Michigan State University Athletics
Kisha (Kelley) Simpson Elected Into MSU Athletics Hall of Fame
6/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
June 16, 2011
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State University will induct five members into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday, Sept. 22, as part of the "Celebrate 2011" weekend. The Class of 2011 includes: Morten Andersen (football), Mateen Cleaves (basketball), Dana Cooke (volleyball), Kisha (Kelley) Simpson (women's basketball) and Charles McCaffree (swimming coach).
The "Celebrate 2011" weekend includes the second-annual Varsity Letter Jacket Presentation and Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 22; announcement of the Varsity S Club award winners on Friday, Sept. 23; and culminates Saturday, Sept. 24 with a special recognition of the Hall of Famers during the Michigan State-Central Michigan football game at Spartan Stadium (kickoff TBA).
"You can't help but get excited when you look at the names included in the 2011 Class elected for induction into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame," Michigan State Athletics Director Mark Hollis said. "We look forward to this unique opportunity to celebrate the achievement of student-athletes earning their first varsity letter jacket in conjunction with recognizing the best of the best with the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
"Morten Andersen ranks among the greatest kickers in the history of college and professional football. With his range, Morten had a chance to put points on the scoreboard anytime the offense crossed midfield. His longevity and scoring production in the National Football League are simply amazing.
"It speaks volumes that Mateen Cleaves was elected into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. That's something that rarely happens, but Mateen earned respect as both a competitor and leader. He was simply a winner, helping the Spartans win three-straight Big Ten regular-season championships, back-to-back Big Ten Tournament titles and a National Championship.
"Dana Cooke helped put MSU volleyball on the national map, as the Spartans won back-to-back Big Ten Championships in 1995-96 and advanced to the NCAA semifinals in 1995. Dana was truly a special student-athlete because she gained nearly as much recognition for her efforts in the classroom as she did on the volleyball court.
"Kisha (Kelley) Simpson's name appears prominently throughout the MSU women's basketball record book, but she was more than simply a great scorer," Hollis continued. "Kisha was a complete player, who had the versatility to contribute at several positions and on both ends of the floor.
"Charles McCaffree's coaching record speaks for itself, posting 25 consecutive winning seasons and claiming a total of nine conference championships, including a Big Ten title in 1957. His student-athletes won numerous Big Ten and NCAA Championships. In addition to being a winner, Coach `Mac' was truly a pioneer in the sport of swimming, setting the standard for how to run a championship meet."
The MSU Athletics Hall of Fame, located in the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center, opened on Oct. 1, 1999, and displays key moments in Spartan athletics history as well as plaques of all 103 inductees. The charter class of 30 former Spartan student-athletes, coaches and administrators was inducted in 1992.
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Kisha (Kelley) Simpson
Women's Basketball (1991-95)
Detroit, Mich.
A four-year letterwinner on the Michigan State women's basketball team, Kisha (Kelley) Simpson (1991-95) finished her illustrious career as MSU's all-time leading scorer and became the first All-American in Spartan women's basketball history. Kelley, now third on the Spartan career points list, completed her four seasons with 1,668 points. Her 15.2 career points per game average is tied for first all-time at MSU, while she is also currently second with 360 free throws made, sixth with 201 career steals and eighth with 701 career rebounds.
As a senior, Kelley earned honorable mention Kodak/WBCA All-America honors and was the first Spartan to be named first-team All-Big Ten. That season, she broke the MSU single-season scoring mark for the second-straight season with 529 points, topping her junior total of 513. The two totals currently rank sixth and seventh, respectively, as Kelley is one of only two MSU players to score at least 500 points in two separate seasons.
A three-time All-Big Ten selection and team Most Valuable Player, Kelley led Michigan State in scoring her last three seasons, in addition to pacing the Spartans in rebounds and steals as a junior and senior. Earning second-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior, she set career highs with 19.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Also during that season, Kelley set the current MSU single-game record with 15 made field goals against Northwestern, en route to a career-high 31 points.
"My mother took the call from (MSU Athletics Director) Mark Hollis and at first, I thought maybe my mom had made a mistake," Simpson said. "It was surreal when I spoke with Mark because I simply couldn't believe it. All of my records may be broken over time, but the Hall of Fame lasts forever. I was overwhelmed. In fact, I posted something on my Facebook page and I hardly ever post anything on my page, so all of my friends knew I had big news to share.
"My teammates are what I remember most about my playing experience at MSU. I had never really been away from home before, so they really helped me make that transition. I remember my first flight with the team and I was terrified, but Sheronda Mayo hugged me the entire trip. We really had a close-knit team. I had such a positive experience as a student-athlete as a direct result of all of the relationships I was able to build. Prior to college, I had never traveled much, so I really had an opportunity to expand my circle of friends.
"I took pride in trying to be a well-rounded player, although my coaches will tell you that I couldn't shoot 3-pointers very well. I had the opportunity to play multiple positions in high school, and (MSU head coach) Karen Langeland also had faith in my versatility. She along with the entire coaching staff appreciated my skills and depending on match-ups, they put me in positions to succeed."
