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Team

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.

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.

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.

SPORTS

MSU trainers receive highest NATA honors

Megan Homanick
June 13, 2005

At this year's National Athletic Trainers Association convention, June 12-16 in Indianapolis, MSU athletic trainers Dave Carrier and Dr. John Powell will receive the 2005 Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award. The award will be given to 18 trainers from across the country and is one of the NATA's highest honors. Carrier was just inducted into the Michigan Athletic Trainer's Hall of Fame on May 19 for his outstanding work as MSU Hockey's head trainer.

BASEBALL

Lugnuts take out Dragons with 7-2 win

Megan Homanick
June 13, 2005

With only seven games left before the end of the first half of the season, the Lansing Lugnuts needed all the wins they could get - and they got one Sunday against the Dayton Dragons, winning 7-2. "Hopefully we can get things put together and try to get more wins than the team we're chasing," Lugnuts' manager Ken Joyce said. The Lugnuts (33-29) started the day one game behind the Fort Wayne Wizards for the final playoff spot in the East Division.

SPORTS

Heat, Pistons fans have final exchange

After a grueling series in the Eastern Conference Finals, "The Champs" are still standing, after KO-ing a worthy challenger in Miami. Here are the mock letters, one from the fans of Miami to the fans of Detroit and one from Pistons fans to Heat fans: Dear Pistons fans, We wanted to congratulate you on your team's win Monday night here in the "Red Zone;" it was truly impressive. I guess we were foolish to think that just because we signed Shaquille O'Neal in the offseason that we would own the Eastern Conference title - at least at season's end.

ICE HOCKEY

Icers name volunteer coach for next season

Megan Homanick
June 7, 2005

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.

SPORTS

2 teammates to Calif. for championships

Alex Abate
June 7, 2005

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.

SPORTS

Crew member makes All-American team

Megan Homanick
June 6, 2005

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.

ICE HOCKEY

Hockey congress gives goalie two awards

Megan Homanick
June 6, 2005

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.

SPORTS

3 Spartans golfers on All-Midwest team

Megan Homanick
June 6, 2005

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.