After 135 wins, 24 athletes receiving league honors, and 16 athletes recognized as MIAA Player of the Week, many agree that the 2007 to 2008 school year was a successful one in Briton sports.

“It is a great time to be a Briton,” said Bobby Lee, Albion College sports information director.

After polling 100 students, The Pleiad has determined the top five best sports moments at Albion, for the 2007 to 2008 school year.

Albion students determined the fifth place spot to go to the women’s cross-country team.

It was a race that was seven years in the making. After fighting through rain and cold conditions, the Albion College women’s cross-country team edged out Hope at the MIAA Championships.

The team’s second-place finish was the best showing since 2000, making 74 percent of the students feel that the women’s cross-country team deserves the fifth place spot.

“Most of the people associated with MIAA Cross Country, the Albion College Women’s finish ahead of Hope College was an upset,” said Hayden Smith, head coach. “To the members of the team, placing second was the objective from the beginning of summer training.”

The team was lead by seniors Megan Fitpatrick, Marshall; Shauna Paradine, Schoolcraft; and Carrie Oleszkowicz, Plymouth. Albion beat Hope by three points in the championship standings, with a score of 75 points.

“The key was the improvement through hard work of the athletes,” Smith said.

Women’s cross-country battled Hope at the MIAA Championships, and women’s basketball met the Lady Dutch in the final round of the MIAA tournament.

After going 15-11 last season, women’s basketball finished 2008 with an overall record of 22-5. Albion finished second in the league.

“The women’s squads stepped up this year with second place finishes in the MIAA in cross country, soccer and basketball,” Lee said.

Receiving 50 percent of all fourth-place votes, students voted the women’s basketball turnaround season and finals appearance as the fourth best sport’s moment of the year.

On the road to the finals, women’s basketball defeated Alma and Adrian before losing to Hope in the final game, 70-59.

However, men’s soccer was able to find a way to win against Hope, not once but twice in its 2007 season.

Not since 1984 have men’s soccer won both regular season games against Hope. Students voted the sweep against Hope the third best sport’s moment at Albion.

Men’s soccer received 43 percent of the third place vote. “It was awesome seeing my friends beat Hope,” said Emily Zande, Jackson sophomore. “I know that they worked really hard and they deserved both wins. I am proud of them.”

Albion won the first game of the sweep on Sept. 19. The Britons shutout Hope, 2-0. Then, on Oct. 13., Albion beat Hope in overtime. Andy Low, Niles senior, got the overtime goal to lead the Britons to a 1-0 victory.

Taking the runner-up spot for the top five Briton’s sport’s moments is women’s soccer.

The Lady Brits finished the 2007 season with a record of 7-2. Caitlin Bowman, Augusta sophomore, won the league’s M.V.P.

“I enjoyed watching Caitlin Bowman’s performance in soccer as she made a number of important plays for the women’s soccer program all season,” Lee said.

But it wasn’t Bowman’s performance or the team’s regular season record that got them voted into the second place spot, it was Albion winning the MIAA tournament.

In the MIAA championship tournament game, after 110 minutes of play, Albion went into a shoot out against Calvin.

The Lady Brit’s won the game and the tournament, beating the Knights, 3-2.

“The Calvin game was probably the best game we played,” said Ali Lindow, Canton sophomore. “As a team we all came together and we knew what we wanted. From the defense to the forwards we all worked hard.”

Student’s voted Albion’s tournament victory as the second best sports moment, receiving 52 percent of the vote.

The biggest landslide though was the first place sports moment.

Eighty-six of the 100 students polled voted Albion College’s number six play on SportsCenter as the best sport’s moment this season.

Albion beat Calvin 56-55 when DJ Mocini, Saugatuck senior, made a three-point shot as time expired. The win gave Albion sole possession of second place in the MIAA.

“I’ll never forget the minutes in Kresge when DJ. [Mocini] was editing the video of his game-winning shot against Calvin, and I was calling ESPN to learn how to deliver that clip for SportsCenter,” Lee said.

Albion went onto finish second in the league going 12-2.

The Britons were defeated in the MIAA tournament by Calvin in the semi-finals. Albion lost to Calvin by a score of 75-58.

Calvin might have sought revenge on the Britons in the tournament, but Mocini’s final shot is Albion College’s best sport’s moment of the year.

“I really just tried to get the shot off and give it a chance,” Mocini said. “That’s something we all will be able to tell our kids about some day.”