When I arrived at Eastern last August, I didn’t know what to expect.

I knew I wanted to work for the newspaper, and I knew I wanted to write for sports.

But I knew nothing about any of the Eastern sports teams.

The MLB, the NBA, the NFL and even Big Ten football had forever enthralled me – but I could not tell you the names of just two teams in the Ohio Valley Conference.

I had plenty of friends of relatives who went to Eastern and had never mentioned anything about sporting events.

However, some of my favorite moments from my first year in Charleston – which don’t include the long nights with my friends – were at Eastern sporting events.

My first semester and first beat was the men’s soccer team. I had never really been interested in the sport until I starting covered it.

The games were fast-paced and exciting. The crowd was into the game, thanks to the men of Sigma Pi, and the athletes were talented and skilled.

Suddenly, I looked forward to every home game, rain or shine, and cannot wait until the season begins again next season.

For winter I covered indoor track and field and helped out with covering the women’s basketball team.

Track and field was another new experience for me, but I am glad I had the opportunity to cover it. Meets were always exciting, and the talented roster of both the men’s and women’s teams always left me with a winner to talk to.

Covering the women’s basketball team was something I did understand. I have followed basketball since I knew how to walk, and it still remains my favorite sport to watch live.

I had the opportunity to help cover the first Ohio Valley Conference Tournament game at Lantz Arena against Tennessee State, and that was one of the highlights of my year.

Even though a blanket of snow covered the campus, the gym was as full as I had ever seen it, and the atmosphere throughout the game was electric.

The women’s team willed themselves to victory that night, into the next round and then eventually to the title game.

Although Eastern may not be considered a sports school, and athletics is not the first thing anyone thinks about when they hear about Charleston, sports are what I’ll always remember about my freshman year.

Dan Cusack can be reached at 581-7944 or at dscusack@eiu.edu.