We say it every year, almost like a mad lib. “Boy what a year (insert year here) was!”
But it’s true. 2012 was quite the year. For me personally, it was the year I graduated from college, had a brief career in directing newscasts, went to the Olympics and found my first on-air job.
The nation elected to keep its current president for another four years, while suffering through natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy and witnessing tragedies such as the mass shootings in Aurora and Newtown.
I decided to look back at all my videos/reels that I’ve made and managed to compile a “Best of” from the past 12 months. When looking back at 2012, here are my top 5 stories of the year that I either reported on or had a hand producing/helping with.
5. WLAX Final Four: A Comeback for the Ages
While the men’s lacrosse team couldn’t even make it out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Syracuse’s women’s team returned to the Final Four following a come-from-behind victory over North Carolina.
This time, it was a seven-goal deficit that the Orange came back from in Stony Brook, defeating Florida in a double-overtime thriller. It would fall short of its first National Championship, losing to Northwestern two days later.
4. Amherst wins first-ever State title
Amherst has usually been known as a powerhouse in basketball, but never football. This season, senior dual-threat QB Chris Zblewski had led the Falcons, including a come-from-behind victory over Stratford. But what made this story memorable was that the Falcons won its first-ever state title without Zblewski, who was out with a knee injury.
What a way to cover my first state football championship in Wisconsin.
3. Syracuse advances to Elite Eight
Who knew that covering this game would be a sign that I would end up in Wisconsin? Syracuse’s final victory of the 2011-2012 campaign came against the Badgers in a game that came down to the final possession as the Orange barely makes it to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2003.
2. Alvarez comes back to coach Badgers
So the first thing that any coach would do after winning its third-straight conference title is leave, right? Well that’s what Bret Bielema did. Days after winning the Big Ten championship, Bielema surprised everyone and headed to Arkansas.
What happened next is pretty special.
1. London 2012: Games of the XXX Olympiad
Well duh. Just read this if you need to be reminded why this was my top story of the year. Plus, my experience in London eventually led me to my job now.
While 2012 was a tough year for many, I consider myself incredibly lucky that I got to do so many great things. Cheers to 2012 and looking forward to an even better year in 2013.
DeGuzman Sports 