By Catherine Laroche

Last year, U of L athletics embedded many memorable moments into the minds of several Cardinal fans. Who could forget when then freshman Stewart Lijames hit a two-run double to break a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning of the Big East Championship game to seal the win over Cincinnati? Although that’s a great moment, it just missed our top 10.

1. Men’s basketball whites out No. 6 Georgetown.  On Feb. 9, ESPN’s College Gameday crew strolled into Freedom Hall along with the thousands of fans dressed in white. U of L coach Rick Pitino even participated wearing a nice all white suit. Then Senior forward David Padgett scored 18 points to assist Louisville in the 59-51 win over Georgetown.

2. Women’s basketball makes their first Sweet 16 appearance. The No. 4 seeded Cardinals took on top-seeded North Carolina on Mar. 29. Although their road to the final four was ended that day, McCoughtry outstandingly scored 35 points against the Tar Heels.

3. Fathauer qualifies for the U.S. Open. On June 2, senior men’s golfer Derek Fathauer finished in a tie for third place at the 2008 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying Event to qualify for the U.S. Open. Earlier that year, he helped guide U of L to a tenth-place finish in the NCAA Championships. He shot 67-68=135 to qualify for the event.

4. U of L represents at the Summer Olympics. In August, Louisville head coaches Arthur Albiero (Swimming and Diving), Ron Mann (Track and Field) and Pam Bustin (Field Hockey) all coached at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Swimming and Diving represented the Cards in the Olympics as seniors Vali Preda, Adam Madarassy and Andrei Radzionau competed in the Summer Olympics.

5. Lacrosse makes their first debut. The Cards not only played their first game ever on Feb. 22, but they also got the win as they defeated Bryant 21-3. Former freshman Bergan Foley scored four goals and six points, while former freshman Sierra Smith-Hart had four goals in the victory. 727 fans witnessed history while showing their support and braving the ugly weather.

6. Women’s basketball attempts to tame the Huskies. 19,123 screaming loud fans piled into Freedom Hall to pack the house against No. 1 Connecticut on Jan. 12. Former junior Angel McCoughtry was 8-for-12 from the field, scoring 30 points and 11 rebounds. However, that wasn’t enough to hold off UCONN, as the Huskies won 92-71.

7. Football takes down No. 14 South Florida. Many U of L students were shocked when the Cardinals upset the Bulls. On Oct. 25, Senior quarterback Hunter Cantwell threw for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Junior wide-receiver Scott Long sealed the win with a 24-yard touchdown with only 7:07 left on the game clock.

8. Men’s soccer upsets two top five teams consecutively. On Sept. 28, after Senior Aaron Clapham tied the game, sophomore Austin Berry scored the game-winner in overtime to snap Notre Dame’s seven-game winning streak. No. 2 St. Johns tried to stop the Cards on Oct. 4. but Senior John Jonke scored in the 57th minute to win the game 2-1.

9. Men’s basketball makes an appearance in the Elite 8. On Mar. 28, No. 3 seeded Cardinals turned up their defense and battled No. 2 seeded University of Tennessee for 60-79 advancement to the Elite 8. Junior forward Earl Clark was quite impressive throughout the NCAA tournament, but it was his driving layup, baseline jumper and converted three-point play in a 13-5 run against the Vols that helped the Cards pull-away.

10. The Nest is formed. In September, “The Nest” was announced as the new student spirit initiative developed by the partnership of the Athletic Department, Student Government Association and the President’s Office. Their purpose is to promote school spirit through the student body. Since then, “The Nest” has been pretty creative in showing their support in U of L athletics.