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As soon as I sat in the booth for lunch, former Times-Dispatch sports writer John Packett said, "Virginia winning the national championship in men's basketball has to be the most significant achievement in the history of sports in the state.

"The only thing that comes close is Virginia Tech playing for the national championship in football in 1999 [the 1999 season, the 2000 Sugar Bowl game]."

I immediately said, "Really? Bigger than Arthur Ashe winning Wimbledon?"

"Yes," Packett said.

I checked with some sports fans I know, the oldest and older of the Notorious Woody Brothers.

"Biggest victory since Yorktown," said the oldest Notorious Woody Brother, who has a law degree from UVA.

And even though I've been around a while, I wanted to check with someone who's been around even longer.

So I called Bill Millsaps, former Times-Dispatch sports editor and columnist as well as managing editor and executive editor of the T-D, and Jack Berninger, former sports editor of the Richmond News Leader and The Times-Dispatch and now wine columnist for the T-D.

"I can't think of anything that would rival what UVA did and the way they did it," Millsaps said. "It galvanized the state."

Berninger mentioned the career of Petersburg native Moses Malone, who went from high school to the Utah Stars of the ABA and eventually became a three-time NBA MVP and hall of famer.

But as far as Virginia's national championship being No. 1, Berninger said, "I can't think of anything that compares.

Having said all this, we offer our opinion on the Top Five most significant sports accomplishments in the history of the state:

1. Virginia wins the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament

Why: It wasn't just that Virginia won the tournament, it also was that the Cavaliers won the year after suffering an historic loss in the NCAA tournament, becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed.

And it wasn't just going from suffering the worst loss in school history [even bigger than Chaminade in the Ralph Sampson era] to the greatest victory in state history, it also was the improbable comebacks in the final three games of the tournament.

Decades from now, people, not even avid basketball or UVA fans, will recall where they were when Virginia tied Purdue to force overtime in the South Region final on a shot at the buzzer by Mamadi Diakite, Kyle Guy made three free throws to beat Auburn, and when De'Andre Hunter hit a 3-pointer from the corner - screen by Guy, pass by Ty Jerome - to tie Texas Tech with 14 seconds left to force overtime.

2. Arthur Ashe wins the 1975 men's championship at Wimbledon

Why: Ashe, a Richmond native, had won the U.S. Open and Australian Open. A Wimbledon title had eluded him, and, in the championship match five days away from his 32nd birthday, he wondered if the 1975 tournament would be his last chance.

That year, Ashe was part of the first All-American final since 1947. His opponent was Jimmy Connors, the No. 1 seed and, at the time, the dominant performer on the men's circuit.

Connors was heavily favored, and he and Ashe were bitter rivals.Two days before Wimbledon began, Connors filed a $3 million lawsuit for libel against Ashe.

Ashe was known for his powerful game, but realized he couldn't match the pace Connors provided with his metal racket. Instead, Ashe countered with chips, slices, drop shots and lobs, moving Connors left to right, forward and back.

Ashe won in four sets, becoming the first, and so far only, black male player to claim the championship at the most prestigious tournament in tennis.

Soon thereafter, Connors dropped the lawsuit.

3. Secretariat wins the Triple Crown in 1973

Why: Secretariat was born at Meadow Farms in Caroline County, just north of Ashland. Also known as Big Red, the massive chestnut stallion stood 16 3/4 hands (5-feet-6) and weighed 1,200 pounds. He has been described as the nearly perfect race horse.

Over the course of a month, Secretariat left even the most casual observers of horse racing awestruck.

In the Kentucky Derby, the first of the Triple Crown races, Secretariat broke last from the gate, but came off the last turn of the 1 1/4 mile race (10 furlongs) and roared to a 2 1/2 length victory. Veteran observers rarely had seen such a run. Secretariat's time of 1:59.4 still stands as the Derby record.

At the Preakness, Secretariat again broke last from the gate. He looked hopelessly behind after the first turn, then appeared to turn on hidden turbo-chargers. Big Red passed the other horses as if they were standing still. Once he took the lead, Secretariat held it and was pulling away at the finish line, winning by 2 1/2 lengths and setting a track record of 1:53.

Secretariat was not just a horse. He was a personality and became a national celebrity, capturing the imagination of the country. Before the final Triple Crown race, the Belmont Stakes, Secretariat appeared on the covers of Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated magazines.

It had been 25 years since a horse had won the Triple Crown when Secretariat entered the starting gate for the Belmont Stakes.

Secretariat proceeded to run what as perhaps the most impressive race in history. He broke well from the gate and immediately went to the front. He ran even with Sham for a while, then pulled away. And kept pulling away. It was an astounding performance. Secretariat won by 31 lengths with a time of 2:24, a record time that still stands.

Anyone who saw the race always will remember the sight of the powerful horse thundering down the stretch.

4. Virginia Tech plays for the 1999 national championship in football

Why: During the regular season, Virginia Tech, a member of the Big East Conference, had 10 double-digit victories and just one close call, a 22-20 victory at West Virginia on a last-second field goal by Shayne Graham. The Hokies finished 11-0, their first undefeated season since 1954.

Michael Vick established himself as a star, passing for 2,065 yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 games and rushing for 682 yards and nine touchdowns. Combined with a near impenetrable defense, Virginia Tech outscored opponents 455-116. The Hokies coasted to victories over Clemson, Miami, Virginia and Syracuse.

This was before a playoff system, and the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the BCS poll played for the national championship. The BCS poll was based on two national polls, eight different computer rankings, a strength of schedule component and, who knows, maybe a set of secret numbers placed in classified ads by aliens from another solar system.

Florida State from the ACC was No. 1 in the BCS poll, Virginia Tech No. 2.

The Sugar Bowl was designated as the BCS championship game. Florida State took a 14-0 first quarter lead, scoring one touchdown on a blocked punt. The Seminoles led 28-14 at halftime.

Virginia Tech dominated the third quarter and took a 29-28 lead.

Florida State took the fourth quarter, the game, 46-29, and the national championship.

Vick completed 15 of 29 passes for 225 yards and was the game's leading rusher with 97 yards on 23 carries. Virginia Tech had 503 yards of offense compared to FSU's 359.

Vick kept Virginia Tech in the game, but the Hokies never quite got complete control of the momentum. They did, however, enter the national conversation as a team to be reckoned with.

5. VCU's run to the Final Four in the 2011 NCAA men's tournament

Why: A lackluster finish to the regular season nearly cost VCU a spot in the NCAA tournament. But coach Shaka Smart rallied his players, and the Rams reached the championship game of the CAA tournament, losing to Old Dominion.

VCU received an at-large bid and was sent to Dayton as a No. 11 seed for a play-in game against Southern California. VCU showed the importance of speed, savvy and confidence. The Rams had double-digit victories over Southern Cal, Georgetown and Purdue.

Then, they showed the importance of poise and determination. The Rams got by Florida State in the Southwest Region semifinals and, in the upset of the tournament, beat Kansas, a No. 1 seed, by 10 points, 71-61.

The magic ended in Houston, when Butler proved to be the Rams' toughest matchup of the tournament. VCU lost 70-62. But Smart's youthful enthusiasm and the players' joie de vivre put VCU basketball on the national map.

And in case you're wondering why VCU is in this spot and not George Mason for its Final Four appearance in 2006, VCU had to win five games to get to the Final Four after being sent to Dayton to be cannon fodder for a bigger school from a major conference.

By the way, we also considered:

Sam Snead winning the PGA Championship at Hermitage Country Club, now Belmont Golf Course, in 1949

Curtis Strange winning the U.S. Open in consecutive years, 1988 and '89

Lanny Wadkins winning the PGA title in 1977

VMI reaching the Elite Eight -- yes, VMI, was one game from the Final Four, although it was a 32-team field -- in the NCAA tournament in 1976. Had VMI gotten past Rutgers in the region final, it would have been in the Final Four with Indiana, Michigan and UCLA

Justin Verlander winning the American League Cy Young and MVP awards for the Detroit Tigers in 2011

The Pro Football Hall of Fame careers of Bill Dudley and Willie Lanier

The three national championships of the Old Dominion University women's basketball team (two AIAW, one NCAA)

Joe Weatherly, from Norfolk, winning NASCAR championships in 1962 and '63.