Ah, the Olympics. The passion and intensity exhibited by the athletes are unmatched by any in the world. Except those in downtown Erie, of course. If you hadn’t heard enough about the faces of London 2012, here they are again — this time with a Gannon twist.
So in the spirit of the recently concluded Summer games, I introduce you to Gannon athletes by way of the Olympic hero whose accomplishments and careers most closely resembles theirs. Keep in mind that the Gannon athletes don’t have to play the same sport as their Olympic counterpart, nor do they even have to be of the same gender.
Inexact? Yes. Trivial? You betcha. But if you don’t like it, you can always move to Canada — or Mercyhurst.
Michael Phelps: Lauren Sazama — While Misty May-Treanor or Kerri Walsh may be seen as the logical choice, consider that the senior has improved every year and continues to rewrite Gannon’s history books: she is now a shoe-in to set the all-time points record and continues to climb the career kills list.
Usain Bolt: Amanda Teodorsson — What would the 6-foot 6-inch world’s fastest man from Jamaica have in common with the junior golfer from Sweden? Duh, winning. Teodorsson was Gannon’s lone PSAC champion a year ago
LeBron James: Robbie Bennett — As much a scorer and facilitator on the soccer field as LeBron is on the hardwood, Bennett’s unselfish play helped him lead the PSAC with 12 goals and rank fifth with five assists. On a sophomore, Bennett, like LeBron, still has his best days ahead of him.
Gabby Douglas: Justin Caliste — the waterbug scat back is a self-starting firecracker, just like the all-around gymnastics champion. His three return touchdowns in three minutes paralleled Douglas’ floor routine as signature performances.
Missy Franklin: Jennifer Papich — While she has already accomplished a great deal in her short time at Gannon, the basketball forward, like Franklin, is a great competitor who figures to only improve in the coming years.
Alex Morgan: Adam Blazek — While Adam might kill me if he ever reads this, it should be noted that the Knights’ point guard displayed a flair for the dramatic in his freshman season, not unlike that of the women’s soccer player who sent the U.S. to gold. His willing the Knights to an overtime victory over Edinboro in February was the stuff of legends.
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