Following the end of the 1999 regular season, the Ball State University field hockey team was in a familiar position: finishing first in the Mid-American Conference and poised to win another championship.
Having lost six conference games during the 1990s, former coach Karen Fitzpatrick had built the Cardinals into a national powerhouse that expected to make the NCAA Tournament every season and would rarely disappoint.
The field hockey team, however, came a full 180 degrees this weekend. With home losses to Central Michigan University and Miami University, Ball State now has an 11-game losing streak -ยก- its worst in school history - and has guaranteed its eighth-consecutive losing season.
Whether the economy correcting itself or the field hockey team winning a game will come first is pretty unclear at this moment.
However, this team illustrates an important point to all Ball State fans: regardless of the sport, make sure to savor the sweetness of success when it occurs.
Ball State football has won its seventh game this season, elevating the program to new heights, and is ranked in the Associated Press Poll and Coaches Poll.
These past few seasons, we've been able to cheer on a team that we know has been doing well. If you've been around long enough, you'll probably remember some of the pains we underwent as we watched our football team lose 63-3 to Auburn University in 2005 or the home loss to Football Championship Subdivision North Dakota State University.
Make sure you are taking advantage of the opportunity to watch the team succeed this year.
This isn't to say the Cardinals will be unsuccessful next season, but you never know when the dynasty will begin to collapse.
And the football program is not alone in its success. Overall, the athletics department has been improving - field hockey's losing streak aside.
Women's volleyball's 4-2 MAC record might not seem like something to be excited about, but after a conference record of 4-12 last year, we should be giving the women pats on the back for the progressive step.
The women's golf team also is no stranger to a successful year. Last week, the team had what coach Katherine Mowat said was its biggest win in program history at the Iowa Invitational where it beat three Big Ten universities.
As good as it is to go to a school with an undefeated football season, don't forget that these triumphs very well could be short-lived. Enjoy it while it lasts, because you never know how long it is going to last.
Don't let these games go by without paying attention to them.
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