Mississippi
State Closes Out Six-Match Homestand Undefeated – Mississippi State
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women’s tennis saw matches come down to a critical third set on the final court on consecutive days this weekend.
And in both instances, it was the Bulldogs that came out on top.
MSU downed UAB 4-3 on Saturday with Chloé Cirotte coming up clutch to clinch the match. On Sunday, it was Maria Rizzolo’s turn to provide the heroics in helping the Bulldogs defeat Belmont 4-3.
Rizzolo spit her first two sets on Court 1 with Mariia Hlahola 4-6, 6-1 and saved match point in the third to send it into a tiebreaker with the match knotted 3-3 between the two teams. The junior from Palm Gardens, Florida was able to send the crowd gathered inside the Rula Tennis Pavilion home happy with her 7-6(4) victory in the tiebreaker that pushed MSU to 6-0 on the year.
“It felt great,” Rizzolo said. “I’ve never been in that situation before, so I was shaking a little. But after I won and having all my teammates come running towards me and hugging me was the best feeling.”
The match was tight throughout the afternoon and despite the Bulldogs’ Dhrani Niroshan and Alessia Tagliente earning a 6-2 win over Vesa Gjinaj and Hana Sokolovic, it was the now 3-2 Bruins that dealt the initial blow by claiming the doubles point.
Mississippi State’s Jayna Clemens made short work of Sokolovic 6-2, 6-1 to even the score early in singles and improved the freshman to 3-0 on the weekend. Belmont gained back its advantage as Anastasiya Zholdakova defeated Athina Pitta 7-5, 6-3 and held a 2-1 lead for most of the match.
However, the momentum began to shift late as Alexandra Mikhailuk surpassed Abi Solomon 6-4, 7-6(4) and Tagliente rallied over Viktoria Kliimand 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to push the Bulldogs back in front. Belmont was able to force things to the final court when Gjinaj edged Cirotte in a tight 7-6(7), 6-4 match.
“It was another close match and that’s what it’s about, building character and building the foundations,” said head coach Chris Hooshyar. “I’m incredibly proud of my two seniors (Cirotte and Mikhailuk). They’re my captains and are planting the seeds for a tree that they probably won’t get to shade under. That’s selfless and I’m proud and grateful to be their coach. Whenever we start to have success here, it’s crucial that we don’t forget those two that laid those foundations.”
Sunday’s win closed out an undefeated six-match homestand for State. The Bulldogs will now venture out on the road for the first time with Hooshyar, traveling to Memphis on Feb. 11 for a noon match against the Tigers.
Mississippi State 4, Belmont 3
Rula Tennis Pavilion | Starkville, Miss.
Feb. 4, 2024
Doubles
1. Mariia Hlahola/Anastasiya Zholdakova (BU) def. Alexandra Mikhailuk/Maria Rizzolo (MSU) 6-1
2. Viktoria Kliimand/Abi Solomon (BU) def. Chloe Cirotte/Athina Pitta (MSU) 6-4
3. Dharani Niroshan/Alessia Tagliente (MSU) def. Vesa Gjinaj/Hana Sokolovic (BU) 6-2
Order of finish: (3,1,2)
Singles
1. Maria Rizzolo (MSU) def. Mariia Hlahola (BU) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4)
2. Vesa Gjinaj (BU) def. Chloe Cirotte (MSU) 7-6(7), 6-4
3. Alexandra Mikhailuk (MSU) def. Abi Solomon (BU) 6-4, 7-6(4)
4. Anastasiya Zholdakova (BU) def. Athina Pitta (MSU) 7-5, 6-3
5. Alessia Tagliente (MSU) def. Viktoria Kliimand (BU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
6. Jayna Clemens (MSU) def. Hana Sokolovic (BU) 6-2, 6-1
Order of finish: (6,4,3,5,2,1)
For more information on the Bulldog women’s tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for “HailStateWT” on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Here’s the nominees for Clarion Ledger girls Athlete of the Week for May 4-9
Here’s the five nominees for the Clarion Ledger girls Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for May 4-9.
There were several top performers across the state in girls high school sports, but only one can be voted as the Clarion Ledger athlete of the week for May 4-9.
Fans may vote in the poll BELOW one time per hour per device. The poll closes at noon on Friday.
To nominate a future athlete of the week, email mchavez@gannett.com or message him on X, formerly Twitter, @MikeSChavez.
To submit high school scores, statistics, records, leaders and other items at any time, email mchavez@gannett.com.
Nominations
Kara Applewhite, Sumrall: Applewhite had four hits with a home run and five RBIs in Sumrall’s 10-0 win against East Central.
Caydance Brumfield, West Marion: Brumfield produced four hits and five RBIs in West Marion’s two wins against Pisgah.
Addison Collum, West Union: Collum pitched eight innings and recorded seven strikeouts and only two earned runs in West Union’s wins against Smithville.
Addison Cornish, West Lauderdale: Cornish recorded five hits and a home run in West Lauderdale’s wins against Choctaw Central.
Addison Davis, George County: Davis pitched nine innings with 20 strikeouts and recorded two home runs and four RBIs in George County’s wins against Pearl River Central.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
‘We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.’
Bobcat stalks and strikes at Wisconsin turkey hunter
Turkey hunter Carson Bender of Wisconsin Rapids recorded a video of a bobcat that stalked and lunged at him as he hunted April 18, 2026 near Nekoosa, Wis.
Carson Bender
If a proposal made in the April meeting of the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is finalized, nonresident turkey hunters will see big changes in the 2027 spring turkey season.
“We’re doing this in a way to impact how hunting pressure occurs and how the harvest happens in the early season,” said Caleb Hinton, Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.”
Turkey hunters enjoy a three-bird bag limit and a little more than six weeks of hunting in spring, which is similar to some other states. What is at issue is when it opens. March 15 is the typical opening date for the regular season, making it one of the earliest in the nation.
That early opening date combined with a growing trend among turkey hunters is where the problem lies.
Mississippi is a destination for early season, nonresident hunters
Possibly more than any other group of hunters, turkey hunters like to travel. For some, it may be a matter of seeing a different landscape and hunting birds under condions they don’t encounter in their home state. For others it may be a quest to harvest each of the subspecies in North America.
For yet another group, it’s the challenge of harvesting a gobbler in each of the 49 states that have turkeys.
“It seems to be getting more and more popular every year,” Hinton said.
Regardless of why a turkey hunter chooses to travel, it puts a target on Mississippi’s back because for the first few weeks of the season, it’s almost the only game in town, so hunters flock to the state.
In an effort to curb the amount of hunting pressure in those first weeks of turkey season, MDWFP proposed limiting nonresident hunters to two legal gobblers per season and only one of those can be harvested before April 1.
“Hopefully, it will help curb the massive influx of pressure we get the first week or two of the season,” Hinton said.
When will turkey season changes for nonresidents be voted on?
The proposed changes aren’t the first that have been geared toward alleviating pressure on turkeys in the early part of the season by nonresidents. In 2022, the commission passed a rule requiring nonresident hunters to enter a drawing for a hunt on public land during the first two weeks of turkey season. Currently, the number of hunters drawn is limited to 800.
Like that change, the current proposal will pass or fail by a vote of the wildlife commission. In the April commission meeting, the proposal passed an initial vote. It is now in a 30-day public comment period and a final vote will be taken in the May meeting.
Public comments may be submitted at https://www.mdwfp.com/proposed-rules-regulations.
A lifelong outdoorsman and wildlife enthusiast, Brian Broom has been writing about hunting, fishing and Mississippi’s outdoors for the Clarion Ledger for more than 14 years. He can be reached at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.
Mississippi
Mississippi high school addresses social media post, says it won’t tolerate racism or harassment
LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) – A Mississippi high school has made a statement after a social media post involving a student surfaced.
Northeast Lauderdale High School officials say they’re reviewing a social media post involving a student.
In a statement, the school said administrators are aware of the post and are “reviewing the situation.”
The school said it is committed to maintaining a safe, orderly and respectful environment for students and staff.
“Neither our district nor our school accept or condone racism, discrimination, harassment, or behavior that is inconsistent with the expectations of our school community,” the statement said.
Officials said they are working with the appropriate parties and will address the matter in accordance with district policies and procedures.
The school added that it cannot share additional details because of student privacy laws.
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