Junior distance runner Raeanne Lohner broke CMU’s mile record at the Alex Wilson Invite at Notre Dame, Ind.

Lohner (4 minutes, 50.48 seconds) led a group of 10 CMU athletes on Friday and Saturday in their last chance to qualify for next week’s NCAA Indoor Championships.

Senior Marcus Breidinger was CMU’s top field event performer. His pole vault was the second-highest of the season at 16-10 1/4.

Sophomore Christopher Thomas set a personal-best time of 48.72 in the 400-meter run.

No CMU athletes met NCAA provisional qualifying marks, however.

Where were you when Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller changed the landscape of the 2010 Olympic hockey tournament?

It’s a serious question. Three days after the U.S. beat Canada in what has been falsely dubbed “Miracle on Ice II,” perspective has been lost in how badly the Hiller-led Swiss altered the field.

Last Thursday, Switzerland took Canada past regulation before bowing out in a shootout. Following extra shooters, the Canadians escaped. Or did they?

In Olympic hockey, a regulation win earns a team three points. A win after only nets it two. Hiller’s 45-save performance and the U.S. upset of Canada worked in melody to disrupt the route of the world hockey powers.

If Canada earned one extra point — whether by beating the Americans or beating the Swiss in regulation — it would have edged Finland in the goal differential tiebreaker and earned the No. 4 seed and a bye to the quarterfinals.

Now? The top two teams — Russia and Canada — will square off in the quarterfinals after Canada beat Germany today. Only one of the two will win a medal, and Hiller is to blame.

The game

U.S. goalie Ryan Miller stole the show Sunday night in Vancouver. His 42-save win against a stronger and faster Canadian team is not nearly as big as the 1980 U.S. win against the Soviets, but it’s the biggest win for the U.S. since then.

The Americans have historically fared poorly on the international stage. They have won just two world championships, a yearly tournament which coincides with the NHL playoffs, in its history (1933, 1960). In Olympic play, the team has two medals (1980 gold, 2002 silver) in the last 30 years.

The win against Canada was not a medal game, but the U.S. had not beaten the Canadians since 1960, one of the two years it won gold. The significance lies in that it allows the Americans to avoid Canada, Russia and defending gold medalists Sweden until the championship game, if they can get there. They play Switzerland today and, if they win, the Fins or the Czech Republic/Latvia winner in the semis.

Turnover

The only other international success for the U.S. was when it won the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, one of two times the event took place.

And if coach Ron Wilson can hang his hat on one thing in his career, it’s this: he led that team to the gold.

But the 2010 American Olympians represent new blood. No longer is Mike Richter the goalie. No longer are Tony Amonte, Doug Weight, Chris Chelios, Mike Modano and Keith Tkachuk the face.

Just two players reside on the American roster that played in the 2006 games — Brian Rafalski and Chris Drury. Contrarily, the Canadians have eight returnees.

And despite being physically punished and outskated, the Americans played a more desperate brand of hockey Sunday. They blocked shots, held off the Canadians and cashed in on mistakes.

Canada’s Corey Perry was retrieving a puck in his own zone with his goalie pulled, down one in the game’s final minute.

American Ryan Kessler, who plays for Vancouver, dove from behind him and swatted the puck with one hand on his stick around Perry and into the open net.

It was one of the most effort-laden empty-net goals you will ever see. It put the dagger in Canada on Sunday, and it cemented a new era of U.S. hockey and the easiest possible path to gold.

Now, expectations have risen. But don’t forget how Hiller altered the tournament and how he can alter it more.

For the dream to stay alive, the Americans have to beat him again. It’s a taller task than what was originally thought.

Just ask the Canadians.

Redshirt freshman 174-pounder Ben Bennett brought the crowd to its feet with the first pin of night.

Then, 184-pound freshman Dillon Kern got the second and 197-pound senior Eric Simaz got the third as the CMU wrestling team beat Ohio 40-0 Friday at Rose Arena.

It was the team’s first shutout in the last two seasons.

“It was pretty good to get a pin in my last match at home,” Simaz said. “I wish it would have been against their starter, but it was still good.”

Senior 141-pounder Connor Beebe earned an upset in his final match at Rose Arena with a 6-1 decision against No. 11 Germane Lindsey. Beebe started to get his offense going in the second period after ending the first in a 0-0 tie.

“He needed a win to really solidify himself,” said coach Tom Borrelli. “With the win, he might be able to get an at large bid into the national tournament if he doesn’t win the conference tournament.”

Also earning bonus points for the Chippewas was 133-pound sophomore Scotti Sentes with a major decision against Michael Fennell.

The Mid-American Conference regular season championship will be decided with the last dual for CMU against Kent State at 2 p.m. Sunday in Kent, OH.

Sports Editor Andrew Stover and Senior Reporter Daniel Monson had a chance to see the other side of new CMU football coach Dan Enos last Thursday. Here’s the end of their conversation about what Enos — a very down-to-earth 41-year old — does when he is not coaching.

Andrew Stover: What do you do around here in your minimal free time?

Dan Enos: I’ve been to Bennigan’s a lot, because we’ve been interviewing coaches, and I stayed at the Comfort Inn for about two weeks.

I get the chicken platter at Bennigan’s, I highly recommend it to everybody. It’s very good.

I’ve been to Mountain Town. I got my hair cut … We’ve been eating at the dorms … The whole staff goes over to the dorms, we were getting some weird looks from some of the students over there. They thought it was like ‘Old Folks Night,’ or something at Celani. That’s like the nicest dorm I’ve ever been in by the way … These students don’t know how good they have it over there.

Stover: You grew up in Dearborn, right outside of Detroit. What was your favorite sports team, now, growing up? You said you were a Wings fan.

Enos: I like all of them, but my brother (Gary) and I, huge Red Wings fans. My wife (says) constantly, “Are you talking about the Red Wings again?”

He texted me this morning, “Wings tonight.” So we always know when they’re on. We watch them, so (we’re) avid there. But I grew up going to Tiger games and liked the Lions. I coached Drew Stanton, so when they drafted him, (I) even took more interest in those guys. I think Detroit’s a great sports town, it was a great place to grow up. Great place to live, and we got a couple more Dearborn guys on the team (recruits Kevin King, Nores Fradi).

Stover: There’s a generation gap, so, music. What kind of music do you listen to?

Enos: You know what? I listen to all kinds. I like a lot of things. I don’t know a lot of the new artists, their names. I know, like, Nickelback. I don’t even know if they’re new, but I like them. I’m a huge … ‘80s music (fan), I like Van Halen and Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, Run DMC, LL Cool J, ‘80s rap, stuff like that. But — Metallica — I like a lot of things. Country music, I’m kind of okay on.

Monson: Where’s your favorite vacation spot?

Enos: I like going to Orlando, going to Disney. We’ve been (there), like, four times with the kids. So we’ve been fortunate enough, we played in the Capitol One Bowl in Orlando, and we played in the Champs Bowl in Orlando. So, two years in a row, we went there for the bowl trip.

Stover: Any pets?

Enos: No, but we’re getting a dog.

Stover: Would you say you’re a dog person then?

Enos: Absolutely … My daughter and I have been talking to my wife about getting a dog and she caved. So when we move here, we’re getting a dog.

Actually, it’s funny, because when Dave Heeke called me and offered me the job, he called me on the phone, it was that night. And I answered the phone, I was like, “Hello?” He said, “Dan, this is Dave. What are you doing?” I said, “Actually we just had a family meeting about getting a dog.” And I was just thinking to myself, “Why did I just tell him that?”

Enos: Am I off the Budweiser hot seat?

It has been 30 years since the United States hockey team shocked the world in the 1980 Olympic Games in Lake Placid, N.Y.

With the disparity in talent between the college-aged U.S. team and the veteran savvy Soviets, along with the Cold War implications of the time, that feat will never be beaten, replicated or challenged in the sports world. It’s a biased opinion, sure, but one that holds weight in many circles.

But now, 30 years later and after the Olympic games began to allow professional players to partake in the tournament, the U.S. finds itself in a familiar role: filled with youth, underdogs by a wide margin.

With names such as Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk and Ilya Kovalchuk, the Russians bring the star power. Their top six forwards are better than anyone’s in the tournament, hands down.

The Canadians, however, are one of the greatest teams ever put together top to bottom. Their depth on the blue line exceeds any team, and they have a star-studded forward group led by Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Mike Richards, Jarome Iginla, Eric Stall and on and on and on.

Sweden is the defending Olympic gold medalist, and it will bring its core back.

But don’t sleep on the Americans.

The U.S. has 13 players 25 years old or younger. NHL goal scorers Zach Parise and Patrick Kane — yes, the same guy who punched a taxi driver after shorting him 20 cents — along with Phil Kessel and Bobby Ryan lead the offense. Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson and Ryan Suter stabilize the blue line.

But know this: if the Americans have any shot at medaling, it’s because 29-year-old goalie Ryan Miller steals a game or two, maybe three. One of the best in the tournament, Miller has to carry his young team if it plans to upset the heavyweights.

Nice pick, Burke

That’s not to say things couldn’t have been easier for the fresh-faced red, white and blue wearers. Brian Burke, general manager of Team U.S.A. and a heck of a general manager in the NHL, may be too loyal for his own good.

After hiring Ron Wilson to coach his Toronto Maple Leafs in June 2008, he gave him the honor of coaching the Americans in Vancouver.

Let’s review Wilson’s NHL numbers: 1,173 regular season games, 552 regular season wins, but no Stanley Cups. In fact, he vastly underachieved when coaching San Jose between 2002-08.

A team loaded with talent — Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleu and Evgeni Nabakov to name a few — only made it out of the playoffs’ second round once. In 15 seasons of coaching, Wilson has only made the finals once, being swept by Detroit in 1997-98.

If he wasn’t Burke’s Olympic coach, he might not have lasted this long in Toronto, though that may be a tad unfair to say considering the rebuilding process going on in southern Ontario.

But maybe a more logical choice — other than the perennial choke artist — would be down the bench, where New York Ranger’s John Tortorella stands as the team’s assistant coach. Sure, he has only won 267 NHL games, but he has won a cup. And he did it with an overachieving team. That’s a concept Wilson may have never heard of.

But the pick was made, and it’s irrelevant now. The U.S. has already won its first game. Ryan, David Backes and veteran Ryan Malone scored in a 3-1 win against the Swiss on Tuesday.

But with Wilson behind the bench, a cloud of doubt surrounds any magical vibe around the U.S. Can it make a run? Sure. But will it? Probably not.

Maybe Burke will make the right choice if he’s given the opportunity in another four years.

Former CMU quarterback Dan LeFevour’s performance at the Senior Bowl last weekend has CMU fans and supporters thinking he is an early-round pick in April’s 2010 NFL Draft.

After completing 5-of-10 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown and also rushing for a touchdown, those assumptions would seem to hold weight.

After all, he is the Football Bowl Subdivision’s career leader for most total touchdowns scored (148) and measured in the pre-bowl activities at a clean 6-foot-3 and 229 pounds. He also won the North’s Most Outstanding Player award for his game productivity.

But not all spectators and NFL Draft analysts are on board.
NFL draft guru Scott Wright, president of DraftCountdown.com, has been studying and analyzing the NFL draft since 1993.

Wright said LeFevour remains nothing more than a 4th or 5th round pick and, although former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow struggled during the week in Mobile, Ala., he is still the higher-rated quarterback.

(The following is a question-and-answer session between Sports Editor Andrew Stover and Scott Wright, president of Draftcountdown.com)

Scott Wright: None of the quarterbacks were really great this year. It’s kind of the second year in a row; I don’t think any of these quarterbacks are anything more than, that I would be comfortable if I was drafting, taking before the 4th round. It just wasn’t a great crop of quarterbacks. With that being said, LeFevour was probably a little better than I thought. In a lot of ways, he’s a poor man’s Tim Tebow. Very similar size — LeFevour came in 6-foot-3, 229 pounds, so adequate size. The arm was about where I thought it was. Maybe a little bit stronger, (but he) does not have a great arm. (He) struggles to get the ball downfield. He’s alright in the short-to-intermediate range but he can’t really get the ball downfield real well.

Andrew Stover: As far as going to a pro-style offense and taking snaps under center, how do you think he did as far as taking those snaps, drop backs — were there many false steps? — was he better in that regard than what you thought going in compared to a similar case in Florida’s Tim Tebow?

SW: I think he did fine with that. Obviously one person can’t watch every single snap … I saw the quarterbacks for the North a couple of different times in the week. As opposed to Tim Tebow, who was one day, literally, a half a dozen snaps I think he messed up. I did not see that with LeFevour. The footwork was OK. The biggest thing is just, it’s not just the snaps, it’s reading the defense while you’re dropping back, and that’s the type of stuff he’s going to have to continue to get used to. He’s capable of doing it, a lot of that stuff, I think is just reps. And the same case for Tebow — I think both are capable of doing it, it’s just a question of time. I’d certainly think he’s capable of doing it, and he didn’t embarrass himself or look really bad in that regard by any stretch.

AS: How do you compare the actual game to the week of practice from a scouting standpoint, and did anything change from one to the other?

SW: Obviously the highlight of the week for LeFevour was the game, which he played pretty well in. Unfortunately for him, by that point, the NFL people had gone home. The NFL people obviously place a much higher emphasis on the practices than they do for the game. And to a certain degree, I think that’s a little bit of a mistake … I think there’s something to be said for guys who step up on the big stage when the lights come on and perform well against the best competition that they’ve ever faced to this point. Honestly, it will be a positive that he performed well in the game, but it’s not something that the scouts are going to say, ‘Oh, we’re jumping him up two rounds because he played well in the game.’ By and large, their evaluations were done during the week of practices. I don’t think his performance for the game — it’s going to help — but I don’t think it’s going to make a huge difference.

AS: In our previous interview back in October, you said for guys like LeFevour, the Senior Bowl would be so big to show that he can compete with the upper echelon of talent. In the grand scheme of things, is his stock trending up or is it equal to where it was when he was coming in?

SW: He did a good job. He certainly proved that he belonged at the Senior Bowl and he did a good job. I guess if there was a gun to my head and I had to pick, I’d say his stock is maybe trending up. But I also wouldn’t place him among the top guys — like Dexter McCluster from Ole Miss or Myron Rolle from Florida State — these guys who had great weeks and jumped their stock maybe a couple of rounds. I definitely wouldn’t put him in that category. Gun to my head, I’d say he helped himself, but not to a huge degree. I still think he’s going to go somewhere in the mid-rounds, somewhere probably 4th-5th round probably. But that’s generalizing. For me, I think he definitely helped. I think he was more impressive. I wasn’t a huge fan going in. I had him 12 in my quarterback rankings, and he’s going to jump up probably at least three or four spots. He’s going to jump up probably to seven or eight at least.

AS: A poor man’s Tim Tebow, where do they compare as far as their stock? Some say Tebow because of his athleticism and his leadership ability could be a late first to a third (round pick) Where is Tebow compared to LeFevour?

SW: I really don’t think Tebow really helped or hurt himself that much this entire week. A lot’s being made about, ‘Oh, he didn’t play well down there,’ but I don’t think it was anything that anybody didn’t expect. Anyone who knew Tim Tebow and evaluated him, I don’t think anybody was surprised by the way he played. Basically, what concerns people had about him were just validated. With Tebow, he’s not going to change everything about his game, right down to the way he throws the ball in one week or three weeks or 52 weeks. It’s a long, long process. I think Tebow, the people who liked him going into the game still like him. And I think the people that were concerned about him going in, they feel their concerns were validated … Personally, I don’t think he has any business going in the first round, but would not be at all surprised if anybody does it. I just think there’s going to be someone out their that falls in love with him. And as he said, he doesn’t have to convince 32 teams, he only has to convince one. And I think one team will become enamored with him moreso for, I think, his personality and the hoopla and hype surrounding him and his game.

But when you just sit down and throw everything else out the window and just say Player A and Player B, Tim Tebow and Dan LeFevour are a lot closer than people think. Very similar situations, very similar styles and basically share a lot of the same question marks. Tebow is maybe a little faster, more athletic, I think he definitely has a little bit of a stronger arm, but there’s not that much separating them. Personally, I think Tim Tebow is closer to a 4th or 5th round pick like LeFevour than a first round pick.

AS: So the question marks for LeFevour are still the same regarding a lack of a great arm and occasional accuracy issues?

SW: Yeah, definitely. Especially down the field. He doesn’t have the big arm. A little too eager to run, I noticed during the week. That’s something that’ll take some time to get out of him. That was the instinct in (CMU’s) offense. It’s not like he dropped back and went through four or five reads. He dropped back, made one or two reads and, if it wasn’t there, he’d run. And that’s something Tebow’s going to have to deal with too.

It’ll take some time to unlearn some of the bad habits that have been developed over the years in college. It served them well in college, but it doesn’t do them any favors at the next level. One concern that he maybe alleviated to a certain degree — I mentioned this in my scouting report of him — I put leadership concerns. And I should probably re-word it because I didn’t mean it to be that he wasn’t necessarily a good leader, but he didn’t know if he was a ‘rah, rah’ fiery type of leader, really a field general, take charge. I think he showed some signs of that down in Mobile.

AS: You said it only takes one team to fall in love. With that being said, LeFevour is not going to be a 1st round pick, so give me how high he can go and how low he can go at this point, before the combine obviously.

SW: I think a best-case scenario right now would be round three. That wouldn’t totally, completely shock me. Stranger things have happened. Low end could be round six or seven. That’s the thing at the quarterback position. It’s definitely in high demand, but its not like there’s 25 quarterbacks drafted every year. There’s been years where there are only 10 or 11 quarterbacks drafted … I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he fell to six or seven, either. I think he’ll settle in the middle. I’d say probably fifth round is the most likely.

AS: How important is the combine process for a mid-level prospect like LeFevour?

SW: The bench press isn’t going to be a huge thing, but he’ll definitely have the ability to prove himself in the throwing drills at the combine, and that’s kind of a tough situation for quarterbacks at the combine, because they go into it where they’re throwing to receivers that they’re unfamiliar with. It’s kind of a stressful situation … I think the biggest thing you want to see there is, you want to see the arm strength — throwing the deep ball, because one of the biggest concerns with him right now, so hopefully he can maybe show a little better in that regard. (You want to see) the accuracy, because he completed a high percentage of passes in college, but a lot of that is a product of that offense with high-percentage, short passes. You want to see the accuracy on NFL-style throws and NFL-style routes.

Much of Dan LeFevour’s career at Central Michigan has been spent in the spotlight.

In every sense of the phrase, LeFevour has been CMU’s “big man on campus” since his football career was made relevant early in his redshirt freshman year.

But in Mobile, Ala., the scene of the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl, the annual pre-draft all-star game featuring many of the nation’s best seniors, the spotlight — at least in this sense of the word — has diminished. He is not near the hottest commodity in southern Alabama this week.

Less than three weeks ago, the CMU quarterback was named the GMAC Bowl’s Most Valuable Player after leading his team to a 44-41 double-overtime win against Troy. On Saturday, he will play in Ladd-Peebles Stadium for the second time in a month. But this time, he doesn’t hold near as much name power as he did during his first visit.

Florida’s Tim Tebow, one of three quarterbacks on the South squad, has two national championships and a Heisman trophy on his resume.

Suddenly, and maybe for the first time in recent memory, LeFevour is in the shadows.

Tebow sensation

If you take the time to browse ESPN.com’s Senior Bowl coverage, or any national media for that matter, Tebow seems to be the only player at the game worth watching.

While many people have prematurely called him college football’s greatest player ever, it also is a spectacle to watch him attempt to transform into an NFL-caliber quarterback — one who has a quick, over-the-top delivery, with zip on the ball and, just as importantly, knows how to properly take snaps from under center and drop back without too many false steps.

Tebow struggled in his first day of practice on Monday, said ESPN’s Todd McShay.

“He ended up looking very awkward (taking snaps under center),” McShay wrote. “He fumbled snaps, took false steps in his drops and had trouble setting his feet at the top of his drops.”

And yet, at one time, LeFevour heard eerily similar comparisons with the Florida star. Once dubbed “Tebow-lite” by Sports Illustrasted, the word on LeFevour is mum at this point.

McShay said Cincinnati’s Tony Pike had the strongest arm of any North quarterback. However, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News noted today that LeFevour possesses the best throwing mechanics and arm of any North quarterback.

He surely has a cleaner delivery than the windmill-throwing Tebow. And his size? All but confirmed.

While many universities fabricate their players’ heights and weights, LeFevour measured in at a clean 6-foot-3 and 229 pounds.

But much of what is asked about Tebow will arise in conversation about LeFevour.

Double the pressure

LeFevour, who ran a spread offense under Butch Jones and Brian Kelly, has to transform his game to make it suitable for pro-style offenses. In the process — and unlike Tebow — he has to prove he belongs with top-tier talent.

Many people who pay close attention to college football and the NFL draft process point to the NFL Scouting Combine and individual college pro days as the most vital stages for athletes to prove themselves.

But for LeFevour, there is more to prove than running an adequate 40-yard dash time or excelling in strength and agility drills.

LeFevour has to prove he can adapt, and that he belongs with the big boys.
He has never seen such elite talent at every position on the defense. He has dominated the Mid-American Conference for much of his career and, in a few games against teams from BCS conferences, his production has been sporadic.

This week in Mobile, LeFevour will be in the spotlight — but not the type he is used to — during every snap and every step of every practice.
While many seniors can afford the opportunity to skip such a game because they have already proven what they can do against top talent, this is different for the Downers Grove, Ill., native. He will undergo the most important week of practices in his life.

In a way, the transformation from college quarterback to pro-ready quarterback details everything wrong with how the college game is played.

In any other occupation, college gets you ready for professional life. Only in college football does the process impede your progress, at least for quarterbacks, thanks to spread offenses.

And in LeFevour’s return trip to Alabama, he will have to fight through the transformation process while also attempting to prove himself against a level of competition he is not accustomed to.

It is clear the CMU football no longer has Indiana on its 2010 home schedule.

The financial side of the matter is unresolved, however.

After Indiana moved its Big Ten game with Penn State to FedEx Field in Landover, Md., on Nov. 20, the school searched for ways to gain a sixth home game.

The solution included removing its visit to Kelly/Shorts Stadium to play CMU, instead opting to host Arkansas State.

CMU, which was scheduled to repay the visit to Indiana at a future date, responded by canceling its future game in Bloomington, Ind.

CMU Athletics Director Dave Heeke said Indiana requested to be released from the contract and offered alternative solutions, but it did not make sense for Central.

“We felt the contract was clearly breached and that we’re due those fees,” he said.

The uncertainy is centered on those fees.

Dustin Dopirak of HeraldTimesOnline.com reported Wednesday that CMU owed Indiana $50,000 after  voiding the third and final game of the contract. Indiana was to pay CMU $150,000 for the first game in Mount Pleasant. CMU was to pay Indiana $200,000 for the return trip, the report said.

Heeke refuted the report, however.

“The way I interpreted it was that they clearly walked away from the deal,” he said. “The contract calls for a payment of $150,000 for the second game and $200,000 for the third game of the contract. It’s my understanding that Indiana will be paying us $350,000 … I do know that legal councils for both universities are involved in determining the final outcome.”

Indiana Athletics Director Fred Glass was unavailable for comment as he is accompanying the men’s basketball team in tonight’s game against Penn State.

With Indiana off the schedule, CMU has non-conference road games scheduled with Virginia Tech, Northwestern and Navy.

Heeke said CMU’s non-conference home game has yet to be scheduled.

Defensive coordinator

Blogger Kyle Warber of Mlive.com reported that CMU has hired Pittsburgh linebackers coach Joe Tumpkin as the team’s defensive coordinator.

A source close to the situation said the deal is all but done, but no papers have been signed and it remains unofficial.

Heeke said Tumpkin has not been hired, and he also shed light on other hires previously reported.

The hiring of five assistant coaches was confirmed Tuesday by the source.

Heeke disputed the notion of any confirmation at this point.

“We have not confirmed any of the hirings,” he said. “There’s certainly a lot of names floating around, but we’re going through the proper procedures on campus to hire staff members, and that’s in motion right now.”

Mike Cummings, Kyle Nystrom, Kort Shankweiler and Terrence Samuel were added to the staff. Max Glowacki is the lone holdover from former coach Butch Jones’ staff.