Bulldog Bits
Football
One more member of the Mississippi State football team and a former Bulldog signed free agent contracts after the National Football League Draft.
Along with Fred Ross, Johnathan Calvin, Richie Brown and Nelson Adams, Nick James inked a deal with the Detroit Lions. Former wide receiver Fred Brown also signed a contract with the New York Jets.
James, a defensive lineman, started 15 of the 46 games he played for the Bulldogs and had 62 tackles, 6.5 stops for a loss, two sacks, one forced fumble and a blocked kick.
Brown was dismissed from MSU last spring, but still got an opportunity with the Jets. While with Bulldogs, he caught 50 passes for 785 yards and five touchdowns.
Track and Field
After finishing fourth in the inaugural Southeastern Conference Relays with 84 team points, MSU’s men catapulted all the way to No. 22 in this week’s USTFCCCA team rankings.
This is the first appearance in the top 25 for the Bulldog men since ending last season with a program-best 9th place finish.
The Bulldogs were boosted by the stellar performance of Lawrence Crawford, who posted the second best 100-meter dash time in the nation this season at 9.97 seconds.
MSU’s shuttle relay group, which captured one of five Bulldog victories at the SEC Relays, owns the third best time nationally at 57.43. That squad consisted of Willie Reed, Herbert Wise, JaQuarius Wilson and Ro’Derick Spears
Stephan James also owns a top-50 national time, after he posted a 400m dash mark of 46.07 at the Florida Relays early last month. Sophomore Rasheed Tatham also grabbed a top 50 time at the Florida Relays, running 51.41 in the 400m hurdle. He currently stands 38th nationally. Senior Willie Reed has the 15th best long jump in the country, measuring 7.76 meters.
The Bulldogs also have the top javelin duo in the nation, with Nicolas Quijera and Curtis Thompson each ranking fifth and sixth nationally. Quijera won the inaugural SEC Relays javelin competition with a mark of 73.36 meters.
The men own top 20 times in the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 meter relays, as well as the 22nd best mark in the sprint medley relay.
“It is great to see the men back in the top 25,” MSU coach Steve Dudley said. “We are at the point of the season where our focus has to be on what is in front of us. We have a tremendous opportunity because of the league we compete in, and we are excited for the challenge that that gives us.”
MSU will have the weekend off while they prepare for SEC Championships in Columbia, S.C. May 11-13.
Women’s Golf
Coach Ginger Brown-Lemm landed another talented member to the 2017-18 Mississippi State women’s golf team on Monday with the addition of Spain standout Clara Moyano.
The Madrid, Spain, native joins MSU after playing her freshman season at the University of Idaho. Moyano earned All-Big Sky Conference honors for the Vandals after recording a 75.7 scoring average.
“Clara is a critical addition to our program,” BrownLemm said. “She brings international level experience and was an all-conference performer at Idaho. She is smart and hungry for a championship. I look forward to working with Clara and having her as a member of our squad.”
Her best outing of the 2016-17 season came at the Big Sky Championship, where she tied for second with a 5-over-par 221. Moyano played in eight events during her first collegiate season, finishing in the Top 10 twice and the Top 25 four times.
She earned Big Sky Golfer of the Week honors in October after tying for sixth at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown behind rounds of 67 and 71.
Moyano came to the United States after attending IES Ortega y Gasset prep school in Madrid. She also played numerous international events, claiming first-place finishes at the Madrid Match Play Championship and Madrid Ranking.
She also tied for first in the sub-25 and sub-18 divisions at the Madrid Championships, earning her the opportunity to play against some of the top junior golfers in the country last December at the IMG Tournament Tour event in Florida.