Thursday Bulldog Update - 4/1/10
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VARNADO, RACK SEEK TROPHY AWARD REPEAT
- Ticket order form for the 2010 Howell & Gillom Trophy presentations
Due to the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs' impressive run to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament, the annual presentation of the Howell Trophy and Gillom Trophy, the outstanding male and female collegiate basketball players in the state of Mississippi, has been changed to next Thursday, April 8.
The events at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Museum will begin with a 5:30 p.m. reception, followed by the announcement of the winners at 6:30 p.m.
Our own Jarvis Varnado and Alexis Rack are finalists for the awards again this year. Both won their individual awards last season and are looking to become the first back-to-back winners since the awards' inception.
Tickets that have already been purchased for the original March 29 date will be honored on April 8. For more information, contact the Museum at 1-800-280-3263.
Fans are encouraged to attend this year's festivities to bid a final farewell to Varnado and Rack, two outstanding student-athletes who have brought deserved recognition to Mississippi State.
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BRAMLETT, LEE NOMINATED FOR McWHORTER AWARDS
We have nominated softball player Chelsea Bramlett and football player Tyson Lee for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship, awarded annually by the Southeastern Conference to the top male and female scholar-athletes.
The SEC will name the 2010 scholarship recipients on April 6 in conjunction with National Student-Athlete Day.
Bramlett, a native of Cordova, Tenn., has a 3.64 grade point average, majoring in Physical Education. She is a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll (2010 SEC Academic Honor Roll released in spring) and has twice been named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American Scholar-Athlete. She was selected first-team ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2008 and second-team in 2009.
She is a three-time NFCA All-American, the first Mississippi State softball player to earn first-team accolades three times. She was named the NFCA/Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year for the top catcher in NCAA Division I in both 2008 and 2009. She received the 2009 adidas Golden Shoe Award from the NFCA for being the top base stealer in Division I.
A member of the United States Women's National Team in 2009 and 2010, she was selected a top 25 finalist for the prestigious USA Softball Player of the Year Award in 2008 and 2009. Last season, her 54 stolen bases set a school record and led the nation. She also ranked fourth in the nation and led the SEC in batting average last season.
In the Starkville community, she has participated in the "Bully Book Blitz," reading to children at local elementary schools, as well as working MSU softball camps. She has helped at the MSU Halloween Carnival for children and participated in Thanksgiving food drives.
Lee, a native of Columbus, Miss., graduated in December with a 3.80 grade point average, majoring in Secondary Education. He is a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and the President's List at Mississippi State.
In 23 games played at quarterback for the Bulldogs, Lee threw for 2,963 yards and ran for an additional 212 yards. He accounted for 14 total touchdowns, 11 by air and three on the ground. Against Georgia Tech last year, he threw for a career-best 278 yards, and threw for 261 yards against Kentucky as a junior in 2008.
He has been nominated for the Rudy Award, given to football student-athletes who exhibit exemplary character, courage, contribution and commitment as members of their team.
Lee has been active in the Starkville area, speaking to children at local churches and serving as a seventh-grade Sunday school teacher at Fairview Baptist Church in Columbus, Miss. He is active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has spoken to college students at the Baptist Student Union on MSU's campus.
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BRAMLETT ALSO FINALIST FOR LOWE'S SENIOR AWARD
Bramlett has also been named one of 10 finalists for the prestigious Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, and Bulldog fans are encouraged to vote for her once daily at seniorCLASSaward.com or by texting S1 to 74567.
Fans can vote for Bramlett now through May 17 for the award that recognizes achievements in community, classroom, character and competition.
Bramlett is currently pacing the Southeastern Conference in hitting for the second-straight year with a .529 average (63-for-119), a figure that also ranks in the top five nationally.
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CONGRATS GO OUT TO TRACK ATHLETE JOHNSON
Nathan Johnson, a Bulldog track athlete from Texarkana, Texas, has been named a winner of the Spirit of State Award, a campus recognition that honors students who have excelled in campus involvement, service to the university, and have had an impact on their peers and the broader campus community. In addition to the service component of the award, students must also maintain established academic guidelines.
Johnson is a sophomore cross country and distance runner for the track program.
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WE RECEIVED A NICE LETTER FROM A UNC FAN
"Dear President Keenum:
I am an alumnus of the University of North Carolina and my wife and I recently decided that it would be much more convenient to travel 125 miles to Starkville to watch my beloved Tarheels as opposed to 800 miles to Chapel Hill. I acquired two tickets from UNC and thus last Saturday, decked out in blue and white, embarked upon our first trip to Mississippi State University.
We found a parking spot relatively close and began our trek to Humphrey Coliseum, my wife with blue and white pom-poms in hand amongst the sea of fans in maroon and white. Needless to say, we were easily recognizable as supporters of the "other team." We have made trips to other away games and frankly were treated to jeers, off color remarks and in some cases downright hostility.
To our surprise, we were warmly greeted by several MSU fans and welcomed to the campus. Several fans even helped us locate the UNC will call desk - how courteous and what a pleasant experience.
As the game began the fans were very energetic but yet respectful. I was equally impressed with the players and coaching staff. The game was well played and well coached. Coach Stansbury is a class act. One could easily tell that he treated his players with dignity and had their respect...
It was a great game and as you know was won by UNC in the last seconds. Even in defeat, however, the fans were extremely gracious. Upon leaving the Coliseum numerous fans extended congratulations to us for a well played game.
Even if we had lost we would have considered the trip and game to have been a pleasant and rewarding experience. The decorum of your coach, players and fans should be held up as an example of the way college athletics should be. My congratulations to you on presiding over a great university and my best wishes and thanks to you, Coach Stansbury, the players and your fans.
Very truly yours,
Edwin S. (Ed) Roberson
Memphis, Tenn."
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WE LOVE TO HEAR THAT WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE...AGAIN
A couple of weeks ago, we copied an email in this column from Jeffrey Rupp, thanking the department for having an influence on a large group of Boy Scouts who visited our campus last month. This past week, we received another email detailing how our program is making a difference in a young person's life:
"Five years ago our son arrived in Starkville from Waupaca, Wisconsin, not really understanding what he wanted to do other than play golf. After being put on probation (grades) his first semester, he had come to one of those crossroads in life, staying in school or going out into the work force. This is where the MSU Men's Basketball Coaching staff and Drew met and the team allowed our son to join.
My wife and I have been exposed to many universities, either as a student-athlete, student, parents of a student, university advisor and board member. This experience has shown that when a student struggles (like our son did as a freshman), institutions typically will turn their backs on students like him. That was not the case at Mississippi State; the University family actually reached out and embraced him.
He now will be graduating this spring with a 3.2 (+/-) GPA, with a mission to coach basketball or be somehow involved in Basketball Operations (college or pros). This could not have taken place without the dedication and true caring of the MSU coaches and staff. The roller coaster ride of the last four basketball seasons has been a great lesson in life. Those lessons in life now also include four championship rings...not bad at all!
I had the opportunity to meet and have a discussion with John Wooden at the UCLA game last December, Rick Stansbury and his entire family and staff truly try to embrace John Wooden's "12 lessons in leadership":
- Good Values Attract Good People
- Love Is the Most Powerful Four Letter Word
- Call Yourself a Teacher
- Emotion Is Your Enemy
- It Takes 10 hands To Make a Basket
- Little Things Make Big Things Happen
- Make Each Day Your Masterpiece
- The Carrot Is Mightier Than a Stick
- Make Greatness Attainable
- Seek Significant Change
- Don't Look At the Scoreboard
- Adversity Is Your Asset
This is why he and his staff have had the 12 year record they do.
Each of you need to take the time to sit back and understand how special Mississippi State University really is, there are not many other institutions like State!
Thank-you and Hail State!
David W. Bernd
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MISSISSIPPI STATE HOME SPORTS SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Friday...Women's Tennis vs. Georgia, 12 p.m.; Softball vs. Kentucky (DH), 4 p.m./6 p.m.
Saturday...Softball vs. Kentucky, 1 p.m.
Sunday...Women's Tennis vs. Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Come out, support your Bulldogs, and get your Dog Tag scanned.
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TOMORROW IS MAROON FRIDAY...
Are you in the maroon!
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We appreciate what you do for Mississippi State Athletics and want to encourage you to get others involved. There are three things you can do to help the athletic department at Mississippi State reach its desired goals -
1. Buy Season Tickets
2. Financially Support the Bulldog Club
3. Get Others To Do The Same
Thanks for taking the time to read this Update.
Go Dawgs!