By Nunnie Robinson, The Westside Gazette Sports Editor
Carpe Diem is an apt phrase to capture the essence of this past week in sports. The Florida Panthers, to the surprise of some, after losing at home in overtime to the Oilers, traveled to Edmonton with the series tied 2-2, then regained control with a dominating 5-2 victory. Returning to Amerant Bank Arena, the Panthers are primed to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup title. Go Panthers. Golfer JJ Spaun won his first major championship by clinching the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. Tied for the lead on the 17th tee, he made a birdie which put him position to win with a par. He seized the day and the Open by nailing a 64 foot putt to win by two.
The Oklahoma City Thunder continued the theme with a hard fought road victory over the Indiana Pacers, tying the series at 2-2, then returned home and soundly defeated the Pacers to take 3-2 lead, one win away from their first NBA championship.
The NCAA Men’s and Women’s track & field championships were decided over the weekend with little fanfare, except perhaps for the sports enthusiasts. The Lady Bulldogs of Georgia won the school’s first ever championship with a resounding victory over the field by some 12 points. The men’s side, however, was much more competitive as the championship came down to the 4 x 400 Relay. Incredibly, Southern California University led all competitors with a total of 40 points. The only other teams that had an opportunity to win the title were Texas A&M and Arkansas. Although the Aggies finished the race in second place and 8 points, the Trojans’ 8th place finish gave them 1 point and a share of the title with Texas A&M. Carpe diem -siezing the day – in full display in Eugene, Oregon.
