LSU track teams finish second at NCAA meet

The LSU men and women’s track teams each finished second at the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships over the weekend in Sacramento, California.

Each team was paced by a national champion as Sherry Fletcher (11.2 seconds) won the 100-meters and Isa Phillips won the men’s 400-meter hurdles (48.51). The women’s 1,600-meter relay team also won the national championship after Nickiesha Wilson, Cynetheia Rooks, LaTavia Thomas and Deonna Lawrence teamed to post a time of 3:28.07.

As a team, the Lady Tigers finished seven points behind Arizona State, which marked the best finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships since a runner-up finish in 2004. The men’s team finished six points behind Florida State and have not placed outside the top 10 in the NCAA Outdoor Championships since 1997.

Tiger football No. 2

LSU has picked up another lofty preseason ranking as The Sporting News has tabbed the Tigers as its No. 2 preseason pick heading into the 2007 season.

The Tigers, who open their third season under Les Miles on Thursday, Aug. 30 against Mississippi State in Starkville, has also been ranked No. 2 in Blue Ribbon Yearbook’s preseason poll.

LSU returns 15 starters and 46 letterwinners from last year’s squad that posted an 11-2 overall mark, beat Notre Dame, 41-14, in the Sugar Bowl, and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation.

The Sporting News picked Southern Cal as its top-ranked team, with LSU, Michigan, West Virginia and Florida rounding out the top five. Other LSU opponents in the top 25 include Virginia Tech at No. 7 and Auburn at No. 16.

In addition to its preseason ranking, The Sporting News has rated LSU’s defensive line as the best in college football and its linebackers as the nation’s fifth-ranked unit. LSU returns three starters from its defensive front, including 2006 All-America Glenn Dorsey and all-conference pick Tyson Jackson.

Individually, Will Arnold is rated by the magazine as the nation’s best offensive guard, while Dorsey has been picked as the top defensive tackle in college football. Both players are listed on The Sporting News’ Preseason All-America team.

The only other Tiger listed among the top 10 players at his position by the publication is Ali Highsmith, who is ranked as the nation’s fifth-best outside linebacker.

The Sporting News also picked nine &#8220Gotta See Games” from across the nation during the 2007 season and LSU has three of its contests on the list: LSU against Virginia Tech on Sept. 8; LSU vs. Florida on Oct. 6 and LSU at Alabama on Nov. 3.

Hofer honored

LSU’s Dani Hofer was the unanimous choice as Pitcher of the Year and joined teammates Leslie Klein and Jazz Jackson and coach Yvette Girouard as the major winners in this year’s Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana College Softball team announced Saturday.

The team was voted on by an LSWA panel after nominations were made by the softball playing four-year colleges and universities in the state. The voting was based on the regular season play of the teams through their conference tournaments.

Along with Hofer, senior Klein was the narrow choice as Hitter of the Year, while Jackson earned Freshman of the Year honors and LSU’s Girouard was named the Coach of the Year.

Hofer was 23-2 on the year with a 1.27 ERA. She posted 234 strikeouts in 170.2 innings and opponents batted .150 against her. She ranked 14th in the NCAA in earned-run average and ranked in the top 10 in the Southeastern Conference in wins, ERA and strikeouts. She had no-hitters against Southern Miss and Missouri State and struck out 10 or more batters in seven different games. Hofer was chosen First Team All-SEC and second team NFCA All-South Region.

Klein finished her career by rewriting most of the LSU record book including career home runs (32), doubles (64) and RBI (192). In her senior season, she hit .390 with 21 doubles, eight home runs, 58 RBIs, 41 runs scores and she stole 21-of-25 bases, while holding a .674 slugging percentage. She led the SEC in doubles and was second in RBI and total bases, while ranking in the top 10 in six other categories. She also had a school-record 17 multiple RBI games and knocked in the game winner on 15 occasions, including six wins over nationally-ranked teams.

Jackson burst on to the scene at LSU, handling left field for the Tigers and slapping her way to a .394 average with 15 RBI and 39 runs scores. The member of the SEC Freshman team stole 15-of-16 bases and led LSU with 23 multiple-hit games, including seven games with at least three hits. During the year she had a 13-game and a 10-game hitting streak.

The state coaching honor for Girouard is her 13th in her distinguished career at Louisiana-Lafayette and now at LSU. This year she took the Tigers to their eighth SEC Western Division championship and fifth SEC Tournament Championship. The Tigers were ranked No. 3 in the country and won the Palo Alto Regional before losing to Arizona State in the Super Regional. The Tigers were 11-6 against nationally-ranked teams in 2007 and for her career passed the 1,100 win mark.

Other LSU players on the first team were Emily Turner (pitcher), Killian Roessner (catcher) and Dee Dee Henderson (designated player).

Isa Phillips’ 400-meter hurdle time of 48.51 seconds was tops at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.