MAC’s best fan
McGuirk Arena was teetering due to toilet paper he threw at the men’s basketball game against Western Michigan and the crowd of 5,425 was an arena record! Our team had a great game, with a 70-69 victory over the Broncos. The Snake Pit student section was out at full strength (nearly 1,800 strong), legendary alum Dan Majirle was in attendance and the atmosphere was charged.
Thank you to all alumni, students, faculty, staff, and community members who attended this memorable event. We made history while celebrating history, proving once again that CMU – effortlessly – has the best fans in the Mid-American Conference (and beyond).
Relive the action with this recap of the game.
Ending winter strong and jumping into spring
We had enjoyed a very successful previous weekend with five of our teams winning games or combining. Here are the highlights:
- The Wrestlers captured their second consecutive MAC West title as they clinched the crown with a 27-6 victory over Buffalo.
- Men’s basketball rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat Miami (Ohio) 66-60, then turned around and beat Bowling Green 77-74 on Tuesday after trailing by 12 points late in the game. Michala Hall hit a jump shot with 7.2 seconds to help women’s basketball win at home, 72-71, over Buffalo.
- Gymnastics won its fourth straight meet, defeating Iowa State in front of 5,000 fans in Ames, Iowa.
- Track and Field recorded 13 top-8 finishes at both Vanderbilt and Grand Valley State.
As we end winter sports, we are also moving into spring sports this week. This spring brings exciting action from men’s and women’s golf, baseball, softball, lacrosse, and indoor/outdoor track and field. What we are looking forward to:
- Our baseball team – knocked out of the 2022 MAC Tournament – is ranked among the top 30 in the nation and is expected to make its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The team’s first home games will be against Kent State on March 24-26.
- Lacrosse defends its 2022 MAC Championship. The team defeated California 15-12 in the season opener this past weekend as Coach Amelia Ward won her first game at Central Michigan. The team is at home on February 24 against Butler.
- Softball was selected to finish second in the league – their first home baseball games would be against Kent State on March 28-29.
Be sure to check out the team schedules at cmuchippewas.com for other great matches. Good luck with our spring sports – we have a lot to look forward to over the next few months!
ICYMI – Podcast Highlights
I recently had the honor of sitting down with some amazing people on my podcast, CMU Athletics Connection. In case you missed it, here’s a rundown of two:
- Leaders in College Athletics: Join me Roy Kramer, legendary former CMU football coach and SEC commissioner, as well as Kevin White, former CMU track and field coach and recently retired at Duke, to discuss how CMU has shaped who they are and prepared them to let go their mark throughout their successful career.
- Healthcare Leadership Today and in the Future: To discuss the growing field of health administration, I’m joined by Carnegie Mellon graduate Marietta Hatem Schiffman, regional president of MyMichigan, as well as two CMU student-athletes studying health administration—gymnast Hannah Demers and lacrosse player Erin Owens. We talked about Marietta’s career, the current landscape of the field and the bright future for future healthcare leaders.
Shot in chips!
