Three Rebels Earn All-SEC Honors

Nov. 5, 2003

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. -- Ole Miss' Kristal Menard Amy Sample and Brittany Gillespie were named All-SEC Wednesday night, as announced at the SEC Soccer Tournament Awards Banquet in Orange Beach, Ala. In addition, Brittney Potts and Elise Karlowicz earned All-Freshman Team accolades, giving the Rebels more players on all-conference teams than any other school.

Menard, a junior midfielder, nabbed All-SEC first team honors for the second straight year. The Crestwood, Ky., native leads the Rebels and ranks top 10 in the conference in points (22), goals (7) and assists (8). She turned in three multiple-assist games and a pair of multiple-goal outings this season. The Rebels have had at least one first team honoree each of the last seven seasons.

Fellow Crestwood midfielder Sample also picked up All-SEC honors for the second time, garnering 2003 second team status after being an honorable mention a year ago. The senior and two-time team captain has started all but one match over the last three seasons and saved her best for her final campaign. This year, Sample has recorded a career-high 15 points and seven assists, which is third-best in the SEC. She posted her first career three-assist game against Southeast Missouri and assisted on the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory at Tennessee.

Sharing team captain duties with Sample the last two years has been Gillespie who captured All-SEC second team accolades for the first time in her four collegiate seasons. The goalkeeper from Modesto, Calif., has been among the nation's best in 2003, ranking top 20 in the NCAA and tops in the SEC in goals-against average (0.56) and save percentage (0.871). Gillespie also helped the Rebels to a league-best 11 shuouts and will leave Oxford as the Rebel career leader in goals-against, shutouts and goalkeeper wins.

Ole Miss joined South Carolina as the only schools to place two on the All-Freshman Team. Potts' first full season in the Red and Blue was a successful one, as the redshirt forward from Franklin, Tenn., was third on the team in assists (5) and fifth in points (13). Katy, Texas' Karlowicz was the lone freshman to start all 19 games and helped the Rebel defense lead the conference and establish school records for fewest goals allowed (11) and shutouts.

Another Ole Miss honoree announced on Wednesday was fifth-year senior goalkeeper Heather Lea Hopson on the SEC Good Works Team. The Tupelo, Miss., native has participated in several mission trips, as well as being involved with "Reading with the Rebels", Special Olympics and Community Day. Hopson has served on the Leadership Team for three years where she specialized in hospitality and outreach, and volunteered with the youth group at her church. Last year she received the Coaches' Award for dedication and support for the team.

Fourth-seeded Ole Miss (13-4-2, 4-3-2 SEC) opens SEC Tournament play with fifth-seeded Kentucky Thursday at 2 p.m. CT at the Orange Beach Soccer Complex. It will mark a rematch of last year's SEC Tournament first-round match in Oxford won by the Wildcats 2-1.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

Related Videos