The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss To Be Represented In 2004 Olympics
8/13/2004 | Athletics
Aug. 13, 2004
ATHENS, Greece - Ole Miss will be well represented in the 2004 Olympics, which officially kicked off Friday with the opening ceremonies, by former SEC Coach of the Year Van Chancellor, 1995 NCAA Doubles Champion Mahesh Bhupathi and incoming softball freshman Chloe Kloezeman. Chancellor, who coached the Lady Rebels from 1978-97, takes a break from his current job as head coach of the four-time (1997-2000) WNBA Champion Houston Comets, to lead the USA Women's Basketball team in their quest for a gold medal. He was named the 2002 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year and was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. Chancellor coached the USA to victory at the 2002 World Championships in China. The women's basketball team begins competition Saturday against New Zealand in a Group B preliminary game. Bhupathi, who earned All-America and SEC Player of the Year honors as well as claiming the NCAA Doubles title for the Rebels, will compete for his native country, India, in doubles with partner Leander Paes. The two have combined to win three grand slam titles in doubles and are competing in the Olympics for the second time. The pair, who reached the semifinals at the 2000 games in Sydney, will face current U.S. Open Singles Champion Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish in the opening round. The tennis portion of the games begins on Sunday and concludes on Aug. 22 with the medal matches. Kloezeman, was born in Millbrae, Calif., but her mother is of Greek descent, thereby allowing her to compete for Greece. A shortstop at Notre Dame High School, Kloezeman was named GPSL Coaches First Team All-League and First Team All San Mateo County as a sophomore. She was also the GPSL hitting champion for 2002. In 2003, she earned First Team All-WCAL as a shortstop with a .425 batting average. Kloezeman has spent several years playing travel ball with Strikezone, the Sacramento Rush, and currently with the Sorcerers who were the 2002 and 2004 National Champions for their age group. Kloezeman, who will arrive at Ole Miss in a couple of weeks, begins her Olympic dream Saturday as Greece plays China in the preliminary round. Results and information about the Olympics can be found by clicking on this link: 2004 Olympics. All times are listed for the Olympic Site: Athens is 8 hours ahead of CDT.
