Photo by: David Eaton-Murray State Athletics
Runnin’ With The Racers Podcast – Spencer Remembers Tennis Dynasty
3/24/2023 9:53:00 PM | Women's Tennis, Hall of Fame
From 2000-04, Melissa Spencer was part of Racer Tennis that went to the NCAA Tournament three times
The good old days are not lost on former Racer tennis student-athlete Melissa Spencer, who was inducted into the Murray State Hall of Fame i
n the class of 2022, nearly 20 years after her last match.
Playing for MSU Hall of Fame Coach Connie Keasling from 2000-04, Spencer was a two-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. She joined April Horning (1983), Sally Henle (1987) and Anna Lask (2007) as hall of fame inductees from women's tennis.
As we make our way through the 2022 MSU Hall of Fame class, the stories and memories of days gone by are rich and satisfying to the ear. Melissa Spencer is this week's guest on the Runnin' with the Racers Podcast. Hosted by Dave Winder, the Runnin' with the Racers Podcast posts each week to GoRacers.com, Spotify, iTunes and Soundcloud.
Here are some of the highlights from the podcast.
Once a Racer, Always a Racer
As one of eight Racers to be named All-Conference three times, Spencer, now Thieke, still lives her life as a Racer from Greenville, South Carolina.
Her husband, John David Thieke, played baseball at Murray State at the same time and the pair are among many who met their spouse at MSU. Daughter, Madison, and son, Spencer, are athletically minded and are also Racer fans. Their grandfather, Mike Thieke, was the MSU baseball coach during the early 2000s.
"JD and I talk about Murray State all the time about what a great time we had and all the funny stories and just everything about Murray State," Spencer said. "We, we just hold it such high regard. We wear our Racer stuff all the time and around town and run into people all the time that either knows about Murray State, went to Murray State or their family is from there."
Spencer was part of an impressive 2022 class to the MSU Hall of Fame. She joined Reggie Swinton and Mike Cherry (Football), Michelle Wenning (Women's Basketball), Paul King (Men's Basketball), Jessica Twaddle (Softball), Dianne Woodside (Women's Track & Field) and Cheryl Whitaker, long time administrative assistant in the athletics department.
"It was a group of people that were very different, but the same," Spencer said. "We had a lot in common and the text chain where everybody was (communicating) kind of leading up to the weekend was supportive. That was one of the coolest things about the weekend, just being able to share and learn about everybody's experience and time at Murray State because all of us had different moments in time."
"What does it mean to have been a Racer?" Spencer asks. "Murray State is one of the best things that's ever happened to me. I can trace everything in my life back to Murray State. My academics, my sport, my friendships, my family, there are so many connections that I made through Murray State that were lifelong. It wasn't just four years at Murray State. It is lifelong."
The Murray State Tennis Experience
Playing from the No. 1 singles position for Coach Connie Keasling, Spencer helped the Racers win the OVC championship in 2001, 2002, 2003 and finish third place finish in 2004. With Spencer leading the way, they also made the program's first three NCAA appearances in 2001, 2002, 2003.
The Racers went 66-39 (.628) in team matches overall and 28-4 (.875) in OVC matches in four seasons.
However, it was a lot more than Spencer that made the Racers click.
The Racers produced 19 All-OVC selections including Maria Alonte, Cheryl Graham, Kerry-Lea Glass, Erica Heshelman, Anna and Rachel Lask, Jaclyn Leeper, Casady Pruitt, Annette Steen and Jennifer Ward.
"When you talk about it at a high level, we just were this incredibly talented," Spencer recalls. "We had heart and grit and that's something you can't teach. I don't know how Coach Connie found it, but every single one of those players had it and we were the underdogs. You know, the three years that we won, we were the underdogs every single one of those years."
Playing For the Legend
Coach Keasling enjoyed a career with MSU women's tennis in two spans (1984-87, 1992-11) that totaled 22 years. Her teams won five OVC championships and had another five-second place finishes.
The accolades go on and on as she was inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame in 2019 and the OVC Hall of Fame in 2021.
Keasling had 73 student-athletes come through her program at Murray State and during one 10-year period, every player graduated and won an OVC Championship. Her tenure was the fourth-longest of any coach in Murray State history when she retired in 2011.
The impact Keasling had on Spencer cannot be understated.
"I was a good athlete when I came to Murray State, but she made me a great athlete," Spencer said. "She saw talent in me that I didn't see in myself and her believing in me through the good times and the hard times is a big part of who I am today. I truly believe that God brought us together for a reason and she is someone that I will hold dear to my heart forever. She's just a great, great human being and I'm honored that I got to play for her."
n the class of 2022, nearly 20 years after her last match.Playing for MSU Hall of Fame Coach Connie Keasling from 2000-04, Spencer was a two-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. She joined April Horning (1983), Sally Henle (1987) and Anna Lask (2007) as hall of fame inductees from women's tennis.
As we make our way through the 2022 MSU Hall of Fame class, the stories and memories of days gone by are rich and satisfying to the ear. Melissa Spencer is this week's guest on the Runnin' with the Racers Podcast. Hosted by Dave Winder, the Runnin' with the Racers Podcast posts each week to GoRacers.com, Spotify, iTunes and Soundcloud.
Here are some of the highlights from the podcast.
Once a Racer, Always a Racer
As one of eight Racers to be named All-Conference three times, Spencer, now Thieke, still lives her life as a Racer from Greenville, South Carolina.
Her husband, John David Thieke, played baseball at Murray State at the same time and the pair are among many who met their spouse at MSU. Daughter, Madison, and son, Spencer, are athletically minded and are also Racer fans. Their grandfather, Mike Thieke, was the MSU baseball coach during the early 2000s.
"JD and I talk about Murray State all the time about what a great time we had and all the funny stories and just everything about Murray State," Spencer said. "We, we just hold it such high regard. We wear our Racer stuff all the time and around town and run into people all the time that either knows about Murray State, went to Murray State or their family is from there."
Spencer was part of an impressive 2022 class to the MSU Hall of Fame. She joined Reggie Swinton and Mike Cherry (Football), Michelle Wenning (Women's Basketball), Paul King (Men's Basketball), Jessica Twaddle (Softball), Dianne Woodside (Women's Track & Field) and Cheryl Whitaker, long time administrative assistant in the athletics department.
"It was a group of people that were very different, but the same," Spencer said. "We had a lot in common and the text chain where everybody was (communicating) kind of leading up to the weekend was supportive. That was one of the coolest things about the weekend, just being able to share and learn about everybody's experience and time at Murray State because all of us had different moments in time."
"What does it mean to have been a Racer?" Spencer asks. "Murray State is one of the best things that's ever happened to me. I can trace everything in my life back to Murray State. My academics, my sport, my friendships, my family, there are so many connections that I made through Murray State that were lifelong. It wasn't just four years at Murray State. It is lifelong."
The Murray State Tennis Experience
Playing from the No. 1 singles position for Coach Connie Keasling, Spencer helped the Racers win the OVC championship in 2001, 2002, 2003 and finish third place finish in 2004. With Spencer leading the way, they also made the program's first three NCAA appearances in 2001, 2002, 2003.
The Racers went 66-39 (.628) in team matches overall and 28-4 (.875) in OVC matches in four seasons.
However, it was a lot more than Spencer that made the Racers click.
The Racers produced 19 All-OVC selections including Maria Alonte, Cheryl Graham, Kerry-Lea Glass, Erica Heshelman, Anna and Rachel Lask, Jaclyn Leeper, Casady Pruitt, Annette Steen and Jennifer Ward.
"When you talk about it at a high level, we just were this incredibly talented," Spencer recalls. "We had heart and grit and that's something you can't teach. I don't know how Coach Connie found it, but every single one of those players had it and we were the underdogs. You know, the three years that we won, we were the underdogs every single one of those years."
Playing For the Legend
Coach Keasling enjoyed a career with MSU women's tennis in two spans (1984-87, 1992-11) that totaled 22 years. Her teams won five OVC championships and had another five-second place finishes.
The accolades go on and on as she was inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame in 2019 and the OVC Hall of Fame in 2021.
Keasling had 73 student-athletes come through her program at Murray State and during one 10-year period, every player graduated and won an OVC Championship. Her tenure was the fourth-longest of any coach in Murray State history when she retired in 2011.
The impact Keasling had on Spencer cannot be understated.
"I was a good athlete when I came to Murray State, but she made me a great athlete," Spencer said. "She saw talent in me that I didn't see in myself and her believing in me through the good times and the hard times is a big part of who I am today. I truly believe that God brought us together for a reason and she is someone that I will hold dear to my heart forever. She's just a great, great human being and I'm honored that I got to play for her."
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