Presenting: The Miami MACwood Squares

MACwood Squares is our summer reading series on the best athletes in Mid-American Conference sports history. This week features Miami. Looking for your MAC school? Consult our schedule for other teams and please submit your nominees as well.

We're not including people who were great coaches. That's for a later date. Besides: a good coach knows when to step aside and give their players credit. This one's for the letterwinners.

After the jump, we'll include a pithy reason why they're in the nine.

Dan Boyle (hockey)
His name's on the Stanley Cup, and a gold medal is around his neck.

Heather Cusick (women's basketball)
Four-year All-MAC and once MAC Player of the Year. The best all-around player in school history. Per the media guide, she's the only MAC women's basketballer to achieve 1,700 points, 500 assists, 400 rebounds, 300 steals and 200 3-point field goals.

Ron Harper (basketball)
Oxford goes to Hollywood.

Charlie Leibrandt (baseball)
One of MU's all-time strikeout leaders, Leibrandt slapped together a 140-119, 3.71 ERA in 14 major-league seasons, including a World Series championships with the Royals.

Ben Roethlisberger (football)
2003 wasn't 2003 without him. Best player to ever come out of Cory Rawson.

Andy Miele (hockey)
You win a Hobey? You're on the list.

Bill Mulliken (swimming)
Won nine MAC swimming titles, along with an Olympic gold in the 1960 200-meter breaststroke.

Travis Prentice (football)
Dude wouldn't fumble if you put a gun to his head.

Wally Szczerbiak (men's basketball)
Carried his team to the Sweet 16, and possessor of the greatest eyebrows in basketball history.

Who are your nominees for Miami's MACwood Squares? Comment below, tweet us at @HustleBelt or submit a FanPost making your case. The final nine will be revealed Friday.