2015-16 Year In Pictures

7/18/2016 9:40:00 AM | General

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words.

What we tried to do in this case was find the top Racers' photos and to tell the stories that go with those photos.

The 2015-16 school year was another outstanding season for the Murray State Racers as it produced individual and team success.

Some of the photos highlight the Racers' three Ohio Valley Championships including the MSU soccer and volleyball squads. Harriet Withers was the OVC Soccer Player of the Year and Scottie Ingram won back-to-back OVC Volleyball MVP awards. MSU rifle advanced to the NCAA's and finished third, their best finish since 2003. And Ivan Roe narrowly missed a spot on Team USA for rifle at the Rio Summer Olympics.

Tyler Dixon of MSU Baseball became just the third player in OVC history to hit four home runs in a game and Shelbey Miller graduated as Racer softball's all-time hits leader.

In track and field, Murray State's Vallery Korir broke the 31-year old MSU mark in the 10,000 Meter event and freshman Tamdra Lawrence burst onto the scene and to win the OVC Outdoor Championships for the 100 and 200 meter events.

In women's golf, Moa Folke became the Racers' seventh OVC champion.

The rookie season for Coach Matt McMahon and the Murray State men's basketball squad produced the Racers' 29th consecutive winning season. MSU is in lofty company with Syracuse who is at the top with 46 straight winning seasons. Kansas, Arizona has 33 and 32 straight and the Racers remain tied with UConn at 29.

The Racers' women's basketball squad pulled the biggest upset in OVC Tournament history when they became the first No. 8 seed to take down the No. 1 seed when they defeated UT Martin.

Racer quarterback KD Humphries is set for his senior season this fall when the Racers open the 2016 campaign at Illinois (Sept. 3). Humphries had a record-setting junior season that saw him rank seventh in the 2015 STATS National Offensive Player of the Year race.

There were many special events during the school year including Coach Houston Nutt's homecoming visit as his 1995 MSU OVC Football championship team was honored and another great class was inducted into the Murray State Hall of Fame in February. Voice of the Racers - Neal Bradley was honored for his 25th season on radio and Cameron Payne made a pair of visits as he took a break from his duties in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder. We lost Mr. MSU - Bennie Purcell when he passed away in February and the Burton Family Hall of Champions was opened with a large part of it dedicated to Bennie's career. Murray State legend Johnny Reagan was honored for his service to MSU at the Racer Baseball First Pitch Dinner and the great MSU coach Frank Beamer was inducted into the OVC Hall of Fame, which cemented his outstanding legacy with the Racers from the 1980's.

So enjoy the photos and the stories that make for a great Racer experience in 2015-16.

April 17, 2016 - Murray State's Jocelynn Rodgers celebrated a walk-off home run to lead the
Racers to a 3-0 victory over SIUE at Racer Field. Rodgers, from Cypress, Calif., ended the
season with four homers.

Feb. 27, 2016 - In a picture of what it means to be part of a team, Terron Gilmore got a hug from
his teammates after scoring a basket late in the game against UT Martin. The Racers won the
game 79-55 on Senior Day at the CFSB Center. The Racers said goodbye to Gilmore, Wayne
Langston and Jeffery Moss.

April 2, 2016 - Tyler Dixon became just the third player in OVC history to hit four home runs in
a single game. He did it against Eastern Illinois at Reagan Field. The Racers tied a program
record that stood for 66 years with a 31-11. MSU's 28 hits in the game also tied a program
record. Dixon went 5-for-6 at the plate with six RBIs.

May 21, 2016 - Murray State's Vallery Korir was all smiles after she qualified for the NCAA
Regional for the 5,000m. During the season, Vallery broke a 31-year old MSU mark in the
10,000m at Washington University in St. Louis. Korir posted a time of 35:08 breaking the
1985 mark of 36:30 by Teresa Colby.

Feb. 13, 2016 - Former Racer Cameron Payne was back in the CFSB Center when the Racers
faced off with SEMO. Payne had a successful rookie season with the Oklahoma City Thunder
and got a warm welcome from Racer Nation.

Nov. 8, 2015 - MSU Soccer coach Jeremy Groves and his son Aidan strolled off the field after
the Racers won the OVC Tournament title at Cutchin Field. Do you think young Aidan understood
the significance of what the Racers did that day? The smile on his face says yes!

Nov. 14, 2015 - In 2015, Lindsey Kelly had the honor of being the jockey of Racer 1 and they made
several trips around the Roy Stewart Stadium track after Murray State touchdowns. Racer 1 dates
back to 1976, when a thoroughbred horse, Violet Cactus, was featured, Violet Cactus was buried
inside the stadium walls after she died. Since 1985, each horse has carried the name of Racer 1.
Murray State is the only school in the nation that enjoys this amazing tradition.

May 14, 2016 - Former Racer football standout Walter Powell was back on campus in May to
receive his degree. He posed for a photo with Racer head coach Mitch Stewart. Powell closed
out his MSU career in 2013 as the Racers' all-time leader in receiving yards, touchdowns and
100-yard games. In 2016, he enters his third season in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. He has
also been a player for the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets and Oakland Raiders.

March 3, 2016 - Who caught the ball? At the moment this photo was taken, it was unclear if Racer
outfielders Cody Gilbert (left) or Brandon Gutzler would be able to make the play in an early
season game against Creighton at Reagan Field. The good news? Gutzler made the catch and
he and Gilbert didn't collide.

Sept. 21, 2015 - Racer senior Preston French hit a great shot out of the bunker on the ninth
hole at Miller Memorial Golf Course. French ended his career being named to the All-OVC
team along with senior teammates Jared Gosser and Brock Simmons. Freshman Gabe Wheeler
earned a spot on the All-OVC Newcomer squad. Three All-OVC selections were the most for
MSU since they had four in 2010.

Oct. 10, 2015 - Coach Houston Nutt was back at Stewart Stadium to toss the coin before the
Racers hosted Austin Peay on homecoming. Nutt and many of his players from the Racers' 1995
& 1996 OVC Championship teams were honored on the 20th anniversary of the 1995 title. After
leaving Murray State, Coach Nutt coached at Boise State, Arkansas and Ole Miss. He has also
served as an analyst for CBS Sports coverage of NCAA Football.

March 2, 2016 - There are two things this photo immediately provides. The Racers just did
something great and Coach Rob Cross has an impressive vertical leap! The Racers pulled
off the biggest upset in OVC Tournament history as the No. 8 seed when they defeated the
No. 1 seed UT Martin, 78-76 in the First Round of the OVC Tournament at Municipal Auditorium
in Nashville. MSU became the first No. 8 seed to defeat the top seed in tournament history,
since the league moved to an eight-team format in 1997.

Oct. 31, 2015 - Racer receiver Jesse Blackburn made a great catch for a touchdown against
Eastern Illinois in a Halloween Day game at Stewart Stadium. The best part of this photo is the
reaction of the official who made sure Jesse caught the ball and was in bounds on the play.
Blackburn was a work horse for the Racers in racking up 612 yards on 48 catches with five
touchdowns.

Feb. 27, 2016 - Murray State AD Allen Ward surprised Voice of the Racers Neal Bradley
during a timeout at the final home game of the 2015-16 season at the CFSB Center. Bradley
completed his 25th season as the primary radio announcer for Murray State Athletics. Neal
is also the program director for WNBS Radio in Murray and was honored with the OVC
Media Award in 2013.

March 12, 2016 - Racer Rifle's Ivan Roe capped off of a terrific sophomore season when he was
named the 18th Academic All-American in Murray State history by the College Sports Information
Directors of America. He was the first rifle student-athlete at MSU to win the award since Deena
Wigger in 1990. Roe helped the Racers to the OVC title and a third place finish at the NCAA
Championship. Roe came within an eyelash of making the Rio Summer Olympics for Team
USA. He was also MSU's nomination for OVC Athlete of the Year.

Dec. 6, 2015 - Murray State's Jeffery Moss was presented with a trophy ball before the Evansville
game in honor of his accomplishment of joining the MSU 1000-Point Club. Murray State's first
1,000-point man, Bennie Purcell, presented the ball to Moss along with Coach Matt McMahon.
Purcell hit his 1,000^th point in 1952. Bennie passed away Feb. 12, 2016 and all of Racer Nation
misses him dearly. Bennie was often called Mr. MSU and was an outstanding ambassador for
Murray State until his death.

Nov. 6, 2015 - OVC Player of the Year Harriet Withers was in the right place at the right time
when the Racers took on Morehead State in the OVC Tournament semifinals at Cutchin Field.
Withers scored the game-winner with 31 seconds left in the match for a 2-1 victory. The win
propelled the Racers into the title game against SEMO two days later which they won and
advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009.

March 2, 2016 - Basketball is indeed a contact sport. Just ask MSU's All-OVC pick Ke'Shunan
James who took a hard foul in the Racers' OVC Tournament game with UT Martin. The good
news is James bounced back and the Racers went on to upset the Skyhawks as No. 8
defeated No. 1 in Nashville.

May 15, 2016 - Coach Jenny Swieton was all smiles as her track & field and cross country
student-athletes celebrated their graduation at Wrather Museum.

Oct. 31, 2015 - A splash of color and competition churned up the first hill at the OVC Cross
Country Championships hosted at Murray State's Miller Memorial Golf Course. It was the first
time for MSU to host since 2003. The Racers came away with many positives as the Racer
women's team finished in fourth place while the men's team finished in sixth place.

Feb. 6, 2016 - Some great Racers were honored as the Murray State Hall Of Fame class of 2016
was introduced at the CFSB Center. MSU's 36th class included (from left): Chuck Shuffett
(radio play-by-play, 1958-75), Phil Bryan (Murray State University administration, 1974-2001),
Dr. Richard Blalock (team physician since 1981), Terry Love (football, 1979-80), Kim Koehler
(volleyball, 1987-91), Ashley N. Hayes (women's basketball 2005-09), Coach Ron Greene
(men's basketball, 1978-85), and Wes Cunningham (baseball, 2006-10).

Nov. 25, 2015 - The Racers took advantage of the sunny and warm Florida weather when they
held their game day shoot-around outdoors at Florida Gulf Coast University. MSU won two of
three games they played at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla., during the week of
Thanksgiving. MSU defeated Milwaukee and Pepperdine before falling in the title game
to Weber State.

Oct. 7, 2015 - Racer great Scottie Ingram became the sixth player in league history to be named
OVC Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. She joined the exclusive 1,000-1,000 club at MSU
as she became just the eighth player in program history to record 1,000 career kills and 1,000
career digs. Ingram helped the Racers to back-to-back OVC regular season titles and was MSU's
nomination for OVC Athlete of the Year.

Sept. 26, 2015 - Murray State Athletics opened the Burton Family Hall of Champions in 2015.
Located at the front of the CFSB Center, the Hall of Champions highlights the greatest individuals
and championship teams in Racer history. The Burton Family Hall of Champions became reality
after a generous gift from former Racer football player and MSU alumni Dr. Bob Burton.

May 14, 2016 - Freshman Tamdra Lawrence sprinted to the win in the 100m event at the OVC
Outdoor Track and Field Championship in Nashville. Lawrence also won the 200m title.

April 20, 2016 - Murray State sophomore Moa Folke became the Racers' seventh medalist at the
Ohio Valley Conference Women's Golf Championship at Hampton Cove Golf Club in Owens
Crossing, Alabama. From Tranas, Sweden, Folke had a three-shot win with scores of 71-71-77=219.

Dec. 13, 2015 - Always energetic and animated, Racers' men's basketball coach Matt McMahon
reacted to an official's call in a game at Illinois State and urged the team to a win at SIUE
(Feb. 11, 2016). Coach McMahon's rookie season with the Racers produced the program's 29th
consecutive winning season. The impressive streak sets the Racers among the nation's best.
Syracuse is at the top at 46 straight, while Kansas, Arizona has 33 and 32. The Racers remain
tied with UConn at 29 in a row. Coach Steve Newton started the run in the 1987-88 season
and has been followed by Scott Edgar, Mark Gottfried, Tevester Anderson, Mick Cronin, Billy
Kennedy, Steve Prohm and now McMahon.

March 26, 2016 - The game of tennis takes a lot of athletic ability which Srdjan Trosic displayed
in a match against SIUE.

May 17, 2016 - A possible future Racer threw out the first pitch when Murray State hosted Kentucky.
It was Whitson McNeill, the youngest son of MSU alumni Chris & Melanie McNeill of Paducah.
The game was played at Brooks Stadium.

Nov. 8, 2015 - It was a match to remember for the Racers, as the Murray State women's soccer
team won its first OVC Tournament championship since 2009 with a 1-0 overtime victory against
Southeast Missouri at Cutchin Field. In a look of complete relief and joy, Taylor Richardson
was mobbed by her teammates seconds after the game winner in the 100th minute. The win put
the Racers in the NCAA's for the first time since 2009.

June 7, 2016 - Racer great Cameron Payne took a break from the Oklahoma City Thunder to
visit the summer Matt McMahon basketball camp at the CFSB Center. The look on the faces
of the children in this photo is priceless as they cheer for Cam to make what is called the
"Ice Cream Shot". All of the kids know that if the shot goes in, they get an ice cream treat!
No pressure Cam!

Nov. 8, 2015 - The Racers celebrated their OVC Soccer Tournament championship at Cutchin
Field. It was certainly a season to remember as they were the first team in OVC history to go
undefeated in league play at 10-0. They also had a program record 11-game winning streak
along the way.

Oct. 15, 2015 - The Racer women's tennis team had some fun when they got together at Bennie
Purcell Courts for the squad photo. They jumped for their love of the game!

April 1, 2016 - Murray State baseball honored Racer legend Coach Johnny Reagan at the annual
First Pitch Dinner at the CFSB Center. Before the event, the MSU legend shared a laugh with
former players. "Old coaches are supposed to fade away, that's what we do," said Reagan.
"This night has been overwhelming for me. When a player realizes he's thankful to be part of
a program and tells you that, it's huge. He is not only an ex-player, he's a friend for life. It
makes no difference to me if you hit 100 or 300." Coach Reagan led Murray State Baseball
for 36 seasons until his retirement in 1993. He won 776 games and 11 Ohio Valley
Conference championships and he's still an integral part of the program.

May 1, 2016 - Shelbey Miller left Murray State with more hits than anyone in the history of the
Racer program with 229. As a three-time OVC postseason honoree, Miller left MSU as one
of its top all-time players.

Oct. 16, 2016 - It was fist pumps and smiles all around when the Racers defeated Belmont at
Racer Arena. Coach Dave Schwepker had a solid team that won its second-straight OVC regular
season championship. MSU posted a combined 53-9 (29-3 OVC) record in two seasons.

Feb. 7, 2016 - Coach Alan Lollar accepted the OVC Rifle Championship trophy after the Racers hosted
and won the event. Lollar was named the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association's National Coach of
the Year. The award was the first of his career and comes on the heels of one of the most successful
season in recent memory for the MSU rifle team. MSU squad set multiple scoring records and
finished third at the NCAA Championship, their highest finish since 2003.

March 2, 2016 - There is nothing better than seeing a team celebrate a big win. The Racers did
ust that following their No. 8 vs No. 1 upset of UT Martin, 78-76 in the First Round of the
OVC Tournament at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville.

Oct. 31, 2015 - Steve Harrell, associate AD for external affairs was on duty making sure the racing
course was clear when the Racers hosted the OVC Cross Country Championships at Miller Memorial
Golf Course.

Nov. 14, 2016 - Racer quarterback KD Humphries sets to throw a pass in the Eastern Kentucky
game at Stewart Stadium. He heads into his senior season this fall after a record-setting junior
campaign that saw him rank seventh in the 2015 STATS National Offensive Player of the Year
race. He also recently attended the Manning Passing Academy.

Oct. 23, 2015 - Murray State catcher Kipp Moore eyes a warm up pitch during the Racers' fall
World Series scrimmage games at Reagan Field.

Dec. 5, 2015 - Wayne "Lefty" Langston prepares to score in the Evansville game at the CFSB Center.
Langston had a big senior season for the Racers as one of the top post players in the country.
He was 11th in the nation in field goal percentage (.629) and was among the OVC leaders in scoring
13.5 points per game while hauling in 6.1 rebounds per game.

June 3, 2016 - Former Murray State football coach Frank Beamer took his place among
Ohio Valley Conference greats when he was inducted into the league's Hall of Fame
at the annual Honors Brunch at the DoubleTree Nashville Downtown. Coach Beamer
is the 11th Murray State coach or administrator to be enshrined in the OVC Hall of Fame.
He joins Racer greats Roy Stewart (1977), J. D. Rayburn (1979), Johnny Reagan (1988),
Bennie Purcell (1990), Dr. Kala Stroup (1997), Cal Luther (2000), Bill Cornell (2005), Steve
Newton (2007), Elvis Green (2008) and Margaret Simmons (2014) as Racers that have
taken their place in OVC immortality.