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Team

SPORTS

Cross Country runner named All-American

Aaron Foley
November 27, 2002

After a 20th place finish in the NCAA Championships on Monday in Terre Haute, Ind., junior Michelle Carson earned All-American status.All-American status is granted to the top 30 American finishers and the top 30 finishers overall.Carson was named Women's Big Ten Cross-Country Athlete of the Year earlier this season and was also named Big Ten Athlete of the Week twice this season.She led MSU to a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championship, losing to Michigan 73-70, marking the closest margin of victory in the history of the women's Big Ten Championships.Two other cross-country athletes - juniors Jamie Krzyminski and Andrew Marsh - barely missed getting All-American status.

ICE HOCKEY

Miller demoted back to Rochester Americans

James Jahnke
November 26, 2002

After a two-game stint in the NHL, former MSU goaltender Ryan Miller was sent back to the minor-league Rochester Americans on Sunday. Miller went 1-0-0-1 in his NHL debut with the Buffalo Sabres, but he allowed eight total goals to the New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets.

ICE HOCKEY

Streak continues with loss to Bowling Green

James Jahnke
November 25, 2002

Bowling Green, Ohio - The MSU hockey team traveled south Friday, hoping to get an easy win over a conference doormat before starting a tough stretch of games next weekend.Instead, the Spartans' surprisingly difficult season took another downturn.At MSU's expense, the lowly Bowling Green Falcons notched their first league win - by an overtime score of 3-2 at the BGSU Ice Arena.The Spartans (5-6-0 overall, 3-4-0 CCHA) grabbed a 2-1 lead with less than four minutes to go, but once again, they couldn't hold a late-game advantage.Falcon right wing Tyler Knight scored with 1:54 left in regulation and then center D'Arcy McConvey tallied a controversial goal with 1:50 left in overtime to seal the upset for Bowling Green (3-8-1, 1-7-1).MSU had blown similar late leads to Lake Superior State and Niagara earlier this season, but the Spartans came back to win both of those games.

SPORTS

Spartans not able to make up for 1st half

Dawn Klemish
November 25, 2002

A hot Miami (Ohio) squad drained 13 three-point shots en route to an 86-84 win over the MSU women's basketball team in Sunday's championship game of the Spartan Chevrolet Classic. After a short-lived 6-3 lead, MSU found itself trailing for the remainder of the game.

SPORTS

Streak continues with loss to Bowling Green

James Jahnke
November 25, 2002

Bowling Green, Ohio - The MSU hockey team traveled south Friday, hoping to get an easy win over a conference doormat before starting a tough stretch of games next weekend.Instead, the Spartans' surprisingly difficult season took another downturn.At MSU's expense, the lowly Bowling Green Falcons notched their first league win - by an overtime score of 3-2 at the BGSU Ice Arena.The Spartans (5-6-0 overall, 3-4-0 CCHA) grabbed a 2-1 lead with less than four minutes to go, but once again, they couldn't hold a late-game advantage.Falcon right wing Tyler Knight scored with 1:54 left in regulation and then center D'Arcy McConvey tallied a controversial goal with 1:50 left in overtime to seal the upset for Bowling Green (3-8-1, 1-7-1).MSU had blown similar late leads to Lake Superior State and Niagara earlier this season, but the Spartans came back to win both of those games.

BASKETBALL

Missing the point?

Chris Mackinder
November 25, 2002

Despite pulling out a 66-52 win over North Carolina Asheville on Friday night, the MSU men's basketball team still showed its need for a true point guard. The No.

SPORTS

Johnson rushes past 'U'

Eric Mckinney
November 25, 2002

State College, Pa. - Not only did Penn State's Larry Johnson single-handedly embarrass the Spartans on Saturday, he solidified his place among the NCAA's best all-time tailbacks. With 279 rushing yards on 19 carries (14.7 per carry), Johnson became just the ninth running back - and the first in Big Ten history - to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark in a single season.

SPORTS

HARDY: Izzo searches for squad's new leader

Tom Izzo has a problem. Tom Izzo has a good problem. Tom Izzo has a problem that would make most college hoops coaches salivate, dribbling up and down courtside. Izzo is taking auditions for leader of the 2002-03 MSU men's basketball team. And his players are standing in line to sign up, 6 and 7 feet tall. "I don't think our effort from our leaders is what it should be," Izzo says following the Spartans' first season win Friday as they beat North Carolina Asheville, 66-52. "We're still a leaderless

FOOTBALL

Johnson rushes past 'U'

Eric Mckinney
November 25, 2002

State College, Pa. - Not only did Penn State's Larry Johnson single-handedly embarrass the Spartans on Saturday, he solidified his place among the NCAA's best all-time tailbacks.With 279 rushing yards on 19 carries (14.7 per carry), Johnson became just the ninth running back - and the first in Big Ten history - to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark in a single season.

SPORTS

Heisman watch

Eric Mckinney
November 22, 2002

It's a strange race for the Heisman Trophy this year. The nation's best athletes - Marshall's Byron Leftwich, Ohio State's Maurice Clarett and MSU's Charles Rogers - have been eliminated by injuries or a terrible surrounding cast.

SPORTS

Players look to go out with a win in finale

Andrew Fifer
November 22, 2002

The MSU football team has virtually nothing to play for in the last week of conference play.The Spartans (4-7 overall, 2-5 Big Ten) sit alone in eighth place in the Big Ten standings, and their final push for a bowl bid was thwarted last week in a zany 45-42 loss to Purdue (5-6, 3-4) at Spartan Stadium.But senior offensive guard Paul Harker said in addition to playing for pride, ending the season with a win is enough incentive to play hard."This is the last game we'll play together with these guys," he said.

VOLLEYBALL

Spartans hit road for 2 Big Ten games

Chris Mackinder
November 22, 2002

The Spartans are expected to pick up their first two-win weekend since Oct. 25-26, the last time they played Purdue and Illinois, but they know the task won't be an easy one. MSU has struggled on the road all season long, especially in the Big Ten.

SPORTS

Ohio State and Michigan kick off rivalry weekend

No. 9 Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State Buckeye faithful don't want to even think about the past while Wolverine fans are hoping for déjá vu all over again. Once again, Ohio State will bring an undefeated mark into its contest with U-M, and if recent history is any guide, the Buckeyes will exit Ohio Stadium with a blemish in their record. In 1993, an unranked Wolverine squad demolished the No.

SPORTS

Leading the way

Andrew Fifer
November 22, 2002

season marred by disappointment and controversy will come to an end for the Spartans in University Park, Pa., against Penn State. The entire coaching staff from this season will be relieved of duty at the end of the season, and the program will be under completely new reigns. At this point, Athletics Director Ron Mason hasn't picked anyone to lead the team, making it impossible to know the program's direction.

SPORTS

Leaders come and go, always play with heart

This one is for Bobby. As controversy clouds begin to push on past Spartan land, home to the season of shame, I finally found one of those "positives, positives, positives, positives," he was speaking of only weeks before his firing. Suit up senior strong safety Thomas Wright. Known by those close, "T" is the leader of the 2002 Spartan squad. He became the role model junior quarterback Jeff Smoker wasn't during a season desperately looking toward somebody, anybody, with answers. Whether he wanted to, the head-shaved, goateed leader assumed the role of the go-to captain, as senior tailback Dawan Moss and Smoker found themselves indefinitely suspended. And so Wright's casual stroll out of Duffy Daugherty says "follow me." His play inside Spartan Stadium says "play at my level." His walk talked all season.

SPORTS

Cornerback adjusts to play

Andrew Fifer
November 22, 2002

With three senior cornerbacks on the roster, it seemed improbable that a first-year player would get any significant playing time in the secondary this season for MSU.And that's exactly the mentality freshman cornerback Ashton Watson carried into the game against Michigan on Nov.