The spring and summer brought more success for cowgirl and cowboy athletic teams. Out tennis, baseball and golf programs finished well as they represented OSU in various post-season venues. I want to thank you, the fans, for making this a special year at Oklahoma State.
It's hard to believe this issue is the sixth and final edition of POSSE for 2007-08. The next copy you receive will begin the second year of the official magazine of Oklahoma State Athletics.
The pages of POSSE have chronicled many players, coaches and donors who had a profound impact on OSU during 2008. Your can encourage others to have an impact as well by becoming a member of POSSE.
When you purchase tickets to athletic events and wear orange, you help create the best environment for out teams to compete.
The Oklahoma State University Athletic Department would like to thankJohn Clerico for his vision and dedication to our athletic programs. His generosity has made POSSE magazine possible.
Oklahoma State University Athletics has been a leader in intercollegiate sports for more than 120 years. During that time OSU has accumulated 48 NCAA National Championships, the fourth-most in NCAA history.
Thousands of student-athletes, legions of supporters and the institution as a whole have benefited from the OSU tradition of academic and athletic excellence. Former student-athletes have used their collegiate experiences to build better lives for themselves, their families, and their communities.
The Investing in Tradition campaign is an opportunity to revitalize the O-Club, honor former OSU athletes, and establish a program that nurtures the legacy, tradition and values that come from participation in intercollegiate athletics.
A primary goal of this campaign is to help fund and secure a full-time O-Club Coordinator position. This coordinator will devote his/her efforts to reshaping and building the O-Club, which will include systematically reaching out to increase membership and coordinating reunions and other
events. This individual will oversee the annual OSU Athletic Hall of Honor - the official society which recognizes and honors select former student-athletes and coaches for their excellent achievements on and off the field, court, mat or course. In addition to the coordinator position, this campaign will provide resources to improve the lines of communication and recognition through periodic newsletters and a dedicated website.
We believe the revitalization of the program is a crucial pare of the momentum surrounding OSU Athletics. We intend to establish an important link between Oklahoma State Athletics' rich history and the promising future. If you are a fan, alumnus or former athlete willing to make an impact through Investing in Tradition, please consider joining 29 other letter-winners in a leadership role and financially support the O-Club in this endeavor.
For m01·einformation, please contact Jason Penry or Mindy Walthall at405-744-7301 or 877-ALL-4-OSU.
Thank you for your generous and loyal support
Craig Clemons
A FAMILYAFFAIR
John and Gary Bridwell gee co wear Orange and Black every day, which is fitting really, given che kind of OSU supporters they are.
The Bridwells, a father and son duo, operate che Oklahoma Ditch Witch franchise in Edmond, Okla., as well as che Arkansas dealership. Ditch Witch proudly spores che Orange and Black, which may or may not have something co do wich Ditch Witch company founder Ed Malzhan.
"He's a huge OSU guy," says Gary. "He is a Hall of Fame alumni, a former regent, and a long time supporter of Oklahoma Stace."
Malzhan founded Charles Machine Works in Perry, Okla., and it was there in the lace 1960s chat the Bridwells crossed the company's path. John had been working as a highway patrolman and wanted co change careers.
"I saw what was going on in Perry and joined Charles Machine Works," he says.For severalyears after, he helped locate and develop prospective owners for Ditch Witch franchisesin the western half of the United Scates.His experiencewith che company led cohis decisionco buy the Oklahoma dealership,which he purchased in 1976.
"Dad identified that as a great opportunity for he and I co work rogecher with a product we both loved," says Gary. ''I'd worked in the factory in the summers during college. As it worked out, I moved co Tulsa and he moved here in Edmond and we operated che dealership like chat for 21 years.
"Twelve years ago, I bought dad out and moved back co Edmond. We added Arkansas in 2000."
The buyout left John with time co focus on his other passion: thoroughbreds. John's a selfcaught horse breeder, and as with Ditch Witch, it's something in which he's found success.
"He's evolved into breeding thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses," says Gary. "He raises some for the track and some for the hunter jumpers."
"!e's abouc 80/20," says John. "Twenty percent for che racing end of it. There's more money in che English horses."
"What we saw is that there were some horses that were pretty good on the track, but just not good enough co be a winner and make money at it," says Gary. "But they made great hunter jumper horses. Long, tall and strong."
John's been so successful at breeding che English style horses chat in 2001, he was named the cop hunter jumper breeder in the United States.
"We actually didn't even realize he was in the running for it," says Gary. "They contacted him at the end of the year and as it turned out, the horses he had bred had accumulated enough points in the shows co win the award that year."
If all this isn't enough to keep the family busy, the Bridwells have also started developing land co the east of Edmond, offering homes with three-co-five acre lots.
"We saw a lot of people desiring those bigger lots where they can have a horse or two and a notso-densely populated development," says Gary.
The Bridwells' professional successes have put chem in a position co support Gary's alma mater, and as with the Ditch Witch business, OSU is a family affair.
"Mom and dad were always very supportive of Oklahoma Seate and encouraged me and my sister, Gayla, who's also a graduate of OSU," says Gary. His attendance was a forgone conclusion by the time he was in the fourth or fifth grade. He remembers the exact moment he made his decision - John had taken him co a basketball game in Gallagher-Iba arena.
"We sat in the northwest corner, about halfway up," he says. "Coach Iba was playing Colorado. Larry Hawk was the guard. This was a three-overtime basketball game, and OSU won by one. It was my first time co ever see a multiple overtime game.
"The crowd was amazing. The excitement of Oklahoma State basketball in an arena that's full of cheering fans - that was the contagious bite that got us."
Gary not only attended OSU, but was Pistol Pete during the 1972-73 academic year. If you ask his father, he'll say Gary signed up so he could get out of hauling hay. Gary's story is a little different.
"I saw Pisco!Pete as another opportuniry co stay connected with sports," he says. "I had been very active as a high school achleteand I wanted co scay involvedwith sports. I had already been officiating junior high and high school games."
He remembers his time under the hat fondly, including road games and trips co local elementary schools.
"We would take one of the cheerleaders with us, and she would kind of pitch the school because we didn't wane Pete co talk," he says. "Pitch the school, promote OSU. Shake hands. We'd hand out shell casings and stuff like chat. Very similar co what they do now.
"It was a goodwill gesture from Pete and the cheerleaders co promote the university. Now we've developed so much better outreach co the community. That was the early stages of outreach. I didn't realize it at the time, but that's exactly what it was."
Gary, who graduated from OSU with a bachelor of science in physiology and an MBA in marketing and finance, realizes much of the success he's had professionally can be traced back co his time at OSU.
"My sister and I have benefited from the skills and education we received in Stillwater," he says. "The education you get there is world-class. If you're going co live in Oklahoma, the network you build at OSU will serve you well the rest of your life."
The Bridwells are generous supporters of the university. They have participated in the Gallagher-Iba renovation, contributed co the building campaign and the OSU Foundation. They sponsored one of the entries on the north side of Boone Pickens Stadium and were the lead donors for the statue of Pisco! Pete in the northwest corner of Gallagher-Iba.
"Boone's donations to the university really give you a sense of pride," says Gary. "His generous giving motivates us. I believe • you're seeing that sense of pride through my generation of alumni. As we mature, a lot more of us want co give back co the school.
"That's Boone's common thread with us all."
CORY CHENEY
IKevin BENNITT
[Hometown]Oklahoma City [Sport] Football, 1979-80. (Voted 3rd Team All-Century center by The Oklahoman).
[Degree] BS in Business Management, 1981 [Family]wife Shelly (1982 OSU alum); daughters Lauren and Krista (both OSU grads). [Current Job] "Co-owner of Pine Arrs Engraving, a specialty printing company in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. We produce highend graphic pieces for clients nationwide, from New York City restaurant menus to annual report covers to professional football and bowl tickets. We even helped OSU create its award-winning football media guide cover last year."
[Lifeafter OSU]"I worked for 2-1/2 years for a petroleum marketing company before moving back ro OKC and joining Fine Arrs Engraving, a family business. I raised rwo beautiful girls who both attended OSU and borh bleed orange."
[Hobbies/Interests] "Golfing, boating, working in the yard."
[Best 0SU memory] "Probably my best memory is graduating in 1981 and getting to walk across the stage with my brother, Curt. It was definitely one of my proudest moments. In sports it had to be the first time I walked onto Lewis Field before the kickoff of my first game. To see so many fans just going nuts was unbelievable! We truly have some of the best fans in all of college football."
[Thoughts on playing for Coach Jimmy Johnson] "The most interesting thing about Coach Johnson was his hair never moved, and if it did you had better be ready because someone was going to get it. He was a great motivator and recruiter. I transferred from NEO Jr. College and was his very first signee. I had only met him once, and he had me sold on OSU. The man could definitely coach, but it sure didn't hurt to have a staff like he put together."
[Best game as a Cowboy]"It had to be at Colorado in 1979. I played against a nose-guard who was preseason All-American. We scored 21 points in the last 16 minutes to win 21 - 20. I received a Stetson hat (Coach Johnson gave those instead of game balls) for my play in that game."
[Do you keep in touch with former teammates?] ''All the time. Some of us in Oklahoma City get together for lunch. Kerry Graham has really been instrumental in getting us together on a regular basis. At home games I know where a lot of my old buddies seats are, and I always make a point to go visit with them."
{Howclosely do you follow the current team?] "I am a season ticket holder and have been almost every year since I graduated. I can't imagine anything I would rather do on a Saturday then go to Stillwater and spend the day with my family and friends. We tailgate before the games, and if it's a day game we stay lace afterwards. It's a great atmosphere."
[Thoughts on current state of OSU Athletics] "What has happened over the last few years is nothing shore of amazing. OSU Athletics is on the verge of becoming one of rhe nation's powerhouses. We have the ities and staff to get us there, now we need to fill the stadium. Our players need to play in front of full stadiums every game. There is nothing like the feeling an athlete gets when the crowd is behind them. We can win conference tides and BCS games if we keep heading the way we are going."
[Whyis it important to be a part of the 0-Club and POSSE?]"For me, it is important because of everything I got from being an OSU Cowboy. During my time as a srudent-athlere here I had so many wonderful experiences that I cherish everyday. It's important to give back in whatever way I can."
[Anythingelse to add] "My senior year we only won three games and had probably the worst facilities in the conference. To see how far we have come and how far we can go is a testament ro the Cowboy spirit. If everyone continues to support rhis program there is no telling whar the future holds. I will always wear my orange with pride and will always be thankful for my time at OSU. And last but nor least, BEAT OU."
r.r.1er.nbersor.1ly.
THERE'SANEWGUNSLINGERINTOWN.
0wen Elliott is out to become the next Pistol Pete, and he's got the chaps and hat to prove it.
"I am Pistol Pete!" the four-year-old proudly and confidently proclaims, outfitted head-to-toe in his replica Pistol Pete attire.
Owen has really taken to heart the true meaning of being one of OSU's "Pistol Pete's Partners." Last Halloween when Cimoni Elliott asked her son what he wanted to dress up as, he enthusiastically chose his Cowboy hero.
"I like him better than Batman, Spiderman and Superman," he says. "I love him the best."
Cimoni says she created the outfit herself.
"I just found it piece by piece. We had the vest already and we went and bought a white shirt. I looked in every western store and OSU store for some chaps, and finally found a place in Elk City chat could order chem."
Mom made sure the outfit was complete with the OSU brand drawn on the borrom of the chaps and an orange handkerchief in the back pocket. The theme for their Halloween was to be an OSU Family, with Owen's six-year-old sister, Brianna, dressed as a cheerleader for the occasion.
Owen asks if he can be Pete whenever cheir family arrends an OSU event, and his presence in the crowd never fails to elicit smiles of appreciation. One event in particular made "Little Pistol Pere" even more famous among OSU fans. Last winter when the Elliorr family attended rhe free Pistol Pete's Partners night at the men's basketball game versus Texas-San Antonio, "Big" Pete took him out on the court to generate crowd involvement.
Owen's father, Wes, remembers being surprised by all the extra attention chat evening.
"We sat down behind the goal, and they asked if we wanted to be 'Fan of the Game,"' Wes says. "We just figured they would just show him on the screen for a second, but they asked him to go out on the court. We weren't expecting that at all. We didn't think there was any way he would walk out there, but he did - he didn't want to leave."
The diminutive mascot was so loved by the Gallagher-Iba Arena fans char he was requested again for a special appearance during the OSU vs. Texas A&M game.
"We almost couldn't get home that night because all rhe fans wanted a picture with Owen."
Wes says having their son out on rhe court with Pistol Pete and the cheerleaders is a memory the parents will always treasure.
"We'll never forget it."
Wes graduated from OSU with an agricultural economics degree in 1995 and received his masters in agricultural economics in '97. He works as a loan officer and is vice president of Legacy Bank in Elk City.
''I've been an OSU fan my whole life," he says.
The Elliotts call Canme, Okla., home. Although the family lives quite a distance from Stillwater, they try to make it back for as many OSU events as possible. Owen and Brianna are die-hard members of Pistol Pete's Partners, and are active participants in the program's free activities for kids.
"We have been members the last three years," Wes says. "Just getting them involved in the uni-
versity and going to events is important. We've been to football, basketball, sofrball and baseball games. They like to see Pistol Pete and go to the pizza parties, plus the kids like the t-shirrs and gerring their birthday card in the mail."
'This family is definitely orange to the bone," Cimoni says.
For Owen's fourth birthday, the highlights included not one, but two birthday cakes. One was a cutout of Pistol Pete, and the other was a photo cake featuring Owen with his hero. Orange soda and sherbet made the day complete.
To further demonstrate the power of orange in the Elliorr home, Cimoni says people often comment on her daughter's long locks.
"'Oh, look what pretty red hair you have', they'll say. But even when she was as young as two, Brianna would turn around and reply with complete seriousness, 'I have orange hair."'
Be on the lookout this fallfor Owen and his family at Boone Pickens Stadium at the Pistol Pete's Partners football game, September 27 vs. Troy. All members of the dub get free admission, while parents receivea discounted ticket price. Owen plans ro be there with his signature floppy orange hat and authentic chaps. His sibling sidekick, Brianna, will be decked out in OSU cheerleader attire.
(A word of warning for prospective Pistol Peres: Owen will be a freshman at OSU in 14 years, and he's already practicing for tryouts.)
For more information about Pistol Pete's Partners and how your family can get involved, please visit www.okstate.com/partners.
Mary Means
Ill Ill I urns
OSU President
It's beena longtime sinceOSUhadan alumnusfor president.Since the 1960s,in fact. OSU's18thpresident,BurnsHargis,bringswith him a vestedinterestin the welfareof the university,bothacademicallyand athletically.
Hargisgrewup in Louisiana,but spenthis lasttwo yearsof high schoolat JohnMarshallin OklahomaCity.It wasaboutthattime hediscoveredOklahomaState.
"I hada numberof friendsthat wereattendingor weregoingto attendOSU. I visitedandreallywantedto bea partof it," saysthe president."AsI havesaidmanytimes,after movingso often,OSUwas really the first 'community'of whichI felt a part. Beingat OSUfor fouryears enabledmeto get involvedin manyaspectsof campuslife andthat involvementshapedmeandmy interestseversince."
Buthe'snotjust OSU'spresident.Notjust an alumnus.He'san OSU sportsfan.As president,he hasa visionfor OSUathleticsandunderstandsthe importanceof their roleon campus.
"Athleticsarea veryimportantpartof the educationalexperience. Athleticswereincludedin ancienteducationalsystemsbecauseit was thoughtto promotehumanexcellence,"saysHargis."It canbe applied to almostanyendeavorin life. EvenPlatorecognizedthe valueof courageandjusticein athleticcompetitionandhowtheyoftenmanifestin modernpoliticalideals.
"Athleticscanbethe welcoming'front door'to the university,bringingthousandsof peopleto campusthat mightnototherwisecome.It is an importantnexusbetweenthe universityandits alumsandsupportersm,whichwill translateintothe supportof academicinitiativesas well.And,it createsexcitementon campus.
"I envisionOSU'sathleticprogramscontributingto the qualityof the OSUexperience,honestandcompetitiveplay,andacademicsuccessof ourstudentathletes."
) What's your favorite sports memory?
Charlie Durkee kicking the winning field goal in the 1964 football game to beat OU 15-14 and beating OU 17-16 the next year. Durkee may have kicked the winning field goal in both those games.
•What athlete, living or dead, do you wish you could see play?
I would have loved to have seen Bob Fenimore play. I've heard a lot about him thro.ughout my years at OSU, but of course, I never got ro see him play. And, I know he was as fine a man as he was an athlete.
> What's something that gets you riled up?
Enthusiasm. Someone said, "If you will set yourself on fire with enthusiasm, the world will come just to watch you burn." I don't really like to be around people who are not enthusiastic.
> What's your proudest accomplishment?
Other than my family, who always come first, becoming President of Oklahoma State University.
> What are three things you would have to have with you if you were stranded on an island?
A piano, peanut butter and sunscreen.
) Whom do you admire (and why)?
Former Governor and Senator Henry Bellman. OSU grad, Henry Bellman, may well be the last of the breed of politicians who simply did what they thought was right regardless of consequences. He has provided me with great counsel and advice over the years.
I also very much admire Boone Pickens and his incredible love for OSU, as well as for what he has provided. In addition, and often unappreciated, is the tremendous advice and counsel he provides.
) You have one wish. What is it? Happiness for us all.
) What's your favorite type of music and where do you listen to it? Jazz, and I listen to it everywhere, but mostly on my iPod.
) Who had the biggest effect on how you turned out the way you did? Probably Ann. She has smoothed a lot of rough edges over the years and I am a better person for it.
) How big an OSU fan are you?
About as big as Pistol Pete's head.
DID YOU SEE IT?
She chose OSU over Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Ark., after LubiczMajewski won her over with a hefty scholarship offer. But at OSU, Sharkovskaya found that, despite studying English most of her life, she was in the dark when it came to her college classes.
"The first month for me was just a disaster," says Sharkovskaya. She lived in Poland for three years as a teenager, while her mother and tennis coach worked with a player in rhe coastal city of Sopot. OSU was her first exposure to the United States.
"My first semester, I was also raking American history, which was a disaster for me. First lecture, I was just sitting there completely blank. I had no idea what the professor was saying."
Luckily, she roomed with her American teammate at che time, Anna Carson, who helped her with English, one of four languages she speaks. She eventually triumphed over her language problems and made the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll. Also, she has twice won an OSU Academic Achievement Award and made the Dean's Honor Roll.
She made an immediate impact on the team as its No. 1 doubles and No. 3 singles player. Lubicz-Majewski, "Coach Julius" to his pupils, infused some temperance fnto her aggressive style of play, she says, and it has paid off. During her first season, she led the team in wins with 22. Later, the Big 12's coaches selected her to the all-conference team. She was only the second Cowgirl to make the team as freshman.
Bue she's not jusr a talented player. She has shone she possesses the intangibles chat make her a great addition to the ream.
"When you coach the ladies' team, you know that personality matters so much," says
- Women'sTennis
helps us a lot, me at least, because she was not a conflict person. That helps us coaches a lot because chat definitely is nice co have someone who is always nice and relaxed."
Expectations were high in 2008 for Shackovskaya's sophomore year. She wanted to move up the depth chart and improve her game. But a February practice brought her promising season to an end.
"That day I was kind of pissed off," she says. "Julius said he was going to send me home because I behaved badly I was just throwing the balls everywhere because I was angry."
Duelling with her Australian teammate, JoAnne Karaitiana, Shatkovskaya went for a backhand, but Karaiciana hit to her forehand. Shackovskaya had to change direction on a dime, and in the process, rolled her left ankle.
An X-ray in the trainers' room revealed a broken fibula.
"Only when I got to the trainer's room and they did an X-ray did I realize chat I was our for almost the whole season," says Shackovskaya. "I started crying when they told me I was going to be off for eight weeks."
Bue the injury didn't break her sense of humor.
"Afterward, I was just joking and blaming it on Julius char I did it. I said, 'You should've sent me home and nothing would've happened.' But, of course, it was not his fault.''
She spent three weeks on crutches and had surgery to insert a pin and a screw into her fibula. Lacer, she donned a clunky plastic boot that encased her injury for three more weeks. Two months lacer,off came the boot, but she could barely walk.
Months of one leg overcompensating for the ocher's immobility required physical therapy
to get her muscles right. le was May before she could run, and although she says she wasn't supposed to, she snuck onto the court to test it out.
Although she's thankful she obtained a redshirt for last season, she faces a long summer to work back to playing form. Bur she won't complain about her misfortune. She thanks her coach, the trainers and staff who helped her heal so she could start practicing again.
Meanwhile, chis summer she's taking business law and financing courses and plans to visit a friend in Miami, Fla.
Ir's a far cry from life in Belarus, where she couldn't have played tennis and attend college, she says. Also, at OSU she found a community ofRussophone students, mostly Ukrainians, with whom she became fast friends. In her apartment complex where she lives, she regularly gees together with chem for card games and bowling.
After college, she says she'd like to scare her own grocery store, a clothing store or perhaps a Russian restaurant in the United Scates. She couldn't do chat in her home town of Minsk. Small business owners in the Belarussian capital have co pay bribes co operate.
"Scarring a business is really hard to do back home because whenever somebody finds our that you're getting a lot of money, they just close you or you have to give some money to them," she says.
Still, she misses the night life of Minsk that she says has cafes, restaurants and discos. She also misses the city's culture and architecture.
Her father and mother live in an apartment in Minsk. Her older brother attends a military academy there. She doesn't know when she can return home because her visa will expire when she leaves.
The U.S. Embassy in Minsk recently suspended its visa processing at the insistence of the Belarussian government, led by President Alexander Lukashenko, whose authoritarian regime has cracked' down on dissent and the press.
But in Scillwacer, Lubicz-Majewski says he's optimistic about the next season, and expects Sharkovskaya to pick up where she left off. And after the success of men's tennis (Oleksandr Nedovyesov finished che season ranked second in the nation), the spore's future at OSU looks bright.
"This year, with all the injuries, it's amazing chat we did survive and didn't have a bad season," Lubicz-Majewski says. "Ir's good because the men's team is doing well, too. So we have some kind of coverage in the media. That's good for all of us. We like to see che success in tennis because we're not a revenue spore."
Matt Elliott
Lubicz-Majewski. "She
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Photo by Gary Lawson
LIAVININII MARK
Gary Sparks shakes his head every time he drives by Gallagher-Iba Arena and Boone Pickens Stadium.
"Every time I drive into Stillwater and I ee Gallagher-Iba and Boone Pickens Stadium, I think 'Gee whiz. Did we really do this?"' says Sparks, who, with his wife, Jerri, are among the top donors to OSU athletics.
The OSU alumnus and executive vice president of the design firm SPARKS SPORTS came up with the idea to renovate the 1930s-era basketball arena after he heard talk about tearing it down. He sec his company working on a design chat meshed with che campus's architecture and updated it for future use. Work began in 1995, doubling seating capacity and making ocher renovations while keeping its original white maple court floor.
Bue, Sparks' connection co OSU screeches back decades. He'd never planned on going co college until his family (which moved more chan 25 times before he graduated high school in Jasper, Ala.) moved co Sand Springs, Okla., where his dad worked on the nearby Keystone Dam. Sparks, a heavy equipment operator, worked with his father and met a student there
who was studying architecture at OSU.
"I saw some of his projects that he was doing and I choughc for che first time I saw something that really excited me academically," Sparks says. "I thought I'd really like co learn how to do that."
He enrolled in OSU's architecture school in 1960 and graduated six years lacer. He'd never been in one place before for six years, so for the first time, he developed roots. He made some friends with whom he attended as many basketball, baseball, football and wrestling matches as he could, often arriving before che teams did. Also, he married his wife whom he met ac OSU on a blind dace.
"All chat made Oklahoma State incredibly special co me," he says. "The professors really cared about the students. I felc like they really cared about me OSU gave me an opportunity to succeed. Then, it was up to me to prove chat I could."
And prove chat he would, but it would cake a stint in the Army, and almost 30 years before he would leave his mark on his beloved university. After his college graduation, he moved to Atlanta, Ga., for work with a design firm. But, Uncle Sam intervened and drafted Sparks into the military soon afterward.
He spent two years in Germany with a
nuclear demolition unit attached to an engineering battalion. By 1968, he was discharged and living in Tulsa, Okla., his wife's home town. There, he worked in several design firms before he started SPARKS Architecture Engineering and Interiors in 1986, a company chat has since designed for schoof districts, corporations, cities, hospitals and sports teams throughout the South.
His company is also working with Flintco on the Boone Pickens Stadium's west endzone expansion that includes a new locker room, office, club and suite levels that should be done by the 2009 season. Sparks says he has about 100 architects, engineers and interior designers working on the stadium expansion, the latest of a portfolio chat includes the massive Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa and the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks. Also, his company merged with Crafton, Tull & Associates in 2006, making it pare of a three-scare 320-employee firm.
He still visits Stillwater about rhree times a .week helping oversee the completion of the west endzone.
"It's really exciting to be a part of Oklahoma State arhletics and the academics," he says. "Ir's pretty exciting. I mean, if you can't gee excited about what's going on at Oklahoma Scace right now, there's something really wrong with you."
IAccording to Cowboy legend Walt Garrison, the 2008 POSSE
Benefit Auction & Dinner was an orange-to-the-bone success. And his participation as honorary chairman for the sold-out event is a reflection of his affection for his alma mater.
"If you had a good experience at Oklahoma State like I did, you want to do everything that you can to support OSU," he says, "not only achlecics, but che school. I chink it's vitally important, no maccer what you donate to."
Held Saturday, April 19, at Gallagher-Iba Arena, che auction brought more than 900 OSU fans together with Cowboy and Cowgirl coaches and scudent-achleces for a great cause.
Thanks to che generosity of chose in accendance, OSU grossed nearly $465,000 for che Scudenc-Athlece Scholarship Fund. More chan 800 items - a record for che annual event - were donated by OSU supporters and packaged among 11 silent bid boards. Silent auction items accounted for nearly $100,000 of the evening's tally.
The live auction, which featured 25 unique offerings (ranging from custom Ping golf clubs co beachside condos co a private dining experience with OSU celebrities), raised $140,500. Included in live auction ~as a package featuring a hand-made box and a wine boccie holder, whiccled by Garrison himself.
"I've been whitcling or wood carving for about 35 years," Garrison says. "It's something my dad did and something I did when I was with che (Dallas) Cowboys during cwo-adays, because it helped pass the time between practices. It's something I enjoy doing - it's very relaxing."
Garrison says his most popular whiccled items feature a familiar face.
"I make a lot of stuff, like boxes chat holds cards and jewelry boxes. I do people, horses, puzzles and all kids of scuff but che ones with Pistol Pete on chem seem co do che best."
Residing on a ranch in Argyle, Texas, Garrison says he comes back co che OSU campus as often as possible.
"le tickled me co be back. Ic's always great co be ac Oklahoma Scace," he says. "I feel at home every time I go back up there. I've never had a bad reception ac Oklahoma Seate ever. Every time I've gone back ic's just like ic was when I was there. There are friendly people and they're glad co see you and they're glad co have you come back. I've never met anybody up there that I didn't like."
Garrison is fiercely loyal co OSU, che lone university co offer him a football scholarship.
"There's no way I could ever repay Oklahoma Scacefor what they did for me," he says. "OSU was che only school chat ever cook a chance on me when I got out of high school.
Everything that I've accomplished - from the Dallas Cowboys to even working - goes back co Oklahoma State, because without them I wouldn't have had the opportunity to play football."
A special Dutch auction held during the live portion of the event raised $56,500 for the Joe and Connie Mitchell Academic Enhancement Center. Autographed baseballs from auction attendee and Cowboy slugger Pete Incaviglia (named college baseball's "Player of the Century") were presented to the Dutch auction participants.
Randall White, president and CEO of Tulsa's Educational Development Corp., was one of the generous donors who raised his bid card during che Dutch auction.
"It was getting coward the end of che auction, and I hadn't woh anything yet," White recalls. "Everybody around me was joining in, supporting the University, and I felt I needed to seep up and be a part of what's going on."
A long-time member of the POSSE, White has been to number of OSU's annual athletic auctions. One of his favorite winning bids is proudly displayed in his office.
"I've got this big collage on my wall from the 1995 Final Four in Seattle that I bought about 12 years ago," he says. "I've also got a piece of the backboard Big Country broke to go with it."
A 1963 graduate, White says his favorite part of the evening was the presence of the man in the Cowboy hat.
"Walt Garrison is from my era," he says. "I thought it was really neat that he actually carved that stuff this year."
White, whose wife Carol also attended OSU, says giving back ro their alma mater is something they're called ro do.
"OSU is very important to our entire family, and we support chem through various ways, both athletics and the educational side. The auction's just another way we can give back."
The chance ro mix and mingle with likeminded supporters of OSU is a major draw for the event, White adds.
"You look around that room - that thing was sold out by people who want to support OSU," he says. "The groundswell of support of people who came back ro the auction was very gratifying. Any time you get OSU people rogether I want ro be there."
Clay Billman
\jt~
~lilVATEi,
Cowboy Coach Lays His Baseball Cards on the Table
Story by Clay Billman
Photography by Gary Lawson
Head Coach Frank Anderson is accustomed to winning baseball games. Ir's rhe losses rhar haunt him.
Oklahoma State's season came to a disappointing end in the 10th inning of rhe 2008 Stillwater Regional. Ir was rhe first post-season action at OSU's Allie P. Reynolds Stadium in 11 years and was supposed to set up the Cowboys' return ro rhe College World Series.
Bur the Baseball gods don't always follow rhe script.
The Cowboys lost their ace pitcher just hours before rhe regional due to a dubious NCAA inquisition. Despite a gutsy performance by rhe depleted OSU squad, their dream of moving on ro a Super Regional - and ulrimarely rhe College World Seriesended on their home field.
Anderson is eager to get the 2009 campaign underway, bur can't shake rhe bitter disappointment of what could have been.
"I rry nor to dwell on it, bur I still haven't forgotten about the losses from the first year I coached junior high basketball," he says, only half-joking. "Winning games isn't as fun as losing is bad. Thar's nor a very eloquent way ro put it, bur winning is something rhar you expect to do. And when· you expect to win, the losses hurt more."
According to Anderson, the 2008 Cowboy baseball ream had national championship ability. Bur, the veteran coach cautions, rhe best reams don't always make it ro Omaha.
"I thought the 2008 club had rhe pieces in place to make a run at the national championship," he says. "Obviously rhar gor derailed with the Andy Oliver situation, bur those pieces were in place where I thought we could make a run. There's also got to be some luck involved."
Oklahoma State's luck ran our when Oliver was ruled ineligible prior to the regional due to alleged improper contact with a sporrs agent/ adviser stemming from his high school days. (At press rime the situation was still under investigation, bur Oliver is expected to return to rhe team next season.) The top-seeded Cowboys won two games in rhe Stillwater Regional, bur OSU's lack of pitching depth in the wake of rhe suspension ultimately caught up with them in a pair of close losses to regional rival Wichita Stare.
"About rhe rime finals hit, I thought we were playing about as well as any club I've ever had play here, nor just compared to rhe elite reams in our conference, but nationally at that point," Anderson says. "We were playing ar a high level and won a lot of quality games."
An emotional Anderson addressed his team following the season-ending loss.
"Obviously there's bitter disappointment in rhar situation. There's nor a !or you can say in a group to make anything better, so I rook the opportunity to go around to each individual kid and talk to them that night and thank them for rhe emotion and rhe passion and the effort they gave us - nor only then, but throughout rhe season.
"I don't shed a lot of rears over many things," Anderson admits, "bur I probably shed a rear or two this rime, because it was such an emotional deal and how much each of those kids put into it. There's a finality ro it with rhe seniors rhar is always devastating when you look around rhe locker room at rhar point. Ir's finally hitting them rhar Tl[ never be able to do this again' and it's pretty rough on them. The other guys rhar are juniors or underclassmen, they're going to get another chance."
Despite the disappointing finish, rhe 2008 campaign provided fans with a number
"I donlt shed a lot of tears over many things ...but I probably shed a tear or two this time) because it was such an emotional deal and how much each of those kids put into it)
of memorable moments. The Cowboys finished second in the Big 12 Conference race at 18-9, and finished the season 44-18, marking Anderson's best year as a head coach. Highlights included mid-week victories over national power Arizona and an unprecedented series sweep of Texas in Austin.
"I thought it was a really good season in the fact chat we evolved as a team from the first time we got our on the field until the last time - not just physically, bur also emotionally. We were so new and had so many new players, but I thought our guys really gor a lot better over the course of the season. 'It always starts kind of helter skelter, especially with so many new guys who are crying to find their niche. Ar the end, it's pretty neat how you see everybody meld together and cry co win championships."
Anderson's squad had lost a number of starters off the 2007 ream chat finished just one game shy of the College World Series, making this season's performance even more impressive. Early in the season, rhe Cowboy newcomers were put co rhe rest.
"The number one thing is the fact char we had so many new kids, including seven new position players and three new starters on the weekend," he says. "I thought we started out with a very rough schedule. We were 4-6 at one rime in the league and turned char thing around, and were within a half-game of winning the regular season championship."
After losing most of its starting lineup from a year ago, the OSU offensive assaulr was perhaps the most surprising statistic. The Cowboys led the league in batting average (.330), home runs (81), RBI (447), triples (28), slugging percentage (.534) and runs (477).
Junior Jordy Mercer (SS) and senior Rebel Ridling (lB) were the lone returning starters from 2007. The small-rown Oklahoma boys (Mercer hails from Taloga, Ridling from Sentinel) came up big time afrer time during the season. Mercer, a third-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates, hit three homers against TCU in the Srillwater Regional, including the game-winning walk-off shoe in the bottom of the 9th. The powerful Ridling led the ream in homers (18) and runs barred in (65).
Among the newcomers playing key roles were transfers Matt Hague and Luis Flores. A senior transfer from the University of Washington, Hague batted .356 and led the ream in hies. Flores, a catcher who came to OSU via the University of Houston, was a fixture behind rhe place whose rifle arm kept would-be base srealers at bay.
"We were fortunate co get Hague and Flores as transfers. We only had two returning starters, so that was like having four returning starters really, rather than two, because of their situation."
Rookie Thomas Belza was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America after posting a team-leading .388 batting average and solid play at second base. Although Anderson didn't expect the frosh co lead the ream, he had an inkling that Belza would play early.
"We knew Belza was good defensively - we thought he was going to be a good player."
• Stillwater native Donnie Webb bided his time on the Cowboy bench until finally getting his chance co start chis season. The junior centerfielder worked his way into the leadoff spot, posting a powerful .368 average and a reamhigh 17 stolen bases.
"That's a tribute to him," Anderson says. "He's had to fight for everything he's gotten during his athletic career. He didn't even start until his senior year of high school, and he came in here and redshirted and played sparingly. This year was rewarded for all the hard work and everything he put into it.
"Donnie plays harder than anybody we've goc, and we knew he would be given a chance just because of how hard he plays and how tough he is. Donnie wasn't going co gee outworked by anybody. He's basically a self-made player. He's probably not a prototypical centerfielder, but he's made some good defensive plays. We put him in there, and he solidified our leadoff role because we really didn't have a guy there. He's not a guy that's going to walk a lot, but he can give you a double or hit a home run to start che game."
Junior College transfers Tyrone Hambly (3B) and Neil Medchill (LF) provided maturity to the lineup. A native of Australia, Hambly surprised the coaches with his early adjustment to Division I ball.
"We thought Hague was going to be our third baseman, but then we moved Tyrone over there. I thought he might be a year away, but he turned that thing around. He's a great defender at third, and he's just a good team guy," Anderson says. "You always hear him yelling. He's into ic. He plays hard. He's a tough kid. He doesn't look the part - he looks like an all-star wrestler, like he might be doing that ultimate fighting deal rather than playing baseball - but he's really a pretty good athlete."
After a slow start, Medchill's bat warmed up by mid-season, as the sophomore slugger hit .370 in league play.
"We thought Neil would probably play right away because he really put up big numbers in junior college and is a physical kid," Anderson says of the 6'4" left-handed hitter. "He ended up getting hurt and not being able to play all fall. So that's one of the reasons he didn't play fulltime for the first 10-15 games. Neil had never played outfield and was kind of a liability defensively, but he ended up making two great plays in the Regionals."
On the mound, a pair of sophomore lefties led the way. Oliver solidified the Friday night starting spot with a 7-2 record and 2.20 earned run average. Tyler Lyons was 11-2 on the year, including two complete game victories over Top 10 teams.
"Their freshman years were tough," Anderson says. "Ir's hard to have success right away on the mound. We figured they'd make a jump this year, but we didn't know quite for sure how big a jump they'd make. We knew we would play pretty good defense behind them, and so we were fortunate enough that they got out there and got some confidence. We went on the road early to put them in some tough ·situations, and they responded very well."
Anderson attributes much of the team's cohesiveness to the recruiting success of assistant coaches Greg Evans and Billy Jones.
"I think it's a credit to Greg and Billy," he says. "They went out there and got good
players. We started out slow and had so many new guys who hadn't played in Division I games, bur as we evolved we got better.
"It rakes people a while co understand how to practice and understand chat we just don't roll out rhe balls and scuff will get done. Once you get to a certain point, the character of your club will cake over and your leaders will rake over. And chat's when you really get good. Late in the season, you're going to make some pitching changes or you might insert a guy in the lineup or do some different things, bur the true character of your club is going to carry you through."
With so many fresh faces, Anderson says it rook a while for the ream's personality to develop.
"Ar the start of the year, we felt like we were pretty talented, bur you just don't know how people are going to react until you play outside competition. Not being able to play any fall games like we used to, you don't get a good enough perspective on who can handle pressure and who can't
"By the middle of April, if you've got good character, then the leadership on your club really should rake over at that point," he adds. "We're still obviously going to be steering the ship as coaches, but the leadership and the character of your players should start to come out about that time, because you've been in enough games, you've had highs and lows, you've had things go right and things go wrong. Your character will reveal pretty much who you are, and at chat point you should
identify basically what type of club you have."
Anderson says the leadership in clubhouse came from rhe entire squad.
"The year before, Keanon (Simon) and Ty (Wright) were kind of our unwritten spokesmen. This year I thought it was a total ream effort, as far as everybody moving in the right direction. Ir wasn't one guy who was a vocal leader, it was more of a feeling char this is where we're headed, chis is what we're going to do, chis is how you rake care of your business - chose types of things. It wasn't just one or two guys."
Anderson says the key to coaching success on the diamond involves analyzing a player's mental makeup, more so than his physical gifts.
"A lot of it is a gut feeling, especially on the mound," says the former pitching coach. "Ir's not so much a physical thing as it is an emotional and mental thing, and plugging kids in to situations where they can be successful. Thar's what I tell our pitchers. You don't have to have the greatest scuff, but ifI know exactly what you're going to do pretty much every rime (if you can spin a breaking ball here or throw a fastball there), we can plug you in to roles where you can be successful."
Looking ahead to the 2009 season, Anderson likes what he sees coming back.
There are some good young players on chis squad," he says. "We started two, three and four freshmen at rimes, which is kind of fun.
"Obviously, you're going to miss Mercer, Hague and Ridling who were in the middle of the order, bur Jordy and Rebel were both lower lineup guys last year. They were hitting six-,
"I think I've always been a competitive person ...I can handle losing rfyou play at the highest level and give your highest level of effort"
seven-, eight- and maybe even nine-hole at times, and then they moved into feature roles in the lineup," he adds. "We've got guys who can do that next year with Belza and Dean Green, who as a freshman hie in the four-hole for us most of the year. I chink Davis Duren can be a guy who ends up being an offensive force for us, a leadoff-type guy. Rafael Thomas could do the same type thing."
The Cowboys are also expecting several new signees ro make an impact in '09.
"I think Mark Ginther (Jenks) and Randy McCurry (Tupelo) are the two in-state kids who probably jump out as much as anybody. We chink they could play right away," 1nderson says. "There's always somebody you don't expect that comes in, and maybe even somebody who's on our own club right now, so it's always evolving. A lot of it has to do with the intestinal fortitude of rhe kid and how hard he wants to work in the off-season and make himself a player."
When the sting of the season-ending defeat subsides, Anderson believes next year's club will be better prepared to rake the next step.
"To be successful and to have success in Omaha, you have to be good year after year after year," he says. "We have expectations. We've had success. We've won 40 games three years in a row. You've got to maintain consistency and keep making those strides. And your kids in your program will help you make those strides because they know the expectations and what it rakes. Those guys will help incoming guys understand the expectations. They've been through it, and they understand what it rakes to win by knowing how to practice and knowing how to do all those things to get themselves in a position to be successful."
Anderson's approach toward the game of baseball centers on giving maximum focus and effort.
"I think I've always been a competitive person," Anderson adds. "I can handle losing if you play at the highest level and give your highest level of effort. As a coach, if you look out there and know that your ream has given the ultimate effort, then you can handle things from the win/loss side. Bur if you
do that, and you have quality players like we've had, most of the rime you're going to come our with a win."
The coach's mild-mannered demeanor off the field is in sharp contrast to the fiery skipper seen in the OSU dugout.
"I get upset when kids don't run hard to first base or they don't hustle after plays or mentally they're nor in the right spots," he says. "If you're locked in all nine innings, you might miss a ball physically, but you should always give maximum effort."
Anderson says getting to play- and coachAmerica's pastime is a privilege he doesn't rake lightly.
"I think we're so fortunate that we get to do this and play this game, and if it ever gets to the point where it's raken for granted, it just really bugs me," he says. "You've got people who are fighting for our freedom, and we get to play this game of baseball and enjoy the fruits of what people have done for us over the course of a long rime and you can't go our there and run 90 feet as hard as you can? Or you can't run as hard as you can to try and catch a ball? Or you can't back up a base? Come on! It's a game, and you should relish the fact that you get to play it every day. There are a lot of kids who would love to do it and don't get that opportunity. I just
don't think you should ever rake the opportunity for granted. And when you do, it upsets me."
This year's Cowboy squad did things the right way, Anderson says. And he hopes the response at the Srill~arer Regional means more fans in the stands at Reynolds Stadium in 2009.
"The fans saw some exciting games, and I think they recognized the fact that the kids played so hard," he says. "Hosting a regional is huge - just the excitement it generates and the quality of the games. I was really pleased to get the regional and have three sellouts."
Bur Anderson knows that filling a stadium is much easier in 90-degree weather than it is in mid-February.
"I think it's important that we continue to develop our fan base. Ir's rough to do early in the season, because one day it might be 30 degrees and the next day it might be 60, bur we have die-hard fans who will come out even if we're playing in a driving snowstorm. We appreciate that, bur we'd like to develop an even larger following."
» EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT BRIEFINGS - Oklahoma City
• Thomas Friedman, Author of The World is Flat and Foreign Affairs Columnist of The New York Times I Wednesday, September 10, 2008
• George Will, Author and Newspaper Columnist, The Washington Post I Thursday, December 4, 2008
• Susan Packard, Cofounder and President of Brand Outreach, HGTV I Tuesday, March 24, 2009
» TULSA BUSINESS FORUMS
• Thomas Friedman, Author of The World is Flat and Foreign Affairs Columnist of The New York Times I Thursday, September 11, 2008
• Steve Forbes, Chairman and CEO of Forbes, Inc. I Friday, January 16, 2009
• Susan Packard, Cofounder and President of Brand Outreach, HGTV I Wednesday, March 25, 2009
To register or for more information, contact the OSU Center for Executive and Professional Development by e-mail at cepd@okstate.edu or call 866.678.3933 or visit us online at cepd.9kstate.edu.
FRES CES
OSUGo~fel'SQebutat the 4008tlS Open
Imagine Oklahoma State's own Zac Robinson dropping back co pass in the Super Bowl, Jordy Mercer turning a double play in the World Series or James Anderson drilling a long 3-poinrer in the NBA Finals.
While any of these three events may occur in the future, none will take place with the trio competing at the collegiate level due to the nature of their respective sports.
Such is not the case in golf where not one, but two, current Cowboys competed on the sport's grandest stage in June as sophomores-tobe Rickie Fowler and Kevin Tway were in action at the 108th U.S. Open.
Both players began their bid to gain entry into the event at the sectional qualifier in Columbus, Ohio. Tway fired a pair of 68s to comfortably advance, finishing seventh to secure one of the qualifier's 23 invites.
On the other hand, Fowler had to endure a nail-biting scenario after posting rounds of 66 and 73 to wind up in an 11-way playoff for the final seven spots. After seeing the group dwindle to three players vying for two spots, Fowler found himself as the odd man out among the trio and subject to the role·of first alternate. His fortunes changed quickly as former PGA champion Shaun Micheel withdrew a day later, opening the door for Fowler to join his teammate in the field.
Contested at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, the tournament was a homecoming of sorts for Fowler, who grew up in nearby Murrieta, and provided the opportunity to showcase his game in front of family and friends.
"It was a lot more than I expected. What made it cool for me was I was basically in my -Golf
hometown," Fowler says. "It could not have gotten any better, being in my hometown, having Kevin there and having a bunch of guys from OSU in the field is going to be hard to top."
Taking advantage of his good fortune, Fowler showed no nerves during his first round and gave the locals plenty to cheer about as he fired a 1-under 70 to find himself tied for seventh place.
Holding a lofty spot on the leaderboard, Fowler struggled out of the gate during his second round. However, the 2008 Ben Hogan Award winner was able to right the ship and make the cut after receiving some encouraging words from the gallery, allowing him two more invaluable rounds.
"After the first day and going into the second day, I felt a little extra pressure to perform, just because of the way I played the first day," Fowler says. "I was playing a little rough, but I went over after my 11th hole and talked to a few of my friends and they told me to just go our and play my game and have fun, and I ended up making the cut because I turned it around those last few holes."
Making the cut set the stage for Fowler's biggest moment as he finished in style during the final round, making a birdie on the par-5 18th hole after hitting the green in two. With his birdie, he finished tied for 60th place with a 13-over 297 rota!.
"I had about 230 yards to the front edge, and the wind was lefr to right and kind of into me. Normally, I hit my hybrid in that type of air just abour 230," Fowler says. "It was a little risk I wanted to take, and I hit it about as we.IIas I could and pulled off that shot in front of everyone."
"That was probably one of the coolest moments of the week to pull that off in front of all the people on the 72nd hole at the U.S. Open."
Tway was not without a memorable experience of his own, as his father, former Cowboy All-American and current PGA Tour standout Bob Tway, served as his caddy for the week.
The younger Tway is no stranger to major championships after having watched his father compete numerous times. Being on the other side of the ropes proved to be a nerve-racking experience, but having a familiar face on the bag had a calming influence on Tway, who earned honorable mention All-America honors for the Cowboys this past season.
"It helped that my dad was there because he has been doing it for a long time," Tway says. "It was a lot of fun and a good experience to have him with me."
"I was obviously a lot more nervous playing than I was when I watched him," he says. "IfI got nervous, I could go to him and ask his advice, and he kept me in line because he has played that course a lot."
Not only did Tway benefit from his caddy,
he also reaped the reward of getting in a practice round with Phil Mickelson.
"I got to see how the No. 2 player in the world plays and handles himself our there." Tway says. "Ir was really special. Ir was a great week and a great learning experience. It was really fun altogether."
Despite missing the cut after carding rounds of75 and 78, Tway emerged as a more seasoned player as he turns his attention back ro amateur golf.
"I chink chis will make it a lot easier co go back co college golf or amateur golf because I won't be as nervous," he says. "Playing in front of a big crowd, I was really nervous at firsr, bur by the end of the tournament I was fine with ir."
Not only did the tournament provide a memorable experience for the two players, it proved co be equally gratifying for Cowboy head coach Mike McGraw, who followed the duo during their inaugural major championship scares.
"Ir was a lot of fun, especially with two kids char were my recruits and were in the first recruiting class char I ever had," McGraw says. "Just to have them there was great, and co be out there with chem was even better."
For McGraw, it was a chance to see two of his players cake the next step in their career and move coward fulfilling their dream of playing on rhe PGA Tour.
"You see somebody every day on campus for their freshman year and you see chem around college players all of rhe time, bur you don't see them around professionals," McGraw says. "They both handled themselves very well and looked like they belonged our there. I don't chink either one of chem got overwhelmed"
Competing against the world's best players and enduring the most challenging conditions the game can offer should prove to be beneficial in both rhe shore and long term for the talented tandem.
"They might ride a wave of confidence knowing they were able co qualify for rhe U.S. Open," McGraw says. "However, some of the things they learned during the week will not reveal themselves for quire a while."
"Years from now they will look back and see chat they did a lot of growing up chat week and found our so much more about themselves and how to play golf," McGraw says. "Fifreen years from now when they have both been playing golf professionally for a while, they will both look back co the week and how much they learned."
For what promises co be the first of many major championships for the duo, the first will always be memorable and an indicator char both players have a bright future in the professional ranks.
"I figure chat if I play well, I can play our there," Tway says. "I just need to have a better attitude. Sometimes I cry co do coo much when I get in rrouble. I need co just rry co make the best score I can instead of going for it all of rhe time."
"I had one fairly good day and one fairly rough day, and I was able co make the cur," Fowler says. "Ifl can keep getting more consistent and hitting fairways and greens, hopefully I will be out there hanging with those guys someday."
Wade Mcwhorter
" It wasaf' lotof fun,espciallywith two kids whowere myrecruits andwere in the first recruiting classthatI everhad." - McGraw
Express Path to Success
IRobert A. Funk, CEO of Express Employment Professionals, is
a
spiritual man.
He has two degrees in rheology, and he considers it his mission in life to help people find jobs.
"This is almost a ministry, helping people find jobs," says Funk. "The most discouraging times in anyone's life are coping with death, divorce and changing jobs. We have the opportunity to give them hope and encouragement. As we often say, 'there's a person for every job, and a job for every person.' When they are discouraged because maybe they've been rejected on an interview, it's an opportunity for us to give chem hope.
"I chink our doctorate degrees in this business are in hope. Giving hope to the applicants when they come in to apply. Often rimes they don't know where to find a job, orhow to find a job. We need to give them encouragement and strength to go out and find a good job."
Funk knew the moment he decided he wasn't going into the ministry that he'd try to help people find jobs. He visited just two employment services - the state employment service in Washington and a company called Acme Personnel. He took the job with Acme and stayed with rhe company for 17 years.
Ir was this job chat brought him to Oklahoma.
"They purchased a personnel service here in Oklahoma City and asked me if I'd transfer from Seattle to Oklahoma," says Funk. 'Td only been here once in my life, driving through on Highway 66.''
Funk grew up on a dairy farm in a small community outside of Seattle, and thought he'd identify well with the Oklahoma people.
"It was down here in the Bible belt, and my two degrees were in theology. It fit my background. It fir what I wanted out of my life. Also, Oklahoma was one of the largest beef producing states in the nation.
"It was hard to describe to the people in Seattle how much more friendly the people were here and how they took us in. I was 29 at the time, my wife was 27. We had a 10-monthold baby. They just took us in like we were long-lost children from the other part of the country."
Eventually, however, Acme Personnel went bankrupt. Funk, along with two others, started Express Employment Professionals. They bought the remainder of Acme and grew from there. Now, Express has offices in 49 states and three other countries - Canada, Australia and South Africa.
Last year, Express helped more than 375,000 people find work.
"I thought we'd be bigger than we are by now," says Funk. "We're moving a little slower than I anticipated. We're the fourth largest staffing company in rhe U.S., and I thought we would have been number one four or five years ago."
That statement is indicative of Funk's competitive streak. He doesn't want to be second in anything.
"When we started doing well in the staffing business, I decided I'd rry to get into the cattle business in a bigger way and try to be the biggest and the best cattle ranch in the U nired States. Right now we're number two instead of number one. That doesn't feel very good.''
Listening to him ralk about the cattle business, you'd almost think he enjoys it more than the personnel business.
"I love the people in the cattle business. Their integrity is really important to me. We don't have any contracts at the cattle sales. They just come in and sign their name to a number and they buy cattle.
"I also like the sense of humor the cattlemen and ranchers have amongst each other. It's fun to tease each other and to have a lot of fun at those sales and shows. Ir's a blast."
In addition to his cattle ranch in Oklahoma, Funk owns a 172,000-acre ranch in New Mexico. He visits the ranch eight or nine times a year.
"Ir's the wild west," says Funk. "I just enjoy the wide open spaces and the wildlife."
If the personnel and cattle businesses weren't enough, Funk is also involved in real estate development and, by the way, is the owner of the Oklahoma City Blazers hockey team and the Redhawks baseball team.
An avid sports fan, Funk played competitive tennis and basketball in his younger days, and was the recipient of a "blue" at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where he attended graduate school. The "blue" is what amounts to being the MVP of a particular sport, and it's an exclusive club.
Members receive a blue jersey, a blue tie and a blue sport coat.
"Ir's one of the more important honors I've ever had in sports," says Funk. 'Tm going back there in June to receive another award, and I'm going to wear my blue jersey and my blue tie."
Funk spends a lot of time traveling, and
wherever he goes, when people find out he's an Oklahoman, they always want to know whether he's an OSU fan or a fan of the other university.
"I've always told them I'm an OSU fan," he says. "I would say I'm a big OSU fan. I believe in the principles they espouse and what they're trying to achieve at OSU. They just have the same value system I believe in."
His relationship with the university began through his cattle ranch. •
"When I started getting into the purebred cattle business, OSU helped us with some of our more difficult medical situations with the cattle," he says. "We always rake them to OSU. They help us find out what is wrong and find what we need to be doing right."
OSU has also helped Funk keep his ranch staffed with skilled personnel.
"OSU has been really good to us, from a ranching standpoint," says Funk. "The president
of the ranch, Jarold Callahan, is an OSU grad, and he was your judging coach up there for years. He's a wonderful cattleman and has done a great job for me.
"And of course, we have other OSU grads working at the ranch as well. Kevin Heffner, vice president of operations, and some of the other employees. They're great employees."
Funk attributes that to the values the university engenders in its students.
"The value system OSU espouses firs the ranching business and the personnel business," he says. "We get many quality employees from OSU. They're good workers with good work ethics."
Though he's been involved with OSU for some time, he didn't become a donor until a visit from Craig Clemons, vice president for athletic development, and former OSU athletic director Harry Birdwell.
"Craig is a great salesman," Funk says. Funk visited Boone Pickens' ranch and spent time with the billionaire, deciding ultimately to and to contribute to the stadium renovation.
"I think it's extremely exciting. For OSU to be on par or better than the rest of the teams in the Big 12 is a tremendous asset not only to OSU but to our state as well," he says. "Ir's a great opportunity for the alumni to take pride in their university and pride in themselves, and I think it'll make us much more competitive.
"The young people who come in to any sport look at the facilities. They're 18 years old. They're very impressionable. For us to have wonderful facilities will make a difference not only }n recruiting, bur for the entire university."
Mr. Nice Guy
Former Players Reflect on One of OSU's Coaching Greats
Sam Aubrey may have been simply too nice of a guy to be a coach, but that didn't seem to stop him, recollects a former player, Paul LaBrue.
Aubrey, who passed away May 5, 2008, was a towering figure in the history of OSU athletics despite his modest, soft-spoken nature, says LaBrue, who played Aggie basketball from 1961 to'65 when Aubrey was the freshman and lacer assistant coach under Henry Iba.
"Mr. Iba was pretty rough on us," says LaBrue, who would lacer spend 27 years teaching and coaching basketball in Goddard, Kan. "You'd get to hanging your head. And Mr. Aubrey was the one who would come over and put his arm around you and say, 'Son, chis is what he wants you to do."'
Aubrey, a native of Sapulpa, Okla., went through the same experience players such as LaBrue did, running the court for the Aggies as a center from 1940 until 1943. He left school for the U.S. Army, and was a witness to some of the most barbaric and destructive fighting of World War II.
He was shot in the hip during the invasion of Italy in September 1944. His hip was shattered, and doctors told him he would never walk again without a cane. Nevertheless, he came back to Oklahoma A&M and rejoined the Aggies in 1945. Despite his injury, he started as a forward on the '46 NCAA Championship team.
Aubrey wouldn't speak much about his time in the army.
"I didn't know until the funeral chat he got the Purple Heare and the ·SilverStar," says lba's son, Moe Iba, who played for Aubrey. "He'd come back and played on the national championship team, and a lot of people thought he would never even walk again. He never let other people know about his war record."
After graduating, Aubrey coached at Pryor High School in Pryor, Okla., and lacer at Okmulgee Tech Junior College. Oklahoma A&M hired him as the freshman coach in 1953, and he went 62-18 before his promotion co assistant coach in 1964.
To Henry Iba, Aubrey was the head coach's eyes and ears, in addition co his role helping players develop, LaBrue says. He was the guy who made sure players were in bed by "lights out" and chat they were attending class. Also, Aubrey's door was open if his players had a problem. LaBrue recalls a time chat, as a math major, he was struggling with a trigonometry course, and Aubrey minored in mathematics in college. One day, he came by the coach's office and asked about a tutor.
"I said, Tm going to coach, and I chink I'm going to have co teach something along with coaching.' And he said, 'You're going to have co find something else to teach,"' LaBrue says, laughing, adding chat Aubrey ordered him to go to his adviser and find something easier.
Bue Aubrey had ocher loves than basketball. He was an avid fisherman, says Pat Quinn, former sports information director and Aubrey's friend who often joined him. Floating in innercubes, they would drag lures through ponds and lakes throughout Payne Counry. The two also golfed together at a local country dub, Quinn says.
After Iba retired, Aubrey led the team from 1970 to '73 and worked for the Athletic Department in various administrative roles until he retired about 10 years lacer. Quinn says Aubrey was always more comfortable coaching players.
"It's very competitive co be in coaching, but it's your choice of profession and you get addicted to it," he says. "Anyone that's ever been simply good at it gets addicted ro it. You don't do chat just whimsically.''
Quinn, LaBrue and a host of his former players visited him after he moved into a retirement home, as recently as a few weeks before his death. There, they'd rehash old times, such as a time Quinn recalls they once were snowbound at the Kansas state line while on a bus to the University of Kansas, or a particularly frigid flight home from a game at Brigham Young Universiry.
"When the plane took off, the heater didn't work. le was ·about seven below zero inside the plane for about two hours."
Aubrey was buried May 9, following a funeral at the Highland Park United Methodist Church in Stillwater. A widower, he left behind a son whom in Montana.
"I don't know chat they'd ever make anybody better than him," LaBrue says. "He was my hero. He's my hero more than just being a coach I could never measure up to what he was."
Matt Elliott
"He was my hero. He's my hero more than just being a coach ... I could never measure up to what he was."
- Paul LaBrue
IAfterjusttwo seasonsat the helm, it'sclearheadcoachRichWieligman hasthe OklahomaStateCowgirlsoftballprogramheadingin the right direction.
Wieligman arrived in Stillwater in 2007, inheriting a team with eight seniors and leading it to a 25-33 mark that included just three wins in Big 12 Conference play.
In 2008, however, the Cowgirls' showcased an improved roster of young players who transformed OSU into a Big 12 contender. With nine newcomers and just two seniors, the club went 26-25 overall and finished tied for fourth in the conference standings at 9-9.
Wieligman says the biggest difference between his first season at OSU and year two was the Cowgirl offense.
"We were a lot stronger down the lineup and that helped take the pressure off certain players," Wieligman says. "(In 2007) we pretty much had two players scoring the runs and driving them in. This year we didn't have that one player, we had three or four. Everybody picked each other up, and that was huge."
Led by senior Kim Kaye and talented freshmen Mariah Gearhart and Alysia Hamilton, the Cowgirls raised their team batting average 40 points in 2008, up from .250 in 2007 to .290 in '08.
OSU's improved offense showed up from the get-go as six different Cowgirls blasted home runs in the season-opening doubleheader against Centenary at the Century Bank Classic.
Offense wasn't the only area of improvement for the Cowgirls. Defensively, OSU rurned in a .967 fielding percentage, which ranks as che second-highest mark in school history. Junior first baseman Heather Kim
was a big part of the defensive effort with only one error in 342 chances all season.
In rhe circle, the Cowgirls had several impressive performances, including a weekend ar rhe Mizuno Classic in which OSU went 3-1 over the weekend and captured the tourney title. In chose four games, the pitching staff racked up 35 strikeouts and allowed only three earned runs in 26 innings of work.
OSU's overall improvement led to the Cowgirls going 4-4 against ranked teams in 2008, and three of those wins highlighted rhe program's ability to compete at a winning level against the best in the Big 12 Conference.
The Cowgirls hosted their first conference series at home at the end of March against No. 18 Baylor. OSU swept the Bears, beating chem 11-5 in the first game and 3-1 in the second. Hamilton went 4-for-7 in the series and tallied
three RBIs, a double and a triple.
The wins over Baylor were signs of things co come for the Cowgirls in league action. OSU finished .500 in Big 12 play, which included a landmark 6-5 win over No. 4 Texas A&M in Stillwater.
In the upset win over the Aggies, freshman Sarah Odom started in the circle for the Cowgirls and gave up three earned tuns in five innings before sophomore Anna Whiddon closed the door in relief by striking out three in two scoreless innings of work.
Offensively, the Cowgirls exploded for six runs against TAMU All-American pitcher Megan Gibson. Led by Kaye, who hit her 11th home run of the season and had two RBIs in the win, OSU gave the Big 12 Player and Pitcher of the Year her only loss in the regular season.
"The biggest moment this year is when we bear A&M," Wieligman says. "We gave (Megan) Gibson her only loss in the regular season, which was a feather in our hat. People don't realize we were only a back-hand away from beating chem a second rime rhar night."
Ac the conclusion of che regular season, OSU eyed a postseason run and an NCAA Tournament berth. However, the fifth-seeded Cowgirls dropped an extra-inning contest co No. 4-seed Texas at the Big 12 Softball Championships to end their season.
Along with their improvement in the win column, the Cowgirls were awarded numerous accolades for their performances on and off the field in 2008.
Kaye was named All-Big 12 second-ream and first-team Academic All-Big 12 and left her name throughout die OSU record books. She concluded her Cowgirl career with 27 home runs, tied for the most in program history, and her 14 homers in 2008 tied the school's single-season record. She also fin-
ished third in career RBIs with 100.
Kaye's fellow senior, Meghan Wagner, was also named first-ream Academic All-Big 12, while sophomore Megan Castle was a firstteam Academic All-Big 12 selection and was also named second-team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District.
Despite the departure of Kaye, the Cowgirls should be strong in the lineup and in the middle of the infield with the return of Gearhart and Hamilton.
That freshman duo turned in the two highest barring averages on rhe ream in '08 (.344 for Hamilton and .331 for Gearhart) and tied for the team lead in hits with 53 apiece. Hamilton became the first freshman to lead the team in
hitting since 1995, while also finishing second on the ream in RBIs with 29 and tying for the most runs by a freshman in school history with 33.
"We had a lot of newcomers this season, bur we really played well," Wieligman says. "We really showed that we can play and compete in chis conference. We were only a few games from making it into the regionals.
"Hopefully, we can build on char for next year. We need to keep going in the right direction. This year was a seep forward. Our pitching did better, our defense was better and our hitting was better. We just need to keep getting better."
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MILESTONE
This May, POSSE membership reached 8,000 for the first time in its 44-year history, up from less than 6,000 just a year ago. This represents a 35 percent increase and is believed to be the largest growth year in che history of the organization.
"This is an exciting time to be involved with OSU Athletics," says POSSE Director Jason Penry. "We have great momentum in our annual fundraising efforts and are pleased with the high level of participation in che POSSE from alumni, parents, fans, staff and friends of OSU."
POSSECAMPAIGNFOR10,000
In July, the POSSE Campaign for 10,000 was launched. The goal of the campaign is co reach 10,000 members by lace 2009. Because the OSU Athletic department receives no state funding, private support is critical co help our student-athletes compete at the highest levels. An expanding support base is paramount.
"Thanks co many loyal supporters and more than two thousand new members, the POSSE has moved from eighth co fifth in donor participation within the Big 12 Conference (based on 2006-07 data)," Penry says. "That is a tremendous accomplishment for our studenc-achleces."
Ac the completion of the POSSE Campaign for 10,000, OSU would trail only Texas (13,000 members), Nebraska (14,500) and TexasA&M (23,000) in number of donors giving co athletics among Big 12 institutions.
"For us co achieve our goal of 10,000 members, it is going co cake a team effort,"
says Penry. "We hope current members and ocher family, friends and alumni rally around chis campaign and help us continue co flourish in chis critical era of OSU Athletics. No gift is coo big or small for our scudenc-achleces. Participation is the key."
POSSEPROMOTERS
Frequently, the POSSE staff are asked, "I don't have a lot of money, buc I'd like co help. How can I get more involved?"
If you or anyone you know feels chis way, participate in the POSSE Promoter program.
The program is a way for you co become more involved with OSU Athletics by serving as a volunteer representative of the POSSE.
Launching in July 2008, the program has two primary goals: (1) increase membership and funds for the student-athletes and coaches and (2) reward and recognize volunteers for chei r efforts.
The program is simple. POSSE Promoter volunteers connect with ocher alumni, friends and fans of Oklahoma Scace and gee chem ro join che ceam behind the teams - the POSSE - and in turn receive rewards and compete for prizes for their effort.
"This program was created ro help che POSSE reach its goals and give our loyal supporters an opportunity to earn some unique rewards for helping ro generate che financial support for more than 450 scudent-achleces earning degrees from Oklahoma Scace," Penry says. "We have found that current POSSE members are some of our best fundraisers. Mose have a passion for OSU Athletics and are able to extend chat enthusiasm to ochers."
The POSSE is actively recruiting active POSSE members to serve as ambassadors and recruiters through chis program. Members are welcome to participate, provided they meet che following requirements:
1. Promoters muse be current members of che POSSE
2. Promoters must conduce themselves in a positive, professional manner chat represents the POSSE and OSU Athletics
3. Promoters muse cake pleasure in helping our OSU scudenc-achlecesand coaches
For those who want to participate, the POSSE office is committed to providing che assistance necessary co help reach your volunteer goals on behalf of the 467 Cowboy and Cowgirls. Upon request, brochures and ocher promotional information is available for distribution. To keep recruiters engaged and informed, a monthly POSSE Promoter e-newsleccer will be released ro Promoters. This monthly update will be e-mailed and then posted on the POSSE web site.
Following the successful completion of the POSSE Campaign for 10,000, the POSSE will host a catered banquet to recognize che top 50 POSSE Promoter volunteers and their spouses. The media and coaches will be invited to help celebrate reaching the historic milestone: 10,000 members.
"Whether you contribute at the VIP giving level, join as a POSSE New Grad member at $25, or recruit five new members through POSSE Promoters, you directly impact our scudent-athletes on the playing field and in che classroom," Penry says. "Thank you for your support of Oklahoma Scace and our scudenc-achleces. There has never been a better time to be associated with Oklahoma Scace Athletics"
Zac Robinson is one of over 450 Oklahoma Scace student-achleces who benefit by funds raised by che POSSE.
More informationon the POSSE Campaign for 10,000 and the POSSE Promoterprogram can befound at: okstateposse.com or by calling 877-2B-POSSE.
TWENTY YEARS FROM NOW YOU WILL BE MORE DISAPPOINTED BY THE THINGS YOU DIDN'T DO THAN BY THE ONES YOU DID DO. SO THROW OFF THE BOWLINES. CATCH THE TRADE WINDS IN YOUR SAILS. EXPLORE. DREAM. DISCOVER.
MARK TWAIN
DIarely do you read about it in 1'.rhe newspapers. And you surely won't see it airing on ESPN.
Bue che numbers are impressive.
Thirty-nine Academic All-Americans, 113 Academic All-Big 12 Conference selections, thousands of dollars in postgraduate scholarships.
Oklahoma Scace studenc-achleces are not just performing on the playing field - the Cowboys and Cowgirls are achieving great heights in che classroom as well.
The 2007-08 school year provided an impressive and lengthy list of academic honors for OSU studenc-achleces, something Dr. Marilyn Middlebrook and her staff in Academic Services for Scudenc-Achleces cake great pride in.
"When I started doing chis 12 years ago, there wasn't anybody here chat was really focusing on che honors and the awards, but now we work really hard co cry and gee che kids co achieve these honors," Middlebrook said. "When I first arrived, I said, 'Why aren't we getting any Academic All-Americans?'
"Well, it was something chat just wasn't a focus, but we've worked really hard co gee the kids involved and excited about it."
OSU Assistant Director for Academic Services Alan Good said he has been impressed with how OSU scudenc-achleces' competitive nature has·carried over from spores co academics.
"A big part of it is chat studenc-achleces are super competitive," Good says. "They go co the academic awards banquet and see their teammates getting awards, and after the banquet they come up and say 'How do I gee chose awards? What do I need co do?'
"That competitive spirit makes chem wane co excel in the classroom and win awards, and then we sic down and talk about what they can do ro gee there.
"We've got a great core of scudenc-achleces
chat are balanced academically and athletically. We challenge chem with the criteria required to win these awards, and they cake chat on and are reaping the rewards."
Those rewards are many, and to highlight chem all would fill up quite a bit of space. Among chem:
• OSU's 113 Academic All-Big 12 selections in 2007-08 broke the school record
• OSU had a record 39 Academic AllAmericans, which led the Big 12
• 225 OSU student-achleces earned spots on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in che fall semester, 224 achieved the feat in the spring
• OSU had eight spores (men's and women's cross country, soccer, women's tennis, softball, wrescling and men's and women's crack) earn All-Academic team honors, with the men's cross country team earning che honor for a school-record 10th year in a row
• OSU had six teams lead the Big 12 in Academic All-Big 12 selections and four more teams finished second
As for individual accolades, OSU had plenty of chose as well, including:
• Danielle Green (basketball) became OSU's first African-American female student-athlete co earn ESPN/CoSIDA Academic All-American honors;
• DeMarcus Conner (football) was named one of 16 national winners of the ScholarBaller Academic Momentum Award
• Niccole Grimaldi (soccer) was awarded a 2008 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and the Mrs. Baird's Bread Scholarship for a coral of $10,000 in pose-grad scholarships
• David Jankowski became the first-ever cross country scudenc-achlece co win an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
Middlebrook says with all the demands placed on student-athletes by their spores, it's nothing shore of remarkable what they have been able co accomplish in the classroom.
"It's amazing," Middlebrook says. "What is demanded of student-achleces is so great. The time commitment is unbelievable for these kids. From the time they wake up in the morning until the time they go co bed at night, they have something they have co do."
And OSU has also made a commitment co its scudenc-achleces with eight full-time staff members in academic student services, as well as more than 100 tutors and facilitators available co the student-athletes.
OSU student-athletes are also able co cake advantage of che Joe and Connie Mitchell Academic Enhancement Center, which houses more than 100 computers and 40 laptops players can cake on road games. The center further illustrates how far things have come for Cowboy and Cowgirl athletes.
"We used co meet in Bennett Hall, and we had cwo computers chat only worked now and then," Middlebrook says. "We were at one end of the cafeteria and in the middle of study hall, you'd hear things like 'Hamburger on line 3!' Ir was not a good scenario at all.
"Then chey moved us co the basement, and the dishwasher would empty and we'd get the smell of chat. It was awful.
"We started out with basically nothing, bur now we have a great facility."
Facilities, motivated studenc-achleces, teachers, advisers - and the help of the OSU coaches.
"We have excellent coaches who really work hard with us co keep these kids on crack," Middlebrook says. "We couldn't do it .if we didn't have the coaches' support.
"They're the hammer. We work with chem and provide the resources, but if we didn't have the coaches helping us we wouldn't be successful.
"It's truly a team effort."
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Every Seat
VolunteersMake Auctiona Success
THETR00KS
ohn Trook's initial involvement with the POSSE was not as glamorous as his most recent role: providing leadership for the POSSE Benefit Auction, the largest fundraising event for OSU Athletics.
"As a junior in 1990, I worked as an intern in the POSSE office helping with 'marketing,"' John says. '"Marketing,' as it turns out, consisted of an odd variety of duties. I was responsible for setting up the remote microphone in front of the band on game day so chat the fans on the VIP level of the press box could hear chem play during the game, then I moved the microphone to the 50-yard line at halftime for the same purpose and then back to the end zone for the second half."
"The Be!lefit Auction is a great opportunity for us to work on something as a couple that we are both passionate about."-
-Beth Trook
During the past two decades, the job duties have changed dramatically for John. He is the General Sales Manager for Griffin Communications, where he manages a group of 30 employees responsible for the television commercials seen on KOTV, the News on 6, KQCW and CW12 in Tulsa.
"My department solicits local and national businesses to secure their advertising dollars," John says. "We then schedule chose commercials around our network and news programs and cry not to run so many that we cause you to change the channel while watching."
Along with his wife, Bech, he served as auction co-chairs with Kristen and Dustin Holder. Bech works from home as a real estate agent for Coldwell Banker Rader Group. This allows her ro focus on her top priority - molding the next generation of Cowboy faithful, Peighron (age 11) and J.P. (age 4).
"My family and I truly bleed orange," says Bech. John and Bech Trook were sold on Oklahoma Scare shortly after they arrived in Stillwater as students. Boch treasured their time on campus.
"I followed my older brothers, Kurt and Corbin Roush, to OSU after high school," Beth says. "As a freshman sorority pledge, we attended games as group, worked on homecoming decs, and I competed in intramurals. I was chosen to play in the All-Greek Bag football team, which was played on Lewis Field. That was a great experience. le didn't cake long for me to love the OSU environment."
For John, his early POSSE and athletic experiences led to a strong connection with the athletic program. le didn't hurt chat John's freshman year was Barry Sanders' Heisman Trophy season.
"We did gee co be involved in other (POSSE) projects char were a little more glamorous," John says. "A group of us compiled the research for rhe presentation regarding the students' all sports pass. Thar information was presented to the Regents for approval. I was also one of three people who organized the now defunct basketball spirit group called the Young Guns. Needless to say, my years at OSU as a student were instrumental in how connected I feel today."
Boch Bech and John enjoy their involvement with OSU Athletics, primarily through providing leadership for the biggest fundraising event for OSU Athletics.
"The Benefit Auction is a great opportunity for us to work on something as a couple char we are both passionate about," Bech says. "I feel like the athletes who attend rhe auction gee co see a large group o~ fans who are there to support them on a more personal level than just attending an actual sporting event. Without the scholarships the POSSE provides, many of these athletes wouldn't be able to afford a college education."
Like Bech, John sees great value in volunteering for the POSSE Benefit Auction and encourages others to get involved in 2009.
"There are several ways we as fans can support our Cowboys and Cowgirls," John says. "I've often heard people comment char they can't write a big check and therefore don't feel
like they can contribute at all. Thar couldn't be further from the truth. For me, the investment of my personal rime and professional network far exceeds the value of what I could afford to give in cold hard cash.
"I love working with the POSSE staff and seeing the fruit of our labor when it all comes together. I attended my first auction as a student volunteer in 1992 and still have the OSU briefcase my wife bought for me char night."
"I know all of the change makes some people nervous, but there are some very intelligent and dedicated people making decisions about the future of OSU. Because of that, I believe the future is very bright."
-John Trook
Funds raised through POSSE, and specifically at the auction, are for a much-needed and worthy cause.
"I am surprised how many people still don't understand that when a scholarship is awarded to an athlete, those dollars still have co be paid to rhe universiry," John says. "Instead of the studenr-arhlere writing the check for tuition, the Athletic Department is making char payment on their behalf. When we help provide dollars char can cover a pohion of scholarships awarded co our 400-plus srudent-arhleres, it allows the Athletic Department to invest more dollars in our programs, making chem more competitive within the Big 12 and nationwide."
John believes OSU has gained tremendous momentum over the past few years and is eager co see what is in score.
"I have never been more excited about the future of OSU. For so many years, our facilities have been an embarrassment compared co most schools in the Big 12. When recruits visit, facilities speak volumes to the school's commitment co win. I know all of the change makes some people nervous, bur there are some very intelligent and dedicated people making decisions about rhe future of OSU. Because of char, I believe the future is very bright."
ITHEHOLDERS
alker Holder, the four-year-old son of Kristen and Dustin Holder, already has an understanding of the significance of that term. Kristen, an Arkansas graduate and Dustin, an Oklahoma State alumnus, acknowledge to having a little red in Walker's closet.
"During the occasional 'Holder Bedlam,' when Arkansas and OSU play a basketball or baseball game, Walker can get confused on which color to wear - red or orange - however, more often than not he wears orange," Kristen says.
For the four months leading up to the POSSE Benefit Auction, there is only one color seen in the Holder household orange. Kristen and Dustin, along with John and Bech Trook, dedicated hundreds of volunteer hours helping the auction become success.
"Ir cakes many, many hours to put together an event of chis magnitude," says Kristen, who balances volunteer work with her job as sales promotion manager for The News on 6 and CW12/19 for months each year. "But it is fun for me. I am a salesperson at heart and love che challenge and accomplishment of raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for our student-athletes."
Boch Dustin and Kristen have been deeply involved with the POSSE Benefit Auction for years. Dustin, who is a partner in a printing, graphic arts and marketing company, started his association with the POSSE as a volunteer for the POSSE Partners in 1992. Kristen, whose first connection to OSU Athletics was from her and Dustin chairing the 1998 POSSE Benefit Auction in Tulsa, sees the benefit of a vibrant POSSE.
"The thing I love about the POSSE program is it is truly a grass roots effort of support for our student-athletes," Kristen says. "le gives everyone the opportunity to be involved and make a difference in their lives."
Dustin has a comprehensive view of how the POSSE can help OSU fulfill its mission.
"I believe (the POSSE) is a great way to help the entire university, not just the athletic side," Dustin says. "I am a firm believer that positive publicity from sports has a direct impact on the image and attitude toward Oklahoma State as a whole. This in turns has a direct impact on applications for future students."
Ac the heart of volunteerism are the ideals of service and team spirit. By actions, it is evident chat Kristen and Dustin certainly hold those ideals close. Both take pleasure in doing their part in helping the student-athlete experience at OSU.
"The thing I love about the POSSE program is it is truly a grass roots effort of support for our student-athletes ... It gives everyone the opportunity to be involved and make a difference in their lives."
- Kristen Holder
"Kristen and Dustin, along with John and Bech Trook, are tremendous leaders,'' says Jason Penry, Director of the POSSE. "As co-chairs of the auction, they kept the volunteer base organized and focused on helping the OSU student-athletes. I have a remarkable amount of respect for their service to Oklahoma State and our athletic program."
To chem, they get back as much as they give by volunteering.
"I have had a great experience being involved with rhe POSSE Auction," Dustin says. "It does take a lot of rime, bur it has allowed me to meet some great orange-blooded people and have some great sports experiences. I would like to chink char helps in a small way."
"Many of us aren't in a position to make significant financial contributions at chis time in our life, but what we can do is donate our time and social capital to raise monies for a school and athletic program we love," Kristen says. "I may have spent four years in Fayetteville at che University of Arkansas, but I love the Cowboys and feel very lucky to play a small role in making a difference."
There is no doubt a Holder affinity for OSU Athletics. After what's sure to become a legacy of Holder family involvement with the POSSE Benefit Auction, in fourteen years when Walker makes a decision on where to attend college, expect no confusion - expect bright orange.
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WRAY.VINGS ANYTHING GOES
Sometimes it amazes me, the things people decide to wear.
The next time you go to the mall or the state fair, stop and take a look around. Better yet buy a corndog and lemonade and sit down to do 30-minutes’ worth of peoplewatching.
Forget the booth advertising a halfman, half-snake hybrid. You’ll see things that don’t belong anywhere on the midway.
I suppose what a person wears says a lot about them. The clothing industry is a multi-billion dollar business, cranking out a myriad of sizes, styles and colors for people to … jack up. Throw in the twentyfirst century fad of people pierceing every possible body part, and you have endless opportunities to become a trendsetter.
But just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Don’t many outfits make you want to take out your cell phone and call the fashion police?
Another interesting decoration debacle is the way some adorn their rides. License plates, flags, wind-socks, banners and bumper stickers are only a few of the accessory opportunities available. But remember, accessories are meant to set off an outfit, not cover it up.
The same should be true for your automobile. If we can’t determine the color of your paint job-you probably need to step away from the decals. This is not NASCAR! You are not sponsored.
I recall one summer when my parents took my sister and me to Branson, MO. We were traveling on a two-lane road and a guy behind us was riding our bumper. He finally sped around us then abruptly cut us off, revealing a bumper sticker that read, “If you can read this — you’re too close.” He blew dust in our face, blasting away as though trying to break the sound barrier.
A little while later, we noticed an Oklahoma Highway Patrolman had pulled someone over. Some reckless speeder, no doubt. As we passed (wait for it…) you
guessed it, it was our friend driving the bumper sticker. At the time, I was not quite sure why my father smiled and waved as we drove by. Now I get it..
Questionable accessory choices aside, there is one time when all is fashionably legal for men, women, Fords and Chevrolet: Game day! You can see a lot, and all in the colors of the Big Twelve.
Whatever you can imagine, it’s probably been made in Orange and can be applied almost anywhere on a human or Honda. I don’t
know about you, but I always feel like I have a friend in the car next to me when I see a POSSE sticker or an O-State flag.
In fact, if you don’t own one, you should. It just sort of lets us all know where the good guys are – let your Orange flag fly.
When you come to the game, you can still bring a corndog and people-watch. Just remember to look in the mirror first.
