By JOHN KEREZY, eyeoncleveland.com founder
CLEVELAND, MARCH 27, 2026 — At the NCAA Division I National Championship tournament in Cleveland this past weekend. Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink earned his second individual national title of his collegiate career on Saturday night, defeating Iowa’s Mikey Caliendo for first place in the 165-lb championship matchup.
On the championship podium, Mesenbrink shook hands with all the other finalists. But Caliendo refused to shake his opponent’s extended hand. Poor sportsmanship.
Sadly, athletics are now filled with such bad examples. Here’s another: Unable to accept defeat, the Edina HS hockey team started a brawl against Moorhead, the school which defeated them 3-1 in the Minnesota state tournament semifinals, earlier this month. The fight began after the game was over.
On the other hand, look at the incomparable track and field superstar named Jesse Owens. Nicknamed the Buckeye Bullet, he was acclaimed for being a great sport on and off the field of competition. It was precisely 90 years ago on this date when Owens exhibited one of the best examples of sportsmanship, against his No. 1 track opponent no less. Here is the story of Eulace Peacock and his rival-turned-friend, Jesse Owens. Please click just below to continue reading (this story was originally written in 2024).
Additional sources for the 2026 post:
eyeoncleveland 