When you ask someone who their favorite athlete is, it’s almost always the same array of answers.
Michael Jordan. LeBron James. Lionel Messi. Tom Brady.
However, in the last few years, the sports world has experienced a significant shift. Now, strong, skilled, athletic women are making more of an impact on sports than anyone could have ever imagined.
It wasn’t until the 2024 NCAA <a href="https://comicvibe.com/xbox-aims-to-produce-more-movies-and-tv-shows-through-its-new-xp-division/” title=”Xbox Aims to Produce More Movies and TV Shows Through Its New XP Division”>Division I Women’s Basketball tournament that I came to this realization.
The women’s championship game, which featured Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes and the South Carolina Gamecocks, was all anyone could talk about. Clark’s outstanding performance throughout the season paired with the undefeated Gamecocks was the perfect storm.
According to ESPN, the game averaged 18.9 million viewers. At one point, 24.1 million people tuned in to the matchup.
A day later, the UConn and Purdue basketball teams competed in the men’s national championship. Only an average of 14.8 million fans watched this one.
This was the first time in history that the women’s basketball championship game had more viewers than the men’s game. Now, the sky’s the limit.
I remember watching that game so intently. I was on my spot on the couch. My dad was in his recliner. Our good luck spots.
And I didn’t dare miss a moment.
But this wasn’t new to us. We had always been watching.
Finally, the rest of the world was investing in the skill, the storylines and the rivalries that are so richly embedded in women’s sports.
Little girls everywhere had athletes they could look up to.
I participated in sports throughout my childhood and high school years, and I watched countless hours of college basketball and volleyball. Seeing athletes put their all into a sport I cared so much about made my love for the game grow.
It pushed me to be better.
That’s what women’s sports are all about.
Here at Central Michigan University, female athletes and coaches are what make our athletics special.
The CMU gymnastics team is a shining example of this. Coached by former Chippewa gymnast Christine MacDonald, the team has seen consistent success over the years.
According to statistics gathered from CMU Athletics, MacDonald has led the Chippewas to four Mid-American Conference championship titles in the past five years and two regular-season titles in 2022 and 2026.
CMU gymnasts Luciana Alvarado-Reid and Lia Kmiciak competed individually in the NCAA Regional gymnastics semifinal last season, where Alvarado-Reid tied for third out of seven athletes.
In the past two years, the gymnastics team has posted impressive overall records, ending 20-3 in 2025 and 19-2 in 2026.
On the softball diamond, the Chippewas thrive under head coach McCall Salmon. Salmon took over for the iconic Margo Jonker, who coached at CMU for 40 years. 34 of Jonker’s seasons were winning.
Now, the stadium is named after Jonker and serves as a constant reminder of her contribution to the program.
CMU softball made its 15th consecutive MAC conference tournament appearance last season, while also crushing program records.
They broke records for the highest team batting average as well as the most runs, hits and RBIs.
The Chippewas have been over .500 for the last two seasons, proving that they can hold their own and perform consistently.
Over at McGuirk Arena, the women’s basketball team boasts a history of excellence.
The program spent many years under the great Sue Guevara, who was head coach for 12 years.
Guevara led CMU to three regular-season championships, two MAC championship titles and 231 wins. She also won MAC coach of the year three times throughout her career.
The current head coach, Kristin Haynie, played for the Women’s National Basketball Association and was inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame for her collegiate career.
She spent time assistant coaching under Guevara and rebuilt the team with an emphasis on hard-nosed defense and rebounding.
In fact, the Chippewas ranked seventh in NCAA Division I in rebound margin last season.
CMU finished the 25-26 season 18-12 overall and 12-6 in the MAC, a 12-win improvement from Haynie’s first season as head coach back in 2023.
Haynie and her team aren’t just putting wins on the board. They’re building a culture of hard work that will leave a lasting impact on the program.
The head volleyball coach, Arielle Wilson, comes to CMU with another impressive background.
She won four national championships at her alma mater, Penn State, and was Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2007. On top of that, Wilson was a three-time AVCA All-American.
She played on the USA National Team in both 2012 and 2013 and went on to play four seasons professionally overseas.
After Wilson’s time on the court, she took to the sidelines, assistant coaching at Missouri, Georgia Tech, Michigan State and DePaul. Now, she pours her knowledge of the game into our Chippewas.
This is just scratching the surface. So many women play a role in participating in, coaching, directing and covering sports at CMU.
Central Michigan even has the sole female athletic director in the MAC, Amy Folan.
Since being hired in 2020, Folan has lifted CMU athletics to new heights.
She’s raised millions of dollars through campaigns, created an NIL program and pushed for better mental health and wellness services for athletes.
It’s not just about those directly involved, though. Women are becoming increasingly prevalent in the sports media world.
This inevitably comes with some pushback, but the steps we have taken forward far outweigh the criticism.
No one can take the progress away from us, especially not some insulting sports betting advertisement.
I work alongside amazing women who have taken charge and set an excellent example for those to come after them. Whether they hold a camera, pen or microphone, they all inspire me every day.
To be surrounded by that is a privilege, and I find it extremely exciting that future generations of young women will be able to experience this.
So, go to a gymnastics meet this spring. Watch a game at Margo Jonker Stadium or pack McGuirk Arena for a women’s basketball or volleyball game. Check out all the other women’s sports at Central Michigan.
You won’t regret it.
