My top three sports moments of 2009
Last year brought many great moments to CMU athletics.
It saw three teams — football, soccer and wrestling — win Mid-American Conference Championships and three athletes earn All-America honors.
It also saw the groundbreaking of the CMU Events Center, an upgrade from the current Rose Arena. Here are my most memorable moments of 2009:
Miller’s Moment
In 2008, the wrestling team had four All-Americans and placed seventh at the NCAAs. But the team graduated national runner-up Wynn Michalak (197 pounds) and fellow All-Americans Bubba Gritter, Brandon Sinnott and Christian Sinnott. But Mike Miller, a sophomore last season, led CMU in its effort to avoid a down year. Miller (174 pounds) finished runner-up at NCAAs, one of two CMU wrestlers to earn All-America honors at the tournament. Miller’s near championship led CMU to a 14th-place finish, proving CMU was not rebuilding.
Update in East Lansing
Andrew Aguila’s field goal in the final seconds propelled the football team against Michigan State on Sept. 12 in the 29-27 upset the program needed ever so badly.
For the past few years, the team flirted with big-time statement victories but, for the most part, only won games it was expected to win. Aguila’s kick against the Spartans changed that and started the team’s run toward its first-ever top 25 ranking and 12-win season.
The save
While 76,221 people witnessed the football team’s dramatic upset against Michigan State, a mere 878 saw my favorite athletic moment of 2009.
With the soccer team riding a 16-game unbeaten streak and leading 1-0 in the MAC Championship game, CMU fouled a Miami player in the box with just 2:19 remaining in the game, giving the RedHawks a penalty kick opportunity.
But Shay Mannino, the MAC Defensive Player of the Year, made the diving save and preserved CMU’s victory at home and the program’s first trip to the NCAA tourney.
