19th Street Magazine April 2020

Ace Party Supplies

Get Ready to Party

Jet’s NY Slice to Open

Passion for Pizza

Vet of the Month

Roy Jolly

G.O.A.T.

April | CONTENTS

2020

08 by Chelsey Kraft Moore Fun

City of Moore releases annual activity guide for spring, summer.

12 by Bill Moakley

First Flight

Air Force pilot inspired by childhood plane ride.

16 by Sharla Bardin

In the Spotlight

MNTC students shine in annual Red Carpet Film Festival.

20

by Chip Minty

Passion for Pizza

Restaurant entrepreneur returns to what he knows.

24 by Steve Marshall New Ballgame

ISSUE 4 - VOLUME 3 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mark Doescher

MANAGING EDITOR

Chip Minty

SENIOR EDITOR

Lindsay Cuomo

PHOTOGRAPHY

Mark Doescher

CONTRIBUTORS

Roxanne Avery | Sharla Bardin Lindsay Cuomo | Chelsey Kraft Steve Marshall | Chip Minty Bill Moakley | Chris Plank

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES

Tracie Gray - tracie@sportstalk1400.com Trevor Laffoon - trevor@sportstalk1400.com Perry Spencer - perry@sportstalk1400.com Jess Haralson - jess@sportstalk1400.com

PUBLISHER Randy Laffoon

Westmoore enters baseball season with first year coach.

28

by Roxanne Avery

Get Ready to Party

Fun and celebration happens every day at Ace Party Supplies.

32 by Chip Minty

Sage Advice

Don’t back down from tough Oklahoma climate, nurseryman says.

34by Chris Plank

G.O.A.T.

Despite an abrupt end to her college career, Sooner senior Maggie Nichols leaves a legacy both on and off the podium.

44 by Lindsay Cuomo

A Healthy Perspective

Norman physician reflects on 30-year career.

SportsTalk Media 2020 E. Alameda Norman, Oklahoma 73071 Phone: (405) 321-1400 E-mail: editor@boydstreet.com Copyright © SportsTalk Media Any articles, artwork or graphics created by SportsTalk Media or its contributors are sole property of SportsTalk Media and cannot be reproduced for any reason without permission. Any opinions expressed in SportsTalk are not necessarily that of SportsTalk management.

Cover photo by: Mark Doescher

COM M U N I T Y

BY: CHELSEY KRAFT

Moore Fun

City of Moore Releases Annual Activity Guide for Spring, Summer

W

earching for activities to do as warmer weather approaches? Then look no further than the Moore Parks and Recreation 2020 Spring/Summer Activity and Event Guide, which provides an extensive list of ways residents of Moore and the surrounding areas can spend their free time in the upcoming months.

“We do one guide for spring/summer and then one for fall/winter,” said Teresa Smith, marketing specialist for the City of Moore Parks and Recreation Department. “It’s an overview of our department and what we offer and highlights camps, programs and parks.”

The guide features a wide range of information, including a complete list of Moore’s parks with their locations, features and pavilion rental details and an extensive look at upcoming events and activities that will take place at Central Park and The Station through August.

8 | April 2020

These happenings include fitness programming; camps ranging from art to medieval times to weather and earth.

There are adult and youth sports leagues as well as special interest classes on topics like line dancing and sign language. There are also special events including RailFest on May 16, a weekly scavenger hunt beginning June 5 and the annual Daddy Daughter Dance on June 19, just to name a few.

A common misconception is that people must be a passholder to participate in activities at The Station, Smith said.

The reality is that The Station is open to everyone who may want to take swim lessons, a fitness class or whatever else is offered, and rates and fees for these activities are included in the guide.

Readers can also catch up on a list of projects and improvements being completed with the 2016 Continuing Our Success quarter cent sales tax, including a new aquatic speed slide that is

being built at The Station Aquatic Center. Smith said the slide will hopefully be ready when the center opens for the season, depending on weather.

Smith has been involved with the publication since its beginning in 2014 and has seen it grow from 11 pages to 31 in the 2020 edition.

“You want to do things that you’ve done in the past, but you also want to create new things,” Smith said.

The guide can be found online at centralpark.cityofmoore.com or cityofmoore.com under the Parks and Recreation section, and physical copies are available at The Station at Central Park, the Moore Public Library and the Moore Chamber of Commerce. For more information about Moore’s parks, programs or events, call 793-5090. – 19SM

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COM M U N I T Y

BY: BILL MOAKLEY

PRESENTED BY

CENTURIONCG.NET

First Flight Air Force Pilot Inspired by Childhood Plane Ride

W

hen he was 10 years old, Roy Jolly knew right away the airplane he was looking at atop a bluff on the ranch his father owned was going to change his life. From that day on, he never wanted to be bound to terra firma.

Growing up in Deer Trail, Colo., Jolly expected to take over the ranch that his father had taken over from his father. That all changed when the little prop airplane on the bluff took him off the ground for a short 10-minute ride.

“My grandfather migrated from Scotland and started that ranch,” Jolly said of ranching. “But after my first airplane ride, I was a pilot. I was going somewhere to learn to fly with the military.”

After graduating from Deer Trail High School in 1953, and scoring well on academic acuity tests, a master sergeant from what would be the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, contacted Jolly and insisted he consider applying to 12 | April 2020

the school.

“He told me he wasn’t going to let me get away,” Jolly recalled. “I told him there was no way I could attend there. I graduated in a class of six, and I had no concept of applying to a place like that. I just wanted to go fly an airplane.”

Jolly would become a member of the academy’s 1956 entering class and would graduate in 1960, the second class to finish. While at the academy, he played basketball for the Falcons, and was part of a team that took one of John Wooden’s historic UCLA Bruin teams down to the whistle before losing.

“We could play great defense,” Jolly remembered. “They were the number one team in the country, but we gave them trouble.”

After finishing his pilot training, Jolly was assigned to nuclear alert duty in Korea and Italy. However, his heart was in

combat flying as the war in Vietnam was ramping up. His first assignment in the conflict was at a command post. After harassing a colonel who was the post commander for some three months, Jolly reported to work one morning and received the word he’d been waiting for.

“The colonel said you’re going to get one ride,” Jolly fondly recalled. “He said if anything happens, you’re out of business.

You get one chance.”

Jolly passed that first flight “test” and began flying missions as often as he could, including numerous bombing trips as the war expanded.

“We’d get called out when something was being overtaken in the night,” Jolly explained. “We’d go out and bomb places that were in trouble.”

During one particular bombing run conducted by Jolly’s squadron, every plane but his was shot down.

“I was the lucky one,” he said somberly.

“I came back with bullet holes only.”

For his service during his two tours of duty in Vietnam and nearly 100 flight missions, Jolly would earn the Bronze Star and various air medals. He was also one of the few U.S. servicemen honored by the South Vietnamese, an honor he received for correcting the flight pattern during a critical mission that had been incorrectly plotted. Without the correction, the ground troops they were sent to support would have been ambushed.

In all, Jolly served 24 years in the Air Force, Air Force Reserves and the Air National Guard, retiring from Tinker Air Force Base, where he met his wife, Barbara Ann. He also flew commercially for TWA. “It was all a long way from that ranch in Colorado,” Jolly concluded.- 19SM

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COM M U N I T Y

BY: SHARLA BARDIN

In the Spotlight

MNTC Students Shine in Annual Red Carpet Film Event

T

he Red Carpet Film Festival shines a spotlight on students’ talents in storytelling and graphic design and offers an outlet for them to share that work with the community.

The festival, now in its 12th year, provides an opportunity for students in digital video production and graphic design programs at Moore Norman Technology Center to enhance their creative and technical skills and gain experience in the career fields they are studying. The event is May 8 at Sooner Theatre at 101 E Main St. in Norman.

Students write, shoot, direct and edit short films for the festival, while graphic design students create the movie poster, DVD boxes and the advertising design campaign, which includes invitations, tickets, social media advertising and shirts.

Eight films are featured in this year’s festival.

Instructors Amy Smith and Trisha Marlow said it’s exciting to watch the stu16 | April 2020

dents express their creativity, collaborate with others and complete films and designs.

“The Red Carpet Film Fest experience is beneficial to my students because they get the opportunity to start a project from scratch and see it play through to the final event,” said Marlow, graphic design instructor.

Smith, digital video instructor, said a highlight of the festival is seeing the elation from the students about their films.

“Because I’ve been there with them during the entire process, I love watching the students’ faces as they share their work with their family and friends.

They learn so much about storytelling and working as a crew over the school year, that it is a joy to see their pride in the result of their hard work,” said Smith.

The instructors also said the festival provides students with avenues to build on their skills.

“My hope for students is that they will gain the knowledge needed to develop concepts, create designs, accept and provide critiques and grow in their technical software knowledge,” Marlow said.

The festival projects also give her students the chance to work with industry professionals.

“We have several wonderful designers who donate their time to come and listen to students as they pitch their ideas. These designers give them great critiques and help them to make their designs even better, which, in the end, is better for their graphic design portfolios,” she said.

Students in the graphic design and video programs said they appreciate having an outlet where they can express their creativity, increase their knowledge and work with one another.

Parker Blair created the entire ad campaign for the festival and sees the event as beneficial to the students because it gives them “an opportunity to create and build something unique that can be appreciated by all our Moore Norman instructors, peers and families. Having an opportunity to showcase all our hard work from throughout the year is truly rewarding,” Blair said in an email response.

Student writers and directors said the film work has been an eye-opening and enriching experience.

Henry Sharpe said his project helped him figure out what specific area of film he wants to specialize in.

Student Michael Luce said he learned skills that will help him in this career path.

“It helped me work with my peers, whether I was leading or following directions.” – 19SM

FEATURED FILMS The Red Carpet Film Festival is May 8 at Sooner Theatre at 101 E Main St. in Norman. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10.

For more information about the event, visit @redcarpetfilm on Instagram or call 801-5512 or visit mntc.edu/RCFF. Eight films are featured at this year’s festival. Here’s a preview of each: “Isolation,” written and directed by Michael Luce. Edgar is alone and grieving the loss of his beloved wife, Penny. He has secluded himself in their old vacation home with nothing but an endless supply of booze. His attempts to drink himself into forgetfulness are cut short by some mysterious occurrences. He may not be as alone as he previously thought.

“The Garlic,” written and directed by Sierra Bors. Debra and Gregory find themselves panicking because World War 3 started. Or at least that’s what they read in a newspaper called “The Garlic.” In a frenzy, they prepare for the supposed incoming bombs and whatever else stands between them and dinner with their kids next week.

“Rakhi,” written and directed by Shayla Jaswal. Naomi is a typical 18-year-old girl who takes most things in her life for granted. To her, the worst things in life include not having a ride to work or celebrating an ancient Indian ceremony.

Luckily, she has her older brother, Jay, to teach her the value of life.

“The Visitor,” written and directed by Henry Sharpe. After seeing a mysterious figure in his bedroom, Gabe becomes convinced his home is haunted.

The next day, he brings his friends, Ezra and Joanna, back to his home to find out what the ghost wants and how to help it move on. The only problem? None of them have any idea what they’re doing.

“Hollow_Reality,” written and directed

by Nii-Mensah Nettey. Hollow_Reality Labs is a business that wants to make virtual reality into real life, but there is an underlying evil in the plans. Wallace, one of the involuntary test subjects, finds out that he is being enslaved and has to find a way to escape.

“In the Spotlight,” written and directed by Ella Gardiner. Harper practically runs the drama department at her high school. She has been the lead in every production since her freshman year. Her senior year auditions arrive, and she’s as confident as ever. But when someone else steps in the spotlight, Harper learns what is actually important to her.

“Fate,” written and directed by Bryce McCoy. After her death, William is desperate to see his wife, Anna, again. He begins his journey to change the hand of fate and hunt down the creature that can bring her back.

“Dark Places,” written and directed by Christopher Oldfield. Connor is drawn to a mysterious object that he found in a park. He has no way of knowing the danger that will come with it or the dark places he will be taken.

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BY: CHIP MINTY

Passion for Pizza

Restaurant Entrepreneur Returns to What He Knows

S

andro Osmani likes cheese pizza.

It’s not as though he’s a boring guy or that he lacks a sense of adventure. He’s actually a pretty interesting guy who’s seen plenty of adventure in his life. And the fact that he likes cheese pizza kind of proves the point.

Osmani considers himself a pizza connoisseur, and he doesn’t like toppings like pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, pineapple or veggies to get in the way of the pie’s heart and soul.

The toppings drown out the taste of the cheese, the sauce and the crust, which, he says are the real stars of the show.

“If you can make a good crust, the pizza will be good,” Osmani said. “Good crust is the secret to good pizza.”

Osmani should know. He’s been in the pizza business for 25 years. The 47-year-old was born in Albania, but he’s half Italian, and he immigrated to the United States when he was 18.

20 | April 2020

After living in Brooklyn, N.Y. a few years, he moved to Norman with his dad, Geno.

Pizza was what they knew, so they started a restaurant in Norman called New York Pizza, and Osmani has been at it ever since. Through the years, Osmani has operated three pizza restaurants, including two Sandro’s Pizza locations, one in Moore and one in Norman.

Running a restaurant is demanding, he says, so he sold out last year, and tried to retire, but after less than a year, he’s back in business, with a new pizza place he named Jet’s NY Slice, in honor of the New York Jets, his favorite pro football team.

Jets is at 2024 S Service Rd, which is the same location as one of his previous restaurants, and he serves sandwiches, pasta and a variety of specialty pizzas with an assortment of toppings. He says his best sellers on the pizza menu are pepperoni and – you guessed it – cheese.

Jets will serve the same recipes that made his other enterprises so success-

ful, and Osmani said pizza crust is one of his specialties.

mits thinking about going into another profession that’s not so demanding.

“We’ve been in business a long time and we just learned how to make crust over time. The restaurant business is an evolving process.”

“I sometimes think about doing something else, but then I think I don’t know anything else,” Osmani said. “That’s what I know, what to do. I do it good, and so far, it’s been successful for me.

People love it. It’s a good product.”

Osmani says he works too much, always has, sometimes 14-hour days, but pizza is his passion, his life’s work.

After selling his business last year, he spent a lot of time with his kids and enjoyed an extended vacation, and he ad-

Osmani said customers can find his new restaurant on Facebook or they can call him at 237-3001.– 19SM

SS_19thSt_0220-FINAL.pdf

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1/20/20

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S P O RT S

BY: STEVE MARSHALL

New Ballgame

PRESENTED BY

Westmoore Enters Baseball Season with First Year Coach

W

hile spring sports are still up in the air due to the coronavirus, the Westmoore Jaguars hope they can continue with their season under first year head coach Andrew McGuire.

McGuire is a former outfielder for the Oklahoma Sooners and took over for the Jags after Joe Patterson left to become the head coach at Mustang.

McGuire played his high school ball at Sherman, Texas and then at Grayson Community College before playing for the University of Oklahoma. After his playing days, McGuire was an assistant coach for OU from 2005-2006.

McGuire then took a coaching job at Texas Pan-American in south Texas and while there came to a summer camp at Oklahoma in 2008 and met Edmond Santa Fe head coach Lonny Cobble. Cobble then offered McGuire an assistant position on his staff, and McGuire followed Cobble to the University of Central Oklahoma, where he remained until this year when he accepted the job at Westmoore.

“We’ve got quite a bit coming back from last year’s team,” McGuire said.

The Jags return 13 seniors, including one of the top prospects in the country, Jace Bohrofen, who has committed to OU. His brother Braxton and their father Mike are also Sooners They also had Cameron Uselton, a Kansas State signee, but lost him for the year due to an elbow injury that will cost him his senior season.

Brandon Gomez will be the ace of the pitching staff.

24 | April 2020

“He can beat anyone in the state on a given day,” McGuire said. “So, we’ll be depending on a bunch of freshman and sophomores who are very talented but unproven.”

Gomez has signed to play at Seminole State Junior College.

Some of the others McGuire is counting on include junior shortstop Elijah Alexander.

“He’s kind of an unknown commodity because Westmoore had a shortstop that started for the last four years,” McGuire said.

Senior Brent Teel is a kid who will be asked to play first-base, starting pitcher, relief pitcher and third base and Zane Chavez will pitch a lot for the Jaguars and will be in the line up somewhere most every game.

Another player McGuire is counting on is third baseman turned catcher, junior Jake Burleson.

“With increased experience, the more he plays the better he’s going to get every day.

He’s really stepped up for us because we didn’t have a catcher going into the fall and he has really taken the job all for himself.”

McGuire says offense is the key.

“We want to execute early and put pressure on the defense any way possible and then later we can take the big swings.”

“Our biggest concern will be pitching, just throwing strikes,” McGuire says. “I tell the guys all the time, if we just throw strikes our defense will take care of the rest.”

The Jags play in a stellar district playing top teams like both Norman schools, Deer Creek, Edmond North, Midwest City and rival Southmoore. – 19SM

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Get Ready to Party

Fun and Celebration Happens Every Day at Ace Party Supplies

I

t’s party time and Ace Party Supplies & Showtime Concession knows how to help plan a party!

They specialize in helping customers plan for every special occasion with an array of party favors and décor to match. From birthdays, to graduation and everything in between, there are party essentials and supplies for all ages, lifestyles and interests.

Mara English opened Ace Party Supplies on April 8, 2017, so there’s a big celebration planned this year to commemorate that special day.

“We also have graduation in May which is our biggest season, and we customize items such as plates, napkins and graduation yard signs for the three high schools in Moore and the three in Norman, including CCS,” Mara said.

“We do balloons, balloon décor and balloon bundles, and we’re getting into expanding arches and organic arches,” she said. Organic arches use different balloon sizes from 5” to 12” to 24” and use a nonhelium product.

28 | April 2020

“We’re in the last stages of a helium shortage, so helium has become very expensive and we’ve found other ways to do balloon décor that doesn’t require hundreds of dollars in helium.”

Just returning from market, Mara said products are arriving daily to fill their shelves.

“For Easter, we have eggs pre-filled with toys as well as plates, napkins and tableware, and we do have some pretty home décor pieces as well.”

Mara said Mother’s Day is more like a “flower holiday” and while Ace Party Supply doesn’t do a lot for that holiday, the next big one is the Fourth of July.

“We carry a lot of light-up wearables, patriotic tableware and party supplies,” Mara said.

Then it’s time for Back-to-School with plenty of decorations and ideas for classrooms.

During the month of May, Ace Party Supply rewards teachers with a 20% discount for Teacher Appreciation month.

Every Monday of the year is Military Discount Day with 10% off for those serving or who have served in the military and every Tuesdays is Teacher Discount Day with 10% off for teachers.

While at market, Mara bought lots of candy to expand the candy selection.

“We’re getting novelty and specialty candies for year-round,” Mara said.

“Candy bars are big right now. So is candy as party favors. A lot of people come here looking for candy for May

Day baskets and candy is still used a lot as prizes from teachers in the schools and at day care centers.”

As the only locally owned party supply store in the area, Mara says they are here for their customers.

“If there’s anything they’re looking for that’s hard-to-find, we will be happy to help them find it and appreciate the support from all our local customers,” Mara said. “We also keep our prices competitive to on-line prices.”– 19SM

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COM M U N I T Y

BY: CHIP MINTY

Sage Advice

Don’t Back Down from Tough Oklahoma Climate, Nurseryman Says

L

et’s be honest. Gardening in Oklahoma is not for the faint of heart. It takes hard work and persistence in a state where the wind blows hard, the sun shines hot and rain is erratic.

Doing business in the Sooner State, Monty Marcum is a full-time nurseryman and a part-time motivational speaker, encouraging customers to hang in there in good times and bad, because victory on the prairie can be extra fulfilling.

Gardeners must be willing to lose every now and then because it’s going to happen, he says. But those who persevere learn the tricks and the strategies that allow them to live in relative harmony with an environment that would rather grow grass than rose bushes and azaleas.

Marcum, owner of Marcum’s Nursery in Goldsby, Norman, South Oklahoma City and Ardmore, still talks about the summers of 2011, 2012 and 2013 when hot and dry conditions rivaled the Dust Bowl days. He wondered at times if he could stay in business. But, since then, Oklahoma’s summers have been relatively moderate.

32 | April 2020

Marcum says he doesn’t lose much sleep over weather trends, because weather on the southern plains has always been variable, demonstrating many times over the years how unpleasant it can get.

Instead, he’s accumulated a pocketful of strategies that he uses at home, in his landscaping business and that he shares with customers who visit his stores.

His first advice is to avoid wasting time and money on plants that are not tried and true Oklahoma survivors. Gardening is hard enough work without having to replace experiments every season.

A gardener’s first-string lineup might include proven performers, such as Nandinas, hollies, junipers, spireas and crape myrtles. There are plenty of hardy plants available and most nurseries can help with solid recommendations.

While Marcum says the tough varieties should be the backbone of every landscape, he isn’t altogether opposed to gambling. Trying something new and exotic is always fun, and, he says the exper-

iments he’s planted in his yard are often successful, but all things in moderation.

And no matter what gets planted, the odds of success are much better if it’s in good soil.

“Soil health is everything,” Marcum says. “It’s frustrating to garden without healthy soil. We firmly believe in the proper preparation of our beds.”

It must contain the right amount of organic matter, it needs nitrogen and drainage must be adequate, he said.

Vigilant watering is important, but if plants don’t have healthy soil, they won’t be happy.

Gardeners can bring samples of their soil into their nursery or they can consult with the County Cooperative Extension Service, which can test soil for nutrient and chemical content, so gardeners know how much fertilization and other treatments are required.

When plants or trees get sick, don’t give up on them, he says. There’s likely to be a solution and nurseries are always ready with helpful advice. Many times,

plants, shrubs and trees can be saved with a little attention and persistence.

“It’s fulfilling to save plants, and that’s the joy of gardening – fulfillment.

Whether you’re growing food or you’re trying to get the most buds on your rose bushes, it’s fulfilling.”

But don’t overdo it, he says “Some people fret their plants to death.

Don’t worry about them too much, and remember, plants grow in spite of us, not because of us.”

Meanwhile, successful gardening takes discipline, Marcum said.

“Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

We’ve got to win out there,” he says.

“Have a goal in mind and stick with it from start to finish, and when it’s done, start the next project.”

“Fulfilment comes from the success of getting your garden to do what you want it to do, and it’s fun,” Marcum say.

“Become a master of your garden. Get out there and enjoy what you learn and benefit by it.” – 19SM

S P O RT S

SOONER REVIEW

BY: CHRIS PLANK

PRESENTED BY

G.O.A.T.

34 | April 2020

Photos by: Mark Doescher

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T

he G.O.A.T acronym is commonly used in sports to label the Greatest of All Time. Names like Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant. A label reserved for the elite.

In college gymnastics, The University of Oklahoma’s Maggie Nichols had earned the right to be called the G.O.A.T. Through adversity and unparalleled success, Nichols forged a path that won’t soon be forgotten or duplicated, despite the fact the it ended far too soon.

From the revelation that she was “Athlete A”, Nichols showed the courage to speak up and speak out against the sexual abuse of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. She became such a powerful voice that she was awarded the 2019 NCAA Inspiration Award.

Through it all, she was still able to put forth flawless performances. She led her team to a pair of national titles, while winning six individual titles and the 2019 Honda Sports Award, considered the women’s sports equivalent of the Heisman.

Nichols first caught the eye of Sooner head coach KJ Kindler at age 10, but it wasn’t necessarily because of her skill set.

“We’ve recruited from her gym (Twin City Twisters) forever,” Kindler said.

“Her teammate Bree Olson came to OU. She was already committed, so during summer camp she brought a bunch of her teammates and 10-year-old Maggie was one of them.

“She was a scrappy dappy doo. She could do a lot of skills, but her legs were all over the place. It was crazy, but she was 10!

You could see her natural talent. She was young but fearless.”

That fearless nature is what stood out to Kindler.

“That is what you look for in a young gymnast, that she has no fear. That kind of athlete mentally is in a good place and you know they will go far. The cleanness of the sport will come later if you have the natural talent,” Kindler said. “She was a very happy, giggly athlete. She wasn’t an elite yet… but she was special.”

19th STREET MAGAZINE | 35

Levels in gymnastics are defined by what skill you can perform and how well you can perform that skill on each event. By the time Nichols committed to OU, she was elite, but had not yet burst onto the national scene.

“When we committed her, she was elite but hadn’t had a ton of success,” Kindler said. “But (she) kept getting better and better, and it was really cool to watch.”

Nichols joined the U.S. National Team in March 2013. In her first meet, she earned a silver medal on the floor exercise and helped lead Team USA to a gold medal.

But it was during the summer of 2014 when Nichols emerged, and visions of a potential spot on the 2016 Olympic Team started to look like a reality.

She was a major part of the 2015 U.S. Women’s World Championships team that claimed a gold medal, and she earned an individual bronze medal on the floor, competing on all four events in team finals.

The summer of 2016 was shaping up to be special for Nichols. She was considered a favorite to make the U.S. Olympic roster and compete for gold in the Summer Olympics in Rio De Janerio.

Despite preparation and excitement over a potential spot, Nichols was living a nightmare away from the gym. She had been one of many members of Team USA that had been sexually abused by team doctor 36 | April 2020

Larry Nasser. Nichols and her coach Sarah Jantzi reported Nassar to USA Gymnastics officials in June 2015 after the coach overheard Nichols and another gymnast talking about Nassar’s behavior. Her teammate and friend Simone Biles came forward shortly after with accounts that she too had been sexually abused by Nassar.

“I got a phone call probably the next day from Steve Penny,” Maggie’s mother Gina said at the time.

Penny was president and CEO of USA Gymnastics.

“He called me, I don’t know how many times, to talk to me about it and make sure that I understood they were taking care of it. When I have the president of USA Gymnastics telling me what to do, he’s in a position of power over me.

We’ve given our whole family up to get our daughter to this point and [when] I have Steve Penny telling me this is what we’re going to do, we’re going to be quiet, I’m going to listen to him. I’m not going to jeopardize my daughter’s chance of going to the Olympics.”

Neither Nichols nor Biles had gone public with the accusations beyond the reports to Team USA and, in court filings, she would be referred to as “Athlete A”. The delay in when Nichols reported the abuse and when USA Gymnastics took action is still an issue of concern.

But Nichols showed her determination and resiliency, and she did not let the abuse detour her from her goals. She was going to do everything she could to make the Olympic team, however, in April 2016, adversity struck as she tore her meniscus in training.

“It was definitely one of the worst times of my life,” Nichols said. “I’m not gonna lie. I only had a few months to get ready for the biggest competition of my life that I’d been looking forward to for forever.”

Nichols pushed forward. Despite surgery and struggles during her first meet back, at the P&G Championships in St. Louis, Maggie finished 6th in the all-around at the Olympic Trials.

“I was so proud of myself for how far I had come after my injury, but I was definitely nervous and really didn’t know what to expect,” Nichols said. “I thought for sure I had a good chance of being an alternate at least.”

Unfortunately for her, Nichols did not make the team. While many pointed to the knee injury as the reason for her omission, her mother saw other motives.

“They never wanted Maggie to be a part of the Olympics because they didn’t want someone at the Olympics who is telling people she is being molested by the Olympics staff,” Gina Nichols said in an interview with the Norman Transcript.

“We were completely abused by USA Gymnastics. They tried to keep her and everybody quiet because they couldn’t let that get out, that one of their top athletes was being molested by their doctor before going to the 2016 Olympics. It was all a part of a cover-up. It was terrible for us.

She and our family were treated horribly because she reported abuse and they did not like that.”

While the disappointment of not making the national team loomed, Maggie never let it get her down. She kept pushing forward and reset her focus.

“When I didn’t make that team, my mindset changed with a snap of a finger,” Nichols said. “I was excited to experience college life and be a college athlete. I was not going to dwell on not making the team.”

As soon as Nichols stepped on campus at the University of Oklahoma, her passion was rediscovered. The frustration of the experience with USA Gymnastics was, for 38 | April 2020

the most part, in the rearview. Gymnastics was fun again.

During her freshman season, she recorded her first gym slam, scoring a perfect 10 in all four events in one season. Nichols set the school record for perfect 10s in a career during her freshman season and was first team All-American on the vault, bars and floor. By the end of the season she had helped lead OU to its second consecutive National Championship.

More courageous than even coming forward to report the abuse in the first place, Nichols decided to put a face to “Athlete A” and go public with her experiences with Team USA.

“I felt like it was the right thing for me to do, for myself and for other people,” she said. “I felt like it would help me because I would have a lot of support and people that were behind me.

“Also, I felt like it could help other people come forward. I had so many people reach out and support me after coming out publicly, which was such an honor.

I was glad to have people to look up to me and inspire them to come forward as well. It’s definitely different than being an inspiration in athletics.”

Less than a week before her sophomore season, Nichols released her statement.

Kindler was right there with her to write the nearly 900-word revelation.

It took nearly two weeks, but it was chilling to read her words and try to understand everything she had lived through. In her statement, she wrote, “Up until now, I was identified as Athlete A by USA gymnastics, the US Olympic Committee and Michigan State University. I want everyone to know that [Nassar] did not do this to Athlete A, he did it to Maggie Nichols.”

She once again dominated college gymnastics during her sophomore campaign and ended up winning the individual allaround during both her sophomore and junior season as well. Twenty eight of OU’s 37 team scores of 198 or better have come since Nichols arrived, and the Sooners have won two national titles, coming within a whisker of a third.

She is the only gymnast in NCAA history with multiple all-around scores of 39.900.

During what would be her final meet, un-

beknownst to her, she recorded her 22nd career Perfect 10 — and nation-high fourth this season — to reach second place alltime in NCAA history, surpassing UCLA’s Kyla Ross. Nichols is six Perfect 10s away from tying the record of 28 set by UCLA’s Jamie Dantzcher.

But her career was cut short in the wildest twist possible. Fears over the spread and dangers of the coronavirus led the NCAA to cancel all spring championships, including the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournament, the college world series, the women’s college world series and the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championship.

At the time of the cancellations, the Sooners were the No. 1 team in the country, and many considered OU a favorite to repeat as national champions and for Nichols to win her third straight, all-around individual championship.

Nichols took to Instagram to express her sadness and disappointment, but she took it all in stride, focusing on the positives in her life and the impact she made in her farewell Instagram post.

“It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that I will never have the opportunity to compete for OU again with my team.... but knowing I poured my heart & soul into this sport my whole entire career and ended on a positive note eases my mind, knowing I gave it EVERYTHING I had.

Every ounce of my being.”

Nichols career as a student athlete may be over, but she will still be a part of the program.

“She has planned to be our student coach next year,” Kindler said. “She will graduate in December and she is wanting to coach. It’s in her blood, and I can see her doing that.” – 19SM

HEA LT H

BY: LINDSAY CUOMO

A Healthy Perspective Norman Physician Reflects on 30-year Career

W

hen Sherri Durica started college, she had her eyes set on a career in marine biology. However as many do, Durica decided that another field might be a better fit.

“A friend encouraged me to consider medical school and I loved it,” Durica said. “I love the science to it and getting to help people.”

Fast forward more than 30 years and, today, Durica is looking back on an extensive career as an oncologist and is preparing for retirement in April.

Durica spent much of her career working in the Norman Regional Health System and when she looks back, she says the patients and their families stand out the most.

“At the heart of what I do, I have a real interest in getting to know my patients and being a part of the team to help them.”

The doctor-patient relationship is very important to Durica.

“As an oncologist, I have been able to 44 | April 2020

help patients with significant diseases, treat them and cure their disease, but I have also been able to help those I wasn’t able to cure. I was there to help them and their families, to make that process as comfortable and less scary as possible.”

Durica says she has enjoyed working in Norman because it’s offered her a way to help the community she considers home.

“Norman is a very unique place, and I have been able to take care of the people in and around my town,” she said.

“Norman Regional has been a great place to practice. We’ve had a lot of good surgeons and doctors, and last year we opened a dedicated space for cancer treatment that has allowed us to focus even more on our patients.”

“We have everything we need in our clinic. We can do most of the outpatient procedures. We have our own lab, so we are able to really take the time to care for our patients.”

At Norman Regional Oncology and He-

matology, Durica has focused on adults with cancer and blood diseases, an area she chose because the conditions affect a person’s whole body.

“Rather than specialize in one area of the body, we take care of pretty much everything,” Durica said. “There have been a lot of great advancements, especially in the treatment of breast cancer and lung cancer. We now have medications that can treat patients that would have needed a bone marrow transplant before.”

Even with all of the advancement, Durica said she believes the most important aspect moving forward should be in prevention.

“It is really exciting to see new therapies like immuno- and gene therapy, but those are really expensive. I think we can and should get better at primary prevention.”

“I’d also like to see better early detection as well,” she added.

Outside of her professional role, Durica has worked on several community

boards and currently serves on the Norman Regional Foundation’s scholarship committee. She also has been a longtime volunteer with Scouts BSA, for which she was honored with the Harold R. Belknap Heart of Gold Award in 2010.

The Harold R. Belknap Heart of Gold Award is given to a physician who promotes a sense of community pride and dedicates significant time to the development of the next generation of leaders and healthcare providers.

Durica was a patrol adviser for Troop 777 and continues to serve as a merit badge counselor, also making yearly trips to Philmont, a Scout camp in New Mexico, as a doctor for the group and an adult adviser.

When Durica officially retires this month, Norman Regional Oncology will have four physicians: Dr. Shannon Haenel, Dr. Kristin Thorp, Dr. Shari Jones and Dr. Namali Pierson. To learn more about the care options available at the cancer center, visit normanregional.com. – 19SM

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