POSSE - Fall 2015

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WITH EACH PASSING YEAR LIFE'S PACE QlJICKfNSand it seems as if football season returns in the blink of an eye. Hopefully, each of you have made your plans to be in Stillwater this fall with your season tickets in hand because I WOULDN'T WANT YOU TOMISS ASINGLE MOMENT OFWHAT COULD BEONE OFTHE MOST EXCITING HOME SLATE OFGAMES IN THE HISTORY OFCOWBOY FOOTBALL. Enthusiasm is

everywhere and the RECENTLY COMPLETED CARAVANS ONTHECAMPUSES OF OSU-TULSA ANOOSU-OKC reminded us just how special it is to be a part of

the largest university system in Oklahoma. We have a lot of great people in the OSU family and working togethert anything is possible.

Greeti OSU

1:,_gs, fai1..s.

Itm looking

forward

to 2016 and the potential groundbreaking for the new baseball and soccer stadiums.

Our funding is mostly in place for

soccer but WE'RE STILL SOLICITING SUPPORT FORTHEMUCHNEEDED BASEBALL STADIUM. PLEASE SPREAD THEWORD and let's make sure that Josh Holliday and his staff have all the resources

necessary to recruit and develop the best talent available.

THANK YOUFORYOUR SUPPORT OFCOWBOY ATHLETICS. You are the foundation for those

51

NCAA

Championship

in GIA. You are the best. Pat yourself on the back!

GO POKES!

4 MIKE

HOLDER

DIRECTOR OFINTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS FormerOSUMen'sGolfCoach OSUClassof 1973

FALL2015

banners

hanging

thePLAYBQQK 2015voL.9FALL

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BYBRUCE WATERFIELD

"TJ 18 A NewTradition tr:I OnCampus

:; 28 MakingAName

c

~

C/l

36 NeedForSpeed 44 Danny's Story AND PLAYER OF THE YEAR

52 Perseverance 58 TheSwede Life

OfStillwater FEMALE AND MALE

64 Scholar Athletes

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t::J

OUT OF FRAME

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24 The150 :s: Cw:I 2

~

Cl.I

76 TheHonor Roll 'TIS THE SEASON

82 Wrav!ngs

UNFORGETTABLE CourtneyDike EXPERIENCE ~

Courtney Dike became the first Oklahoman to play in a in August 201s. Dike PLAYED INTWO GAMES FOR NIGERIA, including starting in the SUPER FALCONS' match against the United States.

PHOTO/ BRUCE WATERFIELD

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ATHLETIC

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I DEVELOPMENT

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OF DEVELOPMENT

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ELLENAYRES

CLAYBILLMAN

ANNUAL

ANNUAL

ATHLETICS SENIOR

I POSSE

COORDINATOR

DIRECTOR,

COORDINATOR,

At Oklahoma State University, compliance with NCAA, Big 12 and institutional rules is of the utmost importance. As a supporter of 0SU, please remember that maintaining the integrity of the University and the Athletic Department is your first responsibility. As a donor, and therefore booster of 0SU, NCAA rules apply to you. If you have any questions, feel free to call the OSU Office of Athletic Compliance at 405-744-7862.

Additional information can also be found by clicking on the Compliance tab of the Athletic Department web-site at www.okstate.com.

Remember to always '~sh: Before You. Act." Respectfully,

ANNUAL

ASSISTANT

I ATHLETICS

MATTGRANTHAM

SHAWNTAYLOR OSU

POSSE

102 ATHLETICS

CENTER

STILLWATER,

OK 74078-5070

405.744.7301 P 405.744.9084 F

BEN DYSON

OKSTATEPOSSE.COM

ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FORCOMPLIANCE

OKSTATEPOSSE POSSE@OKSTATE.EDU @OSUPOSSE ADVERTISING EDITORIAL

405744.7301 405.7441706

FLYING HIGH COURTNEY DIKE (#JO in above picture) is a native of Edmond, Okla., whose parents are from Nigeria.

A TWO-TIME ALL-BIG 12 CONFERENCE SELECTION FOROSUwho is a junior in 2015, Dike was a member of the NIGERIANATIONAL TEAM at the 2015 FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP IN CANADA.

AWARD WINNING POSSE MAGAZINE was awarded the GRANO AWARDin the SPORTS PUBLICATION category at this su"mmer' s OKLAHOMA COLLEGE PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATION (OCPRAl awards competition.

FALL2015

Photographer Gary Lawson receivedanHONORABLE MENTION in the DIGITALLY ENHANCED PHOTO categoryfor his photograph,

"Rain Warrior."

VBSPRING

THETEAM Bt=J;:;:JI· IQrnE TEA::LVLS

OUT ..

Frame REM EMBER the movie Forrest Gump?

Remember

how the lead character

himself in the spotlight?

constantly

Remember

found

how he always

landed front and center in historical situations?

The tions

OSU staff

media

rela-

is just the opposite. They

are just out of frame in those historical photos of the Fiesta Bowl, or the trophy presentation in the 2011 BEDLAM POSTGAME LOCKER ROOM, or the ceremonial cutting down of the nets on the way to the Final Four.

FALL 2015

PHOTO I GREGBULLARO

Like many members of the athletic department, that most members of the athletic department,

make

the media

relations crew operates behind the scenes. They serve as the link between

the media, which is constantly

redefin-

ing itself, and OSU Athletics. When the announcers calling a Cowboy or Cowgirl sporting

event make a refer-

ence to historical

or to a record being

accomplishments

broken, they are probably

doing so from notes provided

by OSU media relations.

If there is a microphone

and camera in a room, you can bet a media rela-

tions staffer is standing just out of the camera frame. It's not unusualfor

media relations to close down afootball press box at 2 a.m. - after a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. And then bright and early the next day they are hard at work preparing

the media kit for Monday's news conference

because the

media never stops producing. And, by association, neither does media relations.

They promote and spin.

They run websites, twitter accounts and produce publications. They have their own hectic game day operations and they stand in the trenches with their coaching staffs, whether

that staff is embat-

tled or celebrated.

AND THEIR GOAL IS FOR THE SPOTLIGHT TO SHINE ON OTHER PEOPLE.

POSSE

FOUR-TIME ALL-AMERICAN Chad Noelle capped a perfect season by winning

a national

MEN'S 1500-METER competition

championship in the

at the NCAA Track and

Field Championships IN EUGENE, ORE.In addition,.

NATALJA PILIUSINA and SAVANNAH CAMACHO earned FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICA HONORS. Piliusina leaves osu as the MOSTDECORATED FEMALE TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE INSCHOOL HISTORY having won a NATIONAL TITLE and NINE BIG12TITLES in her five years under HEAD COACH Dave Smith.

OKLAHOMA

STATE UNIVERSITY

is seeking comments from the public about the

The public may also submit comments on the

University in preparation for its periodic evaluation

Commission's

by its regional accrediting agency. The University

org/HLC-Institutionslthird-party-comment.html.

will host a visit October 19-20, 2015, with a team representing the Higher Learning Commission.

OSU has been accredited by the Commission since 1916. The team will review the institution's

Comments

website at http://hlcommission.

must address substantive

matters

related to the quality of the institution

or its

academic programs. Comments must be in writing.

ongoing ability to meet the Commission's Criteria

All comments must be received by September

for Accreditation.

18, 2015.

The public is invited to submit comments regarding the University to:

~~ HIGHER

SZLEARNING

Public Comment on Oklahoma State

~ 1 COMMISSION

University The Higher Learning Commission 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500 • Chicago, IL 60604-1411

Recognizing OSU's 100th consecutive year of accreditation

PHOTOS/ JORDAN RICHARDS

THENEXTJJ NATALIE CALHOUN CD) ELIZABETH DELOZIER CMF/D) COURTNEY DIKECF) CARLA DOLOMONT CMF) KATHRIN LEHMAN CGK) MEGAN MARCHESANO CF) ADRIANE RADTKE CF) JESYCA ROSHOLT CF) ALLIESTE PHENS ONCMF/F) SIERA STRAWSERCMF/F) KYNOALL TREADWELL CF/MF)

DKLAJ-JOtr1A

STA· -~ :.""!'~

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(D Colin Carmichael: "The biggest challenge was to convince good players to come here.

We didn't have any tradition or history. We didn't have a facility. We didn't have a locker room - we didn't have a whole lot to sell. We had to sell the university and ourselves, and at that point, that was pretty much it."

Those dreams were born nearly 20 years ago. The thought of moving close to home and building a program in the NEWLY FORMED BIG12 CONFERENCE appealed to Hancock, a native ofTulsa who starred at Union High School and the University of Tulsa. Carmichael was not only looking for a new challenge, but also for full-time employment as an international student coming offhis student visa at South Alabama, where he'd played, graduated with a Master's degree and assisted Hancock in coaching the women's team at his alma mater.

Once settled on the plains of Oklahoma with Hancock as the Cowgirls' head coach and Carmichael her assistant, the

duo began the task of building a soccer programfrom the ground up.

During those.first two seasons in 1996 and 1997, the Cowgirls won 19 games and

finished with winning records both years, thanks in no small part to several transfers that followed Hancock and Carmichael from Mobile to Stillwater.

But the honeymoon would end when the South Alabama transfers graduated, and THE NEW TALENT the Cowgirls brought in COULDN'T

MEASURE UP- OSU'swin totals dropped to seven in 1998, five in 1999 and then to just four in 2000.

"The kids we brought in to replace the ones we lost off those first two teams were not as good, and we took a pretty good dip," Carmichael said.

"At that point, I think we were all questioning whether we could get this thing going."

It's not as if the cupboard was completely bare - THERE WERE

TALENTED PLAYERS ONTHECOWGIRL ROSTER - but stockpilingthe types of athletes needed to compete with the perennial NCAA top-10 programs in the Big 12 was a tall task. m

But with the turn of the century came OSU's fortunes - and proved to the coaching staff that they could indeed get things going in Stillwater. a group of Cowgirls that turned

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"The biggest challenge was to convince good players to come here," Carmichael said. "We didn't have any tradition or history. We didn't have a facility. We didn't have a locker room - we didn't have a whole lot to sell. We had to sell the university and ourselves, and at that point, that was pretty much it.

"So the hardest part was going out and trying to convince these young ladies to trust us, to come here and that we were going to be competitive. ''Back then, we were just trying to put a team on thefieldthat could compete with Texas A&M and Nebraska and Texas,some of the more established teams."

During those early years, OSU simply couldn't measure up against the likes of those squads and often found itself on the wrong end oflopsided scores.

Success wasn'tnecessarilyimmediate. As freshmen in 2001, that class

helped lead OSU to eight victories, doubling its win total of the previous season but still finishing under .500.

However, 2002 saw a breakthrough.

GAME CHANGERS The Cowgirls opened the season with IO-straight wins and later that year beat Both Hancockand Carmichael are quick to PINPOINT JUST WHAT - or MORE ACCU- nationally-ranked Nebraska for the first RATELY, who- it wasthatgottheirpro- time. And in another achievement, OSU earned its first-ever postseason berth by gramheadedinto ascension. qualifying for the Big 12 Championship.

In 2000, OSU signed a IO-player "We started to close the gap, and that recruiting class that included several memwas noticeable," Hancock said. "We were bers of Canada's Under-19 National Team, getting better athletes and better a star from the Czech Republic and a soccer players, better soccer minds number of talented playersfrom Oklahoma and better competitors on the.field. and Texas. The group comprised the proThere were moments that showed we were gram'sfirst-ever top-50 recruiting making headway, that we were no longer class and was regarded among the top stuck in the past where we couldn't be very 20 that year. Included in the class were competitive in the conference." the likes of future all-Big 12 performer and OSU career goals leader Jolene THE BREAKTHROUGH[s) Schweitzer and Big 12 all-time assist leader Nikki Wojtowicz.

On the heels of its successfuI '02 season, "That group, when they got here, we osu tookanother monumental leap- a s-2 looked more like a Big12 team," Carmichael double overtime win against Missouri said. "That was probably the turning in the championship game of the 2003 point - when they got on campus it was Big 12 Tournament. It was the program's like, 'Alright we can build something with first conference title and first berth in the these kids."'

NCAA Tournament.

1

1Alright we can build something with these guys

a

-

FALL2015

COLINCARM/CJl

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"It was the next big step that kind of put us on the map nationally," according to Carrn ichael.

OSU's march to national prominence included "lotsof little babystepsalong the way,''said Hancock, and following that '03 season, the Cowgirls waited three years to take another one when in 2006 they earned their first NCAA Tournament win against UNC Greensboro.

Youjust qualified for the tournament and got the last spot.' But for our program, we hadn't been there since the inception of the program in six years so that was as a big stepping stone," Hancock said. ''And then a year later, to WINTHECONFERENCE TOURNAMENT. And three years after that, to WINOUR FIRST NCAA TOURNAMENT GAME. And then several years after that, GETTING

Hancock said reaching that type of production is the biggest obstacle in building a winning program.

"Establishing some sort of consistent, high-level of play is not easy - it's easier being good one year or two years. IT'S

hard to do one thing before another. It's a process for your group of players to learn what they're capable of doing."

With winning now expected in Stillwater, both Hancock and Carmichael, who shared head-coaching duties in 2005 and 2006 before Carmichael took over the reins with Hancock as an assistant in 2007, pointed to the 2006 and 2008 seasons as when they knew their program had "arrived."

"In 2006, we were runner-up in the Big 12 Conference and so close to getting the (regular season) title," Hancock said. ''And

BEYOND THESECOND ROUND. SUCCESS INSTILLWATER FINALLY BECAME ''All of those are big milestones in getSUSTAINED AS2006MARKED THEFIRST OF ting the program in the direction we SIXCONSECUTIVE NCAA TOURNEY APPEAR- wanted it to go, and those things all hapANCES, WITH OSU ADVANCING PAST THE OPEN- pened within a span of seven years. I do INGROUND INEACH OFTHEM. believe that there is a process to it - it's

REALLY

DIFFICULT

TO SUSTAIN

CERTAIN

LEVEL

OF EXCELLENCE.

A

Even today, that's the most challenging part of the program."

Hancock added that the process of achieving success was key for establishing a consistent winner.

"Finally qualifying for the Big 12 tournament for the first time in 2002 - some people would think 'What's the big deal?

then we won our first NCAAtournament game before getting knocked out on penalty kicks in the second round in a

game where we were better and had more chances throughout the course of the game.

AND

CLEMSON

HAD TO FOUL

LIVING

DAYLIGHTS

OUT

ORDER

TO BE COMPETITIVE.

THE

OF US IN

''And in 2008, we only lost one game and won the Big 12 Conference outright when the league had more teams and was more difficult. THAT WAS PRETTY MASSIVE.

"Those two years in my mind were the years where it was Iike 'We're there,' as far as being a top 25, really competitive team."

SWEDISH STAR As any coach will tell you, it's impossible to win big without great players.

And while OSU had a number of those, the Cowgirls'first true superstar arrived in Stillwater from her native Sweden in 2005.

That player - Yolanda Odenyo is who Carmichael says "probably made

"ANDTHENWEWONOURFIRST NCAATOURNAMENT GAME."

the biggest impacton ourprogram." ~---11'\il-

In 2006, Odenyo (now Odenyo-Thomas became the FIRST ALL-AMERICAN IN 0

.... ~

~

SOCCER HISTORY, ANDIN2008,SHELED T·~;;~~~~:U COWGIRLS TOTHEFIRST OFFOUR-STRAIGIR BIG12CHAMPIONSHIPS. Helping fuel OSU's ascent to national prominence is something that isn't lost on Odenyo. ~

POSSE

"Unfortunately, I think there's a lot of programs around the country that are content ending their season in October, but that was never the case with Colin or Karen.

"Tttakes ti me to get there becau e there are a lot of programs in the country, but to me, it was always the understanding that championships were the overall goal, whether it took one year or 10 years.

"I just got in the boat on that because I'm a competitive person myself;and myselfand my teammates certainly made it our goal."

THAT

JUST

WANTED

TO TURN

THE

If you look down the roster, we were probably far less talented than a lot of teams, but we decided we wanted to make a mark.

"That's one of the things I really look back at and feel a great deal of accomplishrnent, just corning from being a nobody into being a somebody was a great journey to be a part of."

Odenyo said her vision of winning :::::~ba111pi01ishipsjived perfectly with what ..,...._::fl~cock and Carmichael were intent on t.!::::=dnding.

"Of course they realized when they came in that it would take some time to get there, but they've always wanted to be there," said Odenyo,whose 35CAREER GOALS AND90 CAREER POINTS are OSU records.

PROGRAM

.. a

FALL2015

AROUND.

in a 21-game unbeaten streak en route to a 22-2-2 record. The Cowgirls' magical run ended with an overtime loss at topranked Stanford, a team that went on to capture the NCAA championship.

For Hancock, the 2011 Cowgirls will always hold a special place in her heart.

"WE WERE RANKED IN THE COUNTRY

NUMBER

TWO

FOR LIKE EIGHT

WEEKS, and I was asked, 'Did you ever envision being ranked the second-best team in the country?' And it was kind of like, 'Well, no,"' Hancock said. "I never Following on the heels of Odenyo, really thought in those terms as far as Melinda Mercado and Adrianna trying to build a program. I just always ••AD'' Franch pushed the OSU program felt like if you work hard and do the best even higher. In 2010, that duo led the you can, good things will happen. And lo Cowgirls past the NCAA second round for and behold, good things were happening. the first time in program history as OSU "And that group will never get enough made the fir t of back-to-back appearcredit in my mind as far as just how speances in the NCAA EliteEight andNo.5 rankcial they were. Just fantastic mentalities ingsinthefinalnational polls. to go along with fantastic talent. A really "You can count on one hand the teams special, very mentally tough, competitive that go to the Elite Eight every year or group of people." back-to-back years - it's North Carolina, it's Stanford, it's Penn State, it's UCLA, THE fUTURE it's Notre Dame. Those are the big guys," Cann ichael said. "Everybody else it seems Having long ago erased those early like they'll have a good run and drop off, doubts about building OSU into a winner, have a good run and drop off. We were Carmichael and Hancock are as motivated able to maintain that for two years which as ever as the Cowgirl program enters its is pretty special and very hard to do, as 20th season. we've found out since.

'Tm very driven to get back to tbe level "Considering what we went through in we were at in 2010 and 2011 and surpass building the program, how we were quesit," Carmichael said. "WE WANT TO tioning ourselves with those two really bad WIN A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. years back in the late '90s, it was a justiWE KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THAT fication that all the work you put in and IS, BUT IF YOU DON'T DREAM IT the hours spent recruiting and trying to YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO DO IT. get it going were worth it."

nm

"Like I always say, when I got (to OSU) nobody knew we had women's soccer and by the time I left, I couldn't walk across campus without being recognized,"Odenyo said. "That was agreatjourneyto be a part of. WE HAD A GROUP OF PLAYERS

The '11squad stands as the best in school history, a team that turned

"We're competing for Big 12 championships now - we want to get back to winning them. And then that should springboard us into hopefully competing for a national championship.

'Tm still very motivated to win here.

Just like Karen, there have been opportunities to move my family and go start something somewhere else, but you take a lot of pride in what you've clonehere and I don't think the job is finished yet."

Says Hancock, "l'M THE LUCKIEST IN THAT

I GET TO

WORK

PERSON

AT THE UNIVERSITY

I KNOW

DOING

WHAT

I WANT

TO

DO WITH

THE

l didn't want to go anywhere else and help another school get better. I've known for a very, very long ti me that I always wanted to work at Oklahoma State and help get OSU better.

"That's not lip service - this is where I want to be."

And Hancock added that Stillwater is now also a preferred destination for some of the nation's top players, a far cry from the early clays of Cowgirl soccer.

TEAM

I WANT

TO

WORK

WITH.

"To spend 20 years of your 1ife working at some place and see something 1ike that really starting to form and happen, it's a little bit overwhelming sometimes.

It's overwhelming to have the support of our athletic director, and he believes in the program enough to go out and fundraise for this and make this a reality. It's a tremendous gift."

Adds Carmichael, "When (the new facility) comes on board, maybe that's the missing piece of the puzzle that will allow us to go out and recruit more of the top kids in the country and get them to Stillwater."

Regardless of what the future holds for Cowgirl soccer, those that built the program from scratch will look back on the fruits of their labor fondly.

"I TAKE PRIDE

A HUGE

AMOUNT

IN THE FACT THAT

COLIN CARMICHAEL AND KAREN HANCOCK

OF

WHEN WE

- we were operating on no tradition, no history, no facility-AND WERE ABLE BUILD CAME HERE, WE HAD NOTHING

IT UP

INTO

RECOGNIZED

SOMETHING

THAT

NATIONALLY

TAINLY

ONE OF THE

GRAMS

OF THE

BETTER

LAST

IS

AS CERPRO-

10 YEARS,"

"WE'RE ABLE TOATTRACT ABETTER ATH- Carmichael said. "It's not easy - if it was LETE AND ABETTER PLAYER THAN WEWERE easy, everybody would win championships in the Big 12 and go to the NCAA tour10YEARS AGO," Hancock said. "Having the nament and the Elite Eight. I take a lot Big 12 championships, the repeated appearances in the NCAA tournament, that has of pride in that. ''Another thing that sticks with me is the helped make us an attractive option to people I get to work with. Karen and I have better players - players that really truly been here from the beginning, and we've wouldn't have considered us JOyears ago novvconsider us." had great assistants that have helped out in a lot of ways and that's pretty special.

Also helping propel the OSU program into its next 20 years is a NEW MULTI-MIL- "But the main thing is the relationships with the players.Youlook at the Iist of kids LION DOLLAR SOCCER FACILITY scheduled to that have come through and played here, break ground within the next year. they're great athletes but they're really great "For Colin and me, it's been a longtime people. You value the people you've hopein waiting to see something like this come to fruition," Hancock said. "It's not built fully had a positive impact on, and they've certainly had a positive impact on me. quite yet, but it shou lclbe within a couple of years. And just seeing the drawings at times makes me a little bit emotional,just to see that it's getting very close to reality.

ttOVER THE LAST 20 YEARSt l'M VERY PROUD OF THE CALIBER OF YOUNG LADIES THAT HAVE COME THROUGH HERE AND GONE ON TO GREAT THINGS." ~

POSSE

HOW DO MY POINTS RANK?

OSU ATHLETICS

PRIORITY

POINT SYSTEM

ASOF JULYl, 2015

The PRIORITY POINT SYSTEM provides a fair, consistent and transparent method of providing benefits to donors in exchange for their financial investments in OSU athletics.

POINTS RANK

DONORS GAINPOINTSTHREEWAYS:

193,410 top 5 33,631 5~ 19,879 100 8,116 250 3,954 500 1,904 1,000 667 2,500 175 5,000 55 7,500

• CONTRIBUTIONS: All current

and lifetime contributions (cash or stock) are worth 3 points per $100 donation. Planned (deferred) gifts in the new Leave a Legacy Endowment Campaign will receive 1 point per $100.

• I 1COMMITMENT: Donors will earn one point each year for purchasing season tickets (one point per sport annually), as well as one I I point for each year of POSSE donations.

• CONNECTION WITHTHEUNIVERSITY:Donors who are OSU Alumni receive a one-time OSU faculty/staff and letterwinners.

(or their spouses) 10 point bonus, as do

Points never diminish and will carry over to subsequent years.

Donors retain all previously earned Priority Points in their giving history. For questions about the POSSE Priority Point System, email posse@okstate.edu or call us at 405.744.7301.

() Nike Legend Local Verbiage T-shirt S-XXXL I $30 Q Nike Tri-Blend Script Tee XS-XXL I $32 C, OSU Replica Helmet $119.990 Nike Team Issue Polo 2015 S-XXXL I $60 0 Nike Pro Verbiage Adjustable Cap $30 Q Nike Tri-Blend Authentic Local Tee XS-XXL I $32 G) Nike Stadium Dri-Fit Touch PO Hoodie S-XXXL I $38 U.Nike Fly XL 3.0 Short S-XXXL I $50

L

0

0Nike S-XXXL I $26

Dri-Fit Coaches Cap $32 ONike Cotton Football Practice Tee

0 Nike Stadh,1m Mod Tempo Short XS-XXL I $40 0 Nike Autograph

Football $35 ~ Nike Legend Authentic

Local T-shirt S-XXXL I $30

(D Nike Ori-Blend Mesh Tank XS-XXL I $32 0 Nike Preseason Polo 2015 $65 Q Nike Stadium Fan Top XS-XXL I $45

S-XXXL I

p

--

MAKING

A

STORY BYKEVIN KLINTWORTH I PHOTOGRAPHY BYBRUCE WATERFIELD

THE ALL-TIMELEADINGSCORERIN THE HISTORYOF OKLAHOMASTATE FOOTBALL IS A FELLOWBY THE NAME OF DAN BA/LEY. HE BEGANHIS COLLEGECAREERAS

A WALK-ON - A NON-SCHOLARSHIP MEMBER OFTHECOWBOYFOOTBALLTEAM. HE ENDEDHIS CAREERAS THE WINNEROF THE LOUGROZAAWARD, PRESENTED ANNUALLY TO THE NATION'SBEST KICKER. Bailey is now one of the most accurate placekickers in the history of the National Football League as a member of the Dallas

There are approximately

45walk-ons ona typical Cowboy roster.

osu·s ASSISTANT

estimates

DIRECTOR OF RECRUITING MIKE GROCE. Groce helps fill out the Cowboy roster with walk-

Cowboys. And, incidentally,

the person he unseated at the top

of the OSU career scoring

chart was A RUNNING BACK NAMED ons, invited walk-ons and transfers. The non-scholarship

players

Barry Sanders.

Brandon Weeden is one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in the history of OSU football. He began his college

are important

career as a walk-on.

daily basis, the numbers game works against walk-ons and their

He went on to become an all-Big 12 quar-

terback, the signal caller for OSU's first Big 12 championship and a first-round

team

pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

pieces of the puzzle. Without

which are already greatly reduced at OSU, would probably appear. However, despite the importance longevity

The odds of a college football walk-on earning a scholarship are

FOR

slim. The odds of a walk-on even making significant

DEFECTIONS,

are stacked against him.

RECEIVING

A CHANGE

ONLY

FINANCIAL INJURIES,

OF A HEART

HOPE

AID

GRADE

available each year,

up on the much-bally-

Signing Day each February

FOOTBALL WALK-ONS CASHING NFLPAYCHECKS ARE ASTRONOMICAL. offers become official. THE

contributions

scholarships

per NCAA rules. Those are gobbled

in Dallas, are rare talents with rare stories. THE ODDS OFCOLLEGE hooed National

game-day

dis-

of their presence on a

with the program.

There are only 85 football

Bailey and Weeden, who were teammates in college and now

them, live practices

when scholarship A WALK-ON

COMES

TO

CASUALTIES

OR JUST

BY A SCHOLARSHIP

PLAYER.

And when that rare event happens, the line for potential cial aid is 45 deep.

HAS

THANKS

finan-

flJ POSSE

C

•

But Jarwin's fandom

began to take a

turn in 2011 when Oklahoma State rolled to the Big 12 title. The run to the BCS win But Seaton was at the tender age of

over Stanford caught his attention and an

17 when he learned that life could turn

orange-inclined family completed the switch.

on a dime.

"I always knew who COOPER BASSETT

"It was actually a crazy thing," he said.

was," Jarwin said. "When I was in middle

"My best friend from high school was going

school he was the high school superstar,

to OU and so it was between OU and OSU.

and I knew when he went to OSU he made

And a girl I was talking to at the time hap-

all sorts of plays."

pened to be babysitting (former OSU assis-

Musical Schools

tant Doug) Meacham's kids. I gave her my

Cooper's younger brother, Dawson, is on the current OSU roster.

The first step, and perhaps the most

highlight tape, and she gave it to him. He

"I was talking

to Dawson one day in

critical for any walk-on, is making the deci-

actually gave me a call and said I would

the Tuttle weight

room and he was tell-

sion of which college to attend. With no

have a preferred

ing me that all of those Division II offers

national letter of intent binding them to

would give me a spot in camp."

the only real advantage of being a walk-on is the ability to school shop and.find the situation that best.fits you. It's not much different than college players who go undrafted

In collegefootballthereare walkons and there are preferred walkons. Preferredwalk-onsareassured of one of the estimated45 walk-on spots. During fall camp, there are limits

a university,

walk-on

spot, and he

were great and I could do that or I could try to win a Big 12 championship

one day.

That helped me make my choice to come here as a walk-on."

Oklahoma Statehasbeenoneofthewinningest programs incollege football since thebeginning ofthe2008season and that

by the National Football League and are

to the number of student-athletes

then free to shop around and sign with

report for preseason camp prior to the first

run of success not only caught the eye of

the pro team of their choice.

day of school. Players who report in early

Jarwin, but also of Lundblade.

"I started

thinking

about college foot-

who can

August have a leg up on being a game-day

ball during my junior year," Seaton said. "I

contributor

started growing a little bit and putting on

of the practice plan. And the staff usually

more weight. During my sophomore

knows their names.

year,

I got interested in OSU because I thought I might play baseball.

or at least an important

part

"Around my junior year I started getting what I would guess to be mass recruiting mailers that they send out to a lot of people," he said. "My dad and I came to a game my

"When (Meacham) told me I would be

junior year of high school, and I just really

in the 105 (the number on the preseason

liked it. That was a time when OSU was

camp roster prior to the beginning

of the

really successful. We had always followed

I tried out for a pretty big baseball travel

fall semester), I told him I would be there,"

the Big 12 closely so once I started get-

team that played in California, Florida and

Seaton said.

"Before my senior year of high school

really all over the country,"

he added. "I

ting things from them in the mail, I really

"My mom thought

I was crazy," he con-

started paying attention.

tinued. "I had these full-rides from smaller three days every three weeks. THAT'S WHEN schools and I was turning them down. As

"THIS WAS THEONLY PLACE I CONSIDERED WALKING ON,"he added. "At that point I

I KNEW I NEEDED TODECIDE BETWEEN BASE- soon as she got over that, she was 100 perBALL ANDFOOTBALL." cent in. My dad has always been there. He

and I thought

would have been back (home) for two or

Not unlike Jarwin and Lundblade, Seaton could have punched his scholarship ticket at a lower level of college football. He was a bruising

runner as a high school quar-

terback and played linebacker on defense.

,:==:~" .-.::me

was actually at a camp at OU and I was top performer,"

Seaton said. "That's

n a bunch of D-2 (Division II of NCAA football)

and some of the I-AAs (Football

Playoff

Subdivision)

started coming in."

FALL2015

scholarship

offers

knew if football

didn't work out I would

still get a good education The typical

here."

OSU fan would

was getting

recruited

pretty

hard here,

I was really close to get-

ting a scholarship

offer. I sort of had my

heart set on Oklahoma State, I guess like consider

my dream school."

Blake Jarwin a saved soul.

"I actually

grew up an Oklahoma

fan

for a long time," he said. "Tuttle is about 20 minutes from Norman and (former OU quarterback) hometown

Jason White was sort of a hero."

Stillthedecision wasn't easy.

Lundblade had 11scholarship offers, including Tulsa, North Texas, Wake Forest and San Diego State. His position on the roster as a preferred walk-on and his spot on the early report list were a given.

11

WE ARE GOING TO PLAY THE PLAYERS I Think I Can, I Think I Can

THAT EARN THE RIGHT, REGARDLESS

Every walk-on knows. Maybe he hasn't truly arrived yet. Maybe he still won't com-

OF THEIR STATUS AS A WALK-ON

plete the climb from anonymous walk-on to

OR SCHOLARSHIP PLAYER."

in the public address booth on game days.

hearing his named called by Larry Reece But every walk-on knows when it happens.

They've made an impression on someone

"I know he had no idea who I was at

That Awkward Moment FOR MAN

EVERY

THERE

COLLEGE

FRESH-

It

IS A TRANSITION.

happens in the residence halls, in the Greek houses, maybe in a college classroom for the first time and CERTAINLY A FOOTBALL CIALLY

COMPLEX

-

ESPE-

recalled

Oklahoma

had started,"

of his freshman

year at

State in the fall of 2012. "I go

to practice the first time and all of these guys are hopping around and they know exactly where to go. You just try to fit in, and follow everyone around. Probably that entire first year I just didn't really talk to people. I had played offensive line in high school because we were short on linemen and here I was trying to play tight end. I was just trying to make a name for myself the first time I was at

a team dinner on a Friday night before a game. Coach Gundy said the seniors could go eat, and I didn't hear that part so I stood up and wondered else was getting

why no one

up. It took a second for

me to catch on. That was embarrassing of course."

If ever there was a headliner walk-on it would be Lundblade, he of the 11 scholarship offers. But he was still a true freshman at OSU and a walk-on.

"I remember walking down the coaches' hallway really early on," Lundblade "I saw (offensive'

I wasn't the fastest guy. I knew I wasn't

defense as part of the scout team offense

the strongest

every day and just wasn't really around him.

football,"

JOE WICKLINE had been my recruiting coach, and he wasn't around by the time

the motto of walk-ons everywhere.

respectful

said.

coordinator

MIKE) YURCICH coming down the other direction, and I spoke to him. He kind of nodded and said 'What's up' and kept walking."

and treated the walk-ons the

same as the scholarship Seaton

at least

had his awkward

"It was unbelievable

guy. But I knew I could play

Seaton said in what could be "/ just

wanted togetoutthere.

"On the first day of pads," he said of the moment

in which he announced

his

arrival. "I got under RICHETTI JONES'

guys."

pads one play. It was the 13 reverse, and I knocked him back a little bit. I was sup-

moment in private. because

I came

posed to step down and slide under him. I

in July and was here for the workouts,"

couldn't

he said. "I knew coming in I wouldn't

his shoulder

be

do that, but I got my hand under pad and pushed him down

strong enough for these guys. I've never

the line (of scrimmage).

been very good in the weight room. I've

age thing. My steps were awful, my hands

never been one of those guys.

were awful. I had been a high school quar-

"I remember

driving

elbows because I couldn't couldn't

and be a part of the team.

"I do remember

"I knew I wasn't a weight lifter. I knew

arship player and I was going against the

I got here. But the coaches were always

FOR A WALK-ON.

"I came in after school Jarwin

INSIDE

important. Suddenly, there are possibilities.

that point. I was so new and not a schol-

home with

my

use my arms. I

walk. I couldn't drive after those

terback.

I had no technique

at all. It was

just basically all luck. BUT I HIT HIM AS HARD

AS I COULD

weight room workouts. The first four weeks

AND

here molded me more than anything I had

STARTED

done my entire life."

It was just a lever-

I THINK

THAT'S

WORKING

EVERY

PLAY,

WHY

THEY

WITH

ME.

"No one knew who I was at this point, and it kind of turned a couple of heads.

From that point on I gained a little respect.

They started

throwing

me out there a

little more with the ones (first team), and I know there were some people wondering who I was."

ff)

One week at practice, Jarwin got to SEATON WASONTHECUSP OFPLAYING ASATRUE FRESHMAN ONOSU'S 2011CHAM- pretend he was a Heisman Trophy conPIONSHIP TEAM, BUTHISREDSHIRT YEAR tender as he portrayed Kansas State quarterback COLLIN KLEIN as the scout team WAS SAVED. "I thought

I was going to play against

Arizona and my family came up for the game, but it didn't

work out," he said.

Jarwin was making plays on

the culmination of those childhood dreams.

His first game at Oklahoma State was the

"I made a few plays I don't think they expected

Although

the scout team, he still had a long wait for

me to make," he said. "I made

2012 season opener against Savannah State.

It was the beginning

of what would be a

game

it through a few holes, and I started think-

at Tulsa. In the first quarter they called my

ing I just might be able to make an impact

his first road trips with the team, which is

formation

here. I always thought, even as a little kid,

not an insignificant

that I wanted to play at a Division I school.

world of a walk-on.

"The next week was that midnight

but there was a timeout. TODD

MONKEN (former offensive coordinator) called down and said for them to get me

I felt like if I worked hard enough I would

out, we weren't running that play anymore.

eventually

get the opportunity.

redshirt year for him, although he did make development

in the

In 2013, he in essence went through a

And that

second redshirt season. It was another year of practice and travel but no game time. A

Later he told me that it would have been

week against Kansas State it was great

stupid to use my redshirt for a formation

just to get to make plays, even if it was

redshirt season is a tough time for schol-

we don't use much."

on the scout team."

arship and non-scholarship

Thanks to that decision, Seaton is around It took Lund blade a little longer to make an impression

NOT TEAM

for the Cowboys in 2015. on the coaching staff, but

his impact was the quickest among the trio.

LONG EXPLOITS,

ARRIVAL

AFTER

HIS

JARWIN

MOMENT.

Two straight

HAD HIS

out any game snaps is the epitome of the

"Coach

Gundy

came up to me and said they were going

I could play at this

for the rest of the year. That was the light

out a scholarship. And then when I got here

at the end of the tunnel."

practice gave me confidence.

I was going

against two of the best defensive tackles in the league every day in Ofa Hautau and James

Castleman.

"COACH (ERIC) HENDERSON ran the offensive scout team, and he kept telling me the coaches were keeping their eyes on me," he added. "Even Glenn Spencer (OSU's defensive

coordinator)

kept tell-

ing me to work hard and my time would come. I think that was really the first time I knew I had made an impression was when I heard from coach Spencer."

Butdespite thepositive feedback fromthe coaches, Lundblade wastoldthathewould redshift during the2014season.

He would follow the normal blueprint

for an offen-

sive lineman, who typically

don't begin

to execute at a high level until their third

years of practice time with-

walk-on story and a big reason why most walk-ons don't last four years.

to move me to tight end. That was a bit

level," he said. "That's why I was waiting I really felt like the first couple of weeks of

players alike.

SCOUT

of reward and then I got to start traveling

"I always thought

S4ooc,mpos

quarterback.

The Arrival

Butin2014, Jarwin gothischance "My first career game was against Florida State," he said. "I got a kickoff kicked to me. I remember

a little bit of it. After a

while I settled down."

Acouple ofweeks later, intheBig12opener chance. CLINT (CHELF) threw the pass, against Texas Tech, thewalk-on fromTuttle and I think I blacked out for a minute. I DON'T REMEMBER CATCHING IT. entered thescoring column.

He caught a

Since that time, Seaton has become

ting us have it the whole game. There was

in the third quarter to extend OSU's lead

FOR THE

"Yeah it was a great feeling,'" he said. "I catching

the ball and seeing

nothing

in front of me. I stumbled

a bit

thinking

someone was going to be there

I DO REMEMBER EXTRA

an important

part of the offense. In 2014,

including

three for 51 yards in the win at

13 passes,

just so much going on and TV cameras

It was unlike anything I had experienced."

and TV reporters.

Oklahoma and four for 40 yards against Washington

Cowboy touchdowns

catches, including two against Texas and

in front of their students so they were let-

POINT."

season, he caught

kept going."' end the season with five

LINING

his junior

so I lowered my shoulder and then I just He would

crowd I played in front of in high school was 3,000. Our bench (at TCU) was right

47-yard touchdown pass from Daxx Garman

remember

said of the

UP

BUT

to two touchdowns.

"It was crazy," Lundblade

2104 stretch run. "I would guess the biggest

in the bowl game. He set up against the Sooners

and Huskies.

Before And After Even though in Stillwater

While Seaton and Jarwin had a slow

has been

transformed.

a 14-yarder in the Cactus Bowl win over

but steady

ascent

up the depth

And with the tight end returning to the OSU offense, his numbers.figure to rise during the course of his career.

Lundblade

jumped

from anonymity

the starting

lineup seemingly overnight.

"It was always my goal to play as true

room the other day and found the play-

freshman," Lundblade said. "But when they

book that I got when I first came to town.

Of this particular trio of walk-ans, Seaton

told me I was going to redshirt, I accepted

I saw all of my notes and my questions. It's

is the oldest and the most accomplished.

the fact that they didn't want me to play

amazing to think how far I've come. The

He saw the field often in 2012, but OSU

this year and that I had a lot of develop-

coaches have done a great job with that.

was rarely in a "jumbo" formation,

ing to do under coach Glass."

I've grown a ton in a year."

Washington.

which

would have included a fullback and/or a "I took the tight end reps, which might be just two or three a game, and I split fullback reps with Kye Staley,'' he said.

The first offensive statistic of his career

to

"I'm not even the same person, mentally or physical, that I was just last year," he said. "I was actually

cleaning out my

There arecertainly easierways togrow thanbyspending timeasa walk-on, butthose challenges make arriving ontheother endof were struggling up front and the OSU thespectrum thatmuch sweeter. staff was constantly evaluating the roster.

Following a close winatKansas, Lundblade's "There were definitely hard times, and I lifechanged. would call home and my mom would tell me But while Lund blade was taking his turn

toiling

tight end.

chart,

Lundblade

just over a year, he feels

on the scout team, the Cowboys

he said. "They

just to stick it out and that I would get my

Coach

chance," Jarwin said. "I think about that all

kickoff 17 yards against Oklahoma. But his

(Bob) Connelly texted me and asked

the time. But at the same time I knew I had

big moment came in the Heart of Dallas

me to come into the office. He had us in

been blessed to even have this opportu-

Bowl win over Purdue.

his office all the time so I didn't think that

nity and now I laugh at what I was thinking

was a three-yard Virginia.

reception against West

Two weeks later he returned

"It was something

a

I wasn't sure would

ever happen."

WHAT HAPPENED WAS A16-YARD TOUCHDOWN RECEPTION. "JUSTIN

HORTON

played his entire

"It was TCU week," brought

me in on a Monday.

much about it. He pulls me in and says they

before. I wouldn't give this up for anything

are going to play me this week."

now. I've worked too hard and come too far."

First thoughts?

Leave it to the grizzly

"Whoa! It caught me off guard. I knew I was doing well and working

hard, but I

veteran,

the

senior fullback, to best describe the walkon experience.

career as a tight end and never scored a

didn't really think I was going to play in a

"I remember looking back at when I first

touchdown.

game. I called my roommate to come and

got here and wondering what the hell I was

pick me up," he added. "We were freaking

doing. This is awful. Why am I doing this?"

"We practiced that play a lot, and they never threw

the ball to me one time,"

Seaton added. "It always went to Kye out

out in the car. Then I called my dad, and

Seaton said. "But it gave me a work ethic

he couldn't

and helped me with time management.

believe it.

in the flat. I remember when I took off that

"It was a lot of stress. I had been on the

the safety bit, and I might actually have a

scout team during KU week and so I had a lot of questions. I was in the office a lot."

Lund blade split playing time with Paul Lewis at TCU and the two alternated

Now I don't think there's anything

I can't

accomplish.

"I THINK DECISION

IT

WAS

THE

BEST

OF MY LIFE."

at

the position the rest of the season, including OSU's two-game end 2014.

winning

streak to

Two weeks into the 2015 fall camp, OSU head football toach Mike Gundy announced in a team meeting that Blake Jarwin and Brad Lundblade were receiving the ultimate goal for walk-ans. Both were being awarded scholarships.Jeremy Seaton was placed on scholarship in 2013.

POSSE

I

C

STORY BYCLAY BILLMAN

TOSAYTHECOWBOY SPRINTER IS ONTHEFASTTRACK WOULD BEANUNDERSTATEMENT - NOTTOMENTION A BADPUN.

FRESH START A 2012graduate of Edmond Memorial High School, Teeters ran a personal best of 10.55 in the 100 meters and was a two-time runner up in Class 6A. Along with his Bulldogteammate, Bryce Robinson, Teeters initially took his talents up the Turner Turnpike to the University of Tulsa.

But the fact is that Teeters, with the help of second-year sprints coach DIEGO FLAQUER,has put OSU sprinting back on the map after a 30-year hiatus.

In the early 1980s,a number of Cowboys were among the nation's - if not the world's - fastest athletes. Those squads included JAMES BUTLER, 1982 NCAA cham"EDMOND HAS A REALLY BIG pion in the 200 meters and the world's POOL OF TALENTED ATHLETES top-ranked runner at that distance, along AND GOOD FACILITIES," Teeters says. with fellow All-Americans STERLING "My junior year I got second at state, and STARKS and RON INGRAM. the next year I was planning to win it.

In the three decades hence, OSU squads Then Bryce came after football season. became more middle- and long-distanceHe had been doing wrestling and baseoriented, featuring milers, SK and lOK ball, but everyone (me included) said he runners who could also comprise a competitive cross country roster from a finite needed to come out and run because he's fast as hell. So he came out and beat me number of scholarships.

In recent years, OSU Director of Track - I got second again. It didn't really hurt, and Field and Cross Country Dave because our 4xl00 relay was fast and we Smith has sought to build a more well- won state." rounded track and field program, allocatThe friendly rivalry continued at Tulsa. ing a larger share of financial aid to field As freshmen, Teeters and Robinson comevents, as well as sprinters. peted day-in and day-out. It wasn't the FLAQUER AND TEETERS ARRIVED INAUGUST healthiest situation for a young runner OF2013,ASOSUDEBUTED ABRAND NEW like Teeters.

"AT TULSA, PRACTICE WAS NOT TRACK ANDFIELD "COMPLEX on the north PRACTICE. IT WAS A COMPETITION end of the Athletic Village. The timely convergenceof a first-ratefacility,a EVERY DAY," Flaquer says. "He never dedicatedcoachanda rawtalenthas knew how to differentiate what a prachelpedbringnew life to the sprints tice was versus a competition, because program. every day at practice John was thinking he had to beat Bryce. 'I gotta find a way

to beat Bryce. If I do that I'm going to be good' ... because Bryce had a very successful freshman year."

Teeters also showed flashes of potential with the Golden Hurricane, breakingthe

schoolrecordin the 100 meterswith a personal best of 10.27. But despite a promising fresh man campaign, Teeters felt TU wasn't the right fit.

OF

HIS

MIND

"I THINK

HE WANTED

TO CREATE

HIS

OWN

THING,

OWN

FLAQUER

IN THE HIS

BACK

IDENTITY,"

EXPLAINS.

''After deciding to transfer from Tulsa, I was looking at several different schools," Teeters says. "OSU didn't have any sprinters, but I kinda wanted to stay close to home, so I just thfow in one ofrny releases to OSU, like 'what the heck, let's see what happens.' When I first sent in my release form, there wasn't a new track facility yet.

It was still the old one.

"I got a call from OSU, and they sai

r

they didn't really have a sprint progra n"::''-======so l ruled them out. I was going to go somewhere else.

"After some turn of events, I ended up not having a school," Teeters adds.

"Somethings happened in the recruiting process, and I was pretty much left hanging. I thought I'd end up at somejunior college or someplace I didn't want to be." ~

POSSE

"HISPERSONALITY ISSOHIGHSTRUNG, ANDHE'SSODRIVEN, SODETERMINED." COACH DIEGO FLAQUER

OSUannouncedFlaquer'shiring on AugustI. Teeters received aphone call shortly thereafter.

"Diego called me about a month before school started. He said, 'Hey, we have a sprint program now.' I looked at his resume and thought it was time to take a leap of faith. Let's give this guy a shot.

I might as well try and invest in it, I have nothing else to lose. So, that's how I ended up at Oklahoma State."

"He and I talked a couple times," Flaquer recalls. "I told him what my situation was here, what we were trying to get going, where he fit in and things like that. We had a really good connection over the phone, and he came over right after my first or second day on the job.

"I JUST

TOLD

HOW I SAW THE THAT

HE

BECOME

BASED

ON

HERE,

VERY

EASILY

COULD

THE FACE OF THE SPRINT

PROGRAM," TOOK

HIM,

SITUATION

FLAQUER

A CHANCE

A CHANCE

SAYS.

"HE

ON US. HE TOOK

ON ME."

Flaquer says it couldn't have worked out any better for both parties involved.

"I always joke around with John that I'm the best thing that's ever happened to him," Flaquer says. "He laughs, but

PHOTO/CLAYB/llMAN

I DO THINK

WE WERE

SITUATION

FOR

HIM.

THE

BEST

"Now that I've coached him over the last two years, knowing him, he probably wouldn't have made it at a more established sprint program. There are too many egos.

He already has a very powerful personality, and that personality can clash with a lot of other people.HIS PERSONALITY IS SO HIGH DRIVEN,

STRUNG,

AND

HE'S SO

SO DETERMINED."

"We're both really chill, but when it comes to track we can get hot-headed.

We're both really competitive," Teeters admits. "WHEN THE TWO ENERGIES GO TOGETHER, SPECIAL

WHEN WE CONNECT,

THINGS

HAPPEN."

Thosespecialthingsincludea runner-upfinishin the60mNCAAfinals this past spring and anchoringthe first OSUrelay team to qualify for theNCAAChampionships since1982.

Teeters has also flirted with history, and barring injury, appears on the verge of running sub-IOsecondsin the100. He says that singular milestone lies at the heart of his goals on the track. "I think the core of everything is to run under 10 legally. Of course you want to run pro and you want to go win _NCAAchampionships and you want to go to the Olympics - those are all on my goals Iist - but when you it down by yourself and think of the start to the finish, where you are in the middle, you remember the start. It's always been the goal in the back ofmy mind.

11

YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

NO ONE ELSE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN "You can't control everything, but for me at the end of this thing, whether I just graduate and move on or sign a pro contract, 1 have to end it on a sub-IO note, because that's the first thing I wanted to do. l'VE GOT TO GO UNDER 10.

EVERYTHING INTO

ELSE

PLACE.

HAVE TO COMPETE STARS

FALL

JUST

FALLS

THE REST YOU JUST AND HOPE THE

FOR YOU."

An untimely quadriceps injury during training derailed his hopes to compete at this year's NCAA finals both individually and with the 4xl00 relay.Despite the disappointment of how his junior season ended, Teeters remains positive. He enters the 2015-16 academic year with one more season to chase his dream.

"I'm the kind of guy who tries to put the situation in my own hands," he says.

"YOUR YOU

MIND IS POWERFUL,

HAVE

TO WORK

ING ITS FULLEST

AND

ON UNLOCK-

POTENTIAL.

TO

DO THAT, ITIVE.

YOU'VE

STOP

GOT TO BE POS·

SETTING

RESTRIC·

You have to make it happen. No one else can make it happen for you. Diego can give you the workouts, he can give you the advice, everything, but if you don't take the advice, if you don't apply yourself to the workouts, and if you don't want it as bad - if not more - than your coach does, it's never going to help."

TIONS.

"l'M THE

MOTIVATOR,"

FLAQUER

"Sometimes when John sees the outcome (of a race) I've got to be the motivator to give him the rationale to look at the big picture instead of looking at the emotion of the moment. I've learned to step back and let him find me instead of me finding him, because sometimes we clash with each other. It's not about me having the last word, but 1 want to leave him with the right thing to think about.

'You think you ran a crappy race, but dude, you just ran 9.95 with a 2.5 wind! That's SAYS.

FOR YOU.##

another 10.0 race - and you're continuing to do it.' But in his eyes, he doesn't want to hear that.

"Sometimes the things I want him to see he's not ready to respond to yet because his emotions are just focused on that moment," Flaquer adds. "I want .John to embrace the things that he's doing. They're unique.

They're special. In his mind he sees different things and sometimes gets caught up in different stuff, but that's just the youth and immaturity in him."

"MY

BIGGEST

PROBABLY TEETERS

LETTING ADMITS.

MY BIGGEST

MENTAL

PROBLEM

IS

THINGS

GO,"

"THAT'S

BEEN

GAME WITHIN

MY OWN HEAD.

You run a bad time, you think Tm slow,' and every time you go to practice you just keep thinking about that. Diego has really trained me to realize that things are gonna happen, you're going to have your days. You've got to move on ~ PHOTO/CLAY BILLMAN

C

•

PHOTOS I BRUCEWATERFIELD

big jumps, and sometimes when you have such big jumps, eventually you're going to hit a wall. He went from being a 10.2 guy to being a 10.0 guy, so he skipped the middle. Even indoors, he went from being a consistent 6.7 guy to al I of a sudden he's a consistent 6.5 guy. There's good in that, but there's also some growth that has to be understood in that as well. That's been the fun part."

"THE MY

REASON

FAVORITE

THAT'S

THE

RACE

MY BIGGEST

100

IS

IS I THINK ROOM

FOR

Teeters says. "Because speed-wise, acceleration-wise, I believe I'm capable of running 9.8. But it's that end phase that takes so much ti me and work and effort and talent, and that's what J have to grasp. That's why it's so fun. It's kind of like a puzzle. I'm still figuring it out."

IMPROVEMENT,"

from a bad race. HIS BIGGEST TO

ME IS, 'CONTROL

AND

DON'T

QUOTE

YOURSELF

WORRY

ABOUT

THE

'Don't worry about what Lane 3 runs or what Lane 7 is doing. I was always comparing myself to other people - this guy ran 10.0, and I'm running 10.5 - and so I started focusing on this guy. Focus on your own success. From that point of view, he's really made me stronger mentally.

UNCONTROLLABLE.

ONCE

YOU

YOU CAN THOSE

LIMITS

AND TUNE IN YOUR THE

REALIZE

GO, AND AND

OFF

BOUNDARIES

DOWN THAT HEAD,

WHERE

YOU TAKE

I THINK

NEGATIVITY THE SKY'S

LIMIT."

Sounds like something a philosophy major would say.

&....,,--------

"To be a philosophy student is to be a student oflife,"Teetcrs says. "I can tell you I'm not the best philosophy student, but I always try to keep my ears open. I love it. "l'D LIKE TO COACH," he adds. "I think philosophy will help a lot with that.

It gives critical thinking skills. I always try and thi11lnuouncl things, and I'm always looking at other avenues, so by the time I do mature.and I'm able to coach, hopefully I' I have some good stuff to say."

Teeter 'coach beJieve he's111atmedconsiderably during his two years in Stillwater.

"He's-gl'0wn a lot in how to accept failure, although he hasn't had a whole lot thus far," Flaquer says. "He's had such

FALL 2015

"THE

FIRST

IS ABOUT

HALF

OF THE

RACE

PATIENCE,

HIS

DRIVE

Flaquer explains.

"Then the next portion is about relaxation and transition. Is he transitioning properly? Is his body in the right position?

Tshe relaxed? Your body is only able to accelerate to about 60 or 70 meters and after that it's deceleration. You'renot going to get any faster, so the last 30 meters is all about who maintains their positions and their posture better. From a visual standpoint you see someone appear faster, but that really means other runners broke down technically while this one didn't.

That's the one who's gonna win."

Teeters says he's also gained a fondness for the indoor equivalent of the 100 meter dash.

PHASE,"

"THIS FALL

SEASON IN

LOVE

I STARTED A LITTLE

TO MORE

I'm really good at starting and driving. I get in the blocks, and I have kind of a violent mentality. Even 1fl don't start my best I can drive and drive.

I put my force on the ground at 60 meters, I accelerate and it's done.

"Tn the 100, you've got to be cool," he explains. "Youcan't be as violent, because you drive out violently, and then you tei:ise WITH

THE

60.

up. At 60 meters it doesn't matter, you're done driving. But you've got to breathe, relax, and you really have to focus on the finish line. The moment you press, the moment you break what you're doing, you cou Id literally lose a 10th of a second."

THENATURAL Tt wasn't that long ago that Teeters took up the sport. An athletic kid growing up in Oklahoma, he naturally gravitated toward football.

"I was always fast and I could jump high. I played football since I was in elementary school and when I got to high school I just kind of got burned out on it.

My freshman year in high school I was 5' 11", 130 pounds. I was really athletic. I could go up and get balls, I was fast and could juke ... but I was so small and weak, I was pretty much bullied on the field. I ended up quitting football after my sophomore year.

"After I quit football I kind oflost my grounding. I always wanted to stay fit and active so I'd go to tennis practice or run with the cross country team. 1 tried mixed martial arts. Weightlifting became a thing, just bicep curls and stuff"

And then Teeters tried track.

"I did a time trial in the 100 because I knew I wa pretty fast," he recalls. "I ran really well, and at that point I just quit everything else. I thought, ifI stick to this, then mayoe I could go somewhere in college. It's crazy to think where I am now, because at the time I was just a fast kid."

Nowtstanding six-foot-two and weighingin at 200 poundstTeeters has the physiqueof an elite sprinter.

"He's a power sprinter," Flaquer says. "The two components of speed are stride length and stride frequency. His height is a huge component, and that's going to give him that much more ceiling going into his future. That and his strength. He's extremely strong. He's a power sprinter."

In termsof measurablestFlaquer says hetsoff the charts.

"HEDIDASTANDING BROAD JUMP RIGHT AT12 FEET, and I was like, OHMY.His elastic power is insane. HE'SASPECIAL ATHLETE. Even the

LLlr@lIDillO

guys I had at Auburn were never able to do that, never had the elasticity that Teeters has off the ground."

Flaquer saysTeeters has run the equivalent of a sub-10100 meters in practice.

"He's run 8.82 for a 90. That would be like 9.82 in the 100. You're only missing 10 meters, which is your block start. His body is doing it.

He's run 9.95 at regionals, and the wind wasn't on our side, but his body went there."

It'sjust a matterof timebeforehe does it in a race.

"TEETERS 'COACH GET

IS A GUY

l'M GOING

READY

TO

BECAUSE

CAN

SAY,

DO THIS,'

WHO

AND

IT'S ABOUT

TO

Flaquer says. "He knows himself

HAPPEN,"

really well."

"There is a ti me in the middle of the season when I know what I can run," Teeters says.

"It used to not be like that, but you figure out new things and feel your body, and you remember what you felt before, and if you feel faster you know you're going to run faster. I've never come out of the blocks this well. My technique's never been this good. l'VE NEVER BEEN THIS

STRONG.

NOW IT'S JUST

......,._;;a,;;i,,;1:AA,;I

I

a season's best time ol 39.64 and finished third 1

1

I KNOW l'M READY.

A MATTER

OF MAKING

IT HAPPEN."

"We still haven't seen what he's capable of; because there are still some things he hasn't done right," Flaquer adds. "And there are still some things he has to improve upon just from a mental standpoint. But I think he has it. He's done everything that he could do. I think his under 10 is gonna come, whether it will be windlegal, that becomes a question of environment.

I THINK

HE COULD

9.8 GUY

BY THE

HOW

HE'S

THAT

HAPPENS,

WHOLE

VERY

MUCH

DIFFERENT

THINGS. THEN

"THEY

THEIR

OF THEIR

HARD

WORK

AND

ON

AND

ONCE

YOU'VE

GOT A

ANIMAL

TESTAMENT

BE A

END OF IT, BASED

DONE

"IT'S A HUGE

ON YOUR

HANDS."

As promised, Teeters has indeed become the public face of the resurgent Cowboy sprints program.

"The biggest thing is that he's helped show that it can happen here," Flaquer says. "That's where we are, and we'll build it from there." ~

RAN

BUTTS

OFF,''

HE SAYS.

"NOBODY

POSSE

Download the Visit Stillwater app and stay in-the-know for your next Stillwater experience!

0

f

@VisitStillwater

C

'

·ontrow: Joe Sorenson, Wayne Weatherly, Ron M w: Bill Dobbs, DANNY THOMPSON,

Fioccbi, Richard Schmidt Richard Fr

Jim Hays, •

(D Tony Sellari: Watching Danny at shortstop was pure poetry for me - the way he covered ground between second and third. His rifle arm was just as potent as his fielding ability. He had a quick release with accuracy, always threw a strike to first.

Following his junior year in 1968, Danny

JAMES AND MARGARET THOMPSON

his summers

working

signed with the MINNESOTA TWINS for

had six children, Danny being the second

vest. Another

sibling, BENNY, was born

the wheat

har-

a $20,000

bonus, plus a $500 monthly

of the bunch. The family ran a diversified

11 months after Danny, but passed away

salary, to join the TWINS' CLASS A FARM

business in Capron, a town so small that

from asthma when he was 20-months-old.

TEAM IN ST. CLOUD, MINN. After two

it didn't have a stoplight.

seasons in the minor leagues, he made

building, the Thompsons sold sundry items

Danny pitched,"

the Twins' big league roster as a second baseman, a position he'd never

and operated a cafe and beer joint. Several

strong arm, struck out 28 batters and still

years after Danny arrived, the business

lost 1-0. Danny's catcher dropped

played before. But it wasn't long before

was sold and Danny's father worked

as

third strikes, which allowed several run-

he was switched

In an old stucco

"I recall

one high school

game that

said Jimmie. "He had a a lot of

a nurse's aide at the Wichita, Kan., veter-

ners to get on base. Not many pitchers

of shortstop.

ans' hospital. His mom kept books for the

have struck out that many and didn't win."

Along the way, Danny contracted a slow-moving version of leukemia which eventually took his life. This

local grain elevator during wheat harvest. bits to packing houses in Rogers, Ark., and

BECAME

story is Danny'sstory.

Ft. Hays, Kan. Because of a severe case

AGED

of hay fever, Danny didn't work the fields

SENIOR,"

with the rest of the kids.

superb athlete, good coordination

to his natural position

Later the family ran a rabbitry, selling rab-

SHEILA, Danny's younger sister by nine

PRETTY

GOOD AND AVER-

28 POINTS

PER GAME

said Jimmie.

AS A

"He was just a with

huge strong hands, and always worked

years, recalls being hauled many times in

very hard. BUT FROM A VERY

the back seat of the family sedan to ball

AGE,

EVER

WANTED

game after ball game to watch Danny play.

TO BE WAS A BASEBALL

PLAYER."

"DANNY

PLAYED

IN ALVA.

ME AND

SISTER,

LITTLE MY

YOUNGER

PHOEBE,

STARTED

THESE

TRIPS

WHEN

STILL

IN

DIAPERS,"

LEAGUE MAKING

ALL

DANNY

EARLY

After high school, Danny was six-feet tall, weighed

180 pounds,

shoes and'was

DRAFTED BYTHENEW YORK

wore size 12

WERE

YANKEES. He always joked that the doctor

she laughed.

told him that if he ever grew into his hands,

WE

"Then, as we got a little older, Mom and

he'd be a large man.

drive us to Enid to watch

"I don't know if it would be legal today,

him play American Legion ball. I DON'T

but before the draft a couple of guys from

RECALL

the LOS ANGELES

Dad would

OUR

ING A GAME.

FAMILY

EVER

MISS-

During those summers of

DODGERS

came

and picked up Danny and drove him to

Legion ball, Danny stayed in Enid with the

somewhere

Henderson and Beatty families. Both had

worked him out for several days," Jimmie

boys on the team."

recalled. "But DANNY

Brother MONTY, three years younger

BEST

THING

in New Mexico where they FIGURED

WOULD

BE TO ACCEPT

trips and would go on to play baseball

ARSHIP

FROM

brother

year for the Pokes. Older JIMMIE, three years Danny's

senior, excelled at basketball

and spent

THE

FOR HIM AT THE TIME

than Danny, also made most of those his freshman

FALL 2015

Jimmie and Danny played one year of high school basketball together. "DANNY

OSU,

A SCHOL-

which he did."

Later, while with the Twins.Danny coauthored a book, E-6,with Twins' sports writer BOB FOWLER. To anyone keeping

THETERM E-6SIGNIFIESANERROR BYTHESHORTSTOP and if

a baseball scorecard,

Victory smiles after sewing up the 1968 BIG 8 TITLE.

there was anythingDannyhated to do, it was commitan error.

In his book, Danny talks about

high

school: "There were only 29 students

in

Former

George Keely

teammate

said of Danny, "I REMEMBER GOOD

DANNY

the top four grades my senior year, and

AS A QUIET,

a total of four in my class, all of us boys.

TLEMAN

NATURED

GEN-

Needless to say; our senior prom was a

not shy, but mannerly and soft spoken. His

WHO GOT THE JOB DONE -

"Later, in the dugout, he sat next to me and said, 'You've gota prettygoodarm,

don'tyou kid.' '"Yeah," I said.' '"Well, now that we've all seen it, take it easy on those throws from second."'

of my class

throws were like a machine, always shoul-

which meant I was in the top 50 percent!"

der high ... great hands and strong. Danny

His rookie season Danny appeared in 96

was a good hitter, always got good wood

games and hit .279. That year, he hit his first

dud. Also, I was salutatorian According

to sister Sheila, "DANNY'S

SWEETHEART,

JO LAYMAN,

FROM

BURLINGTON

ENTS

WERE BIG SOONER

WAS

AND HER PAR-

home run off the Athletics' VIDA BLUE, a

on the ball and sprayed the ball."

OSU alum Bob Graalman, several

perennial all-star pitcher. "I took my time

years younger than Danny, was a member

running around the bases," recalled Danny.

JO ENROLLED

AT OU with the inten-

of Danny's fraternity.

"In the dugout my teammates

kidded me

tion of studying

pre-med.

But that only

ers who were there with Danny recall his

and CALLED

MY JAUNT

AROUND

lasted a couple of years before she and

genuine small town warmth and generos-

THE BASES

THE THOMPSON

Danny got married."

ity. Danny was asked to join the fraterni-

... told me the league would probably give

ty's volleyball team, which he did, and he

me a urine test."

Former

Cowboy

teammate,

FANS SO

catcher

Tony Sellari, fondly remembers Danny.

"I admired Danny on and off the field," he

"Those frat broth-

became a skilled, hard hitting player on a championship

intramural

OR A BASK-IN-GLORY

GUY. HE WAS

HUMBLE

WHO DID HIS

tion his sophomore

JOB

A SHOWBOAT

... A PLAYER

IN QUIET

FASHION.

From my

Danny's mom mailed the weekly Kiowa News (the town closest to Capron with a

team."

Freshmen didn't play for the varsity in the 1960s. An All-Big Eight selec-

said. "HE WAS NEVER

TROT

newspaper) to Danny and, for fun, Danny enjoyed on occasion reading it to his team-

and junior seasons,

mates in the locker room. The stories usu-

Danny hit .349 that second season and was

ally included such items as who won the

position, I got to see all the action on the

chosen as a first-team

and

high school spelling bee, the arrival of a

field. Watching

made the College World Series all-tour-

new baby and a list of those lucky enough

pure poetry for me - the way he covered

nament team. He was then drafted by the

to receive a speeding ticket.

ground between second and third. His rifle

Twins and began his professional

Danny at shortstop

was

arm was just as potent as his fielding abil-

All-American

career.

In f-6, Danny tells the story of his first

ity. He had a quick release with accuracy,

time on the infield

with future

always threw a strike to first.

Fame outfielder/first

baseman HARMON

"I don't remember him making an error.

As I watched he amazed

KILLEBREW: "KILLEBREW

CALLED

1971. When I first

him play, game after game,

ME CHICKY

me. HIS

came up to the Twins in 7970, I had a very

HITTING

WAS

but he could

EXTRAORDINARY,

hit

strong

SINCE

arm. IN THOSE

hitter who seemed to always make solid

was the first to say something

big things from him, and he

didn't disappoint LOVED

me. TO SUM

WATCHING

DANNY

IT UP, I

can still picture him moving smoothly

to

lished himself the next year, 1972, as a solid major leaguer, playing in 144 games and hitting .276.Along the way he and Jo added two daughters to the family: Tracy and Dana.

E!J

about it.

Milwaukee, I played second. And Harmon played first. On the first grounder me, I forgot

where I was. I charged

hit to the

ball and gunned it to first like a shortstop

position to field a

would. Harmon had casually moved to the bag and turned for the throw, only to see

a bullet to first."

with only 57 at bats, hitting .263. He estab-

"When I made my major league debut in

and come up ready to fire

his right in a crouched hot grounder

I

PLAY.

THEY

season, Danny injured

And Harmon

the ball to all fields and was a line drive contact. He madE; a lasting impact on me.

ME SHOTGUN.

DAYS

CALLED

I expected

Hall of

The following

his throwing arm and played in 48 games

the ball a few feet from him. He put up the glove quickly; I think in self-defense, made the catch.

and

t POSSE

r

(D Harmon Killebrew: Even when Danny knew he was dying of cancer, he wanted to be judged as a baseball player, not as a victim of an incurable disease.

"When I was in high school, Danny was playing

for Minnesota,"

recalls

Sheila.

any immediate

danger that I would die. It

seemed that if you had to have leukemia, I

"The Twins were playing in Kansas City on

had the best kind. Jo accepted the fact that

Mother's Day. My sister and I, who were

I had leukemia and never let me feel sorry

dating our future husbands,

for myself, especially if I was playing bad."

our brother

along with

Monty and his wife Jane, at

That year Danny felt no effects of the dis-

the last minute decided to drive to Kansas

ease, playing in 99 games and hitting .225.

City to see the Twins play the Royals. Dad and Mom were already there, and we did not tell them we were coming,

as a sur-

Danny in f-6:"BUT

IN ONE RESPECT,

1973 WAS A GOOD YEAR. LIVING

I STARTED

LIFE. I was raised

A CHRISTIAN

prise for Mother's Day. We called Danny,

in the Methodist church in Capron, even had

and he had tickets left for us at the gate.

a five-year pin for never missing Sunday

It would be a challenge for us to get there

school. You'd be a good boy on Sunday, but

on time, but we took off."

not necessarily the other six days. Once I

After peaking at more than 100 milesper-hour, a speeding ticket ensued.

found out I had leukemia, I needed something for support.

"The fine was about all we had between

Teammate JIM KAAT

taught me what living a Christian life was all

the six of us, but we got to see Danny play

about. I developed a peace of mind. I was

and our whole family

determined

was together

on

Mother's Day," she said. "Our times when our entire family was all together

did not

petrified

to beat it, but was no longer

at the thought of losing to it."

The Fellowship

Athletes

happen often with Danny playing ball from

furnishes

March to September."

ball chapel service for major league base-

During a routine physical in January, 1973, Danny was diagnosed with leukemia, a shock to every-

ball teams that were on the road. Danny

one, especially Danny.

hit a respectable .250. That October, after

E-6:"That word echoed in my head as

speakers

of Christian

for a Sunday

base-

became a regular.

Danny played in 94 games in 1974 and the season ended, his blood test led the

scared to death. I didn't know what was

doctor to recommend an experimental treatment program. He would

happening, what was going on. Was there

receive a total of six shots, one every other

any hope? Would I die soon? My mind was

month. The shots caused Danny's arm to

spinning. The doctor described it as a slow

puff up, come to a head like a boil, and

type of leukemia, called it chronic gran-

then break. Other than that, the shots had

if the doctor had screamed

it out. I was

i.;:=.z[l,ocytic leukemia."

'-===:.,<"Some

people live until they are 60 or

70-years-old

before they even know they

no other negative side effects. from

high school,

PHOEBE, Danny's younger

After

graduating

sister by 10

have it," said the doctor. "That eased our

years, spent a summer

minds, somewhat. There didn't seem to be

helping Jo look after the girls.

in Minneapolis,

"AFTER

DANNY

TOOK

ONE

THOSE

SHOTS,

HIS ARMS

SWELL

UP

A VOLCANO,"

LIKE

OF

WOULD

she

said. "He'd have to slit his T-shirts to get his arms into them. Eventually, the swelling would burst and puss would be drained out. It was a mess, but Danny just did it.

But he'd be physically ill when it was time to take another shot.

"HE ALWAYS TO

BE ABLE

LEAGUES;

FELT TO

SO BLESSED

PLAY

IN THE

BIG

he'd get excited, like a little kid

about playing. It was a hard life for Danny and Jo. He'd be gone on road trips for four or five days and when he was in town, he'd noon for the ballpark

and

not get home until around midnight.

leave before

His

faith was really important

to him. He was

an all-arOLmd great guy, great brother; I miss him to this day. I have great memories and treasure that summer."

Danny signed a contract

for $27,500

for the upcoming season (worth the equivalent of $125,000

today). Today's major

league minimum salary is $600,000

annu-

ally, almost 22 times what Danny was paid.

In 1975, continuing his treatment, Danny had a banner year, hitting .270 to lead all American

League short-

stops while playing 112games and continuing to feel good. After the season, he was presented with the HUTCH AWARD, presented in honor of former pitcher FRED

HUTCHINSON

who died of cancer. The

award honored the player who best exemplified Hutchinson's spirit.

FALL 2015

COLSON remembers,

"Today, as you drive into Capron, there's

"Danny was just an all-around genuine nice

Friend WILLIS

a memorial sign there for him," Ross said.

Thompson

guy, one of a kind, knew where he was from.

"As a ballplayer, he never got excited. He'd

when Danny knew he was dying of cancer,

My wife and I had just finished building a

always get the job done. DANNY

new house. I had a basement and Danny

TO BE A GOOD

PLAYER

GOT

Killebrew,

at the inaugural

Golf Tournament

Danny

said, "Even

he wanted to be judged as a baseball player, not as a victim of an incurable disease."

BECAUSE

In 2014tDannywasinductedinto the OSUBaseballHall of Fame.

knew I wanted a pool table to put down

HE WORKED

there, but we didn't have any money. Before

fact. After Danny and Jo had the girls, they

long, he gave me one. That's just the way

couldn't have any more kids. Shortly after

Several years after Danny passed, Jo

he was, do anything in the world for you.

that, my wife and I had a son. We named

and the girls moved to Chicago where Jo

AT IT; I know that for a

l'VE GOT ONE OF HIS LOUISVILLE

him JOEY DAN, after Jo and Danny. We

became a counselor. She passed away in

SLUGGERS

AND

BASE-

played cards the November night before

2012. Today Danny's girls, TRACY

BALL

IN THAT

BASEMENT."

Danny went back to the hospital because

DANA,

his leg was bothering him. I never saw him

Chicago areas, respectively.

again. He was courageous.

Baseball Chapel established an annual award in Danny's name.

CARDS

ALL

HIS

In 1976, Danny got in 34 games before he and good friend BERT BLYLEVEN, a Hall of Fame pitcher and current radio

"After a game, Danny always wanted

live in the Washington,

AND

D.C., and

analyst for Twins games, were traded to

to go out for a brownie

and ice cream.

Each year during the World Series, it is pre-

the Texas Rangers. Danny played another

He worked hard, hit line drives, a gamer.

sented the major leaguer with exemplary

I liked to see him at the plate in a clutch

Christian spirit in baseball. Past winners

64 games.

"A WARRIOR TION,"

AND

AN

INSPIRA-

Blyleven said of Danny. "We both

situation.

Danny and I were like brothers.

came up the same year, 1970, and were

Danny

traded to the RANGERS at the same time.

Oklahoma

and his family immediately

returned

to

Danny died 10 weeks to the day after he started his last game in the majors. He

him so he returned

didhis best to live life to its fullest andsucceededuntil the Lordcalled himhome. ~

His leg was bothering

4. He had welts and scars on both shoul-

to Rochester and checked into the Mayo

him on

Clinic on November 16, underwent

spleen

the shoulder, a class man. When Danny

surgery on Dec. 3, and died a week later

was traded to Texas, the new general man-

from complications

ager called Danny in and told him there

at St. Mary's Hospital.

DANNY WAS ONLY 29.Hundreds attended

was a problem, that the Twins were only

his funeral held in Burlington's high school

paying him $27,500 and the minimum the

auditorium.

Rangers paid for a season was $35,000,

"I sat beside

Jo and his girls at the

so for the rest of the season we need to

funeral,"

prorate you at the higher rate and would

noticed Jo hadn't been crying and asked

that be OK?' They both laughed!"

her if she was okay. She told me she'd

DALE ROSS was from Dacoma, Okla.,

Ross said. "After

it was over, I

been crying for the past five years and just

and played ball against Danny, "We quickly

didn't

became good friends, and, after we both

got over losing him."

got married, we'd get together

The Texas Rangers wore a black armband the following season in

with our

wives and play cards. We all loved to play

have any tears left. But she never

cards. One night a snowstorm was moving

memory

in so Danny and Jo grabbed up their stuff

Harmon

and came over to our house so we'd be

DANNY

able to play cards the next day.

TOURNAMENT

"WHEN

HE GOT

SICK,

he told me

Killebrew THOMPSON

started

the

MEMORIAL

GOLF

in Sun Valley in Idaho,

Killebrew's home state. The tournament

is

still held every year, and has raised $13.8

that way he could be sure Jo and the girls

million over the past 38 years.

his pension. IT WASN'T IT WAS ALL ABOUT

ABOUT

C

of Danny, and that same year

he hoped he could play at least four years, would be taken care of because they'd get

JOE CARTER

after the season.

The first game for Texas, Danny went 4-forders, didn't want anyone patting

include MARK McGWIRE, AND DAVE DRAVECKY.

I think of him often."

Shortstop DANNY THOMPSON scores a run for the Cowboys.

Authorencourages yourcomments/questions at: OSU52johnson@yahoo.com

HIM.

HIS FAMILY."

Editor's Note: In 2011,Harmon Killebrew died of esophageal cancer, but the golf tournament in Idaho continues. It has since been renamed the KillebrewThompson Memorial Golf Tournament.

POSSE

•

osu·Career Services

osu• Career Services

Oklahoma State University Career Service.

360 Student Union, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74071 careers@okstate.edu

405-744-5253

HireOSUgrads.cor

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P. nYER OFTHIE

AND WHILE ITWASN'T INSTAN!, THE REWARD FOR FRtEMAN -AND THE OKLAHOMA STATE - WOULD BEHUGE. Freemanhasalwayslovedbaseball.

According

to his mother,

Vicki, "When

they were four- and five-years old playing coach pitch, Michael

was always the kid who was totally dialed in to the game. He was always the one you could count on to understand

that the play was

going on and be focused

- he was the

one who got it."

Nearly two decades

later, Oklahoma

Josh Holliday saw

State head coach

that same trait when Freeman arrived on campus in Stillwater.

"Thiswas a kidthatyoucouldtell fromdayonehadsomesubstanceto himthatwas different/'Holliday said.

"I remember

the first time I really spent

Freeman was teammates with DONNIE WALTON at Bishop Kelley High School in Tulsa, and Rob was acquainted

with

The work paid off as Freeman added

Freeman's abilities through

the

over 30 pounds to his frame, and accord-

in practices and games.

Following

a prep career void of much

in the way of accolades

for summer school and just watching

him

ball offers, Freeman decided

take difficult

him

fueling

work out in the mornings observing

and run. Just

him from a distance before we

really had a chance to coach him, ITWAS

APPARENT THAT HEWASSERIOUS ANO JUST MATURE BEYOND HISYEARS." While Holliday knew there was something different

about

Freeman,

ing the 6-foot-8

southpaw

predict-

would emerge

as the ace of the Cowboys'

staff never

crossed his mind. people thought Luckily, Freeman coach

two

would happen. of those

and Oklahoma

people

were

State pitching

Rob Walton.

The relationship

Freeman

Walton's sons, Davis and Donnie, are longof Freeman,

and Rob also

knows Freeman's parents well.

FALL2015

guy

ting coordination."

junior college level and enrolled at Eastern Oklahoma

case he h 9 d a lot of passion for the game

to continue

his passion for the game at the State College in Wilburton.

Having always been tall and lanky - "I couldn't

stop growing

and couldn't

gain

of baseball," Walton said. "With his adversity and struggles,

Freemanentered JUCOat 6-8 and 197 pounds. He

endure

spent his first year redshirting

navigate his body."

weight!"

he says -

and had

one goal in mind. baseball

the hope is his body

starts to get coordinated, failures

but he's got to

as he's learning

how to

Even with the weight gain, success on

"I realized that if I wanted to continue and really wanted

to

the mound wasn't quick to follow. Freeman still struggled

to control his body and his

have success, I was going to have to put

pitches. In two seasons at Eastern, his stats

on weight,"

weren't exactly glamorous

Freeman said. "I started

to

work out really hard there, working

out

six or seven days a week. That was tough because there's no air conditioning

between

and Walton spans much of Michael's life. time friends

or college base-

ing to Walton "becomes a 230-pound

whose body has matured and started get-

"When a guy is that big that young, they're uncoordinated and don't have a lot of body control, but in Mike's

playing

In fact, it's something maybe only a few

watching

big left-hander

any time with Mike was when he was here classes and watching

"We'd have five-hour practices and then I'd have a lot of late nights in the gym."

weight

in the

room there - it's not a real nice

place. But it's what you have.

- hewent 7-7 witha 4.60ERA in28appearances.

in just 10 games in 2014,

"We were asking him to do the hardest

stands and witnessed

an outing in which

nine of those in relief, and recorded a 6.28

thing that you can do, and he was willing

Freeman surrendered

four home runs.

ERA in14.1 innings of work.

to go through

In one of those games, Walton was in the

"He didn't pitch very well, but he showed more

body

he showed

control

and athleticism

-

some things that were posi-

He pitched

"Mentally it's tough because you're trying to find a role. And there's all kinds of roles, but I didn't have a significant

role on the

that to make it happen."

Undergoing

what he called

"a com-

plete overhaul," Freeman had abandoned his over-the-top

pitching

three-quarters,

almost-sidearm

motion

for a

angle that

that day,"

field and that was hard," Freeman said. "You

Walton said. "I thought that since his body

just have to stay with it and keep trying

improved

had matured and he still had the passion,

to figure stuff out. That can be really dif-

to maintain balance.

that was the key. Then it was a matter of

ficult. But you just have to have faith in a

'Can I put this guy in better

plan and trust what the coaches tell you

the summer

and understand

with the Cowboys when he played for the

tives even though he struggled

positions

to

deliver the ball?'

"That's what it came to. He went through high school and junior college struggles, but he had the passion and the dedication.

that you can get better."

Walton'splanforFreemanwasradical - the lefty neededto changehis deliveryandmechanics.That process

his alignment

Things finally began to click for Freeman following

ROCHESTER

HONKERS in the Northwest

began upon his arrival at OSU but was

pitches was allowing on a regular basis.

that, 'Hey, we could do this!'"

also much easier said than done.

WALTON'S ITY

TO

FAITH

ABIL·

"It started

doing what I could and letting stuff happen,"

OTHERS

baseball is somebody's arm action because

FREEMAN

it's ingrained

And while it wasn't instant, the reward

in you since the first day

Freeman said. "I'd put in the work, and I

you picked up a ball," Walton said. "A lot

finally trusted myself physically and trusted

of people believe you can't change arm

what I was doing.

for Freeman - and the Cowboys - would

action.

be huge.

take a year -

Freeman's junior season at OSU offered

fun, and I got a lot

more relaxed and not so stressed - just

WHAT

TO STILLWATER.

getting

him to record outs

"The hardest thing to change in all of

BROUGHT

SEE

COULDN'T

AND

that wasn't a quick fix and was

com-

mand, but the improved movement on his

something

and ath-

his junior season

League. He still lacked consistent

leticism, that's what gave me the thought

And once I saw more coordination

and allowed him

Now you can change

it, but it'll

I've done it so I know.

MYTHOUGHTS BECAME A LOTMORE FREE, NOT SOFORCED. "The biggest

thing was being able to

"With Mike, if he didn't make the changes,

repeat a motion and just stay within myself

he wasn't going to be able to throw strikes

and not try to do too much, and I was

in his career - there were some good

consistently.

finally comfortable

moments but nothing consistently positive.

didn't allow him to throw enough strikes

a continuation

of what had been the norm

He was in a delivery that just

igently

to be effective."

And with that, Walton

and Freeman

with that."

"In Mike's case, he just worked on it diland then all of a sudden

when

he got it, the first thing he got was (ball)

continued working to change what Walton

movement

said was "more arm path than arm action

also in the strike zone," Walton said. "You

- (Freeman's)

could start to see the confidence build immediately, and I can remember by

arm was really off-line."

"WITH ALL THE ADVERSITY, WOULD GET

DO ANYTHING

HIMSELF

MIKE

TO TRY AND

ON TRACK,"

Walton

said. "Being in a position like Mike, where you love the game

so much

and you

and then the movement

the end of the first year he was in a really good

place and I was just praying

"In the summer, they go out, and they come back different;

to do whatever

tweaked

"We set a premium on a windup that is going to give him as much balance and athleticism

from start-to-finish

as possi-

that

he could maintain it through the summer.

haven't had much success, you're going it takes.

was

somebody

else has

-----

them a little bit. But he came...----

back and was in the exact same spot. was really, really encouraging."

While showing

signs of mastering

his

leverage, he's going to have more room

FREEMAN BEGAN WOWING HIS COACHES DURING PRESEASON PRACTICE -

for error. He has to be way more efficient

and baffling

OSU teammates

fundamentally

him during

intrasquad

movement

on his pitches

ble because with the long legs and long

than a guy that's 6-2 or 6-3.

new delivery,

who faced

scrimmages,

shaking their heads as they returned the dugout.

:J

the

leaving them to

Among Freeman's detractors along his baseball journey was a high school coach who famously

told him that him playing

Division I baseball would be like said coach playing in the NBA. "He was told a lot of times that 'You aren't good enough to play,"' Walton said.

"For him, it was definitely his perseverance and his passion for the game that allowed him to get to the point he's at right now.

Knowing Mike as long as I have and knowing All-America

season at Arizona State that

what he's gone through and the time and

I watched.

(Leake) was special, and our

the effort, there's enormous satisfaction."

Mike, Big Mike, was very similar. "(Freeman) It was a trend throughout

that would

continue

Freeman's storybook

senior

season.

Freeman's 2015 campaign was the stuff

In 15starts, hewent10-3witha 1.31ERA, tossing fourcomplete games and racking up97strikeouts in 109213innings -

of dreams.

exceeding even the highest expectations.

together

Freeman admits to questioning himself

put an All-America

season

at times but says his passion for the game

and did it for a team that des-

only made him that much more determined.

perately needed another emerging starter.

"I just love baseball

and have always

He took that on, pitched a number of out-

had a lot fun playing,"

Freeman said. "I

standing

never really thought

games - carried us in many of

ball, but at times it was like, 'Maybe God

we went."

has plans for me elsewhere, maybe base-

OSUrodethe left armof Freeman to lofty heights,as the Cowboys finished

tell you what those plans would be, but I knew I wanted to keep playing.

"I thought

he'd have a really good year,

second in the Big 12 Conference

he had a better year than

ings and were selected to host an NCAA

in the country,"

Walton

said.

"There are guys with more strikeouts

and

wins, but I don't know if there was a more dominating

guy than he was."

Armed with a three-pitch mix of fastball, slider and changeup, Freeman's pitches produced movement

that Walton described

simply as "special." And with that came what may be the most impressive

stats

base-

his outings - and helped take us where

but arguably anybody

about quitting

regional for the second-straight And Freeman

standyear.

was rewarded

for his

ball isn't the plan for me.' Obviously I can't

"Whenever I'm doing something I just do it to the best of my ability and try as hard

efforts as he became the second Cowboy

I DIDN'T EVER WANTTO QUIT. but you obviously never know

to earn Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors.

what's in store and what's coming next.

as I can and put in the work.

Hewas aconsensus All-American andbecame "People always underestimated me and the23rdplayer inOSU's storied baseball his- wanted to focus on what I couldn't do. It torytoachieve first-team All-America status. was nice to have some success and be in "You always expect to have success, but to be considered

the pitcher of the year

a position

to play for such a good team

and such an incredible, storied program. It

of all - of all the outs Freeman recorded

in the Big 12 - there's a lot of really, really

was a dream come true and an opportunity

in 2015, 171came on ground balls and just

good pitchers in this conference

that a lot of people don't get. Being able

44 via fly ball. Factor in his 97 strikeouts

huge honor," said Freeman, whose 1.31

to take advantage

and the dozen double plays he induced,

ERA ranks as the fifth-lowest

tribute to the team was so much fun and

and 86 percent of Freeman's outs came

in OSU history and was sixth in the NCAA

via ground ball or strikeout.

in 2015. "To be able to do this stuff week-

"His fly ball-to-ground

ball ratio is some-

in and week-out

- it's a

in a season

and to have a team that

something

of that and really con-

I'd always looked forward to."

His mother said it was Freeman's Tm gonna show you' attitude coupled with the

thing I've never seen or even heard of, at

always had my back was unbelievable. The

any level. It's probablythe best ratio

numerous coaches who did believe in him

guys behind me making plays made me

of any pitcher that's ever stepped on the mound - it's phenomenal."

that pushed him to greatness. And while

look a whole lot better than I am.

~11--"''1\ntl.tonsafd.

"It was a lot of fun, and it's really a dream beyond anything I could have anticipated."

aid Holliday

of Freeman's

there were many along the way, Walton will always have a special and unique bond with her son.

magical

Freeman wasn't the only one who never

"One time during the season, I was talk-

-..;:=:::::::::"a~son, "From start-to-finish,

it was as

saw it coming, which only added to the

ing to (Rob's wife) Michelle, and she said

good a display of consistent

excellence

that I've observed

in a long, long time.

satisfaction.

to me, 'Rob's as proud of Michael as he would be of Donnie,"' Vicki said. "That's

I've been lucky to watch some kids have

kind of how I see their relationship

some great seasons, and Mike's was right

from here on out. Michael is always going to

there alongside

love Rob. He's always called Rob a baseball

FALL2015

the MIKE

LEAKE

16-2

being

genius, and there's no question that Rob will

"Even if it never happens, he's 30 years

always be a mentor to him and that he will

old and never looking

always seek out Rob's advice; he has such

want regrets in life, and Mike's not going

a tremendous

amount of respect for him."

Freeman states matter-of-factly that all his success would never have occurred without Walton.

"Rob has always been somebody

back. You don't

to have any now. He's a good role model and good inspiration

for other guys that

are having hard times and how you persevere through something."

that

And for that reason alone, Freeman will

you can go to, and he'll be straight up with

leave a lasting mark on the OSU program.

you and tell you the truth," Freeman said.

"He's an incredible

baseball mind and him

"This isn't just a kid who stumbled upon some success - this is a kid that was relent-

believing in me and giving me the oppor-

less and worked for it," Holliday said. "It

tunity to play here - he's helped me more

took some time for him and Rob to find

than I can tell you.

that happy place that he found where the

"Then in terms of helping me change and

work ethic and the body and the perfor-

be in a position to have success on a big

mance all came together for a tremendous

stage, Rob has definitely been a very influ-

year, but Mike all along had substance. You

ential person in my career and in my life."

could sense it. And to see that all come

That career now extends

to a place

many would have considered highly unlikely

together

for him, what a great story.

"He left his legacy here, for sure. He'sa

not too long ago - professional

baseball.

Freeman

pick of

greatstorythatwillservetomotivate and inspireothers.As a coach, he reminds you

was a seventh-round

the HOUSTON

in June's Major

that there's greatness within every kid if you

League Baseball Draft, and his mentor

can help them find it. It's just a real compli-

isn't putting

ment to Mike Freeman the young man and

ASTROS

limits on how far he can go.

"A lot of guys think he can get to the

his parents for their patience and belief in

big leagues fast, can go to the big leagues

what he was trying to do. And it's a tre-

in six months and get left-handed

hitters

mendous compliment

to the program and

out right away," Walton said. "It'll be inter-

to Rob for watching a young man develop

esting to see how it plays out. I think all

into such a special performer.

30 teams have a need for a guy like that.

"He's got a future in baseball now and

He's not the norm. He's the anomaly guy.

a big-time

There's a lot of 6-3, 6-4 guys throwing

some kid and what happened on the field

90

to 95 - they're a dime a dozen.

"BUT

THERE'S

THERE'S

ONLY

THROWS ONE

THAT

GUY

OF GROUND ONE

GUY

just validated

ONLY

ONE

MIKE.

ONE

GUY

THAT

WAY. THERE'S

ONLY

THAT

GETS

BALL. THAT

THAT

KIND

THERE'S

ONLY

DOES

future in life. He's just an awe-

WHAT

HE

DOES.

He's made himself completely

different

from anyone else so his oppor-

it for everyone

didn't know Mike."

else that

~

After being selected in the seventh round of the Major League Baseball Draft in June, Freeman began his professional

tunity to play for a long time is probably

career in the Houston Astros organization.

very, very high.

He started out at the ClassA level before

"His story

is gr.eat because

Mike can

really inspire a lot of people by what he's

HE'SAPERFECT EXAMPLE OFWHY YOU NEVER QUIT WORKING. A lot of guys will done -

give up a little too early and then the next thing you know, they're 30 years old wondering shoulda, coulda, woulda.

being promoted to the Astros' Class A-Advanced affiliate in August.

DESPITE BEING SMALL INSIZEANDLONG ON WINTERS, SWEDEN HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST

PROMINENT

GOLF

INLARGE PART TOPOSITIONING ITSPLAYERS FORSUCCESS WHILE UTILIZING VESSELS SUCH ASOSU. NATIONS

IN THE WORLD

"It was our goal in Sweden to give our players the absolute best possible conditions that existed regarding sport and studies. We knew that OSU was one of the very best and leading universities. THEY HAD THE BEST

BEST

PLAYERS,

COACHES,

PLAYED

COMPETITIONS, PRACTICE

THE THE BEST

HAD THE

CONDITIONS

BEST

AND THE

COMPETITION WAS FIERCE. That made the choice easy for our best players," aid PETER SVALLIN, who FORMERLY

SERVED AS THE SWEDISH MEN'S NATIONAL COACH.

WITH APPROXIMATELY 4,885MILES SEPARATING STILLWATER, OKLA., ANDSTOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, ITMIGHT SEEM FARFETCHED TOTHINK A PATH HASBEEN WORN BETWEEN THETWO CITIES. TO THE CONTRARY, THE NATION WITH LESS THAN 10 MILLION RESIDENTS HAS BECOME A FRUITFUL HOTBED OF TALENT FOR THE OKLAHOMA STATE GOLF PROGRAMS.

FALL2015

Svallin was responsible for feeding the Cowboy roster with All-America talent such as LEIF WESTERBERG, ANDERS HULTMAN, ALEX NOREN and a Swede who would eventually make his way to the women's side in PAR NILSSON, the Cowgirls' current assistant coach.

"I had very good contact with Coach (Mike) Holder. He was a very skilled coach and has done a lot for our Swedish players over the years. For my own part, Stillwater has always been a place I loved to come back to. I've made about 15 visits over the years and each time I have felt at home and so have our players," Svallin added.

Of the 39 All-America honors earned in the history of the Cowgirl program, 17 HAVE COME COURTESY OF SWEDISH PLAYERS.

The program's lone NCAA medalist and the most decorated player in program history, CAROLINEHEDWALL,hails from Lodclekopinge.In addition to 1-Iedwall,Swedish Cowgirls PERNILLA LINDBERGand KARIN SJODIN were both first-team AllAmericans before going on to LPGA success, while MARIA BODENwas a three-time Big 12 Player of the Year.

"WeknewthatOSUwasa verygenuine andvery respected university academically andinsports."

PETER Additionally, two of the top teams in program history had a strong Swedish presence. The Cowgirls' 2004 squad, which was bolstered by Sji:idin's secondplace individual finish at the event, finished as the NCAA runner-up. OSU's 2009 squad posted a fourth-place showing at the NCAA Championship with a 1i neup anchored by three Swedes.

EVA DAHLLOF, a first-team AllAmerican in 1988, and KATRIN MOLLERSTEDT became the FIRST SWEDESTOCROSSTHEPONDIN 1986 AND 15 COUNTRYWOMEN HAVESINCE FOLLOWED.The key to maintaining such a strong pipe! ine has been the experience provided by OSU, the opportunity to sharpen golf skills as well as an environment to excel academically.

"It means a lot for Swedish golf that our players have the opportunity to go to college in the United States and play for a team. We are a small country with winter six months a year and it is very important for us that our players get the opportunity and access to good practice, good practice facilities and the possibility to compete during winter, combined with studies,"said KATARINA VANGDAL, the CURRENT SWEDISH NATIONAL HEAD COACH. While it may seem like an unconventional pairing initially, scratching below the surface reveals a mutually beneficial relationship. Not only has the Cowgirl program thrived in part due to its heavy Swedish influence, the community, in turn, embraced the golfers and eased the adjustment to life in the U.S. "STILLWATER'IS SAFE

AND

VERY

TOWN

WITH

MANY

A SMALL,

QUIET,

PLEASANT FRIENDLY

AND

HELPFUL, WARM PEOPLE. You feel safe when you are out and everything you need is in the city.To feel at home offthe golf course was and is important," svallin said.

SVALLIN

"Getting from Sweden to a completely "Knowing that a lot of Swedes had been different culture in the United States was here, they talked so much about it and had a major adjustment for many and to feel only GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT at home and welcomed in Stillwater was OKLAHOMA STATE. The practice facilvery important and crucial. We knew that ities at Karsten Creek are the greatest you OSU was a very genuine and very respected can find. The school and everything is set university academically and in sports." up for success and for you to be able to With the majority of the Swedesheading focus on golf and school," Hedwall said. stateside arriving from small-town enviThe 2010 NATIONAL PLAYER OF ronments, STILLWATER HAS PROVEN THE YEAR, Hedwall's collegiate career TO BE IDEAL IN MINIMIZINGTHE bas served as an integral piece in her TRANSITIONTOLIFEHALFA WORLD success as a pro and her continued purAWAYFROMHOME. suit to become the TOP-RANKED PLAYER IN THE WORLD.f!J "I think the place itself maybe reminds a little bit of Sweden, not in nature, but in size. The intimacy and of course the facilities are absolutely fantastic," Vangdal said.

"It is simply a nice place and they feel home being there."

With Swede after Swede enjoying their experiences in Stillwater, word spread quickly and the best recruitersfor OSUhave become the program's distinguished and growing alumni base of Swedish players.

"It has a good reputation.

It started with a couple of people and then it kept going because people enjoyedit and KARIN SJODIN had a good time. Sweden is not a big country, so when they come back they talk about it and how good it is and spread the word about the place and how good it is,"current Cowgirl Linnea Johansson said.

"Caroline, Pernilla and I are from pretty small towns. COMING HERE AND GETTING

THIS

GREAT

THING."

OPPORTUNITY

IS A

For Hedwall, the long line of Swedes was one of just several determining factors that attracted her to Stillwater.

POSSE

anything on my own it was important to be able to trust people who had been here," Sjodin explained.

Like Sjodin, Lindberg knew the opinions of those who had come before her should weigh heavily into such a significant decision.

"So many Swedes talked so highly about the school and it gave me no doubts that I would like it, too. It was a big determining factor because it is a big decision when you are 18 or 19 years old to move halfway across the world to a different country. Knowing that many Swedes had liked it sure helped my decision," Lindberg said.

LINDBERG, BOLLNAS,

A NATIVE

FEELS

THAT

OF THE

EMPHASIS PLACED ON THE SPORT

BY OSU GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE DESIRE OF A SWEDE LOOK-

"Practicing at Karsten Creek, those are the quickest greens I have ever putted on.

Also, I thought the weather was great here for practice because you get everything. You get wind, you get rain and you get everything basically. It is just a great experience.

Coming here, you play all over the U.S., which is great. When I came out on tour, I had played in California, I had played in Florida, in Ohio. It felt like I had been everywhere, so it prepared me for life on tour," Hedwall said.

LEVEL.

"A Swedish player who decides to go to college is very determined. Otherwise, you wouldn't movehalfway across the world if it wasn't for proper determination. I THINK THAT

KIND

OF

DETERMINATION

COMBINED

WITH

THAT

ARE

AT OKLAHOMA

THE

ARE

THE

PERFECT

MATCH

AND I THINK

THAT

IS WHY

I WANT TO BECOME

HAVE

HAD

AS GOOD AS I CAN BE AND I BELIEVE

GOOD

SUCCESS,"

I CAN

She explained.

For Sjodin, she found Stillwater to her liking enough to reside in north central Oklahoma a decade after joining the professional ranks.Access

"OBVIOUSLY,

BECOME

DAY. THAT

WORLD

NO.

1 ONE

IS MY VISION."

The message was resounding enough to convince Sjodin to sign with the school sight unseen.

6

ING TO ACHIEVE AT THE HIGHEST

"I think it was more of a safety thing for e and especially for my mom, knowing of Swedes had been here and every~::;::j2flft!was happy with what they had experienced in Oklahoma. I wasn't able to take my recruiting visits because of9/ll. I had scheduled everything that fall. I actually signed having not seen any U.S. school.

At that point, when I hadn't experienced

FACILITIES STATE

"At first, I stayed because this was the only place in the U.S. I knew anyone and of course the practice facilities. You can't get anything like this anywhere else. Even if you were able to find this kind of practice facility there would be a bunch ofother players using them," Sjodin said.

"Here I have everything I need. In the mornings, I can do the work on my own and in the afternoons, there are plenty of people to practice with ifI want matches or competition. I feel like it gives you the best of both worlds."

Once again, the relationship is a twoway street with Sjodin having the proper tools she needs to prepare for Iife on tour, while being able to play the 'big sister' role for those who have followed the Swedish path to Stillwater.

"The kids have a different perspective on golf and some of them are like sponges and ask questions and it is definitely rewarding to be able to help them," Sjodin said.

While she has not chosen Stillwater as her home base, the impact the OSU community made on Lindberg is equally significant and has played a key role in her success as a professional.

"I WOULDN'T WHERE MY

FOUR

YEARS

WE

SUCH

to Karsten Creek and its top-notch practice facility has translated to LPGA successfor the Gothenburg native.

CAROLINE HEDWALL, left, and PERNILLA LINDBERG in Sweden.

FALL 2015

BE ANYWHERE

I AM NOW IF IT WASN'T

NEAR FOR

AT OKLAHOMA

"ASwedish player whodecides togotocollege isvery determined.

Otherwise, youwouldn t movehalfway across theworldifitwasn't forproper determination."

1

CAROLINE

I always had the goal of playing on the LPGA TOUR, so to be in the United States and learn to live in the U.S. and to play college golf at such a high level was very important," Lindberg said.

STATE.

"IT WAS A PRICELESS EXPERIENCE."

In addition to Johansson, fellowSwede

ISABELLA DEILERThas also been a mainstay in the current Cowgirl lineup.

For Deilert a native of Stockholm, it was a former Swedish men's standout who brought OSU to her attention.

"I was around 12-years-old and it was through ALEX NOREN, because we are club mates and grew up together. When he was here, I was still little and I looked up to him and saw him wearing the orange," Deilert said.

"When I got older and started looking at college is when he told me that I needed to come visit and this was the best place to be."

While the small-town environment has provided many a comforting resemblance of home, it has served as a calming influence for Deilert for different reasons.

"I came from a big city and there is a lot of stress and things going on.

I wanted to go away somewhere I could have a stress reliever and I feel like this is the absolute best place to be. No traffic, not too many people around me and not too many distractions, and I can focus on golf and school and close friends around me," Deilert explained.

Johansson's route to Stillwater had an additional layover. THE ALMHULT NATIVE PLAYED A SEASON AT NOVA SOUTHEASTERN,

A DIVISION

II

SCHOOL IN FLORIDA, BEFORE ARRIVING AT OSU FOR HER SOPHOMORE

HEDWALL

CAMPAIGN. Even with the path she chose, Johansson was well aware of the Cowgirl program before getting the opportunity to don the orange and black.

"I knew about it beforeI even came to college. I was not really good enough to start here from the beginning, so I went to another school. I played really well there and I developed a lot," .Johansson said.

THAT DEVELOPMENT RESULTED IN A FRESHMAN

CAMPAIGN

THAT SAW HER EARN FIRSTTEAM ALL-AMERICA

HONORS,

CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE YEAR HONORS

AND A NO. 2 NATIONAL

RANKING TO END THE YEAR.

However, Johansson felt she needed a change of scenery to take her game to another level, thus turning her attention to the Cowgirl program.

"I really wanted to go somewhere where I knew it was going to be good. I didn't want to take a lot of risks and I knew things couldn't go wrong here because there are plenty of Swedes who did great here and really liked it, so why wouldn't I like it and why would I be different?," Johansson said.

"It is a nice atmosphere from the team to the reputation of everything, Karsten Creek, the practice facility. The coaches

know what they are doing and everything is in the system. If you come here, you really want to focus on your golf and if you want to focus on your studies it is a good place to be."

While it has remained healthy throughout the years, the Swedento-Stillwater connection looks to be one Vangdal would like to continue for theforeseeablefuture.

"IT IS IMPORTANT OUR

PLAYERS

CARE

OF DURING

AT COLLEGE.

FOR US THAT

BE WELL THE

THEIR

TAKEN YEARS

RELATIONSHIP

WITH THE PROGRAM

(AT OSU) AND

COACHES

FACTOR

IS A KEY

THAT

AND

WE WILL

DOING

THAT."

FOR

CONTINUE

~

POSSE

@OSUFanEx @OSUathletics okstate.com/tickets 877-ALL-4-0SU

Petesays,

You can help us find the next generationof Cowboysby identifying potential students.You provide the contact information.We do the rest.

Recommend a futureCowboyonlinetoday.

SENIOR EQUESTRIAN I KATY KRSHKAI

Female Scholar-Athlete oftheYear STORY BYAUSTIN CHAPPELL I PHOTOGRAPHY BYBRUCE WATERFIELD

FOR COLLEGE ATHLETES, THE COMBINATION OFANACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP AND ACHANCE TO CONTINUE ANATHLETIC CAREER IS VIEWED ASADREAM. MANY GO ON TO HAVE SUCCESSFULLIVES,WHETHERIT BE IN HIS OR HER RESPECTIVESPORT,OR ON THE JOB. HOWEVER, WHEN IT COMES TO TRULY MAKING THE MOST OF AN OPPORTUNITY, OKLAHOMA STATE EQUESTRIAN STAR KATY KRSHKA STANDS OUT FROM THE REST. After collegiate

one

of careers

the in

most decorated school history,

Krshka capped off her senior year by accepting the 2015 OSU Scholar Athlete of the Year award in May. The Yukon, Okla., native had an illustrious run with the equestrian squad and academically, culminating in a degree in agricultural sciences and natural resources and a minor in agricultural economics and agribusiness. flJ

POSSE

"I WANTED

BEST

IN

IMPACT

SHE

COULD

Krshka said. "l'M

A

OUR

PROGRAM

AND

SO

HER

HERE

TO

EVERYTHING,"

BE THE

VERY

COMPETITIVE

EVEN

IF I DIDN'T

STILL

WANTED

PERSON LIKE

A CLASS,

I

of her college career, not only for the con-

"I had to learn how to make everything

for the manner in which she would take

TO BE AT THE

tributions she would make for the team, but

CLASS.

balance. Sometimes there is going to be

advantage of a quality education and the

that person that is better in a particular

college atmosphere."

Additional multiple

academic

trips

honors include

to the PRESIDENT'S

HONOR ROLL and a whopping BIG 12 COMMISSIONER'S

Sanchez's initial goals for Krshka would be fulfilled as early as her freshman year.

At the 2012 Big 12 Championships,

HONOR ROLL, three spots on the DEAN'S SEVEN

HONOR ROLL

horsemanship

and reigning

under her belt, Krshka is now able to look back to the beginnings

of a sensational

Thanks to Krshka's two victories,

lock with Texas A&M, win on a raw score tiebreaker

Yukon Miller.

Big 12 history to win multiple conference championships.

Krshka

continued

her outstanding

12 tries in the championship

half business

Texas A&M.

harder at the business classes. Accounting

cess. She entered

and become the first team in

the collegiate landscape as one of the most highly-touted "My undergrad was in animal science equestrians in the nation, capping witha business option so my classes were off a sensational junior career with TWO side

TOP-THREE

FINISHES

AT THE 2011

AMERICAN

QUARTER

HORSE YOUTH

ASSOCIATION

freshman campaign at the NCEA National Championships

two weeks later, winning

her 11th head-to-head

She immediately established herself as

books, Krshka said she began to learn how to effectively

than once!"

a freshman campaign

Division I athlete.

in the classroom and contributions to the community illustrate an individual well-deserving of Oklahoma State's most prestigious honor for student-athletes.

Alongside AVERAGE,

a 3.75

COLLEGIATE ASSOCIATION ACADEMIC IN2014

EQUESTRIAN (NCEA)

FIRST-TEAM

ALL-AMERICA

HONORS

AND 2015 and ACADEMIC

r...11::::--...:..

BI

GRADE-POINT

she racked up NATIONAL

12 SELECTIONS

ALL-

IN EACH OF HER

Krshka says it wasn't always an easy process but credited

her undying

ethic as a motivational

tool.

FALL2015

work-

worthy of endless

praise from head coach Larry Sanchez.

"With

battle against

The Cowgirls were unable to come away

a mainstay with the Cowgirls, delivering

Krshka's impact on her team is a marvel

match up in her last

with a victory, but with one season in the

WORLD SHOW.

classes definitely tested my patience more

in itself, but her accomplishments

the

career, which stem back to her time as a Before she even stepped foot on the

tion," Krshka said. "The agricultural

the

Cowgirls were able to break an 8-8 dead-

OSU campus, Krshka was destined for suc-

came very easy, but I had to work a little

during

title match, which proved to be a differ-

With a nearly flawless four years

produc-

Krshka

went 3-1 overall and posted wins in both

ence maker for the final outcome.

selections.

e

IN OKLAHOMA."

"I remember looking forward to the start

class than you, and I had to learn that."

and half animal

FOR

TOP

OF THE

What does that kind of major encompass, exactly?

MAKE

HAD TO KEEP

Katy being from Yukon, I had

"IT TOOK TO

REALIZE

manage her time as a

SOME

TIME

WHERE

AT FIRST

I NEEDED

TO

Krshka said. "I

plenty of chances to scout her before she

ALLOCAT._E

came to Stillwater,"

always had the mindset that I needed to

ATELY

he said. "I IMMEDI-

RECOGNIZED

THE

KIND

OF

MY TIME,"

do well in academics

in order for me to

PHOTO I PHILSHOCKLEY

compete.

TIME

CRUCIAL,

MANAGEMENT

WAS

and I had to learn how to be

a good planner while still being flexible."

With a stronger

hold on life as a col-

lege student, Krshka was then able set her sights on the next season's goal; getting back to the national championship and bringing

match

home the title.

been vital to numerous

The Cowgirls did just that. After paving Big

12 titles, the OSU equestrian squad entered the 2013 NCEA Championships

as the

top seed and overall favor-

student-athletes

over the decades.

"My first two years, I was constantly there with tutors facilitator,"

the way to its second of three-straight

competition's

KRSHKA GIVES APORTION OFTHAT CREDIT TDOSU'S JOE ANO CONNIE MITCHELL ACADEMIC ENHANCEMENT CENTER, an asset that has

or with my advisor

or

Krshka said. "My junior and

senior years, I went less because

I had

been given the tools to go and do things on my own."

"They

have an unlimited

amount

resources available so it is extremely

of help-

ite. After falling short in the Hunter Seat

ful to take advantage of them. If they can't

OSUbreezed its way through the Western competition with wins over Auburn, South

help solve a problem,

portion of the tournament,

which is rare, they

will find someone who can."

The rest goes out to the normal crowd - coaches, family and friends - as well as

team's first national title since 2009.

the community,

success, posting four wins on the final day of the tournament en route to a perfect 6-0

extremely

where Krshka has been

active over the last four years.

For starters, she served as a member ALPHA

ZETA,

an honorary

record during the event. For her efforts, she

emphasizing

was named the Big 12 Horsemanship

Other organizations

scholarship

Rider of the Yearfor the second-con-

with include

SAAC FOOD DRIVES

Following

the victory,

Krshka's team-

riding centers.

In addition

her with the deserved attribution

of lead-

VS. CANCER, and therapeutic

to being named team cap-

tain for the 2014-15 season, her influence

ing the team to the top of the college

on the community

spot as one of Stillwater's

"SHE IS A VERY DETERMINED

GIRL

ETHIC,"

former

teammate

also helped her land a most notable

figures at Cowboy football games -

the

OSU Spirit Rider.

ANDSHEHASANAWESOMEWORK

Rachel

"The Spirit Rider adds a different aspect,"

Houchin said. "It really pays off for her.

Krshka said. "It's an awesome experience.

SHE IS ALSO EXTREMELY

You still have the adrenaline each and every

HUMBLE

FOR HOW WELL SHE DOES." "After

coming

time you go out there, and it was an abso-

up short her freshman be

lute honor to be in that position."

year, we all knew that

Katy would

hungry for something

greater down the

equestrian

star and undergrad

road," Sanchez said. "She showed that in

complete,

Krshka willstay at Oklahoma

2013, and she continues

State to complete a Master's degree in inter-

to show that to

this day. The way she competes

and con-

ducts herself is exactly what you look for as a coach."

Now able to include a national title on

Although

individual

on campus.

experience

to eventually

in the agricultural

pursue a career

or equine industries, but

to also be a positive

influence

for those

who look at her as a model for success. "(BEING)

A STUDENT-ATHLETE

WAS HECTIC

AT TIMES

BUT

MOST OTHER

ATHLETES

WILL SAY,

IT WAS TOTALLY

WORTH

LIKE

IT," Krshka

said. "I just had to make sure I made a plan on how to get everything

done during dif-

ferent time spans, and I always looked at

equestrian

world.

fraternity

and service.

COACHES

mates and coaches were quick to credit

of

she involved herself

secutive year.

impactful

Krshka said she not only wants to use her

Carolina and Kansas State, ending in the Krshka was instrumental in the Cowgirls'

Back in Stillwater, she is known as the

first seven-time All-American in Cowgirlequestrian history and an

her OSU Spirit Rider, Cowgirl days are

national agriculture.

Her combined efforts with the community, university

and athletics

landed her

an internship

her resume, Krshka headed into her junior

with the American Quarter HorseAssociation, an inter-

year having already blazed a trail headed

national organization

toward a bright future. At that point, she

reproduction.

was more than halfway through her degree

ment with the AQHA provided

but didn't hesitate in showing gratitude to

the unique opportunity

those who had helped her along the way.

Europe and attend

dedicated to equine

Krshka's eight-week

my schedule before trips so that I would be aware of everything

I needed to accom-

plish while I was away.

11

1'D LOVE TO SHARE THAT ADVICE WITH INCOMING EQUESTRIAN RIDERS OR EVEN WITH OUR STUDENTATHLETE BODY ASA WHOLE."~

assignher with

to travel across

international

horse-

manship camps.

POSSE

SENIOR BASKETBALL PLAYER I CHRISTIEN SAGER

I

MaleScholar-Athlete oftheYear STORY BYAUSTIN CHAPPELL I PHOTOGRAPHY BYBRUCE WATERFIELD

ADDITION TO A FINALFOURRUNAND SINCE THE BIGIN BIG12 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2004, 12WAS BORN SIXTOP-THREE CONFERENCE FINISHESAND IN1996, THEA STRINGOFAPPEARANCESINTHENATIONAL OKLAHOMA POLLS,THE COWBOYS HAVE ALSO SHOWN STATE MEN'S A STRONG PRESENCE INTHECLASSROOM. OSU HAS PUMPED OUT TWOORMORE BASKETBALL TEAM HASACADEMICALL-BIG12SELECTIONSINEACH BEEN NOOFTHELASTFOURSEASONS,A RUN THAT STRANGER TOINCLUDEDA QUARTETOFHONOREESIN2014.

SUCCESS.

ss

SEVERAL COWBOYS HAVE SHOWN PROWESS ONBOTH SIDES OFCAMPUS. Former stand-

outs Keiton

Page, James Anderson and Stephen Graham have been

sensations both on and off the court. It's afeatfor

a student-athlete to maintain success in both areas, but some, like Christian Sager, are able to go the extra mile.

Sager, a 6'4" guard from Wichita Falls, Texas, graduated

in May after four years

KNOWN ASMUCH FORHISSMARTS ASWELL ASHISSKILLS, SAGER EARNED ANELECTRICAL ENGINEERING DEGREE, MAINTAINED APERFECT 4.0GRADE POINT AVERAGE ANO WASNAMED THE2015OSU MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OFTHEYEAR. @ with the cowboys.

POSSE

"It was

taught

really

tough

at times/'

Sager

challenging

course

work

said

of coupling

the

with

the demands

of Big 12 basketball.

a lot of time cut certain

management things

From then on, Sager's minutes began to increase each year. He was also able to

"It took

and knowing

when

develop a crucial role on the team, serving as a scrappy, pesky defender with a seem-

to

ingly limitless work-ethic.

out of my life.

His sophomore year, he drained a threepointer in OSU's early-season victory over sixth-ranked

N.C. State. He even recorded

his first-career

block against 7'1" ISAIAH AUSTIN of Baylor. Most notably, he logged three minutes in the Cowboys' 85-80 win at No. 2 Kansas, coming in with 30 seconds remaining in a four-point

contest.

"I knew I was never going to be a 15 or 20-minute

guy, especially

with all these

great players coming in here every year," Sager said. "And I was OK with that."

"I think the best thing for me was just keeping a positive attitude

through

If I hadn't kept a good attitude,

it all.

I know I

would have never seen any of the minutes that I saw."

His workon the court culminated in 52 games of action over his final two seasons, complete with numerous appearances in some of the Cowboys' most "Sometimes friends

I couldn't

hang out with

or play Xbox because

I knew I

man is rare enough. Carrying

the added

had to get the important

things done, like

weight of being the team's brainiac weighed

my schoolwork.

WERE A FEW

on Sager's mind.

THERE

ALL-NIGHTERS,

and definitely

plenty

"When I got here my freshman year, it

of nights where I was up until two or three

kind of seemed like that was going to be

in the morning."

the case again," Sager said. "I WAS GOING

Sager set himself up for success early on as an exemplary

student-athlete

at Rider

High School. He was the salutatorian of his class and scored a 33 on his ACT, sparking offers from prestigious

academic

institu-

tions like Trinity University in San Antonio.

TO BE THAT 'SMART' ONLY

GOING

GUY WHO WAS

TO GET TO PLAY

AT

THE END OF BLOWOUTS." With only 51 minutes on the court during his freshman

season, that seemed to be

the case.

His numbers were solid in the gym, as

However, with the help of a few inju-

well. Averaging 19 points, seven rebounds

ries, 32 of those minutes came during the

and four assists as a senior helped him sur-

BIG 12 TOURNAMENT.

face on head

___ recruiting

7

Earning playing time as a walk-on fresh-

coach Travis Ford's

radar, eventually

leading to a

,.. preferred walk-on spot with the Cowboys. "irhat was something

The experience

gained from those two games not only helped Sager build a foundation

for him-

self, but also helped him earn the walk-on's

we'd been want-

ultimate reward-

·ng to do," Ford said, "Bring in a preferred

"HE EARNED

a scholarship.

IT. HE REALLY

DID,"

walk-on, guys who are what we consider

Ford said. "We could have kept it, taken

low Division

someone at Christmas, but HE WORKED

I type players

who maybe

want to give it a shot at the higher level."

FALL 2015

HIS TAIL

OFF. We had one there, and

I TOLD

MY STAFF,

'LET'S

RIGHT

THING."'

DO TME

meaningful contests. IN MARCH,SAGEREVEN MADE HIS FIRST-CAREERSTART,TAKINGTHE

FLOOR TOAstandingovationin OSU's Senior DayBATTLEAGAINSTTCU. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Sager's career, though, was the constant pull of his academic career during his time as a Cowboy.

appearances on the PRESIDENT'S ROLL, and was NAMED TEAM ACADEMIC

HONOR

TO THE FIRST

ALL-BIG 12 TEAM IN

Sager reported a new chapter

on Aug. 15, launching

in his life that will test the

best of his skills gained while at Oklahoma State. His basketball

EACH YEAR HE WAS ELIGIBLE.

days are likely in the

It wasn't always easy, though.

books, but the relationships

During the Cowboys' trip to the Old Spice

tions made through

and connec-

the Cowboy

basket-

Classic in 2013, Sager went with the team to

ball squad have impacted Sager more than

Florida to prepare for a tough tournament

he ever could have imagined.

field of Akron, Tennessee and N.C. State. In

Out of all his experiences at OSU, Sager

addition

to packing his usual gear, he also

said four years with his teammates

included

one of the most important

remain with him for the rest of his life.

ects of his academic

proj-

"Coach [Butch] Pierre

career.

will

was just

"I remember

one time in Florida, I had

talking

to me about

this the other day,"

this big project

due," Sager said. "It was

Sager said. "Through

my years here, I've

Sager said there were times when he

actually making a Frogger game for one of

been with a lot of different

could have put in just enough work to receive

my classes. It was pretty basic, just press-

ferent people. I kind of agree that the big-

a B, or even a C, especially during his junior and senior seasons when he was providing significant

ing a button

and making him hop across

the street."

minutes in Big 12 competition.

"I could have just been like, 'I've got a 4.0 already. My GPA is good, so I could just go

I actually

and

had to make all of the code for

ing with and a monitor to Orlando just so I

washardtokeepmyself going andkeepfightingforthatperfection, I guess youcould say.

would be able to code it in the hotel room."

To come to practice and have a good prac-

years as a collegiate athlete under his belt,

With an illustrious

transcript

and four

Sager was more than ready to take on the

tice that same day made it even tougher. out about

work and making sure things are perfect.

job world after graduating.

After

a series

of interviews

with

like keeping my body in shape and keep-

Sager received a fieldengineer position inTheWoodlands, Texas, where he will

ing my mind healthy were tough challenges

train for six months

to balance."

ing a full-time

Electrical engineering majors take classes that many students haven't even heard of, let alone would

Torrance refinery

Sometimes, I would forgettoeat,so things

want to endure while juggling

personalities

learning how to react to different situations.

that. I had to take a chip that I was work-

and get a B here and there,"' Sager said. "It

"I can get really stressed

gest thing I'll take from that is learning how to mesh with different

"You get hit, you die. Pretty basic, but

players and dif-

time as a

ExxonMobil,

before likely accept-

position

at the company's

in Los Angeles.

He isn't the first member of the Cowboy basketball

team with that story.

Mason Cox, a former

Oklahoma

State walk-on, received a similar offer with

Division I athlete.

Real-Time Digital Signal Processing.

Digital ExxonMobil before turning it down to pursue a career in Australian rules football. Once Logic Design.

Computer-Based Systems.

Those were just a few of Sage r's required courses.

His toughestclass?

"Electromagnetic Fields,definitely," Sager said. "Communication Theory wasalso

prettytough, too, but I just told people

it

teammates, friends,

Sager and Cox became good

eventually

mogul showing

leading to the energy

interest in Sager as well.

"After we played at Texas my junior year and Mason got in and had his coming out

was a speech class. It covers communicat-

party, his recruiter emailed him and asked

ing wirelessly and theory behind all that."

about

the other engineer

on the team,"

maintained a GPA while receiving a slew of

Sager said. "Mason gave him my info, and

accolades, including a 2014 OSUSenior

they have every April. It just kind of went

of Significancehonor and the BIG 12•s Gerald Lage Award. He made nine

from there, and now I'm going to be work-

Through

perfect4.0

it all, Sager

he emailed me and invited me to a dinner

rvE SEEN IT ALL SINCE rvE BEEN HERE. SO I AGREE WITH HIM."~

ing there."

POSS£

DRANGE~lBLACK GIVES

FALL 2015

BACK

..

PARTICIPATING INMORE THAN 20COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS, the Oklahoma State University Department of Athletics has completed the first academic year of its new community outreach program called "Orange & Black Gives Back."

Black Gives Back" program, or to explore outreach

The mission of the program is built on a foundation of service with an emphasis on

opportunities, send an email to obgb@okstate.edu

improving the lives of those in the Stillwater community and across the state of Oklahoma.

FORMORE INFORMATION on the "Orange &

or visit okstate.comlcommunity.

POSSE

I'M

PETE'S

WITH

PETE

PARTNERS PISTOL PETE'S PARTNERS is the officialOSUAthleticKidsClubdesigned to get kids excitedabout OSUathletics at a youngage so that they are fans for life!

Annualkids clubmembership[8th gradeandunder]is just $25per child.

Benefits include: • FREE ADMISSION* to OSU wrestling, Cowboy basketball, Cowgirl basketball, baseball and softball • Invites to autograph parties and special events • Birthday card from Pistol Pete • Special discounted tickets to Cowboy Football • and much more!!

Membership Packets Include: • T-shirt • ID lanyard • Picture of Pistol Pete • Sports Schedules

(!ut

For details, visit okstate.com/kidsc/ub * Some restrictions may apply.

JL

Mercy,r

~ A~~!'.~my·

.

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BobandKayNorris BryantandCarlaCoffman/The MerkelFoundation DavidLeNorman DennisandKarenWing(2) Dr.MarkandBethBrewer JackandCarolCorganFootball Scholarship JimClick JohnandGailShaw :H:ALF

BC:H:OLARS:H:J:P

JimandLynneWilliams JohnandPattiBrett MikeandJudyJohnson SallySparks StateRangers TomNaugle

CindyHughes DonaldCoplin DougThompson EdandHelenWallace GregCasillas IkeandMarybeth Glass QUARTER

SC:H:OLARS:H:J:P

Al andMarthaStrecker Arthur"Andy"Johnson, Jr. ArthurCouch BarryandRoxanne Pollard Bill andRuthStarr BradandLeahGungoll BrianK.Pauling Bridgecreek Investment Management LLC BryanClose DavidandCindyWaits DavidandGinaDabney Dr.BernoEbbesson Dr.RonandMarilynnMcAfee EddyandDeniece Ditzler Flintco FredandJaniceGibson GENERAL :H:ALF

BC:H:OLARS:H:J:P

TerryandMarthaBarker FALL 2015

KenandJimiDavidson LeslieDunavant MikeandKristenGundy MikeandRobbieHolder RonStewart RossandBillieMcKnight SandyLee TomandSandraWilson WrayandJulieValentine

1.25

FredandKarenHall Howard Thill JamesandLavernaCobb JerryandLyndaBaker JerryandRaeWinchester JohnP.Melot JohnS.Clark KenandLeitnerGreiner KentandMargoDunbar PaulandMonaPitts R.KirkWhitman RandalandCarolWhite RogerandLauraDemaree ShelliOsborn SteveandDianeTuttle TonyandFinettaBanfield

QUARTER

SCHOLARSHJ:P

HALF

SallySparks

DavidandJudyPowell Kenneth andSusanCrouch

GRADUATE QUARTER

ATHLETE

MEN'S FULL

QUARTER

TomandCherylHamilton

20.75

BASKETBALL

GriffandMindiJones JamesandMaryBarnes JimVallion KenandJimiDavidson KentandMargoDunbar KimRay Inc. MitchJonesMemorial

SCHOLARSHJ:P

Bill andMarshaBarnes DavidandJulieRanck Dr.MarkandSusanMorrow JayandConnieWiese

FULL

DavidandGinaDabney

~OMEN'S HALF

HALF

RickandSuzanne Maxwell RobertandSharonKeating SteveandSuzieCrowder TerryandDonnaTippens 4.25

JackandCarolCorganMen's GolfScholarship

SCHOLARSHJ:P

SCHOLARSHJ:P

SCHOLARSHJ:P

RichardandJoanWelborn

TENNIS

QUARTER

SCHOLARSHJ:P

SCHOLARSHJ:P

MEN'S

TRACK

QUARTER

SCHOLARSHJ:P

A.J.andSusanJacques BruceandNancySmith ChuckandKimWatson LonandJaneWinton OSUWrestling - WhiteJacket Club/ Gallagher Endowed Wrestling Scholarship OSUWrestling - WhiteJacket Club/ MyronRoderick Endowed Wrestling Scholarship

OSUWrestling - WhiteJacket ClubI RayMurphyEndowed WrestlingScholarship OSUWrestling -White Jacket ClubI Tommy Chesbro Endowed WrestlingScholarship TheCobbFamily

SCHOLARSHJ:P

QUARTER SCHOLARSHJ:P

R.K.w;"'"' 0.75

Dr.MarkandSusanMorrow SusanAnderson

KenandLeitnerGreiner

0.25 SCHOLARSHJ:P

TomandCherylHamilton

BASKETBALL

6.25

SCHOLARSHJ:P

BradandMargieSchultz KenandJimiDavidson

10.25

SCHOLARSHJ:P

TomandCherylHamilton

FULL

0.25

DannyandDanaBaze/ CoryandMindyBaze JohnandBeverlyWilliams

0.25

MEN'S

~OMEN'S

TENNIS

MarkandLisaSnell

BobandElizabeth Nickles GarlandandPennyCupp

QUARTER

KentandMargoDunbar

AmyWeeks

HALF

StillwaterNationalBank

SOFTBALL

1.0

DavidandJulieRonck QUARTER

QUARTER

SCHOLARSHJ:P

QUARTER

GOLF

SCHOLARSHJ:P

JamieMaher

SCHOLARSHJ:P

DavidandJulieRonck DennisandKarenWing

0.25

EQUESTRIAN

~RESTLING

GOLF

Jill Rooker JonandNancyPatton RichardandLindaRodgers

SCHOLARSHJ:P

~OMEN'S

SallySparks SandyLee StanClark

Dr.ScottandLynneAnthony GaryandSueHomsey Holloman Family MichaelandHeather Grismore

MEN'S

SCHOLARSHJ:P

QUARTER

FULL QUARTER

DonandMaryMcCall JohnandCarolineLinehan

Bill andRoberta Armstrong Bill andSallyCunningham CalvinandLindaAnthony DonaldCoplin

~OMEN'S

SCHOLARSHJ:P

A.J.andSusanJacques BrettandAmyJameson CalvinandLindaAnthony ChuckandKimWatson DavidandJulieRanck(1.25) DennisandKarenWing(2) Douglas andNickieBurns HALF

0.75

SCHOLARSHJ:P

BobandJoanHert NealSeidle

SCHOLARSHJ:P

BalooandMaribeth Subramaniam

MikeBodeand PrestonCarrier

VLADI BABIC

f)

7

'Tis the u, ,.,

SEASON THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT FEELING INTHEAIR

ITS THAT TIME AGAIN.

"""

WHICH

whenAmericasees color and the pomp and circumstance

MARKS

THE

the pageantry, OF THOSE

WHO

OCCASION

ARE

PRETENDERS

OR CONTENDERS.

to have preferential treatment because they

In the same way some independents THE SAME CAN BESAID FOR THE NEW FOOThave thrown a monkey wrench into the BALL SEASON which is upon us. Some pro-

are the blue bloods, the historic staples,

grams which have had historic success will

best laid plans of one political

the mainstays of power and prestige. And

tumble. Others who like to change uniforms

another in the last 20 years, college foot-

they believe those extraordinary

THERE

WILL BE THOSE

ARGUING

pasts are

party or

a lot, will soar to the front. Some teams at

ball has its own version of Ross Perot: Notre

reasons enough to punch their ticket to

the top of the revenue and cost of atten-

Dame. Some are calling for the Fighting Irish

the next level. Some believe a JOHNNY-

dance columns will falter and others who

to rain on the parades of the five power

COME-LATELY, fresh face and new suit

have more meager budgets will rise. /twill

conferences and sneak into the four team

of clothes, will be the impulse to propel

be orange versusgreen, purple versusred and

playoff. Possible,

them into a discussion about a top tier spot.

alltheotherhueswhich

Fans will tum out in record number to scream

lowers to yearn for September

at the top of their lungs in support

December.

favorites. The opposition

of their

inspire football folthrough

will argue with

Some MASCOTS will dust off their cos-

equal fervor against those same people.

tumes and cause us to squint and try to

Yes ... it's time tor the political season.

yes. Probable, no.

Does media bias matter in big-time

col-

lege football?

Of course. It happens

newspapers,

in medium and large televi-

sion markets as well as monstrous channels and conference

in

cable

networks. Then,

figure out exactly what they are and how

you as the fans get to « WORK IT OUT»

Debates and issues. The past and the future.

they could possibly represent

on message boards, in comment sections

Money versus experience. Humble begin-

on the field. By the way, there are elephants and donkeys. Other icons will

online and the hallways at work.

nings versus silver spoons. Blue versus red.

Elephants

and donkeys.

have their coats washed or their manes

wears on, TEAMS WILLFALL BYTHEWAY-

potential

to ruin one party

Independents' or another.

combed

and a hundred

the team

other pregame

Voter turnout. Media bias. It's enough to

rituals reserved for LIVE ANIMALS

make a cowboy's head swim.

part of legend and lore of campuses across

One thing is for certain, as the political

as

the country.

season wears on, one by one candidates

All athletic departments are concerned

will fall by the wayside unti/thereareon/y

with season ticket sales and attendance of

two vyingtorthesameposition. There will be

ticket holders for games. Some want you

things which happen along the way that

to believe they have sellouts when they

many could never have predicted

don't.

will all be very entertaining.

and it

ONEWAYORANOTHER, as the season SIDEuntil there are only two vying for the

Regardlessof whether it's black business suits or football uniforms, I like the ones with the accent of orange!

same position.

GO POKES!

And it seems there are so many

things pulling Americans in so many differthat they forget THEY HAVE TICKETS TOONEOFTHEGREATEST SPORTINGSPECTACLES OFALLTIME:COLLEGE ent directions

FOOTBALL.

~~~~

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT & MARKETING

I

E

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CJ

@KYLEWRAYOSU

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