2008

Stock markets crashed all over the world on January 21, due primarily to the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the U.S. Banks had been writing risky mortgage loans for years, secure in the knowledge that the federal government had promised to bail them out. Not only that, then they bundled the risky mortgages into secondary investments which both they and their buyers pretended were secure. Soon, the 158-year-old investment banking firm Lehman Brothers was bankrupt and out of business. Otherwise, nobody was really ever held accountable for all of the fraud and corruption, well, except for the millions of ordinary Americans who lost their jobs and homes. Other investment bankers who had stolen those millions of jobs and homes and were every bit as culpable as Lehman  used the government bail-out to pay themselves bonuses. 

But, it was a great year for Minnesota colleges in the Northern Sun Conference. Minnesota-Duluth won the state’s first D2 football championship under coach Bob Nielson, defeating NW Missouri State 21-14 in the NCAA final. The biggest win, however, was over perennial power Grand Valley State 19-13 in OT in the semi. Grand Valley came into that game 51-1 with two NCAA titles in the previous four years. Winona State won its second men’s basketball title in three years, beating Augusta State 87-76 in the final. Concordia (St. Paul) repeated as volleyball champions as Maggie MacNamara won player of the year honors.

• The Minnesota Gopher women’s soccer team had its best year ever, going 22-4, winning the Big 10 title, and getting to the NCAA Sweet 16. The Gopher women’s hockey team went 21-5-2 under new coach Brad Frost but lost two big games to the Wisconsin Badgers.

                                                                                                                                                     

• The Minnesota Vikings went 10-6 but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 26-14, in the first round of the playoffs. Running back (RB) Adrian Peterson led the NFL in rushing with 1,760 yards in just his second year in the league and won several MVP awards. The Minnesota Wild had another successful regular season, but they too lost their first playoff series after leading three games to one. Marion Gaborik scored 83 points in the regular season. 

• Danielle Schmidt led New Life Academy to the state softball title, throwing two no-hitters and giving up just one hit in three games.

• Burnsville native Lindsey Vonn attained a #1 world ranking for the first time in 2008 in the downhill and overall. 

Year	Athlete of the Year	Team of the Year	Coach of the Year	Event of the Year
2008	1. Peterson 2. Marion Gaborik, Minnesota Wild, F 3. Vonn	1 (tie). Concordia (St. Paul) volleyball (37-1) Minnesota-Duluth football (15-0) Winona State basketball (all NCAA Division 2 champions) 2 (tie). Minnesota Gopher women’s hockey (21-5-2) Minnesota Gopher women’s soccer (22-4, Big 10 champion) 3. Minnesota Wild (46-32 including playoffs)	1. Bob Nielson, Minnesota-Duluth football 2. Mikki Denney Wright, Minnesota Gopher soccer 3. Brad Frost, Minnesota Gopher women’s hockey	1. Minnesota-Duluth defeated Grand Valley State 19-13 in OT in the D2 football semi-final. 2. The Wild led Colorado 3 games to 1 in their first round playoff series, then lost 3 straight games. 3. Danielle Schmidt of New Life threw two no-hitters at the state softball tournament.