ROBIN VENTURA was named the college baseball player of the decade for the 1980s because of his incredible consistency. That was highlighted by his NCAA-record 58-game hitting streak in 1987, when he led Oklahoma State University to the title game of the College World Series. He went on to a 16-year career in the major leagues before becoming one of the inaugural inductees into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
YOUR GIFT CAN INSPIRE THIS BRAND OF CONSISTENCY.
Another summer is in the books. In addition to welcoming a new crop of outstanding freshmen to Stillwater, our office is pleased to also welcome our new Associate AD for Compliance, Kevin Fite. Kevin is joining us from the University of Houston where he has been for the last nine years. I am sure you will hear more from Kevin in an upcoming issue of POSSE.
As you are hopefully aware of by now, part of my job in our Compliance Office is to make sure all of our coaches, student-athletes and boosters understand the different NCAA rules that apply to them. To that end, our office is working on a new booster guide that will be distributed to each of you in the near future. Until then, please look over the reminders below, and feel free to call our office with any specific questions you might have.
1. What is an extra-benefit and why do I need to know this term?
a. An extra benefit is anything that is provided to a student-athlete or a student-athlete's family and friends by an institutional staff member or a booster that is not available to the general student body or general public under the same terms. Providing anything considered an extrabenefit to one of our student-athletes or their family/friends jeopardizes their eligibility to compete for OSU. The following are some common examples of extra benefits:
i. Cash, loans, or co-signing a loan on behalf of a student-athlete;
ii. Free or reduced services (e.g. free oil change, laundry, car detailing);
iii. Providing free lodging or rental property at a reduced rate;
iv. Free or reduced cost meals and drinks
v. Providing tickets to concerts, sporting events, and other entertainment activities;
vi. Any other gifts or presents, even for special occasions (e.g. Birthday, Christmas, etc.)
2. What are the general rules surrounding boosters and recruiting?
a. Boosters should not be involved in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes. A prospective student-athlete is anyone who has started classes for the ninth grade. The best rule of thumb is to refer any questions about OSU athletics to our staff and do not attempt to influence a prospect's decision to attend OSU.Remember that only members of the coaching staff may be actively involved in the recruiting process.
Thank you so much for your support!
BEN DYSON Assistant AD for Compliance
ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/POSSE Jesse Martin
ASSISTANT DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Ellen Ayres
PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR Clay Billman
PROGRAMS COORDINATOR/BENEFnS Mary Lewis
ATHLETICDEVELOPMENTASSISTANTStephanie Boese
CLUB SEAT COORDINATOR Matt Grantham
PREMIUM SERVICES Karyl Henry
PROJECT MANAGER Shawn Taylor
EVENT COORDINATOR /GAME DAY PARKING MANAGER Andy Sumrall
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Kyle Wray
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Cory Cheney
ART DIRECTOR I DESIGNER Matt Lemmond
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Phil Shockley
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Gary Lawson
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Clay Billman, Matt Elliott, Seth Becker
OSU POSSE
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ADVERTISING 405.744.7301
EDITORIAL 405.744.7192
Dear Cowboy fans:
Thank you for your continued support of OSU Athletics through the purchase of season tickets and POSSE memberships. Your commitment makes it possible to provide quality educational opportunities for more than 450 student-athletes. OSU Athletics operates as an auxiliary enterprise of the University, relying on private donations and ticket sales to fully fund 18 varsity sports.
With the 2010-11 sports season just around the corner, I would like to take this time to introduce some additional benefits available to you as a POSSEmember and season ticket holder simply by logging in to your OSUAthletics Account Manager.
Getting started is easy. Visit www. okstate.com/tickets and click, "Login to your OSU Athletics Account Manager," then enter your unique Account ID or e-mail address and password. If you are a ticket holder in any sport at OSU, or a POSSE member, then you have a predetermined Account ID and password. If you do not know your Account ID or password, contact OSU Athletics at (877) 255-4678. Your "OSUAthletic Account Manager" is loaded with the following great features: Make Additional Donations/ Become a POSSE Member: Supporting OSU's student-athletes has never been easier. When you are logged into your account, click "Donate Today!" You have the choice to make a donation of any amount to the Varsity Athletics Fund or to a specjfic sport.
Review your POSSE Points and Priority Ranking: This feature allows you to see current and lifetime POSSEPoint totals instantly. You may also view your POSSE ranking and calculate potential POSSE Points. View the Priority Points system along with key dates that apply to seating for particular sports/events. Manage and Share Your Tickets: You can send your tickets to virtually anyone, up to two hours before the game, via ticket forwarding. This service allows you to email tickets to friends, family or clients when you can't attend a game. It's easy. You don't even need to have the tickets in hand. Avoid the hassles of Will-Call lines and in-person delivery, and start enjoying the benefits of this new print-at-home service. Edit Your Profile: Update and edit your profile from wherever you have Internet access. You'll be able to keep your account information up to date quickly and easily, including changes to your password, your contact information, billing information and more.
Make Payments: View statements and pay invoices directly through our secure website. It's a safe and easy way to renew your season tickets and/or POSSE membership! Simply select "View/Pay Open Invoices," then select the invoice you wish to pay.
Payment Plans: You are able to set up separate payment plans for both season tickets and POSSEdonations. Enrolling in an online payment plan offers additional flexibility, convenience and security. POSSE payment plans offer the flexibility of making your donation more manageable with the following options: 12-month (July 15), 6-month (Jan. 15), 5-month (Feb. 15), 4-month (March 15), 3-month (April 15) or 2-month (May 15) for the 2011-12 year. Payment plans are also available for Season Tickets for Football and Men's Basketball.
TlcketExchange: Want to maximize the use of your season tickets? Can't make it to a game? Need to sell your seats to another Oklahoma State fan? Now you can use TicketExchange through your OSU Athletics account to sell your season tickets anonymously to other fans. TicketExchange utilizes Ticketmaster's secure online selling service.
We hope that the addition of these features to your OSUAthletics Account Manager will make your experience as a POSSE member and season ticket holder more enjoyable and convenient.
As always, if you know someone who would like purchase season tickets or join the POSSE, please call us at 877-ALL-4-0SU (877-2554678) or visit www.okstate.com. Annual contributions to Athletics totaling $150 or more qualify for membership in the POSSE, which includes an annual subscription to the award-winning POSSE Magazine, the POSSEstar for your automobile, and an educational tax deduction. Get your friends and family involved today!
We are very appreciative of your consideration and support of OSU Athletics!
The POSSE Is your Team Behind the Teams!
Jesse Martin Assistant AD/ POSSE Oklahoma State Athletics jesse.h.martin@okstate.edu 877-2B-POSSE (877-227-6773)
Dennis and Cindy Reilley found themselves in an interesting predicament when it came time for Dennis to "retire."
Being OSU fans, and suddenly having more time on their hands, they wanted to come back for more home football games. Easy enough, considering they were already suite owners on the north side of Boone Pickens Stadium, right?
There was just one little wrinkle with that plan - the Reilleys hadn't bought that suite for themselves. They'd bought it for the Spears School of Business.
"We wanted the one suite so that the business school could reward students and faculty, attract future donors, and maybe attract talented kids to attend OSU," says Dennis. "I was living and working in Connecticut at the time, and didn't have a need for a suite. I bought it and gave it to the Collegeto use as they saw fit."
Being a good guy, Dennis didn't want to take his gift back. He instead did the obvious thing. He bought another suite.
"After I retired and we had more time and a desire to attend more games ourselves, we wanted to have a place we could share with our family and friends," says Dennis. "I just decided I'd get another one.
"I'm a huge sports fan. Football, baseball, basketball. If it's sports, I love it. For us, it's perfect. We look forward to the six or seven Saturdays (or the occasional Thursday) a year. The athletic facilities have changed so drastically since we were in school. The university has created a great environment for both students and alumni."
Dennis and Cindy graduated from OSU in 1975 and lit out to conquer the world, but Reilley has always gone the proverbial extra mile to follow OSUsports, even when it wasn't convenient to do so. When he was an executive working for DuPont in Europe, he would have his parents tape the Pokes' games and send him the tapes.
"When we were in Ireland, we had one of the first satellite dishes in the country, and on very, very rare occasions, we'd watch the Cowboys that way," he says.
Of course, now, being "retired," Cindy and Dennis have plenty of time to follow OSU sports. Okay, maybe not plenty, but more. When you apply the term "retired" to Reilley, you have to qualify it a bit.
"Today I'm retired from active duty, for lack of a better term," says Reilley, "but I'm on the board of directors of Marathon Oil comp, Dow Chemical Company, HJ Hines (the ketchup company), and Covidien, a large global medical device maker.
"Today, I travel about 35 percent of my time discharging my duties for the various boards, and the rest of my time I'm a deadbeat," he says with a smile (and under protest from Cindy).
"I like being in command of my own schedule and having the free time to do what I enjoy. I absolutely loved being a large company exec and CEO. However, if you do the job
right, it's a terrific grind, and one that you have to learn to enjoy. I did enjoy it very, very much. But in contrast, being retired has allowed me to do things I've wanted to do for more than 35 years.
"Cindy and I both golf. I'm a big time bird hunter, largely quail and pheasant. I fish. My newest passion - diving. I'm in the process of learning to dive. I'm beginning to get into it more and more. Looking at sealife is serene."
"It's been great," says Cindy. "Dennis worked 80 hours a week when he was working, and it's really nice to finally have some time to spend together."
"I couldn't have done it without Cindy's support," says Dennis. "Now that we're retired, we're making up for all that lost time with a lot of laughter."
The Reilleys spend their winters on their yacht in the Bahamas, generally heading that way in November, depending on how good the football team is doing. They also
enjoy spending much of their time with two sons, Jason and Michael, and their daughter-in-law, May. Michael is currently attending OSU and working on his Master's in environmental sciences.
Retirement hasn't changed their desire to support their alma mater, however. They supported the Business school long before buying suites in the stadium. The Reilley's commitment to the Spears School of Business began more than a decade ago when they created scholarships for Oklahoma students.
Dennis grew up in Oklahoma City, Cindy in Norman, and being from Oklahoma is something to which they attribute their success.
"We were just two country kids coming out of Oklahoma," he says.
"We deeply believe that a lot of what allowed us to follow our dreams were the values we got from growing up in Oklahoma. We feel OSU played a big role in that. It equipped us very well to deal with people from all walks of life and from all parts of the world.
"The scholarship fund we set up in the Spears School was meant to help kids have some of the same experiences we had who might not otherwise have that opportunity."
"OSU has helped mold many great leaders through the years and Dennis has proven to be one of the best in the business world," says Larry Reece, Sr. Executive Director, OSU Athletic Development.
"Dennis and Cindy have supported their alma mater in so many ways through the years. Besides deciding they needed a second suite for themselves now that they are spending more time in Oklahoma, they also helped make the new Cowboy and Cowgirl basketball locker rooms a reality.
The Reilleys have always stayed in tune with what is happening with OSU. I love to talk everything Cowboy with Dennis but I am sure he can sense my envy when he calls from his yacht in the Bahamas."
by OSU Career Services
John & Sue Taylor
Southwest Filter Co.
Greg & Kay Massey
Titleist & FootJoy Worldwide
David & Marellie Littlefield
John & Patti Brett
Ron Stewart
Bob & Mary Haiges
Terry & Martha Barker Z Equipment, LLC
Darton & Jamie Zink
Bill & Laurie Dobbs
Brent & Mary Jane Wooten
The Siegenthaler Family
Ed & Kathy Raschen
F & M Bank & Trust
Drummond Investments
Mark & Susan Morrow
Tulsa World
Pixley Lumber Co.
Mark & Beth Brewer
E.K. Gaylord
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Jack Bowker Ford
Jack Allen Jr
Cheryl & Tom Hamilton
Griff & Mindi Jones
Randy & Pati Thurman 8,782
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Southern Cross Alliance, LLC
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Patricia Maloney, The Oklahoman
Donald R. Coplin
Henry Wells Midfirst Bank
Steve & Judy Thurman
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Randall & Carol White
Roy & Norman Townsdin
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John & Terri Smith
John W. Dunn
Connie & Stephen Tatum
Jerry & Rae Winchester
Bryan Close
Wentz Oil Company, LLC
Barry & Roxanne Pollard
Gary & Mary Ellen Bridwell
Ed & Marilyn Keller
Cust-O-Fab Inc.
Sometimes, it's a love of sports that inspires alumni to donate to osu Athletics.
Sometimes, it's a love of their children.
Mark and Beth Brewer probably don't even think of themselves as athletic donors. When their daughter, now a senior, began attending OSU, they thought tickets to the home games would be a good wayto continue to spend time with her, especially since it was just a short drive from Edmond to Stillwater. They bought four club-level season tickets.
The idea, as it turned out, had merit. Their two children, Allison (the senior) and Clayton (starting his freshman year at OSU),kept wanting to bring friends to the games.
"We were always having to trade people out to get extra tickets," says Mark. Now the Brewers buy six club seats.
August 2010 I 16
"I think gameday is a fun day," says Mark. "It's a fun afternoon or evening. It's a great environment. "
Being alumni, Mark and Beth also enjoy just being back on campus, a place of fond memories for the couple as they met there as undergraduates. Mark grew up in the Oklahoma City area and came to OSUto study electrical engineering. Beth grew up around St. Louis.
"One of my school teachers graduated from OSU,"says Beth. "She was a close family friend and brought me here to tour the campus."
"We both had a good experience here," says Mark. "We remember it as a great time and still have friends we made from school."
As is typical of most POSSEmembers, the Brewers have always been sports fans. They lived in Chicago when Jordan and the Bulls ruled the NBA,and they currently have season tickets to the OKCThunder games.
Also like a lot of POSSEmembers, after graduation, the Brewers were out of touch for awhile. Mark's job took the family all over the world.
"We didn't go to any football games for 20 years," says Mark.
An electrical engineer by degree three times over (B.S. in '83, M.S. in '85 and his PhD in '88), Mark worked first for AT&T in Oklahoma City before taking a job with Seagate Technology. He has been employed by Seagate since 1992, and has served as its Chief Information Officer since 1997. Seagate is known as a world-leader in storage solutions, and especially for its hard drives. "Through technology leadership and innovation, Seagate continues to help individuals and businesses maximize the potential of their digital content in an everevolving, on-demand world."
Mark has had a hand in shaping Seagate during his nearly 18-year tenure, and attributes much of his professional success to his education from Oklahoma State.
"My education from OSU opened doors," says Mark. "When I applied for the job I have now, the hiring VP saw my OSU PhD on the resume,
and it got his attention. The degree gave me the opportunity to move into the position, and that's enabled us to move to Chicago, to live in Singapore, to travel in Asia and Europe. We've had some amazing experiences and my Oklahoma State education helped enable that."
Like many alumni appreciative of their OSU education, the Brewers found themselves wanting to give back to the university. Before buying club seats and getting involved with athletics, they contributed to the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
"We started giving to the electrical engineering program about three or four years ago," says Mark. "We just wanted to support the strength of the program. We reconnected with Keith"Teague;he was in school when I was there. Last year, we were invited into a suite at OSUwith Karl Reid. We spent a little bit of time with him and enjoyed the suite that engineering had for the night."
It was another case of athletics and academics being intertwined at OSU. Mark believes athletics are a good brochure of sorts for the university whole.
"THE BREWERS ARE LOYAL SUPPORTERS WHO REALLY ENJOY THE GAME DAY EXPERIENCE AS A FAMILY. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THEM AND APPRECIATE THEIR GENEROSITY TO THE LEAVE A LEGACY CAMPAIGN," SAYS MATT GRANTHAM, DIRECTOR, MAJOR GIFTS.
"I think athletics are a good front door," he says. "In many cases, that's the first thing people think about. When you ask kids where they want to go, they think about the football program. But after you get their attention, it's about the quality of academics and research and the caliber of people who come out of the school, and what those people go do."
Like many alumni proud of their alma mater, the Brewers would like to see OSU become better in all areas.
"I want the school to be distinctively known for its strengths. You need to be distinctive to stand out. You don't want to be blended into the crowd," he says. "We have lived overseas. We've traveled a lot, and we've looked back at the US from Asia for awhile. It gives you a little different perspective of excellence and what it takes to stand out. We'd like OSU to continue to move in the direction it's moving.
"This summer experience with the Big 12 almost breaking up brought home the point that universities need to be recognized for their academic strength. I'd like to see the university recognized more for the strengths it does have. The school has to keep getting better and better in academics and athletics to stay among the top-tier schools. To be a highly competitive school, it needs a lot of support."
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ADRIANNA FRANCH
All-Big 12 First Team
NSCAA All-Central Region first team
2010 U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team
BY MATT ELLIOTT
Cowgirl goalkeeper Adrianna "AD" Franch got the nod to start the first game of the season, a bout with the Buffaloes in Boulder, Colo. Standing on a surgically-repaired right knee, it was the first taste of Big 12 action for the freshman from Salina, Kan.
Coaches had held her out of the exhibition game against Tulsa - typically when freshmen first realize the game's speed and intensity, but missing the exhibition seemed to have little effect on Franch.
"I loved it," Franch says. "The first game was nerve-wracking."
She did not disappoint, logging a save and several blocks. She kept the No. 17 Buffs scoreless during the first half. But the No. 11 Cowgirls couldn't score on Colorado either, despite several good shots.
"I was decent - solid - until I made one mistake," Franch says.
With nearly a half-hour left in the game, Colorado's Ally Goodman kicked a cross to the top of the 18-yard box. Franch sprang out to stop the ball, but it bounced off her hands. Another Colorado player kicked in the loose ball.
Franch, playing with a knee brace for the first time, says she didn't realize how much slower she was because of the contraption keeping her knee stable. As a result, she miscalculated how long it would take to get to the ball. Devastated, she blamed herself for the loss, feeling that she'd let her team down.
"She was just being real hard on herself," remembers Cowgirl head Coach Colin Carmichael. "I remember pulling her aside and saying, 'You know these things happen. You're going to save us plenty of games in the next four years. You've got to get over it. There's going to be games that we're thanking you for keeping us in them."'
Boy, did she ever get over it. Franch ended up leading the Big 12 in save percentage - an incredible 84 percent - and in goals-againstaverage. She had some of her best games against conference foes and the nation's best teams: a whopping eight saves against Missouri, 16 saves during the conference tournament, and a rare game-winning save on a penalty-kick to top USC during the first-round of the NCAA tournament, which, by the way, was after she had shutout the Trojans during regulation.
She also set a few records along the course of her first season. Working with defenders Melinda Mercado, Carson Michalowski and Colleen Dougherty, she had 11 shutbuts helping the university to a 15-7-2 record and its second Big 12 Tournament Championship, further cementing the Cowgirls as one of the elite teams in the nation.
August 2010 I 22
"That was unexpected, but a great feeling," says Franch, who also played more time in goal than any other freshman keeper ever at OSU. "I couldn't ask for a better team to play with. Just the chemistry we had. Especially my backline, and having the seniors that we did step up and finish some goals we needed. It was a great team to come to."
A big reason why she loves OSU came during the Big 12 Tournament in San Antonio, when the Cowgirls upset the No. 1-seed Missouri Tigers. The game was a back-andforth, 3-2 slugfest that saw OSU, seeded fifth in the tournament, scoring two goals within four minutes late in the second half.
Franch played a tough game, shutting out the speedy and aggressive Tigers in the first half. She even suffered a blow to the head during a collision in-goal, but held on to deny the Tigers twice more in the second.
Afterward, her teammates celebrated the upset with their families. Franch was used to her family not being there for her games because her mom, raising her brother and sister on her own, usually couldn't make it.
Assistant Coach Karen Hancock had a surprise for her goalie.
"One of the best moments in my life," says Franch. "I usually go straight to the bus. I'll come out later and say hey. As I came out from the Missouri game, I saw a few of the parents, and they clapped for me. I said, 'Thank you,' and started to head back to the bus. That's when I saw my mother with my little brother and sister."
Hancock had put her family on the pass list for the game. She gave them the team's hotel information, too.
"I'm not going to lie. I started tearing up a bit. I got hit in the head that game, so I'm giving her a hug, I'm crying, and she's like, 'Why are you crying. Does your head hurt that bad?' I was like, 'No, it's because you guys are here.' Then she started tearing up because I said that. It was just a really great moment, after everything we'd been through together."
Her mom stayed for the weekend, and watched the championship game when the Cowgirls beat second-seeded Texas A&M 1-0 to win the tournament title. OSU had never beaten the Aggies in soccer, not in 16 games.
Afterward, the Cowgirls made the NCAAtournament for the fourth straight year, a testament to OSU's staying power as one of the new elites in soccer. After beating No. 21 USC in the first round, OSU lost in the second round on penalty kicks, to 11th-ranked Santa Clara. Franch still logged five saves, including the one that extended the game during its second overtime.
Play like that turned heads in the soccer world. She made the All-Big 12 First Team, among other accolades, and was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com All-Rookie First Team. Franch, who had never been out of the country before, became the first OSU player to play for the United States' U-20 National Team which won the La Manga Cup in Spain. At press time, she was playing in Dresden, Germany, during the 2010 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup.
by Phil Shocklei
"When Colin told me they were interested in having me try out, I wanted to call my mom right away," says Franch, who was selected for the team after training camps in Florida. "We were all eating breakfast when he told me about it. I was excited, definitely a little nervous, as well. I didn't know what exactly to expect."
Franch was grouped with the best players from across the country, playing against some of the world's best players in her age group. That kind of experience helped her work on her game, from the little things, such as footwork and stance, to how she times her plays on the ball.
"Her playing at that level all summer can only make her better for us when she gets back," Carmichael says. "Hopefully, that experience pays off at the college level. And the exposure of having one of your athletes representing your country at that level is great for our program."
The hard part has been facing players from other nations.
"Here, you know every forward makes a back-side run and calls for the ball," Franch says. "But if you're playing the Germans, you don't know if they're going to slot it, play a through ball or a split because they're talking in German. You have to be more observant of where everybody's at instead of just listening in."
This is all a long way from where she was when she came to 0SU. Just months before her first game as a Cowgirl, she was hobbled with a wrecked right knee. A catastrophic injury during her senior year tore everything holding her knee together except her PCL (posterior-cruciate
ligament). It happened during a basketball game, just days after she signed her letter of intent. She came to Stillwater expecting to redshirt.
The Cowgirls strength and conditioning coach, Heather Boyes, and trainer Todd Gerlt are experts at helping athletes prevent and recover from those injuries. They worked with Franch, and she spent her summer rehabbing to get her surgically-repaired knee back in shape. By the time preseason practice started in August 2009, she was still undergoing therapy, but doctors cleared her to practice halfway through the preseason.
The rest is history. As she plays overseas this summer, Carmichael says he's concerned about the toll on her body. He says he wants her to take at least a week off in Salina and see how she feels.
But with a little maturity and attention to detail, she could go down as one of the best goalkeepers to ever play at 0SU. Carmichael compares her to Kathrin Lehmann, from Switzerland, who played for 0SU in 2003. Franch plays at the same level as the more experienced Swiss National Team.
"AD is so athletically gifted. Playing soccer and basketball has helped her athletic development. Her agility, her ability to cover the goal, her ability to jump, her ability to fall down and get up quickly - she's just amazing," Carmichael says. "We probably haven't seen the best of her yet."
BY MATT ELLIOTT
2010 looks to be another strong year for the Cowgirls on the soccer field. Although they lost one of the winningest senior classes in college soccer (Bridget Miller, Kasey Langdon and Siera Strawser). they expect to make another strong run to the postseason.
Much remains of the 15-7-2 team that pulled off an eight-game winning streak at the end of the season, won the Big 12 Tournament and made it to the second round of the NCAAWomen's Soccer Championship. That winning streak came after a bizarre four-game losing streak near the start of conference play. After beating No. 17 Kansas, OSU lost to Missouri, Iowa State, Nebraska and then-No. 14 Texas A&M, losses that put them in a big hole and had the team wondering if it was even going to make the conference tournament. But the girls showed maturity and poise, stayed focused and pulled off another postseason run.
"We were actually playing some pretty• good soccer," says Coach Colin Carmichael. "As coaches, we were really quite pleased with the kids' attitude and the way we played. Call it luck, maybe some mental lapses or whatever it was. We were just giving up goals at crucial moments. And we weren't converting on our chances. That's a recipe for disaster. It seemed like every call, every break of the ball would go against us."
A close win at home over Texas in October and one on the road against Texas Tech rejuvenated his squad. They didn't lose again until penalty kicks once again decided their second-round exit at the hands of 11th-ranked Santa Clara in the NCAAplayoffs.
"Three of the last four years that's happened to us," Carmichael half-jokingly laments. "This year, we beat USC in the first round on penalties, so we finally got that monkey off our back. At least we won a shootout. Next year, we just need to win two of them. We'll be set."
Senior midfielder Annika Niemeier, who led the conference in game-winning goals, returns to lead the offense that outscored its last ten opponents 18-4. Niemeier, a mechanical engineering major, was one of three Cowgirls to make the All-Big 12 First Team. She led OSU with 11 goals, including seven goals and three assists during the team's long winning streak.
Also returning are the players who were the backbone of an effective OSU defense that allowed just 16 goals, setting school records with 14 shutouts and a .65 goals-against average to lead the conference. Anchoring that defense were goalie Adrianna "AD" Franch and defenders Melinda Mercado, Colleen Dougherty and Carson Michalowski.
Mercado, an all-conference selection, was Defensive MVP of the Big 12 Soccer Championship and kept her team in games during wins
over Missouri and Texas A&M. And Michalowski wasn't just solid on defense. She scored the goal that won the team's conference tournament championship over Texas A&M, the first time in 16 games the Cowgirls had beaten the Aggies.
That strong cast, some key players coming off the bench and a talented coaching staff of Carmichael, Karen Hancock and Justin Elkington, means the Cowgirls are primed for another run at the NCAATournament in 2010. It's become almost expected after last year's fourth-straight tournament appearance. The run has been the most successful ever in program history - a 74-23-15 record over the last five years.
Another factor working in the Cowgirls' favor is that the league remains largely unchanged from last season. The main competition comes again from Texas A&M, Colorado and Kansas. The Aggies return many of its starters after the team made it to the Sweet Sixteen. Meanwhile, Colorado and Kansas, the only other ranked conference teams OSU played last year, should also remain strong opponents.
"We used to be that decent team that was trying to beat the A&M's and the Texases of the world. Now we've got everybody trying to take a shot at us. It's definitely a changed mentality for our team. But we would definitely rather be on this end of it rather than trying to fight our way up, that's for sure."
DEMOLITION
TRUCKING
READYMIXCONCRETE
A. Nike Women's Pure Henley (2215394)
Be prepared for the cooler game days in this 100% cotton pointelle jersey with a flocked OSU brand on the left chest. Sizes S-XL/$38.00
B. Nike Women's Olivia Tank (2215278)
Stay cool in this v-neck, super soft racerback tank. Side tinted discharge word mark and center back with clear glitter over a screen printed Cowboys. Great for layering! Also available in white. Sizes S-XL/$25.00
C. Nike Play Action Pass Polo (2214959)
Look great in the stadium in this 100% mostly recycled polyester textured Ori-FIT polo with three button placket, OSU brand embroidered on the left chest and Oklahoma State on back. Also available in orange and white. Sizes S-XXXL/$60.00
D. Nike Replica Jersey (2214931)
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By Clay Billman
Mihaela Susa lights up a room with her infectious personality, buzzing with hummingbird-like energy. When she speaks, the words burst out in rapid-fire fashion, a dizzying cadence punctuated with emotive expressions and accented with her native-Transylvanian charm. The endurance athlete seems to rarely pause for breaths in-between sentences.
"Sometimes people don't understand what I'm saying, especially when I'm getting excited," she says.
The Cowgirl track star has set school records in the 1,500 meters and the indoor mile. The spunky senior may also have the distinction of being Oklahoma State's most loquacious student-athlete.
"I can talk a lot," she admits. "Actually, if I don't talk, something's wrong with me. Definitely I'm not having a good day if I don't start to talk."
English may be the Romanian runner's second language, but that doesn't keep her from talking and talking and talking.
Although it's not her native tongue, her English isn't broken. Susa has a vast vocabulary. It's just that sometimes the words don't come out in the right order. While frustrating for Susa, it's an endearing quality that provides comic relief for coaches and friends.
"Even now they make fun of my English," she says. "Sometimes I talk nonsense and they make fun of me because I'm a very, very bad storyteller. In my mind my stories are so funny! But they don't think they are awesome or funny."
"She might mean something in Romanian, but in English the translation just sounds ridiculous," says Dave Smith, head coach for both the men's and women's track and field programs. "We give her a really hard time about the funny phrases she uses and the way she says things. If she doesn't want to do something, she'll say 'I want to don't' instead of 'don't want to' just little funny things like that."
Susa takes the good-natured ribbing in stride.
"That's how I am, and I think they like me because of that."
"Mihaela is really, really fun to coach," Smith adds. "She's just gregarious, outgoing, happy, always smiling. She fits in really well. I think she's really good for our team because she's fun to be around, and the girls on the team like being around her. She's just delightful. She cracks me up."
When it comes to linguistic laughter, Smith seems to be a repeat offender.
"Dave knows I will not get angry with him," says the charming chatterbox. "Then he kind of pushes his luck right there."
"She's threatening to take ESL classes this summer to really improve her English," Smith says. "I told her, 'Please don't. We'll have nothing to make fun of you for.' It would take all the fun out of giving her a hard time."
Photography by Phil Shockley
"I want to learn the grammar because I am doing grammar mistakes, and I think my grammar is not good enough yet. Back home I thought actually my English is pretty good, but when I decided to come here I got a tutor, and it took me 20 minutes to read one page. I'm not joking. I could understand English, but I couldn't speak because I just didn't have the practice."
Here in the States, practice hasn't been a problem for the Management major.
"I'm not a shy person," she says. "My English wasn't that awesome when I got here. It took me forever to have a conversation with somebody, especially because I talk a lot. It was frustrating for me, but I didn't care that my English was bad. I was trying my best."
Susa often talks to herself on the track, but her coach says she shouldn't always listen.
"I think if you go into a race with negative thoughts, it will not be a good race," she says. "That is the thing on which I have to work. Every runner wants to feel good when you warm up. You want your legs to be light. When you start to warm up and you don't feel how you expected, it's ImpossIble to don't have doubts."
"I think she worries about disappointing people around her," Smith says. "She worries about disappointing me, her teammates. She worries about letting people down, and she lets all that pressure make her heavy."
This past year, Smith set out to shift Susa's outlook. His first challenge was to change her preconceptions.
As a junior this past spring, Susa competed in the indoor mile, an event she hadn't even planned on running. In her career at OSU, she had primarily focused on longer distances, including the 3,000 meters, 5K and 10K.
"Dave already had in his mind that I would run the mile indoor, but he didn't tell me yet," she says. "We were talking, and he said, 'You're running mile,' and I said, 'No, no, I'm not running mile. I can't run mile. I'm not fast enough.' He said, 'You don't believe in yourself. You will run mile.' I said, 'OK, coach. I'll run mile."'
Smith, who took over the women's track and field program in 2009, says he first spotted Susa's potential while coaching his Cowboysquad.
"I had been watching her run over the last couple years," he says. "You get to know the runners because we're all at the same meets, and she was fairly close to some of the guys on the team, so I got to know her pretty well. From what I saw in her, I just thought she looked like she could be a really good middle distance runner in the 800, 1,500 or 3,000 (meters)."
Her training regimen was also a factor in the decision to run shorter events.
"I think her focus at the time was all real long, real high volume. Honestly, I think she was tired a lot. She was getting to races and getting fatigued at the end of the season. Mihaela will work as hard as you let her work, and in the past I think she worked herself to the point where she couldn't race well. I think more often than not, the role of a coach with a great distance runner like Mihaela is pulling the reins back because more is not always better.':
Smith says Susa trusted his decision to change her training and race habits.
"I wasn't the coach that recruited her,'' Smith explains. "She didn't choose me as a coach, but she's been unbelievable at adjusting to a whole new system of training. She's extremely coachable. Because of that, she was willing to go along with it."
There were still lingering doubts, however.
"In the back of her mind, I think she felt like it might be a mistake like she wasn't fast enough," Smith ;>ays. "I kept telling her all along, You're good enough. I think you can make nationals, and I think you can be All-American."'
Susa placed fourth in the mile at the Big 12 Indoor Championships with a time of 4:42.23, but failed to qualify for the NCAA Division I Nationals.
"The Big 12 didn't go as well as we'd hoped,'' Smith says. "But it was a good field, and she ran pretty well. We just weren't quite sharp yet."
A qualifying time under 4:38.90 would punch her ticket to the national meet, but the brief indoor track season was nearly over. CoachSmith targeted Notre Dame's Alex Wilson Invitational as the "last chance" meet to earn a qualifying time.
Susa says she felt confident before the race in South Bend, Ind.
"I had that feeling when I put on my spikes at the start and did some strides. I really feel good today. I felt like there is no way that they will beat me that day. I'm winning this race."
Susa controlled the pace from the gun, but was unaware of her split times. As she neared the tape, doubt crept in.
"On the last curve, I thought, Tm not getting the time for nationals.' When I hit the finish line and looked at the watch, I saw it was the school record. It was awesome!"
Her time of 4:36.38 meant a trip to Fayetteville, Ark., for the NCAAIndoor Championships.
"I was really excited to go to nationals," she says. "I don't remember when I competed so excited."
After comfortably making the final heat, her confidence again waned.
"In the final I was so worried. I came here to run fast and I don't feel good. I think you could see on my face that I was worried. But af~er_ I step on the track I told myself, M1haela I can't believe that you are here and you are so scared when this is what you wanted. Just go run and try your best. Be excited and put a smile on your face."
Susa says Cowboy All-American Colby Lowe has offered reassurance and advice.
"He said, 'Mihaela, you put the work in. There's nothing to do anymore. Just go there and run. You can't do too much thinking.' I'm working on that, because I really think a lot. I analyze every small thing, and that's bad. Definitely I'm In the best shape ever, but after that I have to fix my head. I admire Colby Lowe. I wish I was thinking like that."
In the finals, Susa stayed with the lead pack for the majority of the race. But as a breakaway began with four runners, she found herself stuck.
"When the girls started to move with about 300 meters to go, I was behind one girl, and she didn't have any reaction," Susa explains. "I was in the curve and when I passed her the other girls were 10 meters in front of me, and I couldn't close on them."
Susa placed 5th (4:38.97), good enough for an All-American ranking.
"When I finished the race I was disappointed because I wanted better, but you know this is the first time when I got to nationals indoor and I think I did a good job." '
Smith says it was her best race of the season.
"Mihaela believes the Notre Dame race was her best because she ran fast and won it. I like the national championships because she got in there and raced. I'm more about competing than I am time," Smith says. "She ran in a very loaded field, got fifth place and made All-American, so I think that was her best race.
"That was fun," he adds. "Mihaela and Felicity (Milton) were both All-American this year indoors, and it was a great way to kick off the combining of the programs."
In April, competing in the 1,500 meters outdoors at the Mt. SAC Relays, Susa shattered her own school record. Smith says her results have been remarkable.
"Last year she broke Valentina Medina's school record by one second with a 4:18. At Mt. SAC,she ran 4:13. A five-second improvement in the 1,500 is huge."
As her times went down, Susa climbed the individual rankings. Rankedthird in her distance nationally, she was a favorite to win the 1500 meters at the conference championships. Susa placed a disappointing sixth at the meet (4:28.17).
"It kind of shook my world a little bit," she says. "I went to Big 12 and thought that it would come easy to win and got sixth. None of those girls beat me at indoor nationals. I can't underestimate anybody. I can't go there and act like I am superstar because I am third in nation. No. I am not superstar."
Smith agrees that her poor results were due to mental issues rather than physical.
"I think she was really stressed out and felt the pressure of her own expectations and what she thought my expectations were. As a result, she ran poorly. She looked terrible. A lot of it was emotional stress."
''That's true," Susa says. "I do believe in myself but sometimes I get too worried and I think too much, and that affects me. I put too much pressure on myself. When I ran 4:13, I wanted to be in that race. I wasn't scared of the pain. At Big 12, I was scared of the pain."
At the subsequent NCAA West Regional meet, Susa focused on maintaining a positive frame of mind. Her fifth place semi-final time of 4:16.60 earned her a trip to the outdoor finals.
Susa clocked 4:19.19 in the prelims, but failed to make the final heat at the NCAA's.
"I know Mihaela was disappointed with her performance at the outdoor championships," Smith says. "It just shows that this is a tough, tough sport, and it's getting tougher all the time. It's not good enough to simply be good enough. For most of those runners, everything must go perfectly on the day of the race. And then you have to have a little luck."
Susa is getting better at the mental aspects of racing, Smith adds.
"It's just a matter of conquering the emotions and the pressures that go along with success. It's tough. She told me she always wanted to be the one that gets to the starting line and people think she's the girl to beat. And then she got to that point at the Big 12 meet and she just wanted it to be over. I think it's different when you're the hunter and not the hunted. You've got to learn to race from a different mindset.
"She's not as fast as a lot of middle distance runners, but she's more aerobic. She's a stronger runner. She can get out there and grind away from the start and be pretty good. It depends on who she's racing against. In the national-level field she's not good enough to go and ru~ away from anybody. What we hope for in a race is that someone takes it out and makes a somewhat honest, fast pace. She can handle that, and it somewhat takes the sting out of the kickers at the end. That's when she'll run the best."
Smith believes Susa's best times are ahead of her. Her improved times have put her in an elite group of national champion-caliber runners, Smith says.
"She's got the ability," he says. "Women's middle distance running in the NCAA's is very strong, often world class. She's getting there. In this day and age, you've got to have the ability to run 4:10 or 4:09 on a given day. She's getting close to that. I don't know if she's there yet, but she's closing in on it quickly. She's just really blossomed."
The coach expects similar strides in other distances.
"I didn't run her in the 5K this year, because I really wanted her to focus on doing the 1,500. Next year I'm probably going to let her run the 5K. She ran 16:09 last year, and I think next year she's got the ability to run 15:15 to 15:30 - almost 45 seconds faster than she did the year before. That would be outstanding."
Again, Smith says, it comes down to mind over matter.
"When she's on, she's very, very good. When she feels ready to go, I don't think there's anybody in the country she can't beat. She's an emotional athlete, and when that gets out of whack, it can be tough for her.
"This past season was huge for her confidence," he adds. "It validated ev.erythingwe'd been doing. She finally started saying, 'I can do this, I can compete with these girls, and I can be as good as any of them."'
"I definitely have to be strong mentally," Susa says. "There's more than a thousand girls in this country running the 1,500 and every single one of them has the same dream that I do. The one that thinks better, has a good coach, good recovery, is taking care of herself she has the better chance to make it. If I don't make it, it's not Dave's fault. I'm in the best shape ever. My head is the problem sometimes."
"Mihaela's come a long way," Smith says. "She was the only athlete on our team, male or female, to qualify for the national championships in all three sports: indoor, outdoor and cross country. She broke
two school records and earned her first All-American. She PR'ed (personal record) six times. That's simply incredible.
"Most importantly, I think she took a giant leap in how she views herself and her abilities. She has some huge goals for her senior year, and I can't wait to watch her chase them."
Enough said.
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BY: WALTER HAMILTON
AS TOLD TO KEEGANDAVIS
On Jan. 28, my 21-year-old daughter Katie Hamilton, a thrower for OSU's crack team, suffered a pulmonary embolism.
She is 100 percent physically disabled. She does not have the use of her legs or arms yet. She is not yet able to talk, although she does communicate with clicks of her tongue when she wants to say "yes:'
She laughs and cries, and is obviously happy when friends come to see her, and sad when they leave. She is fully aware of where she is, and that she has lost her physical abilities. I worry about her getting discouraged, seeing how she has lost almost everything she loved.
I hope that by celling her story, I can show her chat people still care, and that OSU has not forgotten her
Katie Hamilton was a four-time, 4A Oklahoma girl's discus throw champion - the only girl in any class in Oklahoma history co accomplish that feat. She was undefeated in four years of high school competition in the discus.
Kacie also lettered in basketball at Idabel high school. She had offers to play basketball at some NAIA schools, but they wanted her to be in track as well, and she only wanted to throw in college.
When John Baumann came to our home co talk to Kacie about OSU, she was impressed. His personality and style of coaching was a big factor in her deciding to go to 0SU. She was devoted to Coach, who she called John, and tried to do everything he asked her to do.
Jessica Lewis, a teammate of Katie's on the OSU track team:
"Katie lit up any place that she entered. She radiated the love of God to everyone she came into contact with and is one of the kindest people I know. Katie brought a smile to my face any day I came to practice with a frown and always ensured people who were down that everything would be okay and things could always be worse. "There were times I looked forward to going to practice on a bad day of class because I knew she would be there to make me laugh and cheer me up. Not only was Katie a great, encouraging teammate, but also a friend that you always knew you could call upon."
Katie made her official visit to Stillwater still undecided on where to go to college. The people at the academic center were very professional, and the basketball game we attended was a lot of fun. The people she encountered around campus were a lot like the people she was used to at home, and chat made her feel comfortable, even in a large campus setting.
Caitlin Way, a teammate of Katie's on the OSU track team:
Katie was a great friend and teammate. She was so welcoming and friendly to Brooke Gritters (teammate and roommate) and I when we were just little lost freshmen last year. I have many great memories of Katie, but most of all / remember her taking us under her wing and looking out for us. She invited us to Mass the very first Sunday I was in Stillwater, she showed us where to eat, and she would let us tag along with her at the football games.
"Katie was, without a doubt, a woman of God. She truly lived up to the saying 'Treat others the way you would like to be treated.' It didn't matter who you were, Katie cared about and treated everyone the same and was always very sincere, kind, and level-headed. She was and is a fantastic friend and role model."
Katie grew up on a farm in Idabel. Her mom is a teacher, and I operate a poultry farm, and run a few cattle. Katie and her siblings were in the show ring with their sheep when they were younger, and that helped her overcome some of her shyness. She always worked very hard around the farm. She cleaned out the sheep pens, clipped their wool, helped with the lambing, fed chickens, hauled hay and mowed the yard. She never complained. She just enjoyed working. I chink chat work ethic helped her survive when she was stricken with her pulmonary embolism, and I think it will help her recover. As I type this, she is on a platform mat, being worked over by an occupational therapist. She is working very hard, and the therapist is just giddy over her effort.
Brandi Andrews, a teammate of Katie's on the OSU track team:
"I agree with her dad she is a very hard worker. There was several times where I saw her just putting her all into whatever she is doing (she is forever 'on the grind'). Whether it is working out, rehabbing in the training room, or studying in the academic center. Last year she messed her ankle up a couple of weeks before outdoor Big 12's. Up until that point she had been getting personal bests at each meet and she was improving tremendously. I remember her working so hard in the training room to get better. It seems like she was in there every single time I went through.
"Also, Katie is just a great person in general. I never heard her complain. She always has a smile on her face and is just a really kind person. She is a strong Christian. I can even remember several times over the past few years studying in the academic center and looking out the window watching her and her friends walking to and from her room to her church."
Katie had to work hard in school. A high school teacher told me that she was not college material. Katie was a rwo-time All-Big 12 Academic team member while she was at OSU. I always wanted to send that teacher a note saying it looks like Katie was college material, after all.
Mike Thompson, OSU adjunct associate professor of religious studies:
"I became acquainted with Katie in a couple of my academic courses. I appreciated her wonderful smile and enjoyed visiting with her on a number of occasions. She impressed me as a faithful and hardworking student whose attendance in class and at extra study sessions was noteworthy. I always appreciate that focus because it reveals a grasp of priorities and hard work in the present, and a solid sense of goals and expectations for the future. Her role as an athlete further highlighted her discipline because I was aware of the various demands on her time.
"A favorite memory of mine was meeting Katie's mother and sister for the first time when they visited Stillwater. When I encountered their warm smiles and friendliness it was obvious that Katie's approach to life and to people is a characteristic trait of her family. To put it simply, she is an impressive young woman from solid roots, worthy of respect, and easy to love. May the days ahead be brighter ones."
The people in Idabel have rallied to Katie's side during this calamity. When we got the call of her accident, we just left. I had 100,000 chickens in my barns, and cattle to feed. Our family and friends fed our cows with hay they would not accept pay for, they raised and sold our chicken flock, they fed our dogs and watched our place. Our hot water heater went out, and the plumber said that the man who sold the hot water heater told him that if he would install the hot water heater for Katie for free, he would give her the heater. An anonymous donor at our church handed our pastor $5,000 and told him that we should use it however would best help Katie.
Melody Nikkel, who operates a cafe downtown, has donated the proceeds from every glass of tea she sells to Katie. The athletic booster club had a bake sale on a snowy night and raised $15,000. Her high school teammates had an Indian taco sale and raised $5,000. A local church took up a special collection for her, and rwo members drove to Denver to personally give her mom the money. There has been a t-shirt sale, meals
delivered, equipment assembled, bathrooms demolished and remodeled, and other things without number that her townspeople have done to let her know they love her. Our banker asked me when I was talking to him about this, 'Do you know anyone who doesn't love Katie?'
Andrew Mohr, OSU women's track graduate assistant athletic trainer:
"Katie sustained a calf injury and we were in the process of rehabbing her calf before she had her pulmonary embolism. Katie was the nicest most respectful athlete that I have worked. From what I saw, Katie was a great friend to everyone on the track team, and her teammates would agree.
"She was always on time for rehab and came in every day with a smile on her face. As I sit here writing this I can see her smile. You couldn't help but smile yourself when you saw it. She never seemed to be in a bad mood and even if she was she would cover it up, not wanting to get anyone else down.
"She worked hard and did everything I asked her to do. She was quiet at first, but after talking to her I was able to see an athlete who wanted to get better. She worked hard, never complained, and was kind to everyone and anyone. I know that now she is facing a difficult recovery, she will continue to work hard just as she did for me."
Professor Bob Christiansen of OSU drove to Denver to see Katie. Other teachers have asked about her. Georgia Chappell of the Athletic
Department worked tirelessly to get her the insurance coverage she needed. Georgia is Katie's champion in Stillwater. Coach Holder and Mrs. Holder donated the money necessary to buy the "Pokes for Kacie" pins that are being sold by the Athletic Department. Coach Holder arranged for us to be flown from OKC to Denver in an air ambulance when our insurance would not pay for it.
"Walter Hamilton calls me Katie's champion, but I think the Hamiltons are the ones who are the champions. They are a family of incredible faith, courage and strength. I have only met Katie briefly at the beginning of the school year and I have never met Walter, but they have become an important part of my life for the rest of my life.
"My job is to make sure that everything that Katie needs is paid for, so that it does not become a burden on her family. I have struggled with insurance companies many, many times and they have been held responsible for Katie's medical expenses. I have done everything from arrange airplane flights to arguing and appealing insurance companies decisions not to cover some medical expenses. It has been my great pleasure to assist the Hamilton family is every and any way that I possibly can.
"The first time I spoke with Walter Hamilton was a few days after the accident and the last thing I wanted him to worry about was insurance and the cost of medical expenses they were facing as a result of Katie's accident. He cried throughout our entire conversation and though he did not know it at the time, I cried right along with him.
"I went home that night and held my 16-year-old daughter and cried. Walter and I have become great friends and e-mail buddies. I feel blessed to have met such a wonderful man. I have seen his and others incredible faith in God bring Katie from almost death to being awake, alert, and making small progressions every day toward her healing.
"Through my relationship with Walter I have seen Katie fighting for her life. Dianna Hamilton has been an incredible source of strength to Katie and their family and is truly one of the most incredible women I have ever heard of. She is an unbelievable caregiver to Katie, showing only the love and faith a parent can show.
"It has not just been me fighting for Katie, most facilities have some type of insurance people that have been very helpful to Katie From Melissa Abate with Craig Hospital in Denver and the home arrangements she was able to make to Michelle Schmidt with Mutual of
Omaha getting us the information we need for sports insurance to pay Katie's insurance claims as a secondary insurance. Even though this tragedy is the reason that I was brought into this family, I feel honored to be a part of their lives and I will stay a part of their lives forever. I am dedicated to making sure they are taken care of. They are a part of my family now."
Katie loved OSU completely,and I pray every night that the Lord allows her to go back and finish her studies. She was on her way to a degree in adaptive physical education, which is PE for kids with disabilities. We have been blessed in ways no one could predict or imagine. I would not want co live anywhere else, and there is nowhere else I would want my daughter to go to school.
Idabel National Bank 1201 SW Washington Idabel, OK 74745 580.286. 7656
The Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) will be selling "Pokes 4 Katie" pins on the north and south side of Boone Pickens Stadium at four home-football games chis year: Washington State, Tulsa, Nebraska and Bedlam. Pins can also be purchased in the Athletic Training Office in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Each pin is $10.
For more information on Katie and the Pokes 4 Katie pins, please join the group "Pokes For Katie" at www.facebook.com.
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THE CHANGES TO THE OFFENSE AND THEIR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON.
BY MATT ELLIOTT
Few Cowboy fans will forget how high they were riding during those halcyon days leading up to Sept. 12, 2009.
OSU was ranked No. 5 in the nation. The Pokes were on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the second time in two months. The last one was an iconic shot of Dez Bryant making a diving catch into the end zone for the second of his two touchdowns during the Cowboys' win over the SEC's Georgia Bulldogs.
Then, on Sept. 12, the Houston Cougars killed our buzz. Quarterback Case Keenum, on his way to a school-record 5,671 passing yards and 44 touchdowns, threw for 366 yards and three scores to top OSU45-35.
But all was not lost. The Cowboys, despite losing many players to injuries and other issues, finished the year 9-4 after a Cotton Bowl bout with Ole Miss. OSU posted a 6-2 conference record - the Cowboys' best ever in the Big 12. The offense averaged more than 28 points per game and had the conference's best rushing attack for the fourth straight year. But it was stymied during key points of the season. Costly turnovers and penalties hamstrung the team during BCS-bid killing losses to Texas and Oklahoma.
Last January OSU officials announced they had hired away Houston's offensive coordinator and Mike Leach protege, Dana Holgorsen. Holgorsen's fast-paced, no-huddle spread offense of screens and improvised passing had the Cougars averaging more than 42 points and 563 yards per game during 2009. The Cougars went 10-4 last year, made the Conference USA title game and played in the program's fifth-consecutive bowl game.
OSU fans should expect the Cowboys' offense to be no less explosive. An Oklahoman beat writer described it as "basketball on turf."
"It doesn't matter if you're handing the ball off to Kendall Hunter or if you're throwing a fiveyard hitch," says OSU's new 26-year-old starting quarterback, Brandon Weeden. "Get the ball in space. Let the guys on the outside do the hard work."
As in years past, Hunter is expected to be the offense's playmaker whether he's running the ball or catching it during a screen or a quick route over the middle.
Last year, of course, OSU ran the spread offense but in some key ways it's nothing like Holgorsen's no-huddle version. His system places more authority on Weeden's 6-foot-4-inch frame, relying on his snap judgments and quick changes at the line.
The changes mean OSU could average more than 80 plays a game - a huge amount for an offense. That approach can wear out opposing defenses and prevent them from making needed substitutions. It means OSU's wide receivers (including Hubert Anyiam, Josh Cooper, Tracy Moore and Justin Blackmon) must have an ESPlike connection with Weeden.
Holgorsen's approach seemed to work during the spring game last April. Weeden showed he was comfortable and poised while throwing for 257 yards and four touchdowns. Cooper led the receivers with seven catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Hunter carried the ball just four times, but he averaged more than 10 yards per carry. He also caught four passes for 28 yards.
The offensive line, one of the unknowns surrounding the team, showed promise during the spring game, too. This is despite the fact that OSU lost players who had 139 starts between them: All-American tackle Russell Okung, center Andrew Lewis, right tackle Brady Bond and right guard Noah Franklin.
The spring game's depth chart had Nick Martinez in the top spot to take over for Okung,who was taken by the Seattle Seahawks with the sixth pick in the NFL Draft. Lane Taylor,center, leads the group with 11 starts - out of a total of 12 for the whole line. Anthony Morgan, a talented transfer from Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, was listed as the starter at right guard. NEO A&M product Levy Adcock was at right tackle. Jonathan Rush, out much of last year with injury, was at left guard.
Hunter's production was evidence of their promise, as well as the protection around Weeden that kept the defense away. Part of that success may be due to the fact the offense emphasizes getting the ball out of the pocket quickly.
"If I get hit, nine times out of ten it's probably going to be my fault," Weeden says. "I'm very excited about the five guys in front of me."
One of the stories told about NFL quarterback Brett Favre is his passes dislocate receivers' fingers.
It's more than a bit of a stretch to compare Weeden to the Hall of Fame quarterback, but the guy who used to wear No. 4 for OSU(he's No. 3 after this summer) throws the ball like he has a cannon instead of a right arm. Catching one of his passes should be considered hazard duty.
"Sometimes it shocks you," says Cooper. "One spring practice, he threw me a ball low and it caught two of my fingers and dislocated them."
Weeden, a junior from Edmond, came to OSU after retiring in 2006 from professional baseball. He was drafted as a pitcher by the Yankees in the second round of the 2002 amateur draft, was later traded to the Dodgers and spent several years on farm teams.
He laughs when he remembers one of his first throws in practice as a Cowboy and one of his most cherished memories of his football career. He was working on routes with the Cowboys' star receiver, Adarius Bowman.
He hiked the ball, dropped back and threw to Bowman as the huge receiver was making his cut - a routine drill.
"It went right through his hands and gave him a black eye," Weeden says, half-smiling at the memory. "He was mad. We even talked about it later and he was still pretty upset. Eventually he blew it off and it wasn't any big deal."
Weeden, a third-stringer last year, didn't get his chance until the Colorado game in November. Zac Robinson, the team's record-setting quarterback, was hurt the week before against TexasTech. Against the Buffs, the Cowboys' offense was sputtering during a bizarre Thursdaynight game in Stillwater. Secondstringer Alex Cate was ineffective.
Weeden took over after half-time and rallied the team. He threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner to Blackmon late in the fourth quarter.
Not in recent memory has a single half of football against such a hapless opponent (Colorado finished 3-9) created so much fan excitement. The win was the Cowboys' last of the season, and it kept the team in contention for a strong bowl bid. Weeden's ascension to the starting role this year has fans rabid with anticipation.
"I'm blessed to be where I'm at right now. I don't take it for granted. I kind of did it a little backwards. I'm a little older. I wouldn't change anything I've done in the past. My body feels good. I feel healthy."
Realizing what's expected of him, he stayed in Stillwater last May (when most players go home) working on his footwork, throwing accuracy, blitz reads and watching film. This is from a guy who had previously claimed to be a better "game player" than a "practice player."
He's excited about showing the new system off on Saturdays partly because he gets to spread the ball so much. It's difficult for defenses to know whom to stop.
"It's a different mentality for a quarterback. I feel almost like I'm pitching a baseball game. I feel like it's part of my game When we start in August, I'll be sharp - ready to go."
•
Holgorsen's offense emphasizes the pass more than the run. But Hunter is the best running back he has ever worked with. It'd be insane not to use him. So, Cowboy fans can expect No. 24 to be a big part of the offense.
Of course, Hunter is eager just to play after being hobbled much of last season with a painful ankle injury.
"I know I'll probably catch the ball more," says Hunter, in his characteristically subdued manner. "Otherthan that we'll be cool. Any running back, they prefer to run the ball. But if you can catch too, it won't hurt."
Cowboy fans will see a different Hunter this year in some ways. The guy known as "Spud" for his shyness and smaller size has taken a more vocal role on the team, stepping in to his role as a leader of an offense that needs him. He has even taken some of the younger backs on the team under his wing.
But the kid that wowed the nation in 2008 with a 1,555-yard, 14-touchdown sophomore year is still behind the wheel. He's still the same old blazing-fast Hunter with moves honed on the blacktop in his hometown ofTyler, Texas.
Except he's broader, harder and stronger. Scars crisscross his massive arms holding back handshake that could turn coal into diamonds. He admits he's stronger now than he ever has been.
"At first, for me it was like a learning process. Getting a feel for everything. You've just got to pick the young guys up. Let them know it ain't going to be easy. It's never easy. You've got to work for what you earn or what you're going to get."
Rather than mope about the change in offense, he realizes he's the guy. This is his senior season, and a wicked grin splits his face as he notes Bedlam is in Stillwater this November.
This is his chance to leave his mark before departing for what many expect will be a good professional career.
"I've been doing this my whole life. You've just got to keep grinding. Don't give up. Keep pushing through the pain the sweat the blood. In Tyler, that's like all we did was play football in the street. I just love doing it."
Next to Josh Cooper's name in the team roster is "IR." Fortunately for him and Tracy Moore, the other inside receiver in Holgorsen's offense, that doesn't mean "injured reserve."
"A lot of people probably thought that because I've been hurt most of my career," says Cooper, who adds this summer he's trying to stay healthy and build up his body.
That's good because few people could benefit more from this offense than Cooper. He played in a similar system in high school. And people around OSU football compare the former Mustang a little to the New England Patriots' Wes Welker.
He's excited he says because defenses won't be able to key on one guy and limit the offense when there are three other receivers who can catch the ball. Anyiam, last year's receiving leader, was listed as a starter at wide receiver going into the spring game, as was Justin Blackmon. Moore, at 6-foot-2 inches and nearly 240 pounds, has changed over from tight end.
Anyiam and Blackmon have the speed to be deep threats. On the inside, Cooper and Moore will likely present match up problems for defenses. That's because inside receivers are more likely to have a bigger, slower linebacker covering them instead of smaller, fleetfooted cornerbacks.
Moore, the son of former Houston Rockets guard Tracy Moore, could present headaches no matter who covers him because of his size and quickness.
• "Tracy is a beast in the slot on the other side of me," Cooper says. "We always joke around with him about looking like a tight end. He doesn't like it too much. It'll definitely help us in the running game."
The group has been hitting the team meeting room a lot during the summer, he says. They watch film, study their routes and work on finding the soft spots in defenses.
Cooper is eager to get out on the field and show fans what they have in store. It could end up being a heckuva ride.
"You sit out for so long, you want to get back out there. I think we're all ready to see if we can make a difference in the Big 12. We're going to put up some points."
by
By Seth Becker
Last season former Cowboy Bill Young came home to be the new defensive coordinator and the Cowboys went from 93rd to 31st in the nation in total defense.
The jump was driven by a schoolrecord low 95.8 rushing yards per game allowed. The Cowboys did not allow a 100-yard rusher during the regular season with Georgia's Richard Samuels coming closest with 87 yards. But with the college game comes consistent turnover, and the Cowboysfind themselves looking to rebuild a defense that lost all but four starters from last year's squad.
Still, OSU returns 17 lettermen and may find themselves on solid ground when they face the 119th (out of 120) ranked offense of the Washington State Cougars in the season opener September 4th.
The Pokes are in good shape on the D-line.
"I don't think there's any question that the depth we have on the defensive line helps with stability," says Young. "We played 10 guys last year and only graduated three, so that gives us some good experience coming back for the season. We made sure to get a lot of different guys reps last year, and we do that by design. We try to anticipate who will be leaving at the end of the year and give other players reps during the course of the season so you always have guys coming back who have played. We do that throughout the defense, notjust on the defensive line."
Some of the key linemen are seniors Ugo Chinasa, whose strong play included 6.5 sacks, Shane Jarka, who forced a fumble in the season opener against Georgia, Chris Donaldson, who saw action in 12 games, and junior Jamie Blatnick, the part-time starter expected to be a full-time starter this season.
While the Cowboys are technically looking to replace all but four starters from last year, one of those starters will be easy to identify. Last season, converted quarterback Orie Lemon went down with a season ending injury just days before the Georgia opener. It was a devastating blow, but the senior linebacker has bounced back will be looking to build off the 2008 season when he recorded 90 tackles for the Cowboys.
Joining Lemon in the linebacker corps are senior Justin Gent and junior James Thomas. Both saw extensive playing time last season with Gent recording eight tackles and a quarterback sack against the Sooners. "Justin Gent improved a lot during the spring practice from last season," says Young. Look for Gent to rack up the impact plays this season.
The losses of Perrish Cox and Terrence Anderson have the Pokes looking for a pair of starting cornerbacks to step up and make quarterbacks think at least twice before throwing their way. Senior Andrew McGee and sophomore Brodrick Brown look to fill the void as both come back from injuries that cost each multiple games last season.
McGee has experience, having played 11 games last season before his injury, and Brown returned as a starter in the AT&T Cotton Bowl game versus Ole Miss after being out for six games.
Waiting in the wings could be Devin Hedgepeth. Coach Young has singled out the true freshman for his better-than-expected play in the spring. If his strong play continues, he could be one worth watching.
Another area of strength for Young's squad is the safety position. Two juniors from last year's team are ready to lead the Cowboys in the 2010 campaign. Markelle Martin returns after starting 11 games in 2009. His 11 pass breakups were good enough for second on the team, behind only Cox. Along with Martin, Johnny Thomas brings his 37-inch vertical leap and a 4.46 time in the 40 to a secondary that will keep opposing quarterbacks nervous anytime they dare to throw deep down the field.
Looking at the numbers, the Cowboys appear to be in a rebuilding phase, but how do you lose eight starters on defense and still find your depth on solid ground? If you are Coach Young you do it with solid recruiting, preparation and rotation, a formula that could well spell success in the 2010 season.
BY CL.AYBIL.I.MAN
Baseball is a game of statistics.
Runs Batted In. On-Base Percentage. Earned Run Average.
Stats are constantly calculated in the press box, bleachers and clubhouse, enlightening benchmarks of where players are going and where they've been.
Dusty Harvard could have easily been another statistic.
To say the Cowboy centerfielder had an "at-risk" childhood would be an understatement. Growing up in Casper, Wyoming, Harvard was faced with challenges early on.
"My parents divorced when I was five," he recalls. "Going through school, it was just me and my two brothers. I'm in the middle."
Harvard's older sibling was seven at the time their father left; his younger brother was just an infant. Raising three boys by herself proved to be too difficult for their single mother.
"My mom couldn't really take care of us," he says. "She tried two or three jobs, but they never really worked out. As we got older, she started to feel the pressure.
"When I was about 12, she ended up getting remarried and moved out. She wanted us to move with her to a different town, a different state, but none of us wanted to do that."
Instead, the boys were taken in by their grandparents, Bill and Leanne Moore.
"It wasn't very easy. My grandparents were retired, so they didn't have any income. Money-wise, it was really tough."
By that time a number of negative influences had already taken their toll. At age 14, his older brother was incarcerated.
"He just got mixed up with the wrong group and put himself in a bad situation," Harvard explains.
"My younger brother is 17 now and is kind of following my older brother's footsteps in that regard. He dropped out of high school. He's in trouble all the time, doing the wrong stuff."
While his siblings gravitated to the wrong crowd, sports provided a safe haven for Harvard. His natural speed and athleticism made him a star at Natrona County High.
"I played football, basketball, ran track and just pretty much kept myself busy. I tried to keep myself from going down the wrong path and doing something stupid that would get me in trouble. Going out on the field every day kept me away from all the bad influences and really kept my mind off things."
As a teenager, the lanky speedster excelled on the gridiron, earning All-State honors as a wide receiver/safety, along with several Division-I scholarship offers. Baseball is a less popular pastime in his home state, however.
"It's such a remote place," he says. "We didn't have any high school baseball teams in Wyoming. We'd just have a few games in the summer because the weather is so bad the rest of the year. All we played was American Legion. Around the country, that's not really the highest profile summer league, but that's all we had."
Despite a dearth of opportunities for youth baseball in Casper, Harvard was able to showcase his skills for some pro scouts. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 28th round of the 2006 Major League draft.
Division I baseball offers only come around once every few decades in Wyoming, and Harvard would have never set foot in Stillwater had it not been for his summer coach's chance encounter with Oklahoma State assistant coach Billy Jones.
"I was walking from Gallagher-Iba Arena back to Reynolds Stadium," Jones recalls. "A kid named Scott Kelly, who pitched for me when I was a junior college coach at Green River Community College in Kent, Washington, saw me on the street and yelled at me. I hadn't seen this guy in 10 years, but he was in town for a wedding, ironically. We started catching up, and he said, 'There's an interesting kid in Casper, Wyoming. You ought to see him. He can really run."'
Little more than a week later, Jones caught a flight to Denver and drove up 1-25 to Cheyenne, where Dusty's team was playing.
"He was really raw and was going to need some developing," Jones says, "but the more I heard his story from people throughout the stands, the more I wanted to like him. Basically, he was on his own, and the community kind of adopted him. He had a tough home life. A lot people wanted to help him. The town of Casper kind of took Dusty un-
der their wing because he was such a good kid, and he always wanted to do the right things. That's what told me a lot about him, just what kind of person he was.
"After I met Dusty, I became a fan of his. I wanted to see this kid do well. When I told Coach (Frank) Anderson the story, he became a fan as well."
"Coach Jones told me the other day that I was given this chance because of my story," Harvard says. "I was just a small, scrawny kid from Wyoming who hadn't really played that much, so the skills weren't all there. But he just gave me a chance, and I'm really thankful."
Harvard was able to choose a partial scholarship in baseball at OSU over a shot in the minor leagues or a full-ride in football thanks to a regional needbased scholarship.
"I ended up getting a scholarship for underprivileged kids from the Daniels Fund, so that ended up paying for my school. The whole money thing wasn't a big deal in my decision. I justfelt there was more of a future in playing baseball than there is in football, especially with my size and everything."
When he arrived in Stillwater, Harvard was a lean 6-foot-3, 165 pounds. With maturation (and OSU's strength and conditioning program) he filled out to about 200 lbs. while retaining most of his speed. In the offseason, Harvard was clocked at an impressive 6.52 seconds in the 60-yard dash (the baseball equivalent of home to second base).
On the basepaths, Harvard swiped 14 bases in 15 attempts. While the stats say he was thrown out, Harvard actually overslid the base for his lone tag out.
"You can't really teach speed," he says. "And being a right-handed thrower and a left-handed batter is something that scouts look for. The potential is there."
Despite his natural abilities, geography obviously hindered Harvard's development as a player.
"Compared to a normal college senior, like from Texas or Oklahoma, I've probably only played a third of the games they have," Harvard says. "Really, I should be a sophomore baseball-wise, just by the experience I have. I've got the tools, I've just got to put it together."
"Dusty probably got to play only 25-30 baseball games a year in high school, while the average kid nowadays can play over 100," Jones says. "He was so far behind. Out there in Wyoming, he could only play so much."
In 2007, Harvard joined a lineup that featured three veteran outfielders. With his speed and defensive skills, the raw freshman saw mostly situational duty.
"We tried to get him in there early," Jones says. "Some spot starts here and spot starts there. He was able to contribute little bit with pinch running and late defense. The next two years he was kind of a late-game defensive guy.
As a junior, Harvard started 18 games but was sidelined much of the season with a shoulder injury.
"His senior year, we said, 'Dusty, you're going to play center. We'll hit you down in the order so you can be a table-setter at the bottom of the lineup. Just do what you can do' and he did pretty well."
"Defense has always been my thing," Harvard says. "So starting in center was a big deal for me."
Jones says Harvard's range is remarkable.
"Side to side, he's the best guy I've ever seen. And Frank will tell you the same thing. We joked all the time that we could just play Dusty in center and keep everybody else out of his way."
Harvard showcased his skills at the 2010 season opening Dodgertown Classic, played in Los Angeles.
"On opening night against USC, with the game tied, he made probably the most unbelievable catch I've ever seen," Jones recalls. "He chased down a deep line drive, diving completely parallel to the ground to make the catch, robbing the batter of an extra-base hit and keeping the game in check."
The Cowboys ended up topping the Trojans 6-4 in 11 frames. Harvard had the game-winning RBI.
"That catch was very impressive," Jones adds, "but what people don't know is, about three days before that, he did the same thing at practice. And he actually knocked himself out when he did it. He's not timid in the outfield."
Harvard's perfect fielding percentage (no errors committed in 120 putouts this past season) would likely earn him a Gold Glove in the majors. But it's his all-out effort that impresses the coaches.
"He's always working on his game. If you watched us take batting practice, Dusty would be out in center field, running into the walls, diving, sliding. And that became infectious, especially in the outfield where other guys tried to keep up with him. He made other guys want to work hard during BP."
Jones calls him a "manager's dream."
"He's probably one of the hardest working kids that I've ever coached," Jones says. "No matter what was happening, whether he was a starter or not, whether it was a gameday or a practice, he always showed up every day and gave it 100 percent. He played every day like it was his last. As a coach, you can't help but respect that."
While his defensive skills were always in his arsenal, his prowess at the plate has taken longer to develop. A 234 hitter in three seasons of spot duty at OSU, Harvard's batting average made a dramatic jump as an everyday player during his senior season.
"It's tough in his situation, to kind of get in a rhythm and get in the flow of things when you're as far behind as he was, and not playing every day," Jones says. "Those first three years, he went out every summer and got at-bats under his belt. Every year we saw more and more of an improvement. His senior year he did a pretty good"job for us."
Harvard batted a respectable .289 in 2010.
"This was the first time I really played an entire season. Knowing that I was going to be in the lineup every day really helped my average. It was just having confidence in myself and not worrying about whether I was going to start or maybe get substituted halfway through the game. I got the opportunity to play every single day - and tried to make the best of it."
The senior showed some surprising power, hitting his first collegiate home runs this past spring.
"I'm obviously not a power hitter," Harvard says. "It felt good to finally get that first one off my back. I think I was the last guy in the starting nine to hit one this season, so every day my teammates were on me about it."
Harvard cleared the wall three times in 2010, not including an inside-the-park home run. Round-trippers are fun, but Harvard prefers to make plays with his glove.
"The best feeling in baseball is when I make a diving catch or rob a hitter of a home run or something like that," he says. "Making great defensive plays is my favorite thing, and I pride myself on defense."
For the proud Cowboy program, the 2010 season is one they'd soon forget. Battling injuries and inconsistency, the squad finished with a disappointing 29-26 record, missing out on the postseason.
"As a team, we ended up not fulfilling what we thought we were capable of," Harvard says. "At the beginning of the season, we were really a tough, scrappy team. As the season went along, it just kind of fell apart. I didn't like the way it ended up, and I don't feel like I personally led the team as well as I could have. I just wanted the team to win, and my biggest regret is that we didn't get it done this year."
Harvard sees brighter days ahead for the team
"There are a lot of young guys coming back, a lot of young pitching - that's the biggest thing," he adds. "I think in the next couple years those guys are going to be really good, and the program will be back where it's supposed to be."
Off the field, Harvard is a unique individual.
"The guys on the team would probably describe me as a mix between weird and loud," Harvard admits. "In the locker room before a game I'll get really up. When I'm playing video games with the guys, I'm always the loud one, yelling stuff. It usually has no relation to what's going on, but it just comes out. They think it's weird. They call me an alien.
"Once I leave the ballpark, if you ask parents or fans who see me around, they'd probably say I'm just a shy kid who doesn't really say much. In class I'm quiet, so it's like two different people."
"He's off-the-wall a little bit," Jones agrees. "But once you meet the guy, there's so much about him that you love."
In May, Harvard walked across the commencement stage after earning a degree in Sports Management from the Spears School of Business. His grandfather was in the crowd, making his first trip to Oklahoma. (Leanne passed away in 2009.)
"My grandparents were just really proud of me and glad that I made something of myself instead of following the path I was set up to follow.
"OSU has been great," he adds. "I've met a lot of good people and made some great friends - people I want in my life."
This summer, Harvard was selected in the 34th round of the MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox.
"I hope every day that he has good luck in pro ball because I want to see him succeed," Jones says. "His glove and speed are going to have to keep him in the game until the bat catches up. But if Dusty can just weather the storm these next few years and it all clicks, you might really have something special. That would be a great story, but it's a great story - period - that he's made it to where he has."
His first stop in the minors is the team's "Advanced Rookie" affiliate in Montana - the Great Falls Voyagers. The team's Pioneer League schedule includes several trips to familiar territory - Casper, Wyo.
For Harvard, coming full circle wasn't an easy journey. But it was a road trip worth taking.
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"He was just doing stuff that you didn't see the average 13-year-old kid doing," says his dad, whom he would visit in the summer and play with in community leagues. "A lot of passes he used to throw would go out of bounds off the other kids. And some of the layups he would do were more athletic than the average kid."
His high school coach remembers the first time he saw him. Hammett, who coached basketball and baseball, was at a local park one day helping out with pee wee football when he saw James, then 12 years old, throwing a football.
"I said, 'boy, that ol' kid right there, he's a good-looking athlete,"' says Hammett, who also knew James' parents.
Blessed with long arms, he could dunk in the eighth grade, his dad says. Then, between the eighth and ninth grade, he grew six inches.
"He was shorter than me and he could reach to the top of my head and cup it," Rob says, laughing. His co-workers at the prison still talk about how badly his son beat all of them on the court, and they followed his career at Oklahoma State.
Back in Oklahoma, Hammett's ninth grade team won the junior league crown with their new star. Later, Hammett moved Anderson to varsity, where he kept improving. Hammett remembers one playoff game where the team was down 15 points late in the contest. Then Anderson hit four three-pointers in a row, and they went on to win the game.
"That's when I said, 'This kid is going to be special," Hammett says.
He says he didn't have to teach James much about the game. His parents already gave him that. He worked with him instead on his footwork, jumpshot and shooting off the dribble.
Hammett's Junction City Dragons played inside a 50-year-old gym that could seat 2,500 people. By the time Anderson was a senior, each game was played with a full house, Hammett says. On that court, Anderson would eventually help the team to the state championship.
"In the semifinals, we were down eight points with four minutes left in the game. I just told James, 'you've got to take over the game.' I won't ever forget that.''
His protege scored 13 points in a row, and the Dragons won 75-72. In the state championship game, he outscored their opponent by himself.
OSU's then assistant coach, James Dickey, had his eye on Anderson (a McDonald's All-American as a senior) the whole time. Many of the big schools had overlooked him, but Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma State and Kansas were among the most interested.
"He just did it all," recalls Dickey, now head coach with the University of Houston Cougars. "
His size and athleticism let him cover everyone from the post players to guards, he says. He could play multiple positions and he loved to be in the gym. The coach sold him on OSU by working with Hammett and his family to make him feel at home.
Rob Anderson says he was glad his son picked OSU. It was clear the university had more of a family atmosphere around its program than the other schools recruiting him. Still, James thought about leaving after then-coach Sean Sutton resigned in 2008. Dickey left OSU that year as well.
"He didn't know what he wanted to do," Rob says. "I said, 'You might as well give Coach Ford a chance. For all you know, that might be the best thing that ever happened to you.' I said, 'Either way, if you stay or transfer, you're going to have a new coach regardless.'"
James listened. It turned out that Ford's up-tempo style benefitted him immensely. Ford and his staff drilled into him the competitive, aggressive style that he lacked as a freshman.
"That was pretty impressive to me," his dad says. "They got to him where I couldn't get to him. It was the same stuff I'd been telling him from day one.''
Dickey still talks to Anderson today. He says it's no surprise he succeeded, largely because James was always willing to work hard to achieve his goals.
"I don't ever compare players because they're all special. But when you talk about great players at Oklahoma State, James Anderson is always going to be in the conversation.''
Now he's preparing for the NBA, but don't expect him to change much. His dad was asked if James was nervous at all. Rob laughed.
"He's still the same. Even if he is nervous you wouldn't be able to tell.''
His mom, Ira, worries about him, especially with the fame in professional sports and the amount of money that gets handed around.
"I know he'll do the right thing, as far as the money and stuff. But it crosses my mind some times, wondering if his agent is going to treat him right. Are these people going to do right with his money? You know hopefully that will _allwork out.''
Anderson signed his contract with the Spurs July 23. Although the Oklahoma City Thunder" may be Oklahoma's professional team, there's no doubt the Cowboy nation will be looking south to San Antonio, pulling for the quiet, shy kid from Arkansas who did nothing but go to class, listen to his parents, obey his coaches, and play some serious basketball.
"One day I told him, I said, 'Man, I've had a lot of fun calling out your name at Gallagher-Iba Arena,' Reece recalls fondly. '"Just make sure you come' home frequently.' He said, 'I really appreciate it, sir.' That's it. That was getting a big sentence out of James.''
AS OF 7.15.10
REMEMBER WHEN THERE WERE ONLY FOUR CHANNELS ON YOUR TV, AND ONLY THREE OF THEM WERE ANY GOOD?
Let's face it, PBS was at its most riveting when you were young enough to long for Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, The Electric Company or the best of them all, Sesame Street.
If you only had three channels on your TV that was three feet thick, then you most likely recall the fact you had no remote control. You either had to remain fairly loyal to your network of choice, or burn calories and upset your popcorn bowl by getting up and down to turn the dial on the front of your set every hour.
As cable television options spread across the region, more choices became available. Cardinals, Braves and Cubs baseball could be viewed nightly during the summer. Children's programming became popular through avenues like Nickelodeon. Goodbye Big Bird, hello Spongebob!
And then, as if a Wal-Mart on every corner wasn't enough, someone decided to create a home shopping network option. For those late night
August 2010 I 80
viewers who really need the combination can opener/power washer, get your Visa card ready.
Now we can tune in to a guy who dines on beetles from Bangladesh. Do we really need to follow the antics of a licensed exterminator from Bossier City, Louisiana?Why am I drawn to a show consisting of a guy ingesting more calories than you should eat in a week or a jalapefio hamburger so hot it could melt iron? Can audiences actually get on the edge of their seat to watch a couple trying to decide on the townhouse with the spacious kitchen in town or the cute cottage with a yard in the suburbs? Remember when MTV played music videos? And let's not get started on the reality of reaIity TV.
But I've left out perhaps the greatest addition to cable television of all time: ESPN. All sports, all the time. Suddenly we were introduced to obscure things which heretofore had gone unnoticed. Like Big Ten Football. We saw fans in strange colors and players in unusual helmets at games by 11 a.m. Weird. But if you are like me and you hear the lead-in music to College Game-
day, your pulse quickens and you remember why ESPNis so cool. Now conferences and schools are dreaming of and launching their own networks. It's an expensive proposition, very time consuming, and possibly risky. Not all content is created equal, after all. Everyone stand up who feels the motivation to watch Northwestern duke it out with Purdue in the three-meter diving competition.
I think they should start a Cowboy channel. Show John Wayne and Clint Eastwood flicks. Sports would consist of OSU, Dallas and Wyoming games, plus full complements of bull riding, roping and various other official cowboy activities. Once a month they would show Tombstone and Lonesome Dove. The news would be done by Pistol Pete. Not a lot of talking. Just some nodding and waving a gun around now and again. The network's primary color: orange.
GO POKES!
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