We're Going Streaking!!

Jump for Joy! Flashes win 16th MAC title in a row.

Hi again everybody!

Last weekend, our Golden Flashes women’s golf team secured its 16^th consecutive Mid-American Conference championship.

The ladies of KSU did again did it in familiar fashion.

Thoroughly dominating.

Knocking off second place Toledo by 21 strokes and besting rival Akron by 58 to earn a PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge point, the Flashes simply keep adding to their legacy.

Ever since the MAC added women’s golf as a sponsored sport in 1999, KSU has established a string of dominance that is, in a word – unprecedented. It has almost reached the point of expectation around Kent and the Mid-American Conference landscape that the Golden Flashes will win the conference golf title. That kind of pressure and expectation can cause some teams and individuals to wilt – these ladies have thrived.

Even with the rest of the conference dying to be the team which finally ends Kent’s sensational streak, the blue and gold have found a way to outdistance themselves from their competitors. Last weekend in Indiana, Jennifer Ha won the event for the second year in a row and was flanked on the podium by two of her teammates. It was another proud weekend for head coach Greg Robertson and the entire KSU Golf program.

The Kent Streak of 16 straight got my mind racing. What are some of my favourite sports streaks? I have listed just a few of them that came immediately to mind – in no particular order.

Johnny Vander Meer – 1938 Cincinnati Reds

Vander Meer threw back-to-back no-hitters for the Redlegs against Boston and Brooklyn and was rewarded with a start in the All-Star Game in his home ballpark. While this streak was only two, it simply will never be outdone

Joe DiMaggio – 1941 New York Yankees

For 55 straight games – that’s a third of the major league season in those days – DiMaggio reached safely on a hit. Only Pete Rose has been in the same area code as the Clipper with a 44-game streak in 1978.

UCLA – Men’s Basketball 1967-73, 1971-74

Seven consecutive NCAA titles for the Bruins and legendary coach John Wooden. They added more for a 10-title run in a 12-year span. With 68-team format and upsets galore, along with the NBA draft decimating teams’ rosters, this won’t happen again, either. The Sons of Westwood then won 88 straight games (two 30-0 seasons) between ’71-74 before coughing up an 11-point lead to Notre Dame to end the impressive run.

Cael Sanderson – 1999-2002 Iowa State Cyclones

At a time when collegiate wrestling started to flourish, Sanderson competed in 159 matches during his time in Ames. He won them all, sweeping four straight NCAA titles. Let that marinate. In the toughest sport in the world, he didn’t lose ONCE. The Penn State wrestling program now reaps the benefits from this icon – he’s led the Nittany Lions to four-straight NCAA DI team titles as their head coach.

Cleveland Indians Fans – 1995-2001

The renaissance of Cleveland’s downtown, the opening of a beautiful new stadium, the departure of the hapless football team and one of the most exciting baseball teams in club history all came together perfectly in the mid-90s. On June 12, 1995 Jacobs Field sold out and there wasn’t an empty seat in the house until April 4, 2001. The sellout streak of 455 for a city with a dwindling population due to economic and infrastructure issues is even more impressive and appreciated today.

 

Mount Union – Football 2000-2003

Just down the road from Kent State, veteran Larry Kehres guided his Purple Raiders to 55 straight wins between 2000-2003 (they also won 54 straight from ’96-’99). The Raiders have 11 national titles and continue to be a threat every year.

Also of note: Cal Ripken and Brett Favre’s consecutive games streaks, Oklahoma football’s 47 straight wins, Byron Nelson’s 11 straight PGA wins and Wayne Gretzky’s 51 consecutive games with a point.

Congrats to the KSU women’s golfers once again! Let’s hope #16 is just another rung in the ladder! They’ll head for Stillwater in a couple weeks for the NCAA Regionals!

TL