Eastern Michigan Athletics
Looking Back On 2020: A Year Like No Other
12/31/2020 8:57:00 AM | General
CLEVELAND, Ohio (GetSomeMACtion.com) -- Like many of our colleagues and counterparts across this resilient nation, Mid-American Conference (MAC) administrators, coaches and student-athletes have been finding it necessary to draw upon their strength and resolve to navigate their way through the difficult days of 2020. Having to socially distance from family and friends, appear on countless Zoom calls and try to make sense of a year that has made no sense could well have taken its toll.
However, the MAC did not allow that to occur. Rather, the Conference and its member institutions collectively accepted the challenges the pandemic brought its way and tackled them with a single-minded focus. Everyone came together to find solutions to issues that had never been seen before, all while prioritizing the safety and well-being of the student-athlete.
Looking back on 2020, there were many positives on and off the field …
However, the MAC did not allow that to occur. Rather, the Conference and its member institutions collectively accepted the challenges the pandemic brought its way and tackled them with a single-minded focus. Everyone came together to find solutions to issues that had never been seen before, all while prioritizing the safety and well-being of the student-athlete.
Looking back on 2020, there were many positives on and off the field …
- Ohio recorded its third-straight bowl victory at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
- Ball State's Trey Moses was presented with the NCAA Inspiration Award
- Akron women's swim & dive squad claimed its seventh-consecutive conference title
- Missouri State captured their third MAC men's swimming & diving championship
- Missouri won its eighth consecutive MAC wrestling title
- MAC membership unveiled its new esports venture -- the Esports Collegiate Conference
- The Conference launched the MAC Transformative Leadership Badge Program, which focused on holistic human development.
- The MAC initiated new programming for coaches and administrators that consisted of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion educational sessions to better support the student-athletes in areas such as race relations, social justice and equality.
- The NCAA announced that the MAC and Greater Cleveland Sports Commission were awarded the bid to host the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball First & Second Rounds in 2025 (Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse), NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in 2026 (Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse) and NCAA Division I Women's Bowling Championship in 2026 (RollHouse Wickliffe).
- Eastern Michigan claimed its 24th MAC men's cross country championship trophy
- Northern Illinois captured its first ever MAC women's cross country title
- Buffalo's Jaret Patterson made NCAA history with his 409-yard, 8 TD performance
- Ball State won its first MAC football title since 1996
- Buffalo won its second consecutive bowl game at the Camellia Bowl, while Ball State will look to seek its first bowl victory in program history at the Arizona Bowl
As the book closes on 2020, the Conference office asked its Presidents, Directors of Athletics, head coaches and student-athletes to reflect on the past 12 months, and provide an introspective as to what positives they will take away and what they will look forward to in the year 2021.
The quotes listed below, plus many more will be highlighted throughout the day on the official Twitter account of the MAC -- @MACSports.
MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher
"I came to appreciate the ability of people to quickly adapt to changed circumstances. I am proud of how so many people pulled together to achieve under tremendous challenges. I take great pride in the people I work with and support, beginning with the student-athletes who displayed perseverance, tenacity and patience."
Council of Presidents
Dr. Satish Tripathi, University at Buffalo
"Looking back on this extraordinary year, I will remember countless, countless people who demonstrated deep compassion, humility, creativity, perseverance in the face of hardship, injustice, profound loss. They are and always will be an inspiration to me."
Dr. James Smith, Eastern Michigan University
"The flexibility of our students, faculty, and staff was nothing short of amazing. In a matter of days, Eastern Michigan University much like our peers around the country, moved from an in-person university to one that functioned almost completely as virtual. That changed pattern of operational behavior continued for nearly ten months (and in many ways continues yet today). Certainly not without pain, misgivings, and/or redirection, nonetheless the university continued to offer excellent instruction, powerful advising, and social activities that were certainly beyond the norm. As an organizational leader, the pride of making success come alive during a horrific pandemic is exceptionally satisfying."
Dr. Greg Crawford, Miami University
"The disruption of COVID-19 revealed what really matters in our society – solidarity and collaboration. We saw the many heroes emerge – not only the courageous medical professionals but also the store clerks, truck drivers, food processing workers, and warehouse workers. We also saw the power of bold, transdisciplinary partnerships to fight the problem, marshaling the ideas and expertise of myriad experts and stakeholders for prevention and ultimately for the creation and distribution of a vaccine in record time. COVID-19 brought this type of problem solving to the forefront – broad collaborations across academic institutions, athletic conferences, governments, health providers, pharmaceutical companies, and so forth to overcome the virus. Our mantra became "we are all in this together" – and we were – as we joined together with a powerful unity in mission and purpose."
Dr. Lisa Freeman, Northern Illinois University
"Despite all of the hardships of 2020, in a dynamic operating environment shaped by the pandemic and the national reckoning with racial justice, NIU students, faculty and staff gained newfound skills and confidence that helped us to learn, adapt and succeed. I am proud of our accomplishments and I am grateful for the overwhelming support we received from our neighbors, alumni and donors. As NIU President, I often refer to the "Huskie family". This year has demonstrated the power of those family ties many times over."
Directors of Athletics
Bob Moosbrugger, Bowling Green State University
"The resiliency of our student-athletes, coaches and staff shined brightly throughout the pandemic. In sports, you always face adversity but a worldwide pandemic was not something that anyone has dealt with and for everyone to rally around and support one another was beautiful to see."
David Sayler, Miami University
"Something that 2020 showed me was just how resilient and balanced our tremendous student-athletes can be when the world around them was being turned upside down in so many ways. So many things going virtual actually allowed many of us to interact more often with them and each time we did it was clear that they were continuing to push forward on multiple fronts. It was often inspiring to see the ways that they were continuing to grow, stretch their minds and educate themselves about so many topics."
Sean Frazier, Northern Illinois University
"I think that as a staff we saw how we can come together during a year unlike any other in intercollegiate Athletics history and persevere. We look forward to continuing this momentum and collaborating on new ways to provide a tremendous student-athlete experience."
Michael O'Brien, University of Toledo
"No matter the circumstance, we can still find the means to communicate/meet virtually in order to complete the tasks ahead of us. COVID made us adjust but there were still many accomplishments."
Head Coaches
Kelli Phillips, Ball State Volleyball
"There have been so many positives from 2020. First off, the team was able to train develop all fall prior to our season even starting which will hopefully allow us to be more confident and prepared as we head into our spring competition season. Our team and staff was able to grow closer relationally as we spent so much more time together talking over FaceTime and virtual calls. I loved being able to build on our individual relationships as well as helping the team's overall culture develop from all our conversations."
Sean Lewis, Kent State Football
"I thought it was really amazing during the year how people really didn't care about their titles and were willing to do whatever was needed to have a successful day. We had players that we helping set up the field for practice because equipment managers were down for the day. We had staff members that would climb the camera tower to film practice. Plus numerous other examples where it didn't matter if you were a player or whatever your "job title" was people came together to get the job done."
Jeff Boals, Ohio Basketball
"In 2020 I learned even more-so, the value of staying positive and the importance of adaptability. What we have asked these young men to do on a daily basis has been exhausting mentally. Their self discipline and maturity have been remarkable."
Colleen Munson, Western Michigan Volleyball
'In a year that's been marked by loss for so many - loss of lives, loss of jobs, loss of opportunities and so much more - we chose to find opportunities for growth and gain. 2020 became a year in which we were personally forced to slow down and revisit how we spend our time. On the home front, we loved spending more time with our kids - family dinners, meaningful conversations, hanging out together - things that are often lost in the busy intersection of school, practices, homework, travel teams, and work schedules. We took time for ourselves to increase our personal health. Within our program, we had new opportunities to build our relationships among the team - to listen, to learn, to understand and celebrate the diversity within our program, campus and community. In doing so, the bond within our program was made even stronger."
Student-Athletes
Cam Lyons, Akron Football
"One thing I learned in 2020 is handling adversity in every day life. Sports has taught me how to handle adversity as an athlete on the field but, translating it to real life in 2020 with a challenge few have faced has been the biggest lesson I've learned."
Hannah Potter, Central Michigan Lacrosse
"It took me 15 years, or until March of 2020 to realize the greatest friend I could ever ask for was in the room right next to me at home. I didn't need to go far to find someone to bike with, to bake with, to vent to, and to watch Netflix with. My younger sister, Emma, and I have spent more time together during this pandemic than we ever would have been able to in a "normal" year. I'm really thankful for the time we've had together and even more thankful she'll be coming to Central Michigan this coming fall so we can be teammates for the first time ever (another positive thanks to COVID for the extra year!)."
Tessa Osborne, Eastern Michigan Soccer
"A positive and something that I worked on in 2020 was how to adapt. I've always been someone who can easily go with the flow, but with so many unknowns and change of plans at times, it was very difficult to accept what was happening/why something was or wasn't happening. 2020 has taught me how fortunate I am for what I have and how to better handle my emotions and situations that were not in my control."
Isaac Vance, Kent State Football
"Something that I've learned throughout 2020, is that when people put their pride aside and allow the many different perspectives of unique upbringings to join together as a collective group, the process of REAL change can actually take place. A huge positive from this past year, was seeing the collegiate athlete platform that has always been there, expand dramatically due to us using our voices to be heard about issues that relate to us."
The quotes listed below, plus many more will be highlighted throughout the day on the official Twitter account of the MAC -- @MACSports.
MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher
"I came to appreciate the ability of people to quickly adapt to changed circumstances. I am proud of how so many people pulled together to achieve under tremendous challenges. I take great pride in the people I work with and support, beginning with the student-athletes who displayed perseverance, tenacity and patience."
Council of Presidents
Dr. Satish Tripathi, University at Buffalo
"Looking back on this extraordinary year, I will remember countless, countless people who demonstrated deep compassion, humility, creativity, perseverance in the face of hardship, injustice, profound loss. They are and always will be an inspiration to me."
Dr. James Smith, Eastern Michigan University
"The flexibility of our students, faculty, and staff was nothing short of amazing. In a matter of days, Eastern Michigan University much like our peers around the country, moved from an in-person university to one that functioned almost completely as virtual. That changed pattern of operational behavior continued for nearly ten months (and in many ways continues yet today). Certainly not without pain, misgivings, and/or redirection, nonetheless the university continued to offer excellent instruction, powerful advising, and social activities that were certainly beyond the norm. As an organizational leader, the pride of making success come alive during a horrific pandemic is exceptionally satisfying."
Dr. Greg Crawford, Miami University
"The disruption of COVID-19 revealed what really matters in our society – solidarity and collaboration. We saw the many heroes emerge – not only the courageous medical professionals but also the store clerks, truck drivers, food processing workers, and warehouse workers. We also saw the power of bold, transdisciplinary partnerships to fight the problem, marshaling the ideas and expertise of myriad experts and stakeholders for prevention and ultimately for the creation and distribution of a vaccine in record time. COVID-19 brought this type of problem solving to the forefront – broad collaborations across academic institutions, athletic conferences, governments, health providers, pharmaceutical companies, and so forth to overcome the virus. Our mantra became "we are all in this together" – and we were – as we joined together with a powerful unity in mission and purpose."
Dr. Lisa Freeman, Northern Illinois University
"Despite all of the hardships of 2020, in a dynamic operating environment shaped by the pandemic and the national reckoning with racial justice, NIU students, faculty and staff gained newfound skills and confidence that helped us to learn, adapt and succeed. I am proud of our accomplishments and I am grateful for the overwhelming support we received from our neighbors, alumni and donors. As NIU President, I often refer to the "Huskie family". This year has demonstrated the power of those family ties many times over."
Directors of Athletics
Bob Moosbrugger, Bowling Green State University
"The resiliency of our student-athletes, coaches and staff shined brightly throughout the pandemic. In sports, you always face adversity but a worldwide pandemic was not something that anyone has dealt with and for everyone to rally around and support one another was beautiful to see."
David Sayler, Miami University
"Something that 2020 showed me was just how resilient and balanced our tremendous student-athletes can be when the world around them was being turned upside down in so many ways. So many things going virtual actually allowed many of us to interact more often with them and each time we did it was clear that they were continuing to push forward on multiple fronts. It was often inspiring to see the ways that they were continuing to grow, stretch their minds and educate themselves about so many topics."
Sean Frazier, Northern Illinois University
"I think that as a staff we saw how we can come together during a year unlike any other in intercollegiate Athletics history and persevere. We look forward to continuing this momentum and collaborating on new ways to provide a tremendous student-athlete experience."
Michael O'Brien, University of Toledo
"No matter the circumstance, we can still find the means to communicate/meet virtually in order to complete the tasks ahead of us. COVID made us adjust but there were still many accomplishments."
Head Coaches
Kelli Phillips, Ball State Volleyball
"There have been so many positives from 2020. First off, the team was able to train develop all fall prior to our season even starting which will hopefully allow us to be more confident and prepared as we head into our spring competition season. Our team and staff was able to grow closer relationally as we spent so much more time together talking over FaceTime and virtual calls. I loved being able to build on our individual relationships as well as helping the team's overall culture develop from all our conversations."
Sean Lewis, Kent State Football
"I thought it was really amazing during the year how people really didn't care about their titles and were willing to do whatever was needed to have a successful day. We had players that we helping set up the field for practice because equipment managers were down for the day. We had staff members that would climb the camera tower to film practice. Plus numerous other examples where it didn't matter if you were a player or whatever your "job title" was people came together to get the job done."
Jeff Boals, Ohio Basketball
"In 2020 I learned even more-so, the value of staying positive and the importance of adaptability. What we have asked these young men to do on a daily basis has been exhausting mentally. Their self discipline and maturity have been remarkable."
Colleen Munson, Western Michigan Volleyball
'In a year that's been marked by loss for so many - loss of lives, loss of jobs, loss of opportunities and so much more - we chose to find opportunities for growth and gain. 2020 became a year in which we were personally forced to slow down and revisit how we spend our time. On the home front, we loved spending more time with our kids - family dinners, meaningful conversations, hanging out together - things that are often lost in the busy intersection of school, practices, homework, travel teams, and work schedules. We took time for ourselves to increase our personal health. Within our program, we had new opportunities to build our relationships among the team - to listen, to learn, to understand and celebrate the diversity within our program, campus and community. In doing so, the bond within our program was made even stronger."
Student-Athletes
Cam Lyons, Akron Football
"One thing I learned in 2020 is handling adversity in every day life. Sports has taught me how to handle adversity as an athlete on the field but, translating it to real life in 2020 with a challenge few have faced has been the biggest lesson I've learned."
Hannah Potter, Central Michigan Lacrosse
"It took me 15 years, or until March of 2020 to realize the greatest friend I could ever ask for was in the room right next to me at home. I didn't need to go far to find someone to bike with, to bake with, to vent to, and to watch Netflix with. My younger sister, Emma, and I have spent more time together during this pandemic than we ever would have been able to in a "normal" year. I'm really thankful for the time we've had together and even more thankful she'll be coming to Central Michigan this coming fall so we can be teammates for the first time ever (another positive thanks to COVID for the extra year!)."
Tessa Osborne, Eastern Michigan Soccer
"A positive and something that I worked on in 2020 was how to adapt. I've always been someone who can easily go with the flow, but with so many unknowns and change of plans at times, it was very difficult to accept what was happening/why something was or wasn't happening. 2020 has taught me how fortunate I am for what I have and how to better handle my emotions and situations that were not in my control."
Isaac Vance, Kent State Football
"Something that I've learned throughout 2020, is that when people put their pride aside and allow the many different perspectives of unique upbringings to join together as a collective group, the process of REAL change can actually take place. A huge positive from this past year, was seeing the collegiate athlete platform that has always been there, expand dramatically due to us using our voices to be heard about issues that relate to us."
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