Spring Success Continues Trend of Exceeding Expectations
4/16/2018 12:00:00 AM | General, Fire Up Chats
Spring has sprung (if somewhat inconsistently) in Mount Pleasant, and what a start to the spring it has been for the Chippewas.
Like so many of you, I enjoyed the historic run by our women's basketball program as they reached the sweet sixteen. Coach Sue Guevara, her staff and student-athletes not only made the college basketball world take notice, but inspired us all to re-imagine what success looks like at CMU.
Coach Keno Davis and his team should also be commended on a solid month of March. Our men's basketball program showed tremendous resiliency and earned two postseason victories in the CIT to eclipse the 20-win mark.
Moving from the gym to the field, I want to highlight one of our newest programs. I am proud of what Sara Tisdale her staff and lacrosse student-athletes have accomplished. While I have set forth the expectation that all our programs aspire to compete for championships, seeing a program in just its third season sitting atop the conference standings is truly remarkable.
I would be remiss if I didn't commend our gymnastics program on earning yet another MAC championship and trip to the NCAA regional competition. A special congratulations to sophomore Denelle Pedrick, who punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships with a first-place finish in the floor exercise.
Success in many ways is a byproduct of expectations. The expectations we set for ourselves and others are the truest barometer of accomplishment. Tonight, we'll celebrate the student-athletes and coaches who have exceeded even the loftiest of expectations at the first Chippewa Athletic Awards. Our staff has done a tremendous job putting this event together, and it should be a memorable night for our department.
In the same way that I've challenged our programs to raise the bar, university leadership has set forth the same challenge to our entire department. On Saturday, April 21, Central Michigan University will be launching just the second capital campaign in its history. This ambitious campaign is driven by the central tenet of boldly reimagining this great university through an investment in student success.
The Chippewa Champions Center, a consistent topic of conversation in these chats of ours, has enjoyed tremendous support in the early stages of our fundraising for this facility. I believe this is directly linked to the ambitious scope of the project. This facility's potential to impact student success across the board marks it as nothing short of a game-changer for CMU. Our development team and I have worked hard to showcase this project to many of our supporters and, as the design phase nears its completion, we can't wait to share the finished renderings with you all.
Finally, as you're no doubt aware we are in the heart of our 2018 Chippewa Athletic Fund Membership drive. I'd like to take a moment to echo our staff in saying that your annual fund support continues to serve as the most fundamental way to support student-athlete success. Your gifts to the CAF provide a financial foundation for all 18 of our programs. Whether you're a longtime Chippewa Club member or considering making your first gift, please know that your dollars truly make a difference.
Thank you for all that you've done and all you continue to do to make CMU such a great university.
Fire up Chips!
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