A look back on the highlights of the past year
Throughout the 2024 Calendar year there has been more than enough to celebrate as Spartans (yes, even though we didn’t go bowling this season).
The writers here at TOC have compiled a list of ten of our favorite Spartan sports head-turners from the year. Without further ado.
The Top Ten
10. Jeremy Fears, Jr. to Coen Carr for the slam… while sitting on his butt (Along with several other Coen Carr hoop-destructing moments)
9. Women’s XC heading back to NCAA’s for the 24th year in a row in ‘24 (with Rachel Forsyth grabbing B1G Freshman of the Year!)
8. Men’s Golfer Ashton McCulloch Qualifying for the US Open
7. Matthew Forbes Winning the USTA Boys’ 18s National Title and Earning a Spot in the US Open. (With Aristotelis Thanos playing for Greece in the Davis Cup)
6. Ice Hockey back at #1, nationally, after taking the series from the then top-ranked Minnesota, Dec 13-14. (Great to see the program where it is, but we also recognize, as we’re sure does the team, there is a lot of hockey left to play this season 😉
Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
5. Women’s Soccer back in the Sweet 16 (with Justina Gaynor grabbing multiple All-American Honors (United Soccer Coaches, United Soccer Coaches Scholar, CSC 2nd Team Academic)
Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
4. Ozan Baris becoming the first Spartan Tennis Player to advance to the NCAA singles final!
Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
3. Spartan Heath Baldwin winning the Olympic Trials and taking 10th at the Olympics in the Decathlon in Paris this summer!
Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
2. MSU’s Women’s Gymnastics Team Winning the B1G Championship Outright !
Dale Young-Imagn Images
And the favorite MSU Sports Feel of the year: Senior Guard, Steven Izzo, scoring his first points of his caree r crossing over the defender and hitting in an incredible “And-1” along the baseline, falling out of bounds – and netting the bonus from the line, on January 14th against Rutgers.
(Honorable Mentions to Coach Dantonio’s induction into the College Football Hall of Fame and Men’s Soccer player Zac Kelly being named the B1G Goalie of the Year)
The order is certainly open for discussion – as well as other nominees, we definitely welcome your thoughts. Have a fantastic New Year and see you in 2025!
[Editor’s note: I am going to add an 11th item to this list, one near and dear to my heart. The hiring of three fantastic writers to the TOC staff. Mike’s coaching perspectives, Steve’s long-missing hockey coverage and music-inspired football recaps, and Brian’s statistical research have made this blog a much better place for MSU coverage. And I am happy to be a part of it.]
Go Green.