he would compete at the 2002 NCAA Wrestling Championships. In 2001, Wechter placed eighth at the Big Ten Championships, missing nationals by just one spot. “I just missed qualifying and I had to go watch all my teammates compete,” Wechter said.
BASKETBALL
Coaches plan to break down Torberts play
With another MSU recruit, Rochester High’s Paul Davis, becoming the latest Mr. Basketball award winner Monday, next year’s Spartan men’s basketball team will likely include the state’s past three winners - Davis, freshman guard Kelvin Torbert and sophomore guard Marcus Taylor. But the state’s highest prep accolade doesn’t guarantee instant success as a Spartan, and MSU head coach Tom Izzo said Torbert will spend the off-season working on returning his game to an elite level. “I think he’ll make some improvements and hopefully, they’ll be big improvements,” Izzo said.
FOOTBALL
U gets new uniforms
The Spartan chariot won’t be the only throwback to the days of ancient gladiators this fall at Spartan Stadium.The MSU football team unveiled its newly designed uniforms Tuesday, which are modeled after ancient Spartan gladiators.
BASKETBALL
New system draws criticism
When the Spartans first saw their NCAA Tournament seeding - No. 3 in the West Regional in Ann Arbor - they were pretty satisfied.
ICE HOCKEY
Line changes provide spark, but no title
MSU head coach Ron Mason tried just about every coaching ploy in his repertoire this weekend, but it still didn’t equate to a CCHA Tournament championship. Mason overhauled his forward lines right in the middle of MSU’s 2-1 win over Northern Michigan on Saturday and the Spartans’ 3-2 loss to archrival Michigan in Sunday’s title game. By the end of the Northern game, MSU’s top line had a 67 percent turnover, with senior right wing Adam Hall as the only constant.
SPORTS
WNIT title within sight
The MSU women’s basketball team has never made it to the semifinals of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. But a win tonight against Alabama (19-11) would send the Spartans (18-12) to the final four of the WNIT. Freshman guard Kristin Haynie said the chance to play for the tournament title would be exciting, adding playing the Crimson Tide at Breslin Center should help the Spartans achieve that goal. “It’s very exciting to play for any championship; it doesn’t matter if it’s the NIT, the Big Ten or the NCAA,” Haynie said.
BASKETBALL
U recruit named Mr. Basketball
Michigan’s Mr. Basketball will be a Spartan for the fourth straight year. Paul Davis, a member of the MSU’s 2002 recruiting class, follows in the footsteps of Jason Richardson, Marcus Taylor and Kelvin Torbert. The Basketball Coaches Association, in conjunction with the Detroit Free Press, named Davis the 22nd annual Hal Schram Mr. Basketball recipient Monday. Davis, a 6-foot-10 center from Rochester High, received 760 points, while Anthony Roberson of Saginaw High got 382 points and Lester Abram of Pontiac Northern High received 269. Davis won the award despite breaking his right ankle 16 games into his senior season.
SPORTS
Diver off to nationals
Senior Carly Weiden qualified for the NCAA Championships in the three-meter dive during the NCAA Diving Regionals, Zone C, in West Lafayette, Ind. Weiden qualified on the second day of competition with a fifth-place finish. She will make the trip to the 2002 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Austin, Texas, Thursday through Saturday, to compete in the 1- and 3-meter boards. Junior Stephanie Anisko and freshman Kelly Baldwin also competed during the weekend, but did not qualify.
ICE HOCKEY
No. 3 seed reflects icer loss
Detroit - After Sunday’s 3-2 CCHA Tournament championship game loss to Michigan, an irritated MSU head coach Ron Mason said he didn’t want to talk about the NCAA Tournament. “We don’t know who we’re playing, and we don’t know where we’re going to be,” Mason said. Well, now the Spartans know both.
BASKETBALL
Frustration peaks for U
Washington - Following a disappointing 69-58 loss to North Carolina State in Friday’s first round of the NCAA Tournament, MSU men’s basketball associate head coach Brian Gregory quietly sat in the corner of the Spartans’ locker room.With his head in his hands, suit jacket off and tie slightly loosened, Gregory searched for a reason why the Spartans were exiting the tournament after one game for the first time since 1995.“You start wondering, ‘Did we really just run out of gas?’ ” he said.The last time Gregory and the Spartans (19-12) were in the MCI Center locker room, the mood was much different.At halftime, MSU owned a 12-point lead at 30-18 after forcing the Wolfpack (23-11) offense to 6-of-24 shooting.Gregory said the defensive effort in the opening half made the loss even more disappointing.“Anytime you defend as well as you did in the first half and you go out and don’t defend as well in the second half, there’s going to be frustration,” he said.But the exhausted, disappointed, angry and frustrated looks on the faces of his players had to be there.“I think if you don’t see frustration, you have to worry about what kind of kids you have,” he said.One Spartan who had been in the locker room after numerous tournament wins, junior forward Al Anagonye, said he knows he won’t forget being ousted from the tournament this early.“If it doesn’t (bother you), you shouldn’t play at Michigan State,” Anagonye said.
BASKETBALL
Spartans close season
Washington - Despite a 69-58 loss to North Carolina State in Friday’s first round of the NCAA Tournament, Tom Izzo asked his players to savor the moment. With 44 seconds remaining and MSU trailing 67-55 at MCI Center, Izzo called a timeout.