All in With Allison – Success Flu

Written By Allison Schubert, Sports Columnist

It seems like all of the sports that are currently in season are seeing recurring successes recently.

It’s kind of like the flu – one team gets it, then it spreads to the next, then the next, then eventually the entire athletic department gets it.

Let’s say that it started with cross country, which is now indoor track and field. Amidst all of the individual successes of Xavier Stephens, Anna Shields, different relays, jumpers, etc. that we have covered in The Globe thus far, the most recent success to come out of the world of indoor track and field are conference championships.

The women’s indoor track and field team clinched its fourth straight conference title with the River States Conference (RSC) Women’s Indoor Track and Field championship title, dating back to the same event last year. The other titles come from the cross country and outdoor track and field seasons earlier this school year.

Highlights from the women include Shields being named RSC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year with four individual wins in the 600, 1000, mile and 3000. Head coach Kelly Parsley was also named the RSC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year.

The men’s indoor track and field team claimed its second in back-to-back wins in the RSC Men’s Indoor Track and Field championship meet.

The biggest momentum push came from a podium sweep in the 800, led by Stephens and followed by Jared Thompson and Doug Kostelansky. Parsley was also honored with the RSC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year.

The track and field teams eventually gave the success flu to the basketball teams, starting with the women’s team and making it to the men’s.

I’ll make this part brief so you all can just read the two basketball stories that Robert Berger and I wrote this week (shameless plug).

The women’s team is now 12-14 overall and 8-7 in RSC play, clinching the third playoff spot for the post-season with a chance of moving up to second. Only IU East and WVU Tech sit above them.

The men’s team has been more competitive this season than any other season I have witnessed at my time here. They are currently in the fourth-and-final spot for the post-season, boasting an 8-15 overall record with a 5-10 RSC record.

They, too, only have one game left in the regular season, finishing up in Circleville, Ohio for a game against Ohio Christian this Saturday.

With two teams winning championships and two more with secure spots in the post-season, the flu was then spread to the cheer and dance teams.

Both teams placed first at a matchup hosted by Siena Heights.

Cheer had two big victories on the night, the first came as they placed first of five teams in the invitational competition and the second coming in a head-to-head duel against the host, Siena Heights.

Dance also claimed first at Siena Heights, and tallied one of their highest scores of the season while doing so. This is the Pioneers’ third win of a 3-0 sweep during their big weekend on the road.

With the spring sports right around the corner, they should be taking notes from all of the winter sports’ successes.

This is one flu worth catching.