For all of us here at Sac State, it’s time for finals. It’s time to get our semester grades and I think it’s time for Fall sports to get theirs. The criteria for grading are: improvement from last year, overall success, and my jackass opinion.

Volleyball

Congratulations to our volleyball team for once again making the NCAA tournament. They unfortunately lost in the first round of the NCAA’s, but they did win the Big Sky, when the coaches picked them to finish behind Northern Arizona. This is a young team, and they will have a lot of winning to do in the coming years. Semester Grade: A-

Football

When building a program, improvement every season is the main goal. However, for the Sac State football team, that didn’t quite cut it this year. They were one game better than they were last year, but at 7-4, they easily should have been 10-1. This was a good team, but they blew it. They choked in a few close games, and it cost them the Big Sky, and it cost them their first Division I trip to the playoffs. Semester Grade: C

Cross Country

Led by Melissa Madeson, the cross country men’s and women’s team had a quiet, but successful year. It’s not a very popular sport, but they keep running, they strive to be their best, and that is admirable. They didn’t make a great impact in national rankings, or dominate every meet, but the team put together a very nice season. Semester Grade: B

Women’s Soccer

The women’s soccer team put together the most impressive season of any of the fall sports teams. They improved mightily from their .500 record a year ago, finished the season 9-5-2, and entered the playoffs for the first time since 1997. They had seven selections to the all Big-Sky team, and although they lost in the playoffs, their young core provides promise to future success. Semester Grade: A

Men’s Soccer

There hasn’t been a better Hornets’ team at Sac State since 1995, when they went 8-10-1. This year they went 7-10-1, and they also beat the number two team in the country, Santa Clara. They had four all-conference selections, the most they’ve ever had, and they gave reason for future hope. However, the fact that they lost six straight games this year where they couldn’t muster a single goal cannot be overlooked. It’s like they showed up at the beginning and at the end, but they were absent during the heart of their year. Semester Grade: C-

Club Sports

You know what? Club sports rock! They do it on their own. They don’t have the support or money that the other sports do, and they make the best of it. They are the epitome of what sportsmanship and competitiveness represents. Who cares what their record is? Who cares if they win it all or wallow in the cellar of their respective divisions? They are recognized on sheer will and their existence is reason enough for them to be honored and recognized. Semester Grade: A+

There it is, Fall sports have come to an end and Spring sports are about to begin, or are currently in progress. Let’s give them some support, and give Sac State and the Sacramento community something to be proud of.

Comments,e-mail [email protected]