Men's Gymnastics

mgoblue.com

The Michigan Wolverines men's gymnastics team won another national championship Friday at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They won back-to-back titles and its sixth NCAA title. The Wolverines finished with 445.050 points to win and Michigan's Sam Mikulak won a second consecutive all-around title with 91.10 points.

Finishing behind Michigan in second place was Oklahoma with 441.650, third was Stanford with 436.300 points, Illinois was fourth with 435.350 and Ohio State finished fifth with 433.500 points.

mgoblue.com

On Saturday, Michigan ended with many All-Americans in the NCAA Individual Event Finals in Ann Arbor. All-Around champion Sam Mikulak was crowned the parallel bar champion with a 15.875 score. Syque Caesar placed third on the parallel bars with a 15.325. Caesar placed fifth on the high bar with a 14.975.

On floor, Mikulak finished fourth with 15.125. Stacey Ervin ended 15th with a score of 15.100. On the vault, Tristian Perez-Rivera earned a 14.900 for seventh place and Mikulak placed behind Perez-Rivera in eighth with a 14.800.

National Champions

Associated Press/John Bazemore

The Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team defeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish 79-58 Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee to win the NCAA Division I National Championship. The Huskies capped off a perfect season with a record of 40-0. Also with the win, UConn coach Geno Auriemma won a ninth n
ational championship. In national championship games, Auriemma is 9-0.

Leading the way for the Huskies was  Breanna Stewart with 21 points. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis followed with 18 points and Stefanie Dolson has 17 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assists.

Dad

John Wayne Clark
April 10, 1942 - August 15, 1998

Today is your 72nd birthday. Wish you were still here to celebrate with you.

I miss you and love you.
Happy birthday Dad.

Books read in 2014

Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead do Tell Tales, William Bass & Jon Jefferson
The Big Roads, Earl Swift
Never Suck A Dead Man's Hand: Curious Adventures of a CSI, Dana Kollmann 
Confessions of a Surgeon, Paul A. Ruggieri M.D.
Lincoln's Grace Robbers, Steve Sheinkin
Why Your Prescription Takes So Damn Long to Fill, Drugmonkey
Beyond the Body Farm, Dr. Bill Bass & Jon Jefferson
The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession, Mark Obmascik
True Hollywood Noir: Filmland Mysteries and Murders, Dina Di Mambro
Island of Vice: Theodor Roosevelt's Quest to Clean Up Sin-Loving New York, Richard Zacks   
Mortal Evidence: The Forensics Behind Nine Shocking Cases, Cyril H. Wecht
Amelia, Nancy Nahra
Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures, Robert K. Wittman & John Shiffman 
The Fault in Our Stars, John Green
Hot Lights, Cold Steel, Michale J. Collins, M.D.
Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs, Michael J. Collins M.D. 
Dark Dreams: A Legendary FBI Profiler Examines Homicide and the Criminal Mind, Roy Hazelwood & Stephen G. Michaud 
Swim, Bike, Run: Our Triathlon Story, Alistair Brownlee & Jonathan Brownlee
The Stranger Beside Me, Ann Rule
Beauty, Disrupted: The Carre Otis Story, Carre Otis & Hugo Schwyzer
House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder and Survival, Deborah Ball
Trama: My Life as an Emergency Surgeon, Dr. James Cole

Currently Reading: Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies, J.B. West

Then there were two: Part 2

fansided.com

It is the game that most women's basketball fans wanted to see. No. 1 vs No. 2. Tonight, that game will happen in Nashville.

For the first time ever, two unbeaten's, No. 1 Connecticut (39-0) vs No. 1 Notre Dame (37-0) will play each other in the National Championship game at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Associated Press/John Bazemore

These two programs have been the best all season. To reach the championship game, Notre Dame downed Maryland 87-61 and
Connecticut defeated Stanford 75-56.

I like both of these two teams, but I like Connecticut more. I want to see Connecticut reach 40-0 and win their ninth championship.

Then there were two: Part 1

USA Today/Matthew Emmons

Associated Press

It all comes down to this. Two teams are left and the winner will be crowned tonight.

After the tournament started weeks ago, two teams are left standing: Connecticut Huskies and Kentucky Wildcats. To reach the men's basketball finals, Connecticut and Kentucky played Final Four games on Saturday. No. 7 seed Connecticut downed overall No. 1 seed Florida 63-53. In the second game of the evening, No. 8. Kentucky beat No. 2 Wisconsin. Kentucky beat Wisconsin with a 3-pointer from Aaron Harrison with 5.7 seconds to play. Harrison was also the one to make the game winning shot against Michigan in the Elite Eight.

Kentucky and Connecticut will meet tonight at 9:10 p.m. ET to decide who the National Champions are. The game will be broadcast on CBS from AT&T Stadium in Arli
ngton, Texas.

Books read in 2014

Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead do Tell Tales, William Bass & Jon Jefferson
The Big Roads, Earl Swift
Never Suck A Dead Man's Hand: Curious Adventures of a CSI, Dana Kollmann 
Confessions of a Surgeon, Paul A. Ruggieri M.D.
Lincoln's Grace Robbers, Steve Sheinkin
Why Your Prescription Takes So Damn Long to Fill, Drugmonkey
Beyond the Body Farm, Dr. Bill Bass & Jon Jefferson
The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession, Mark Obmascik
True Hollywood Noir: Filmland Mysteries and Murders, Dina Di Mambro
Island of Vice: Theodor Roosevelt's Quest to Clean Up Sin-Loving New York, Richard Zacks   
Mortal Evidence: The Forensics Behind Nine Shocking Cases, Cyril H. Wecht
Amelia, Nancy Nahra
Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures, Robert K. Wittman & John Shiffman 
The Fault in Our Stars, John Green
Hot Lights, Cold Steel, Michale J. Collins, M.D.
Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs, Michael J. Collins M.D. 
Dark Dreams: A Legendary FBI Profiler Examines Homicide and the Criminal Mind, Roy Hazelwood & Stephen G. Michaud 
Swim, Bike, Run: Our Triathlon Story, Alistair Brownlee & Jonathan Brownlee
The Stranger Beside Me, Ann Rule
Beauty, Disrupted: The Carre Otis Story, Carre Otis & Hugo Schwyzer
House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder and Survival, Deborah Ball
 
Currently Reading: Trama: My Life as an Emergency Surgeon, Dr. James Cole

Women's final four

USA Today/Bruce Thorson

The women's final four will take place on Sunday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The teams left in the tournament are Connecticut, Maryland, Notre Dame and Stanford.

Notre Dame will play Maryland Sunday at 6:30 p.m. EST. Connecticut faces Stanford at 9 p.m. Both games will be broadcasted on ESPN. The National Championship game will be played next Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN.

I would like to see Connecticut and Notre Dame play for the National Championship. As which team I want to win is Connecticut. I really like Coach Geno Auriemma. His team has had many injuries this season and has a limited bench. With that limited bench and the combination of the starting five: Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson, Bria Hartley, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Stefanie Dolson, they were able to stay undefeated. Everything they do on the court, is for the team.

NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four

mgoblue.com

I was really hoping that three Big Ten teams would make the trip to North Texas. After the weekend, only one Big Ten team will make the trip: Wisconsin. I would like to see a Big Ten team win it all. So good luck to the Badgers.

This past Saturday, Wisconsin defeated No. 1 seed Arizona 64-63. On Sunday, Michigan State lost to Connecticut 60-54 and Michigan lost to Kentucky 75-72. Two close games. Michigan was denied going back to the Final Four when Kentucky's Aaron Harrison made a 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds left in the game.

The NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four will take place at the AT&T Stadium in North Texas Saturday. Overall No. 1 seed Florida will take on Connecticut at 6:09 p.m. EST and Wisconsin will play Kentucky at 8:49 p.m
.

Books read in 2014

Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead do Tell Tales, William Bass & Jon Jefferson
The Big Roads, Earl Swift
Never Suck A Dead Man's Hand: Curious Adventures of a CSI, Dana Kollmann 
Confessions of a Surgeon, Paul A. Ruggieri M.D.
Lincoln's Grace Robbers, Steve Sheinkin
Why Your Prescription Takes So Damn Long to Fill, Drugmonkey
Beyond the Body Farm, Dr. Bill Bass & Jon Jefferson
The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession, Mark Obmascik
True Hollywood Noir: Filmland Mysteries and Murders, Dina Di Mambro
Island of Vice: Theodor Roosevelt's Quest to Clean Up Sin-Loving New York, Richard Zacks   
Mortal Evidence: The Forensics Behind Nine Shocking Cases, Cyril H. Wecht
Amelia, Nancy Nahra
Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures, Robert K. Wittman & John Shiffman 
The Fault in Our Stars, John Green
Hot Lights, Cold Steel, Michale J. Collins, M.D.
Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs, Michael J. Collins M.D. 
Dark Dreams: A Legendary FBI Profiler Examines Homicide and the Criminal Mind, Roy Hazelwood & Stephen G. Michaud 
Swim, Bike, Run: Our Triathlon Story, Alistair Brownlee & Jonathan Brownlee
The Stranger Beside Me, Ann Rule
Beauty, Disrupted: The Carre Otis Story, Carre Otis & Hugo Schwyzer

Currently Reading: House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder and Survival, Deborah Ball

World Half Marathon Championships

David Monti

David Monti

The IAAF World Half Marathon Championships took place Saturday in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The women's overall team title was won by Kenya with a total time of 3:23:05. Ethiopia was second, Japan was third. The USA women's team finished fifth overall in the team standings with a time of 3:32:45.

Winning the men's team title was Eritrea with a time of 2:58:59. Keyna followed in second and Ethiopia in third. The USA men's team finished in seventh overall.

Winning the half marathon was Kenya's Gladys Cherono in 1:07:29. Cherono's teammates finished right behind her in second and third. Mary Wacera Ngugi was second in 1:07:44 and Selly Chepyego Kaptich was third in 1:07.44. Americans Annie Bersagel and Lauren Kleppin both had personal bests (PB) at the race. Bersagel lowered her PB by two minutes finishing in 1:10:09 for 13th place. Kleppin finished right behind her in 14th place in 1:10:05. Other top American finishers were Clara Santucci in 34th in 1:12:21. That was also a PB for Santucci. Mattie Suver finished in 36th in 1:12:41 and Wendy Thomas was 44th in 1:14:06.

Geoffrey Kipsan Kamworor won the men's race in 59:08. Samuel Tsegay of Eritrea was second with a PB in 59:21 and Guye Adola rounded out the podium in third with a PB in 59:21.The American men had a PB too. Josphat Boit finished 21st with a PB of 1:01:32. Other USA finishers were Tyler Pennel in 33rd in 1:02:19. Matt Llano in 35th (1:02:24), Shadrack Biwott (39th - 1:02:27) and Fernando Cabada (46th - 1:02:53).

Books read in 2014

Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead do Tell Tales, William Bass & Jon Jefferson
The Big Roads, Earl Swift
Never Suck A Dead Man's Hand: Curious Adventures of a CSI, Dana Kollmann 
Confessions of a Surgeon, Paul A. Ruggieri M.D.
Lincoln's Grace Robbers, Steve Sheinkin
Why Your Prescription Takes So Damn Long to Fill, Drugmonkey
Beyond the Body Farm, Dr. Bill Bass & Jon Jefferson
The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession, Mark Obmascik
True Hollywood Noir: Filmland Mysteries and Murders, Dina Di Mambro
Island of Vice: Theodor Roosevelt's Quest to Clean Up Sin-Loving New York, Richard Zacks   
Mortal Evidence: The Forensics Behind Nine Shocking Cases, Cyril H. Wecht
Amelia, Nancy Nahra
Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures, Robert K. Wittman & John Shiffman 
The Fault in Our Stars, John Green
Hot Lights, Cold Steel, Michale J. Collins, M.D.
Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs, Michael J. Collins M.D. 
Dark Dreams: A Legendary FBI Profiler Examines Homicide and the Criminal Mind, Roy Hazelwood & Stephen G. Michaud 
Swim, Bike, Run: Our Triathlon Story, Alistair Brownlee & Jonathan Brownlee
The Stranger Beside Me, Ann Rule

Currently Reading: Beauty, Disrupted: The Carre Otis Story, Carre Otis & Hugo Schwyzer

NCAA Basketball Tournament

USA Today/Mike Carter

The NCAA basketball tournament is entering the Sweet Sixteen tonight and Friday.

Only one of my favorite men's basketball teams made it that far. Michigan will play Tennessee Friday in Indianapolis at 7:15 p.m. EST. If Michigan wins, they will play again on March 30 in the Elite Eight. Duke, my other favorite team, was knocked out of the tournament in the first round by (14) Mercer. Another early exit for the Blue Devils.

In the women's tournament, only two of the teams that I like are out of the tournament. Duke lost to DePaul and Nebraska lost to Brigham Young both in the second round. Teams that I like that are still playing are Connecticut, Notre Dame, Baylor and Penn State.

Associate Press/Keith Spakocic

Baylor plays Kentucky Saturday at 12 p.m EST, Notre Dame will meet Oklahoma State Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and Connecticut faces Brigham Young Saturday at 4:30 p.m. On Sunday, Penn State plays Stanford at 4:30 p.m.

The Michigan women's basketball team is still playing in the WNIT. They have also reached the Sweet Sixteen by defeating Duquesne Monday. Their next game is today against Bowling Green at 7 p.m. I wish that the WNIT was also on TV. ESPN has been broadcasting the men's NIT games.

It would be awesome to have all of the teams that I like watching advance to the Elite Eight.

Michigan gymnastics

mgoblue.com

The Michigan Wolverines women's gymnastics team won the Big Ten title Saturday in State College, Pennsylvania. The No. 8-ranked Wolverines performed in the first session of the championships and ended with a score of 197.550. The Wolverines had to watch the second session to see if their team score would hold up and win the championship. Coming in second was Nebraska, who competed in the second session, with the score of 196.950.

Michigan had a program best on floor exercise with a score of 49.700. Joanna Sampson was co-champion on the floor with Nebraska's Emily Wong. Sampson and Wong both recorded perfect 10.0s. Sampson also won the uneven bars title with a score of 9.925. Nicole Artz was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Next up for the Wolverines is the NCAA Regionals on April 5. Michigan will compete as a No. 2 seed at Athens, Georgia. Other teams in the Athens region are Georgia, Central Michigan, Ohio State, North Carolina State and Rutgers.

Books read in 2014

Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead do Tell Tales, William Bass & Jon Jefferson
The Big Roads, Earl Swift
Never Suck A Dead Man's Hand: Curious Adventures of a CSI, Dana Kollmann 
Confessions of a Surgeon, Paul A. Ruggieri M.D.
Lincoln's Grace Robbers, Steve Sheinkin
Why Your Prescription Takes So Damn Long to Fill, Drugmonkey
Beyond the Body Farm, Dr. Bill Bass & Jon Jefferson
The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession, Mark Obmascik
True Hollywood Noir: Filmland Mysteries and Murders, Dina Di Mambro
Island of Vice: Theodor Roosevelt's Quest to Clean Up Sin-Loving New York, Richard Zacks   
Mortal Evidence: The Forensics Behind Nine Shocking Cases, Cyril H. Wecht
Amelia, Nancy Nahra
Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures, Robert K. Wittman & John Shiffman 
The Fault in Our Stars, John Green
Hot Lights, Cold Steel, Michale J. Collins, M.D.
Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs, Michael J. Collins M.D. 
Dark Dreams: A Legendary FBI Profiler Examines Homicide and the Criminal Mind, Roy Hazelwood & Stephen G. Michaud 
Swim, Bike, Run: Our Triathlon Story, Alistair Brownlee & Jonathan Brownlee

Currently Reading: The Stranger Beside Me, Ann Rule

Kara Goucher

oiselle.com

A huge announcement was made last Thursday. Marathon superstar Kara Goucher signed with Oiselle.

Goucher was shopping around for sponsors back in January and Sally Bergesen, CEO of Oiselle, received an email from Goucher. Goucher wrote in her email that she loves Oiselle and what the company stands for.

Goucher flew to Seattle to meet with Sally, other Oiselle superstar Lauren Fleshman, and other Oiselle athletes and employees.

After the Seattle trip, Goucher had many offers from other companies. In the end, she signed with Oiselle because she 'followed her heart'.

I am so honored to call Kara Goucher a teammate.

Read articles and blog posts about Goucher joining Oiselle: Sally Bergesen, Kara Goucher, The Oregonian and Runner's World.

Books read in 2014

Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead do Tell Tales, William Bass & Jon Jefferson
The Big Roads, Earl Swift
Never Suck A Dead Man's Hand: Curious Adventures of a CSI, Dana Kollmann 
Confessions of a Surgeon, Paul A. Ruggieri M.D.
Lincoln's Grace Robbers, Steve Sheinkin
Why Your Prescription Takes So Damn Long to Fill, Drugmonkey
Beyond the Body Farm, Dr. Bill Bass & Jon Jefferson
The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession, Mark Obmascik
True Hollywood Noir: Filmland Mysteries and Murders, Dina Di Mambro
Island of Vice: Theodor Roosevelt's Quest to Clean Up Sin-Loving New York, Richard Zacks   
Mortal Evidence: The Forensics Behind Nine Shocking Cases, Cyril H. Wecht
Amelia, Nancy Nahra
Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures, Robert K. Wittman & John Shiffman 
The Fault in Our Stars, John Green
Hot Lights, Cold Steel, Michale J. Collins, M.D.
Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs, Michael J. Collins M.D. 
Dark Dreams: A Legendary FBI Profiler Examines Homicide and the Criminal Mind, Roy Hazelwood & Stephen G. Michaud

Currently Reading: Swim, Bike, Run: Our Triathlon Story, Alistair Brownlee & Jonathan Brownlee