Miki Glenn loves a parade. In fact, she’s loved them way back to her time when she was spending most of her time in Bridgeport as a student in the local school system.

 

“I loved watching the homecoming parades and I really liked watching championship parades for teams on ESPN,” said Glenn, a 2013 Bridgeport High School graduate. “I was a big Miami Heat fan and remember how excited I got watching their championship parade, but I can tell you that it’s much more fun to be in one.”

 

Glenn was, in fact, in a parade this very day. It wasn’t a homecoming parade for the college she now attends and she wasn't representing a group in a local festival’s parade. Much like that parade with the Heat, Miki Glenn was in a parade held only for champions.

 

For those that don’t know – and anyone who frequents this Web site probably already does – Glenn and her California University of Pennsylvania teammates were the aforementioned parade because they won the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship last Friday with a relatively easy 86-69 win over California Baptist at the Sanford Pentagon court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

 

Although just a sophomore, Glenn was far from a small piece in the championship cog. Along with earning honorable mention All-America status this year, and being named the most valuable player of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament and the most outstanding player for the Atlantic region that followed, she earned all-tournament honors in the final four and capped everything with a career high total of 31 points in the championship game.

 

Am I surprised?

 

Not even remotely. Two years ago, I watched in complete awe as Glenn willed Bridgeport High School to its first-ever state girls' basketball title. Teams threw every defense in the world at her and she simply ate them up and did it in the most unselfish and yet totally dominating way possible.

 

As I sat watching and Tweeting updates from the game, I recalled a story about Patrick Ewing in the book “The Dream Team” where he talks about his college teammates getting on him to destroy Larry Bird once he made it to the NBA and how Ewing was certain it would be a piece of cake.

 

Upon watching Bird and competing against him at the pro level, Ewing called back to his former teammates and friends and said one thing about Larry Bird. Removing the expletive he put in front of it, Ewing simply said “Larry Bird is the truth.”

 

As Glenn dominated in that high school title game in ways that even the stat box couldn’t capture, I went to my personal Facebook page since I was about to make my own public declaration and not that of Connect-Bridgeport. I simply stated “Miki Glenn is the truth.”

 

She was the truth then. She’s the truth now.  She’s won two titles in three years and even her coach, Jess Strom, isn’t surprised at Glenn and what she’s accomplished, particularly in the championship game.

 

“Miki is a big time player; she makes big plays when we need them. She loves to play when it means something. I had faith that when it came to championship games she would be the one to step up,” said Strom.

 

Step up certainly fits. Glenn scored 21 of her game-high total in the second half. She was 10-of-17 from the floor and 10-for-10 from the foul line, which not only broke the will of the opposition, but the free throws broke the single-season PSAC record for free throws made (Glenn finished with 223 to snap the old mark of 219).

 

“Part of our game plan after watching the film was to get people coming off ball screens. When the time came, coach told me that we’re going to run plays for you. I just kept getting open for jump shots,” said Glenn. “I don’t think I’ve ever shot jump shots that well in my entire career, even before college.”

 

Here’s the thing: her college career is only half way over. Glenn is just a sophomore and already rewriting record books and doing the same things she did at Bridgeport – just on a much bigger stage. As her coach, Strom knows the ceiling is high after watching the progression from year one to year two as a member of the Vulcans.

 

“Miki has taken on more of a leadership role this year. She is our calming factor and we needed her on the floor as much as possible this season. She really worked hard all summer on her ‘weaknesses’ and she definitely showed improvement in those areas. She knew from the start of last summer that she was our point guard and she really took command of that role and did a great job for us,” said Strom. “Miki has been a joy to coach for the past two seasons and we are very lucky to have her here at Cal U. She is the ultimate student athlete, focusing on school just as much as she does basketball. The sky is the limit for Miki in her last two seasons with us.”

 

While Glenn is pleased to be with Cal U, she’s also been pleased to have someone else with her. She said in her first two years, her father Christopher has been at every single basketball game – including the road trip to Sioux Falls.

 

“He told me he didn’t care where my games are at, he’s going to be there,” said Glenn. “I’ll be honest and tell you that it made winning the title even more special with him there. Looking up and seeing my father at every game is something that provides me with comfort.”

 

This year, the comfort worked. Glenn averaged 16.5 points per game, while shooting .448 from the field and .364 from the 3-point line. She was also an impressive .851 from the foul line and averaged 4.8 rebounds from her point guard position.

 

“We knew from the beginning of the season, actually back to the end of last year, that we had something special,” said Glenn, a chemistry major who also knows a few things about team chemistry. “We felt we had the pieces in place on offense and the ability to play defense at a championship level, which we knew was the most important thing. The defense is what put us over the top.”

 

Defense and, of course, a good helping of Miki Glenn helped out too. That, my friends, is the truth.

 

Editor's Note: Photos courtesy of California University of Pa.