With Wichita State’s spring semester over, Sunflower sports writer Sean Marty compiled a list of the top five sports moments from the past school year. 

1. Men’s Basketball’s victory over Memphis

In front of a sold-out Charles Koch Arena crowd, the Shockers pulled off a statement victory against preseason favorite Memphis in January. 

Heading into the game, there was much anticipation on both sides, especially after WSU declared the game a “blackout” for the first time in seven years. The Shockers controlled the game from the tip and were able to pick up a 76-67 win against then-No. 21 Memphis. 

With this win, WSU was once again back in the national spotlight and looked poised for a return to the NCAA Tournament.

2. Baseball’s 12-game winning streak

Coming into this season, the Shocker baseball program was facing some uncertainty, but incoming coach Eric Wedge hardly missed a beat as he transitioned to coaching college baseball. 

WSU lost the first series of the year to Northwestern State. Besides that, the team didn’t lose a game before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

During the winning streak, the Shockers picked up sweeps against Texas Southern, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kansas State, Hofstra, Nevada, Air Force and Louisiana while also outscoring their opponents 85-36. This winning streak helped to rank the program nationally and brings some hope moving forward. 

3. Madison Perrigan breaks AAC home run record

Despite the shortened season, senior softball player Madison Perrigan etched her name into the record book, breaking the AAC Home Run Record with her 36th home run against The University of Kansas. 

The previous record holder was South Florida standout Lee Ann Spivey, who had 35 home runs in her career. During the offseason, Perrigan announced that she will return to complete her senior season. Currently, Perrigan is two home runs shy from the school record of 39, held by Laurie Derrico and Cacy Williams.

4. Winny Koskei wins back-to-back AAC Championships

For the second consecutive year, Winny Koskei was able to take home both the AAC runner of the year and also a first-place finish. 

Last year, Koskei became the first runner to take home the honor and will become the first to repeat. She was also awarded an NCAA Championships berth and was the lone Shocker to do so. At the meet in Terre Haute, Indiana, Koskei concluded her cross country season with a 47th-place finish.

5. Judd Easterling secures first career coaching victory

Following the retirement of legendary golf coach Grier Jones, it was unsure how well Judd Easterling would transition into his new role. 

In just the fourth event of the season, Easterling led the Shockers to his first career title at the Herb Wimberly Invitational. WSU was able to squeak out the victory by a total of three shots and finished the tournament shooting three-under-par as a team. 

Three of the five Shocker participants finished in the top 10, with sophomore Dawson Lewis tying for first place.