This Week in Bobcat Athletics
3/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
Men’s Basketball
Longtime men’s basketball head coach Mick Durham announced his retirement Monday morning at a 10 am press conference in the Hall of Fame Room at Montana State. Coach Durham has been part of the Bobcat Basketball program for 29 years, including the past 16 as head coach.
The winningest coach in Big Sky Conference history, Durham’s list of accomplishments grew every season. He owns a 246-213 career mark.
Durham was a former MSU player and long-time assistant before taking over the reigns as head coach in the summer of 1990.
Following a fine prep career at Three Forks High, he was a three-year starter at MSU, and from 1982-90 was a Bobcat assistant. Durham was instrumental in that time of rebuilding MSU into a basketball power, and in rekindling interest in the once-proud program. MSU won the Big Sky Championship in 1986, and won a league regular season title the next year.
Women’s Basketball
Montana State junior Alyssa Nelson was named to the 2006 Big Sky Conference First-Team, last Tuesday in a vote by the league’s eight head coaches. It marks the first all-conference accolade for the Edina, Minn., native.
Nelson averaged a team-best 13.2 points per game in Big Sky action, while shooting 46 percent from the field and 84 percent from the free throw line. In addition, she averaged 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Nelson recorded a career-high 29 points against Portland State in January.
Women’s Golf
This Week:
No events this week – spring break
Last Week:
3/6-8 Bobcat Desert Classic in Goodyear, Ariz.
Montana State women finished eighth in a field of sixteen in last week’s Desert Classic hosted by the Bobcats. They fell from an earlier fifth place after the first round of play.
Freshman LaRae Smith started out the event in a tie for 12th place after firing a career-best 77 in the opening round. After a final round score of 82, Smith finished in a tie for 24th with teammate Kristina Kurcinka. Kelly Gillum finished in 30th place with a score of 240 and Stephanie Simmons shot a 241 to tie for 36th.
The women are off this week for spring break and will resume competition at Creswell, Ore. on March 27-28 for the University of Oregon Invitational.
Skiing
Last Week:
3/9-12 NCAA National Championship in Steam boat Springs, Colo.
Spela Bertoncelj earned her second consecutive All-America honor with a tenth place finish in the women’s slalom event to lead Montana State to 13th at the 2006 NCAA Skiing Championships. MSU finished 13th overall at the 2005 NCAA Championships, as well.
Bertoncelj, a native of Slovenia, was in 16th place after the first run with a clocking of 43.36. In the second run, she knocked-off six competitors for tenth with a two-run total of 1:26.52.
MSU’s Cory Harris finished 24th overall in the men’s slalom with a two-run total of 1:19.04.
In Nordic competition on Saturday afternoon, Mandy Bowden paced the Bobcats finishing 20th in the women’s 15-kilometer freestyle in a time of 49.59.5. Freshman Claire Rennie was 30th in 51.31.7.
The Bobcat men were paced by Mark Iverson, who placed 25th in a clocking of 59:19.0. Chris Coe finished the 20K race in 34th at 1:01.34.
Colorado won the team title on its home turf with 654 points. CU was followed by New Mexico 556, Dartmouth 537.5, Denver 522.5, Vermont 516, Alaska-Anchorage 451, Middlebury 412, Utah 400, New Hampshire 309, Alaska-Fairbanks 271, Nevada 259, Bates 189, MSU 185, Northern Michigan 154, Williams 137.5, Colby 130.5, Western State 126.5, Whitman 62.5, Michigan Tech 62, Boise State 50, St. Lawrence 25, Wisconsin Green Bay 22, St. Olaf 17 and Gustavus Adolphus 9.
Tennis
This Week:
3/13: Men at UC-Irvine
3/14: Men at UC-Riverside
3/16: Men at Rice
Women are off this week
Last Week:
3/11: Men defeat Loyola Marymount, 4-2
Current Records: Men: 7-4, 2-0 ; Women: 5-7, 1-1
Montana State sophomore Kyle McDonald posted a 7-5, 6-3 straight set victory over Loyola Marymount’s Reyniere Roxas and the Bobcat tennis squad won three three-set matches to record a 4-2 victory over LMU, Saturday afternoon to kick off its spring break tour.
MSU’s No. 1 standout Federico Ueltschi suffered a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 setback to LMU’s Nico Terrien. Aside from McDonald, notching wins for the Bobcats were Marek Gebicki, Tejeshwara Chigateri and Jakub Dybala. Due to weather concerns, doubles was not played.
Results:
Montana State 4, Loyola Marymount 2. Singles: 1. Nico Terrien (LMU) d. Federico Ueltschi 2-6, 6-2, 3-6; 2. Marek Gebicki (MSU) d.. Mike Wojnarowicz 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; 3. Kyle McDonald (MSU) d. Reyniere Roxas 7-5, 6-3; 4. Tejeshwara Chigateri (MSU) d. 4-6, 7-6, 6-4; 5. Matt Phillips (LMU) d. Jake Berriochoa 6-7, 3-6; 6. Jakub Dybala (MSU) d. Mike Chan 6-0, 6-7, 6-2. Doubles was not played.
The Bobcats will face UC Irvine, UC Riverside and Rice later this week.
Indoor Track
Last Week:
3/10-11: NCAA Indoor Championships at Fayetteville, Ark.
Montana State freshman Ellie Rudy vaulted 11-2.25 to finish 11th at the NCAA Indoor Championships on Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark. "Ellie really handled the experience well," MSU coach Dale Kennedy said. "She had good looks at the next height, which would have made her an All-America, but this was a great experience for her."
Montana State senior Josh Henigman fouled on each of his three throws at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
The Bobcats begin their outdoor track season March 25 in Bozeman at the MSU Open.
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
