Top 5 Live Sports Moments

So this list is either moments I have been a part of, or seen live in person...

In no particular order...

1. State Track in 1997. This is where Gabe Jennings ran the 1600 Meter in 4:04. He dominated the race, and to watch a high schooler approach breaking the 4 min mile mark was awesome. Even more impressive because he was running against the clock. He wasn't being pushed or helped by anyone.

2. Cross Country Junior and Senior year. I lumped these two together, because I can. They were two amazing seasons. Junior year we won conference. I was our 7th runner and I believe I was 17th. We also then placed second at Sectionals and made it to State. The difference in Cross Country over other sports is that once the race is done, you know how individuals placed, but you don't know team scores. So they go through and announce the team scores. The suspense as they read off each team name is crazy. Then hearing them read off the third place team, and it not being you, and realizing you just qualified for state is an awesome feeling. Senior year we lost two of our top runners due to injury, so I went from being the 7th runner to being the 5th, which meant more score counted. We didn't win conference this year, so we were not as confident going into Sectionals, but again names were read, and they were not ours. We placed second again to make it to State. Running at State is a very interesting experience, just because of the crowd size.

3. The run to the State Football title for my high schools football team my junior year. It was great watching a group of classmates and friends roll through and undefeated season ultimately win the state title was awesome. In cross country, we ran state at a golf course in Wisconsin Rapids, the football team got to play at Camp Randal. Just a great team to watch, hey had 4 rushers go for 1,000 yards.

4. Attending the Brewers playoff game last year. I remember going to my first Brewer game at County Stadium as a kid, I remember listening to Brewer games in my room, and keeping track of starting line ups. My Paul Molitor poster on the wall to my Milwaukee Brewers batting glove. The Brewers are the sports team that I have followed the longest, and been the most loyal to. So just getting to see the Brewers in the playoffs was an amazing experience. I wish they would have won, but the fact that they lost does not take away from the experience. Plus, the Phillies ended up winning the World Series, so I got to see the Worlds Series champs play in the playoffs.

5. Track and Field day in 8th grade. My school had a day at the end of the school year where you could compete in different Track and Field events. In 8th Grade my father decided that he would compete with the 8th grade boys in the Mile. The mile has always been my favorite race, and while I knew I wasn't going to win, based on the fact that Nate Wolff was running, I was worried that my father would beat me. He was in pretty good shape, and ran on a regular basis, so I was not 100% confident I could beat him, but I set it as my goal. Since it made my list, I am sure you all already assume that I beat him, which I did. He came in third. Not only was it memorable since I beat my dad, it was also one of the few sports moments we shared. My father never was that sports inclined, he doesn't have a big interest in them, nor is he very good at any of them. Since sports have been such a big part of my life, it was cool to have this one moment with my dad.