Sports: For the Record Winter 1999
SMITH CENTER DEDICATION
The Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center was dedicated Sept. 12. The two-story 31,000-square foot building will serve MSU's more than 800 students in all 25 Division I sports. The building features an auditorium, a Hall of Fame Gallery, study halls and a computer lab, among other resources. At hand for the ceremony was former MSU basketball star Steve Smith, whose gift of $2.5 million--the largest ever by an athlete to his alma mater--along with contributions from other former athletes, alumni, students, faculty and staff, helped the 'Victory for MSU' campaign surpass its original $6 million goal.
SPARTAN SPORTSZONE
This fall, the cable edition of Spartan SportsZone, the new television show combining MSU football, basketball, hockey and other sports, was aired via local cable systems in several locations nationwide, including Chicago, Cincinatti, Northeast Ohio and St. Louis.
For next season, MSU alumni regional clubs can have the 30-minute weekly program aired in their areas for a very nominal fee (about $10 per show).
Contact TCI by phone (517-333-6028) or email (Liskey@tcimet.net).
ON THE MARK, AGAIN
Oakland Athletics pitcher Mark Mulder, the second overall pick in this year's baseball draft, received a record $3.2 million signing bonus in October, according to the Associated Press. The amount exceeded all other bonuses given in Major League Baseball up to that point. Over the past two seasons, the 6-foot-6 Mulder posted a 13-8 record with a 2.89 ERA. He batted .335, including five home runs and 30 RBIs.
TRIPLE WIN STREAK
By winning the 13-team Wolverine Invitational in Ann Arbor last fall, the MSU women's golf team notched its third consecutive tournament victory--a feat last achieved by the Spartans in 1978. Sophomore Kasey Gant, a candidate for All-America honors, won the individuals in two of them. Second year coach Stacy Slobodnik adds perspective to the streak when she notes, 'In other sports, a team plays against one opponent, but we have to go up against 15.'
Earlier, MSU beat all Big Ten teams at the Lady Northern at Purdue, and won the Mary Fossum Invitational at MSU's Forest Akers. Senior Kellie Dennis shot the low round at the Lady Northern, while freshman Emily Bastel had two top-ten finishes. Senior freshman Stacy Snider added to team depth.
CROSS COUNTRY STREAK
The MSU men's cross country team enjoyed four straight wins this fall by winning the Texas A&M Invitational Oct. 17. Three Spartans were in the Top Ten, including Jim Jurcevich, senior from Defiance, OH, Ryan Taylor, junior from Melbourne, Australia, and Steve Schell. senior from Dearborn. Last year, Schell won Academic All-American honors with his 3.55 GPA in electrical engineering. Historically, MSU's cross country team has won eight NCAA team championships--the most by any MSU varsity team.
JENNA SURPASSES 2K
MSU senior outside hitter Jenna Wrobel became just the fifth Big Ten volleyball player to surpass 2,000 kills when she tallied her 2,012th career kill as MSU upset No. 5-ranked Wisconsin in October. In the game, she amassed 35 kills on .324 hitting with 15 digs. She followed that All American performance with 21 kills, 5 digs and 5 blocks against Iowa, earning 'National Player of the Week' honors. By mid-season, Wrobel was second in the nation with 5.73 kills per game, while MSU was ranked in the Top 20.
THE COMMISH
The new commissioner of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association is Tom Anastos, '85, former MSU hockey star and president of the North American Hockey League. An active member of USA Hockey, he was also elected as one of two NCAA representatives on the organization's board of directors.
As a Spartan from 1981-85 Anastos won four letters, helped MSU to four CCHA Championships and four NCAA appearances. He later coached at University of Michigan-Dearborn from 1987-90, compiling a 68-37-7 record. In 1990 he returned to his alma mater for two years as Ron Mason's assistant coach. Anastos is married and lives in Livonia with his wife, Lisa, and five children.