The Top Ten News Stories of the Year
12/31/2009 9:48:24 AM
The top ten Bobcat news stories of the year as presented by MSU Sports Information:
1. Dane Fletcher Earns Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP
Montana State defensive end Dane Fletcher became the fifth Bobcat in history to earn the highest defensive individual award in the conference and the third in the last seven years. Fletcher was also one of four Bobcats honored as First Team All-Big Sky players for 2009. Fletcher led the BSC with 17.5 tackles for loss, and was also among the league leaders with seven sacks. He hurried the quarterback four times, broke up one pass, and blocked a pair of kicks during his senior season despite missing two games with an illness. He graduated in December with a degree in business management and is a native of Bozeman.
2. Kelly Gillum is Big Sky Conference Golfer of the Year
Montana State golfer Kelly Gillum captured the 2009 Big Sky Conference Player of the Year award, becoming just the second player in school history to earn the honor. Gillum was medalist in two tourneys in spring 2009—the Red Rocks Invite and the conference preview event, the Cowgirl Classic at Chandler, Arizona and also garnered all-conference honors in the Big Sky Championships. She graduated in May 2009 with a degree in Liberal Studies and hails from Fort Collins, Colorado.
3. Will Bynum's dunk seals a first round win over Montana in the first round of the Big Sky Tourney in Missoula
Will Bynum's steal, dunk and free throw with six seconds left in the game gave Montana State a first round victory in the Big Sky Conference men's tourney. The game, played in Missoula, gave the Cats the impetus for a deep run in the tourney that included a victory over host and top seed Weber State for a trip to the finals against Portland State. Bynum led the Bobcats in the first round game with 15 points. Bynum is a senior majoring in psychology and is from Alamogordo, New Mexico.
4. Ellie Rudy Finishes Collegiate Career With a Record Eight Conference Championships and Two National Championships in Pole Vault
Record-setting Ellie Rudy finished her collegiate career with a bang winning an unprecedented eight conference championships in the pole vault. In addition to her conference and regional winnings, Rudy was a two-time national championship in the indoor event. Rudy also had the distinction of setting a conference meet record in all eight of her championship performances. Rudy graduated in May with a degree in Cellular Biology/Neuroscience and is attending graduate school l at the University of Kansas. She is originally from Woodland Park, Colorado and is married to former MSU javelin thrower, Dan van Swearingen.
5. Bobcat Spikers Stun Grizzlies in Missoula to Snap Streak
The Bobcats snapped their 44-match Big Sky losing streak defeating Montana 28-30, 25-20, 21-25, 25-18, 16-14, October 23 in Missoula. MSU controlled the final two sets of the match, both offensively and defensively. The Bobcats hit .185 from the floor, while holding Montana (9-11, 5-4) to -.030 from the field. The Cats were paced in the victory by senior Kyla Hendry, who notched a match-high 16 kills, while hitting .353 from the floor. In addition, she led the Bobcats at the net with a team-high six blocks. Also in double-figure kills were Nicole Grypiuk 13, Jodeen Rademacher 10, and Kylie Edinger 10. Senior setter Taylor Faught dished out 52 assists.
6. Jeff Hansen and Dane Fletcher Receive All-America Honors
Senior offensive guard Jeff Hansen and senior defensive end Dane Fletcher each earned All-America accolades for the second time, as the Associated Press announced its Football Championship Subdivision All-America Teams in December. Hansen was previously honored by the Walter Camp Foundation, while Fletcher landed on the American Football Coaches Association All-America squad. The last time Montana State had a pair of First Team All-Americas in the same season was 2003, when current Bobcat assistant Kane Ioane, a safety, and return specialist Corey Smith each became consensus All-Americas. Hansen, a senior, is a mechanical engineering major from Great Falls.
7. Women's Tennis Finished the Season With Best-Ever Big Sky Record
The Bobcat women's tennis team finished the regular season with a 7-1 record, the best-ever conference finish for the program. The only conference loss came to nationally-ranked and eventual conference champion Sacramento State on the road. The Bobcats entered the conference tournament as a second seed with a first round bye--also a first for the Cats. They fell in the semi-finals to Northern Arizona. Stephanie Jasper and Missy Harris garnered first team all-conference honors and Laura Villegas was second team All-Big Sky.
8. Nubia Garcia is Featured on the Cover of the NCAA Champion Magazine as One of the Top Student-Athletes in the Country Majoring in the Arts.
In January, the NCAA honored women's basketball senior Nubia Garcia and several other "artist-athletes" from around the country for their athletic and artistic abilities with a display at the NCAA convention and an article in NCAA Champions magazine. The article featured the work and stories of 12 student-athletes from NCAA colleges and universities in the country. The cover featured a self portrait done by Garica. She is originally from Chihuahua, Mexico and majored in photography at MSU. Garcia was also named the Cats' Defensive Player of the Year for women's basketball.
9. Football Pulls Off Road Win Against #11 Weber State
The Bobcats stunned number 11 Weber State at Ogden 26-21 on October 3. The week before the Cats scored another road win at Northern Colorado, 25-7. The win gave the Cats a 2-0 start in conference play. The last time MSU started the season 2-0 on the road was 2001 when the Bobcats snapped an 18-game losing streak at Weber State in week two of the season and went on to beat EWU on the road following. The victory gave coach Rob Ash his second 2-0 conference start in three seasons. Aaron Mason's 138 rushing yards in the game gave moved him into 17th place on MSU's all-time rushing list.
10. Women's Basketball Named Fourth in the Nation Academically
The Bobcat women's squad posted a 3.501 grade-point average, finishing behind Indiana State (3.645), North Dakota (3.580) and South Dakota State (3.571). Rounding out the top five was Bowling Green (3.470). Eastern Washington, who ranked ninth overall, was the only other Big Sky Conference school listed among the Top 25. The MSU women's team has consistently been ranked in the top of NCAA Division I over the past four seasons, including 4th in 2006-07; 5th in 2005-06; and 11th in 2007-08.
Other Stories Nominated:
-Katie Bussey Earns Conference Freshman of the Year Honors
-Men's Cross Country Places Second in Conference Race—Best Finish Since 2002 Champions
-Women's Basketball Scores Huge Win at Portland State
-Erica Perry Named First Team All-Conference
-Women's Skier Kaelin Kiesel Named Second-Team All-RMISA – NCAA Qualifier
-Will Bynum's Dunk in Weber State Victory Makes Number One in ESPN's "Top Ten Plays of the Day"
-Bobcat Men's Basketball Plays in Conference Championship Game
-Senior Distance Runner Elisabeth Driscoll Earns Second First Team All-America COSIDA Academic Award
