The First 100 Years Project…
Here’s the gist (jist?) of the video for those of you who may be unable to watch and/or listen. Tony G from BGSUSports.com (TG1996) and I are undertaking what I think is going to be a really cool project. I’m calling it the “First 100 Years Project.”
What we want to do is come up with a list of the top 20 moments in the first 100 years of BGSU Athletics, as well as the top 10 male and top 10 female athletes from that same period. We aren’t going to be doing this alone though, we need your feedback to help guide our selections. So please leave your thoughts and suggestions in the comments to this post below!
Some of the plans are to interview some of the people involved with the moments we select, whether they were coaching, playing, or just in attendance. I’m also hoping to get some help from Mickey Cochrane and the BGSU Athletics Archives so that we might present some of the memorabilia that’s available from these athletes and contests. We may ask select individuals for THEIR top 20 lists as well…
We realize that most of us have only experienced the last 20-30 years of the first century, but dig through your media guides, talk to your parents, and let us know what you think the greatest moments in the history of BGSU Athletics have been! This is going to be a fun project!!
Top 10 Male Athletes (No particular order):
Bernie Casey – Football, Track
Brian McClure – Football
Nate Thurmond – Basketball
Brian Holzinger – Hockey
George McPhee – Hockey
Antonio Daniels – Basketball
Howard “Butch” Komives – Basketball
Andy Tracy – Baseball, Football
Cris Shale – Football
Dave Wottle – Cross Country, Track
Top 10 Female Athletes (No particular order):
Jackie Motycka – Basketball
Kate Achter – Basketball
Chris Tuttle – Basketball
May Beth Friel – Gymnastics
Tammy Schiller – Volleyball
Josie McCulloch – Swimming
Carla Marshack – Tennis
Vicki Miwa – Softball
Ali Mann – Basketball
Amy Lienhardt – Softball
Special Mention: Scott Hamilton
Special Achievement: Franklin “Gus” Skibbie
Coaching Achievement: Doyt Perry
Top 20 Moments (No particular order)
1984 Hockey Championship
The Miami Miracle – Football
Basketball victory over #1 Loyola of Chicago
CCHA Hockey Playoff victory at Michgan in OT on goal by Rob Blake
1984 NCAA Hockey Semifinal victory over MSU
1984 NCAA Playoff victory over Boston U (OT – Total goals)
MAC Basketball Championship loss at home to OU
CMU Fake punt loss (The Fat Punter)
Antonio Daniels lottery selection
BG vs. NIU Football game (Gameday visit)
Omar Jacobs record setting Sophomore season
1991 Football California Bowl victory over Fresno State
1992 Football Las Vegas Bowl victory over Nevada Reno
2003 Football Motor City Bowl victory over Northwestern
2004 GMAC Bowl victory over Memphis
2001 Football victory at Northwestern
2003 Football victory at Purdue
1963 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament victory over Notre Dame
Brian Holzinger wins Hobey Baker Award
George McPhee wins Hobey Baker Award
A few notable big moments:
Mercy Bowl – great feel good story out of a terrible tragedy
Basketball beating Loyola Chicago
Women’s basketball sweet 16
Hockey national champs
Football 1959 season
Football over Northwestern 01 – put BG on the board
Football 2001 turnaround season
Basketball beating Kent spring 08
Football beating Minnesota 07 (turnaround season)
Women’s basketball regular season MAC champs 05, 06, 07, 08, 09
Women’s basketball MAC champs 05, 06, 07
I wish I could know more about less recent history. Anything big for either of the soccer teams? Baseball or softball? I know baseball’s won two consecutive regular season titles, but anything on national radar for either sport in the past? What about BG Olympians?
Okay, I few amendments to my top 20 moments list.
Can’t believe I forgot and left off the following:
- Women’s basketball “Sweet 16″ appearance in 2007
- Gino Cavillini’s OT Goal in 1984 (deserves its own spot)
- Women’s basketball NCAA tournament victory over Cincinnati in Anderson Arena on March 15, 1989 (69-59)
- Hiring of Urban Meyer begins his mythical rise to the top of the NCAA coaching ranks with a NCAA title in 6 short years. (Now 2 titles in 8 years)
- Gary Blackney’s first two season coaching the football team to a 21-3 record with 2 conference titles and 2 bowl victories.
I LOVE this idea. I would suggest all of our NCAA Champions have a place. By my count that is Dave Wottle, Sid Sink, the relay they were on, the 1984 hockey team, and Marny Oestreng for her 1999 floor title in gymnastics. That is 5 right there! Anyway, if you do decide to include Marny in any of the lists please let me know. I did double duty as team manager and reporter for the BG News when she was on the team. I am also in contact with Marny and Dan Connelly, who was the coach at the time.
Top Male Athletes: (I’m only listing individuals. Team’s can be under Top 20 moments.)
Antonio Daniels
George McPhee
Brian Holzinger
Howard Komives
Dave Wottle
Sid Sink
Top Female Athletes: (I’m only listing individuals. Team’s can be under Top 20 moments.)
Marny Oestreng
Mary Beth Friel
Kate Achter
Top Overall Performances:
1959 Football
1984 Hockey
1999 Gymnastics Floor Title (Marny Oestreng)
NCAA Relay (With Sink and Wottle)
NCAA (Sink)
NCAA (Wottle)
Mercy Bowl
Women’s Basketball “Sweet 16″
Top Coaches (I would Add this and leave coaches out of the other 3)
Doyt Perry
Harold Anderson
Curt Miller
Urban Meyer (As much as it pains me)
Charlie Simpson
Denise Van De Walle
That’s all I have right now.
Tyler Sheehan should be on the list
Performances:
BGSU vs (12) Ball State FB Home Depot (even though it rained)
Installation of Coach Anderson into Hall of Fame
Installation of Coach Perry into Hall of Fame
Installation of Coach Cochrane into Hall of Fame
Dave Whottle in Oylmpics 1972?
FB National championship 1959
Hockey National championship 1984
BGSU Mens Soccer upset of Indiana early 70′s
BB ladies sweet 16 2007?
BB Nate Thurmund 50 best BB players
BB upset over nationally ranked Chicago Loyola and Michigan State
Urban Meyer FB era – Missouri & Northwestern victories
BB ladies basketball Vran Voll era
BB ladies basketball Miller era
BB mens Dan Dakich 24 victory season
Individual Players (team & individual sports, no coaches):
Jackie Raterman
Dave Preston
Brian Holtzinger
Dave Whottle
Charles Buckemeyer
Orel Hirshieser
Nate Thurmond
Howard Komives
Phil Villapiano
Rob Blake
Antonio Daniels
Chris Shale
Man, what a great concept.
Seems to me that the great events have been hit upon, but I would definitely make sure ALL of the gold medal winning athletes in the olympics are recognized (including canadian hockey players). Also, BG hockey swept Michigan State PRIOR to their National Title in 1983 when MSU was ranked number 1 in the country. Jerry came back out on the ice to recognize the crowd that was chanting “We’re Number 1″ for 10 minutes straight…pretty awesome. Fran Voll had some pretty amazing moments with the women’s basketball team to go along with the current women’s team dominance. i think it was mentioned at the championship level, but individual attention needs to be given to Doyt L. Perry. That man was a legend and coached with the best of the best. I was fortunate to cut his grass for a few years as a kid growing up, and he and his wife were always so down to earth. The biography on him is amazing.
Lastly, a personal friend of mine, Dan Bylsma needs some significant recognition. His ability to turn around the Pens this year and his run to the cup is a very rare feat. Give Goober some love on this list.
thanks for the opportunity and i would love to think of more moments if given the time.
-Chris Hutchinson
Grant, I like the idea…I’m thnking that Dave Hamilton and I are about the ONLY “old guys” in this group… so maybe the two of us should put our heads together to see what we could come up with. Many of the people and most of the events mentioned are already covered, so I’ll go back a few more years to try to ID folks and events from the late 50′s and early 60′s… (Dave can go back even farther than this)…
Athletes:
Jim Darrow – BB – 52 pts in game TWICE in same season – 5’10″ guard whose records would probably be in the 60+ pt range if the 3 pt. rule had been in effect then.
Gary Laprise- Swimming- All American
Hank Reese-Swimming- Added to BG’s hall of fame last year I believe.
Events:
1959 Natl. “Small College” Champions in FB – Beat #1 Delaware 30-7 in what would be the equivilent of Game Day… in some ways better, even without TV…. +1 vs +2….Only +2 Won!
Cal Poly Plane Crash…. unbelieveable tragedy that resulted in us playing the following year in the Mercy Bowl benefit game to help the families of the injured and deceased players. Terrible Fog that nite…My roomie and I had a double date, had a BAD time getting back to campus with our dates, just trying to fing the road (Rt. 6).
Sid Sink needs to be on the top 10 athletes list. He is a 10 time All-American in cross country and track, most in BGSU history. He was a two time NCAA Champ in the steeplechase in 1970 and 1971 and was the MAC Champ in cross country twice. He was injured during the 1972 Olympic year in which Dave Wottle won the 800 Gold.
He also was the coach of the year in 1995 when his Men’s team won the MAC Championship team. He was a four time coach of year while coaching the Women’s team where they won 4 consecutive MAC Titles in the early 80s.
the greatest athletic achievement was the 52 point performance of jimmy darrow in jan. of 1960 to defeat league champion toledo. he was 5 ft. 9 in. tall & 170 lbs. the falcons were behind the entire game until darrow sank his final free throw to send the game to overtime. darrow scored 8 points in overtime to help the falcons to the 86-82 upset win in the old “men’s gym.” bowling green scored 52 points in the 2nd half of which darrow scored 41 of them. he made 21 of 30 shots from the floor for a sizzling 70 percent average. his 10 of 13 free throws accounted for the rest of his incredible feat against the best defensive team in the league. what a treat it must have been to watch the kid from south akron play with such intensity and determination for three wonderful years as a b. g. falcon.