SPORTS

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Sam Goins swims the butterfly in Grapevine, Texas, against UT Permian Basin and Southwestern. OBU successfully won the meet. (photo by Hannah Hickman)

Tiger Sharks streamline into top 25 spot after Miami Invite

BY ISAAC BOURNE

Sports Editor

Ranked #24 in the nation in the latest CSCAA poll for Division II swim teams, the Tiger Sharks have met expectations for the season. Just last week, the team returned from Oxford, Ohio, for a meet with the Miami (OH) Redhawks and stood toe-to-toe with Division I swimmers. At a meet with schools such as Dartmouth, Grand Canyon and Ball State, the team held its own.

“I think with a long drive and a tough environment, we did really well,” said Steven Bostick, head coach for men’s and women’s swimming. “You have to think about how we were in San Antonio just two weeks ago before sending them home for break, and now we’re on the road again just two days after break. It’s been a whirlwind, but we raced hard.”

The resilience of this team showed as sophomore Miles Schulze finished top eight in both the 100 yard and 200 yard breaststroke at the meet, while freshman Anthony Paculba rounded out the top eight in the 1650 freestyle.

“We’re young, and we’re having a lot of people step up, and after this weekend, I feel like there’s a higher level of trust,” Bostick said. “If you trust in your coaches and your teammates, you can be really good. We really leaned on our teammates this weekend and that was our biggest win. We cheered harder than any team at the meet.”

With this year’s team standing as one of the bigger teams in Ouachita’s history, the camaraderie is evident with the way the team cheers for one another.

Every race holds great value for this young team, no matter how fast or slow the swimmer is. At a meet with many teams bigger than them, the Tiger Sharks showed up behind the blocks for their teammates.

Bostick spoke positively about his team’s camaraderie. “There is no hiding that you have to grind in swimming, so when we’re having a rough time or the meets are not going our way, when we have teammates that can give you positive talk and can help you with your positive self-talk, you can mentally overcome a lot of things,” Bostick said.

Now looking forward, the team has just four meets remaining in the season, all taking place in Cleveland, Mississippi, at conference, where the team is positioned to be a strong contender for the conference title.

TJ Cole: Leaving an impact on the gridiron as remarkable career ends

BY CHASE HARTSELL

Guest Writer

TJ Cole, a senior running back for the Ouachita football team, has stood out as both a leader and player on the gridiron. His football journey is a notable one, including multiple school records, a unanimous First Team All-GAC selection and a First Team All-America selection.

According to Cole, his football story started by looking up to another football player.

“It was my older brother,” Cole explained. “We were 10 years apart. He played for Texas High School in Texarkana. He played with Ryan Mallett, so I got to watch Ryan Mallett start off in high school, and I also got to watch my big brother play. He’s been my inspiration throughout the years.”

In addition to his brother’s influence, Cole credits his Texas roots for developing his determination on the field.

“Everything is like football, football, football in Texas,” Cole said. “It’s super competitive, no matter what level you’re in, or what school district, [or] classification. It’s just competitive at all levels. I’m just very thankful that it gave me the passion to compete [the way I do].”

Cole’s passion for the game grew as he competed at Pleasant Grove High School in his hometown of Texarkana, Texas, where he won a state title and championship game offensive MVP award in 2017.

Since joining the Tigers in 2018, Cole has built an impressive resume. In 2021, Cole rushed for a then-GAC record 1,530 yards en route to being named a First Team All-GAC selection and an AFCA First Team All-American. In 2022, he gave fans an unforgettable encore. On October 22, Cole ran for a school-record six rushing touchdowns against Southern Arkansas in the Murphy USA Class in Texarkana, Arkansas. Less than a week later, he would score two touchdowns in the final two minutes of the game to rally Ouachita to a 28-18 Senior Night win over East Central at Cliff Harris Stadium. With the latter of these two scores, Cole became Ouachita’s all-time career rushing touchdown leader.

Many fans would argue, though, that his most important touchdown occurred two weeks later. After the Tigers rallied with 14 unanswered points in the final five minutes of regulation, Cole scored a game-winning touchdown in overtime to seal a 40-37 victory over the Henderson State Reddies in the 95th Battle of the Ravine. It was his 26th rushing touchdown of his senior year, which gave him sole possession of the Tigers’ single-season rushing touchdown record.

The following week, after being named a unanimous First Team All-GAC selection at the conclusion of the regular season, Cole played the final game of his collegiate career in a loss to Northwest Missouri State in the first round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs. There was, however, a silver lining in Ouachita’s defeat: by the end of the game, Cole had accumulated 1,672 yards for the 2022 season. In doing so, he broke William Miller’s record for the most rushing yards in a single season by a Ouachita player, which had, up to that point, stood since 1978.

While Cole acknowledges that these records do hold significant meaning, they are not what he hopes the Ouachita football community will remember him for most.

“I want people to remember me as who I was off the field. How I just made people laugh. I [brought] a lot of energy to different situations. Just how I [was] off the field; just not caught up in all of the other stuff,” the senior said.

As Cole prepares for his next chapter, he can be certain of this: his impact on the Tiger locker room and record book will be felt for years to come.

TJ Cole has left a lasting mark on OBU football. He will leave the program with many records, putting his name in the history books. (photo by Matthew Branch)