He’d started his shift at the Colvin Recreation Center, monitoring the gym. Every 30 minutes, Gensler and his coworkers switch spots to keep things moving. While walking to a new spot, Gensler spotted his friend and classmate Josh Johnston playing basketball.
Kolsten said “hi” before leaving the courts.
About 30 minutes later, Kolsten was back in the gym performing CPR on his friend.
Johnston collapsed after suffering from cardiac arrest. At first Gensler thought Johston might have been having a seizure, but he quickly realized the situation was far worse.
“I immediately started doing CPR,” Gensler said. “I was just doing it; I would do the chest compression and I breathed into him, and nothing was happening. So I just kept doing it and finally he had a sign of life, like a short breath.”
Gensler fought back tears as he tried to save his friend, even slapping him in the face to try and revive him.
“I slapped him in the face a few times like ‘Josh, you got to get up, bro, you can’t do this to me right now,’” Gensler said.
After eight rounds of CPR, another student worker, Dominic Vaccarello, took over and Halle Dugan placed AED patches on Johnston. Eventually, OSUPD officer Briana Page arrived at the scene, taking over for Vaccarello, Dugan and Gensler.
Johnston was taken to Stillwater Medical Center and eventually transported to Oklahoma City. He was in a coma for 24 hours.
Gensler said he believes God put him in a position to help Johnston. While changing positions in the gym, Gensler stopped to talk with a coworker and a couple of minutes later Johnston went down.
“God must have put me in that situation to be able to be there for him,” Gensler said. “I wasn’t even supposed to be there. I don’t know why I was put there.”
Johnston is recovering and now has an implantable cardioventricular defibrillator. Johnston said he doesn’t remember anything about passing out and still experiences issues with short-term memory, but he’s ready to graduate Saturday.
“I don’t really remember any of it, and I was healthy and in good shape, and it happened to me,”
Johnston said. “So I guess it can happen to anybody. I’m just grateful I’m still here to share my story.”
Even though Johnston experienced the emergency, he said he couldn’t imagine how Gensler felt.
“You really wouldn’t want your friend to be there in that moment,”
Johnston said. “For me, I would need a lot to process seeing a buddy down on the ground.”
Gensler was honored alongside five others at a ceremony April 28.
Gensler said he appreciated the award, but all that mattered to him was saving his friend.
“I’m just happy he’s alive,”
Gensler said. “I could have been at his funeral that day, and I wasn’t.”
Gensler and Johnston are preparing to graduate on Saturday with degrees in accounting. Both plan to continue their schooling postgraduation.
Employment Opportunities at the O’Colly
The O’Colly is looking for students that need part-time employment during the summer and fall semesters. We have writer, photographer, graphic artists, sales and social media positions available for those interested.
Stop by room 106 of the Paul Miller building.
City of Stillwater swears in police chief
and accolades. Hassig has 18 years of experience working for the Houston Police Department. As captain, he was in charge of more than 160 employees.
The new Stillwater Police Department chief stood tall with his right hand raised, facing a judge.
In front of the mayor, city council members and police personnel of his future department, Chief Christopher Hassig was sworn in for his official oath by Judge Tanya Raun. Hassig promised to uphold and defend the constitution while performing his duties to the best of his ability.
Deputy City Manager Christy Driskel introduced Hassig at Monday’s city council meeting an hour later.
Driskel spoke of the extensive process of searching for a new chief before landing on Hassig. Through a nationwide search and several interview rounds, City Manager Brady Moore and Driskel were excited to choose him for the role.
“When I called to offer him (the job), Brady and I were quite excited when he said ‘Absolutely, I am in. Stillwater is where I want to be,’” Driskel said.
Hassig was announced to be the next police chief March 13. He replaced Shannon Jordan, the previous police chief of more than 32 years, who retired in January.
In Driskel’s introduction, she focused on Hassig’s past achievements
Hassig also served as a frontline supervisor of patrol administration and was part of several units. Hassig’s background allowed him to stand out in the competitive application process.
“When we take a look at why the process was complex, it’s because we wanted to stand here tonight and introduce our future leader of our Stillwater Police Department to take an already wonderful and amazing department of sworn-in civilians, personnel and law enforcement professionals to the next level,” Driskel said.
Hassig thanked the city of Stillwater for the opportunity and said he was looking forward to becoming a member of the community while also leading the department. As a police officer in the 21st century, he said, making connections with the community is a huge part of the job.
“You’re out there keeping the community safe, you’re fighting crimes when it’s necessary, but you’re also building relationships,” he said. “... You want to make sure that you’re out there going to the schools, going to the parks, having a robust community-oriented department. I think Stillwater has all of that, and I look forward to taking it and going even further.”
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Vatican elects first American pope
White smoke billowed out of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, signaling the election of a new pope.
Cardinal Robert Prevost will adopt the name Leo XIV as his papal name.
The Chicago-born missionary is the first pope from the United States in the history of the Catholic Church.
Pope Leo XIV is known for his missionary work in Peru and for various leadership positions in Rome.
Pope Leo XIV is from the U.S., but his connections run closer to home.
Leo XIV served two years on the board of directors for Cascia Hall Preparatory School in Tulsa from 1999 to 2001, According to News On 6.
Pope Leo XIV was chosen after less than two days of deliberation by the papal conclave and appeared on the St. Peter’s Basilica balcony to cheers from the crowd. He delivered his speech in Italian, praising Pope Francis and sharing a message of unity.
“God loves us, God loves us all,” Pope Leo XIV said. “Evil will not prevail; we are in the hands of God. Let us go forward without fear, hand in hand, as disciples of Christ. The world needs light. Humanity needs light.”
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Courtesy OSU
When Josh Johnston (far right) collapsed at the Colvin Recreation Center, OSU students (from left) Dominic Vaccarello and Kolsten Gensler stepped in to help.
Pope
Courtesy Stillwater Police Department
Christopher Hassig was previously the captain of the Houston Police Department.
Bucket
“The only standard it had to meet was whenever someone saw what we were doing, they would say ‘Holy unemployed,’” Settle said with a humorous grin.
In a few months, the duo collectively joined the Moose Lodge Fraternity, chatted with a senator, attended a protest, toured Philips 66 and talked with an oil rep, hung out with the owner of an Oklahoma horse breeding ranch and swam in his pool, attended multiple jazz recitals, participated in a flash mob, toured every fire station in Stillwater, took a picture with the Stillwater police chief, went to a helicopter convention and sat through a court trial all in the name of the bucket list.
“Going to do something… it’s refreshing,” Anderson said. “It’s like a new wind.”
The two agreed that the people they met along the way was one of the standout reasons why this bucket list endeavor was worth it.
“We’re not just going and asking for something and leaving (people), we are definitely trying to hear their stories,” Anderson said.
The list led them beyond Stillwater’s borders. Settle made the trip to the Oklahoma State Capitol to speak with Senator Randy Grellner from District 21, serving Payne and Creek counties. How did Settle schedule this meeting? He emailed and asked nicely.
“Senator Randy Grellner, that guy was awesome,” Settle said. “The big thing he reiterated was that success did not come from worldly things. Whenever you tell them you’re doing this bucket list thing, it’s something not a lot of people hear. (Grellner) emailed me after and told me it was a breath of fresh air, getting to talk about something besides state politics.”
Settle also had a long day at the Payne County Courthouse, showing up in a full suit and tie to watch a trial.
“I was the only one that was not in shorts and a T-shirt,” Settle said. “It was kind of nerve wracking, because I felt a little weird.”
But Settle shoved through the nerves and waited to approach an attorney.
It happened to be Luke Anthony, a top-rated criminal defense attorney in Oklahoma. There is no other scenario where these two men would naturally meet and converse; and yet, there they were, talking about hiking the Appalachian Mountains and keeping one’s mind open about future careers.
“The biggest thing that came from all from all this stuff… infinite confidence,” Settle said. “All you have to do is ask, because there is no loss, absolutely no loss.
“If you show any bit of interest into what people are doing, their careers or livelihood, they’re more than willing to talk to you.” Anderson said.
Anderson especially took a liking to all the little moments in their adventures — the in-betweens, the shared laughter and the many kind-hearted people they met along the way. Anderson’s personal favorite: playing bingo at the Stillwater Moose Lodge and then becoming members.
“Yeah, we want to go play bingo, and there’s the most exhilarating three hours of my life,” Anderson said. “We met four or five people that night, and they were all really cool.”
Anderson is positive that he could call up his new adult friends and they would heartily say “When and where?” to any request. In graduation season, seniors can get bogged down by the anxieties of adulting, and fear of the unknown makes any leap of faith feel daunting. But the naivete of being young is a privilege that the pair is determined not to waste.
“I think there’s a big sort of stigma around ‘This is your lane. This is what you’re supposed to do. Just do that,’” Anderson said. “But it’s worth it to meet new people. It’s worth it to hear their stories and see what happens, and it’s just not that serious.”
Although the physical bucket list might slowly disappear as Settle and Anderson head into post-grad life, the bucket list mindset is not likely to fade.
“I’ll definitely keep the mindset of you can walk into a building… and learn so much from just doing that,”
Settle said.
“I just need to go and keep on trying to do new things,” Anderson said. “If I don’t do this thing now… it’ll never happen.”
Settle and Anderson had nothing to lose and everything to discover from the bucket list.
The two will watch as the last few grains in the college hourglass trickle to an end on graduation. Yet, as one thing ends another one begins, and there are plenty of “first times” still to be discovered.
“I think there’s a joy and something to be said about not knowing what is next,” Anderson said.
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The new Avengers: ‘Thunderbolts*’ reignites fans’ passion for MCU
Review
Marvel is back.
The rumors are true: “Thunderbolts*” — sorry the “*New Avengers” — is the best Marvel film of Phase 5. It’s the team-up no one asked for but fans quickly fell in love with. This ragtag group of antiheroes steals more than just hearts as it delivers an emotionally charged plot.
“Thunderbolts*” steps away from the quirky quips of newer Marvel films for a more emotionally thought-out plot. It’s therapy, but with action. Every scene is intentional and builds to the film’s ultimate theme of togetherness. Each antihero is broken, but when they come together they are strong enough to withstand their pasts and trauma.
The lack of explosive superpowers and fancy capes does not take away from action. In fact it adds to it. The characters in “Thunderbolts*” rely more on brute strength and tactical skills allowing for fewer CGI battles and adding a layer of realism. Florence Pugh, who plays Yelena Belova, takes the realism to a new level with a “Mission Impossible” style stunt, jumping from Merdeka 118, the second-tallest building in the world.
Pugh’s performance is raw as her character grapples with loneliness and lack of direction. She crashes through life until she meets Bob (Lewis Pullman), someone as equally broken, but kind. She finds purpose in protecting him and eventually others.
Each character is working through something in this film with some more mentally sound than others. The Red Guardian (David Harbour) wants to be known again, but fails to be there for his daughter. He eventually gets his moment delivering a sweet and encouraging speech to Yelena.
John Walker (Wyatt Russel) is
back and snarkier than ever. However later it is revealed that his wife and son have left him. During the course of the film Walker goes from loner to teammate, finally allowing others in.
Ghost, or Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen) and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) were left on the backburner during the film. Taskmaster for obvious reasons, if you’ve seen the film, and Ghost because I don’t think they knew what to do with her. Her lack of character arc was my only issue the film.
Sebastian Stan is back as fanfavorite Bucky Barnes. He’s a congressman who can’t handle the bureaucratic jargon of the courts and thankfully teams up with the Thunderbolts to take down Valentina, the Marvel Universe’s political Wizard of Oz.
Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), in another manipulative move, attempts to get her cultivated assets Walker, Yelena, Taskmaster and Ghost to kill each other in a massive cover-up. Turns out she was trying to create a superhero, Sentry — aka Robert Reynolds, aka Bob.
I love Bob; like the Thunderbolts, we must protect him at all costs. Bob is a human that Valentina attempted to turn into a superhero. She succeeds, but sadly, Bob’s powers have a dark side. Bob signed up for Valentina’s experimental serum to escape his life of abuse. His trauma manifests as the Void, an entity that consumes everything in darkness. The Void is one of the scariest villains Marvel has put to screen. When the void consumes people, it leaves shadows reminiscent of nuclear shadows. Lucky for Bob, Yelena has found a purpose: protecting him. After he transforms into the Void, she allows the darkness to swallow her. In the Void, she fights through memories to reach Bob; eventually, the others follow. They save Bob and emerge as a team.
“Thunderbolts*” is an excellent film that breathes fresh air into the Marvel filmography. It’s setting fans up for “Secret Wars” and kickstarting the next phase of the MCU, but at its heart, the film is a story about love, perseverance and the power of
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Courtesy Creative Commons
“Thunderbolts*” is winning at the box office and reigniting fans’ faith in the MCU.
Photo name
David Anderson and Sam Settle had multiple bucket list items including talking to a state senator.
How Davis went from basketball star to NCAA’s leading reciever
FBY CALIF PONCY I ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR I
or most of his life, Terrill Davis wanted to be a basketball player.
Football never even entered his mind. Four years before leading the NCAA in receiving yards with 1,609 and scoring 15 touchdowns, Davis had never played a competitive game of football. Now he’s a member of a wide-open Oklahoma State football receiver room and has plans to play in the NFL.
And had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic, it never would’ve happened.
“My junior going into senior year (of high school), all the basketball gyms were closed, so all we had was football
fields around,” Davis said. “So I’d go out there with some of the guys on the team and they were just doing one-on-ones and stuff, and I was getting in it.”
Davis’ friend, former Oklahoma safety Jordan Mukes, convinced Davis to give football a try. Until that point, not only had he not played football, he’d turned down Jake Corbin, the coach at Choctaw High School, for years.
As a star shooting guard on Choctaw’s basketball team, Davis’ athleticism was clear. He would regularly soar through the air for dunks and layups. His athletic style of play led MaxPreps to rank him the No. 24 recruit in Oklahoma.
It also led to Corbin tirelessly recruit-
commissioner.
Yormark’s contract extension an undoubted win for Big 12
Ever since Brett Yormark assumed the role of Big 12 Conference Commissioner on June 29, 2022, he’s been forward-facing for the conference, always.
He declared the Big 12 “open for business” in his opening address at Big 12 Media Days in July 2022 after
taking over for Bob Bowlsby. Since then, he’s helped integrate BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston into the conference — a deal that Bowlsby instigated — and landed a six-year television contract with ESPN and Fox on Oct. 30, 2022 that ultimately led to the additions of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah as the Pac-12 disintegrated. The first domino of the Big 12’s additions and the Pac-12’s demise, of course, was the announcement of Oklahoma and Texas’ eventual departure, which happened July 1.
ing Davis to play on the football team.
“I mean, it was a three-year process,” Corbin said. “You could tell his athleticism on the court. When you’d go and watch him, it wasn’t very difficult to see that he could transition that talent from basketball to the football field.”
Davis’ athleticism jumped off the court long before it jumped off the field, and he planned on using it to play basketball at the next level.
He was a starter on his AAU team, AET. Alongside former Creighton star and current Denver Nuggets guard Trey Alexander, Davis worked to secure his future on the hardwood.
“Those times were the times that
really put my work ethic in me,” Davis said. “I used to dang near stay with Trey and his pops. They work hard. I see why he’s in the league, because the work ethic they got is different than everybody else.”
Davis spent countless days and nights with Alexander and his dad, Steve, honing his craft. His work with AET led to the team’s invitation to a tournament in Orlando, Florida, at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. Behind Trey and Davis, AET finished third in the national tournament.
Watching idols helped Bodendorf find success, become OSU pitcher
Any time Harrison Bodendorf attended Major League Baseball games during his youth, he found himself in repetition.
Residing in Temecula, California, the Bodendorf family was within driving distance of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Anaheim Angels, San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics.
But the shortest drive was to San Diego.
Harrison and his parents, David and Cheryl, became regulars. Padres legends Will Myers and Justin Upton were fixtures of his childhood. Quickly, he learned the ins and outs of what’s now PetCo Park. It was conflicting for Bodendorf, an avid Giants fan. Still, he made the most of it.
Bodendorf spent that time analyzing form, delivery and general pitch technique anytime the MLB greats passed through old AT&T Park.
Courtesy @terrilldavis_ via Instagram
Terrill Davis, the nation’s leading reciever at UCO, had dreams of playing college basketball before finding football.
See DAVIS on page 2B
Brett Yormark (right) signed a three-year extension to remain the Big 12 Conference’s
Bryson Thadhani
Harrison Bodendorf grew up watching San Diego Padres pitchers Will Myers and Justin Upton.
Bodendorf
When he and his family arrived back home, he’d do the same from his living room couch when the Giants played — not to create a carbon copy replica of their technique, but for the sake of fine-tuning his game.
It’s paying off.
In his junior season with Oklahoma State baseball, after spending his first two college years at Hawaii, Bodendorf has surged to become the Cowboys’ ace pitcher. Through 12 starts and 13 total appearances, Bodendorf has posted a 2.63 ERA — No. 40 nationally and fourthbest in the Big 12 — to go with 81 strikeouts and a .190 batting average against through 68⅓ innings.
He’s been the silver lining for an otherwise fluctuating OSU team this season.
“He’s a gamer,” Cowboys catcher Ian Daugherty said. “He’s calm and cool on the outside. But when you get to know him, he’s one of the fiercest competitors you’ll ever meet.”
Bodendorf’s dynamic left-handed changeup with big league-caliber movement, complemented with a stellar curveball, stands out. So does his pitch ability and general baseball IQ. But above all else, his ability to “be his own person,” OSU coach Josh Holliday said, is nonparalleled.
“I’ve never really been one to idolize players,” Bodendorf said in an interview with The O’Colly. “This might sound bad, but I never tried to mimic people or players like that. I’d look at technique and all that, but I’d never try to mimic them when I was pitching.
“I always wanted to be my own version of myself. Not basing my skillset or game off someone else. I always enjoyed watching them. That was always fun. But I really just wanted to be as good as, if not better than, them more than anything.”
Bodendorf listed Barry Zito and Madison Bumgarner — both of whom pitched for the Giants — as his two favorite Major Leaguers growing up. Both are multi-year All-Stars. Both are crafty left-handed pitchers. And both showcased wicked lefty changeups.
Sound familiar?
Still, Bodendorf never delved into the art of copying a professional. Instead, he tweaked some things on his end and applied them moving forward.
First, he altered the way he gripped his breaking pitches. But he maintained his throwing motion.
Second, he grew fond of Bumgarner’s moxie on the mound. But he built a balance of that and his game-day persona.
What didn’t change, he said, was his drive to be the best. Better than anyone he stepped onto a baseball diamond with. Even better than Bumgarner and Zito — one day, at
least.
“My curveball was already my go-to pitch during that time,”
Bodendorf said. “The (changeup) was in development. But from my perspective, I was thinking, ‘Well, Bumgarner and Zito do this in the Big Leagues, so I want to try doing this.’
“I never tried to throw exactly like them, but I applied what they did to my game.”
It paid dividends. Now, even his teammates are uneasy about facing him during live at-bat practices.
“That’s one of the nastiest lefty changeups I’ve ever faced,” OSU right fielder Nolan Schubart said. “It looks like it’s starting out, and then it comes in on you so quickly that you feel like you don’t have any time to react to it. It’s a scary pitch to face as a hitter. It’s one of the best ones I’ve seen from a (college) pitcher.”
Schubart said he bested Bodendorf during fall camp. Teammates echoed Bodendorf’s contradiction of that sentiment.
Schubart isn’t the only reigning All-American whom Bodendorf has dominated this season.
Texas A&M’s Jace LaViolette, a consensus first-round projection in the MLB Draft this summer, went 0 for 2 against Bodendorf. Louisville’s Lucas Moore, a .380 hitter thus far, was hitless. Kansas slugger Brady Ballinger was held to one hit.
Now, heading into a pivotal threegame road set at Baylor, which starts Friday at 6:30 p.m., the Cowboys (22-21, 10-11 Big 12) will need Bodendorf to continue to be himself on the mound.
With a hot streak over the final two weeks of regular season play essential for OSU to attain a 12th-straight at-large regional bid, Bodendorf’s success will be paramount.
“Harrison is simply an outstanding pitcher; I wouldn’t want to face him, I can tell you that,” Holliday said. “He’s just so tough on opposing hitters, which makes him a valuable asset for us, obviously.
“Harrison is a guy we can count on to go pitch us 110 to 120 pitches each game, and each time he goes out there, we’re confident that we’ll win. He’s such an elite competitor that the moment never gets too big for him, and that’s a rare thing to find today.”
But above all else, Bodendorf said he finds solace in being able to pitch alongside his teammates for at least two more weeks.
“At the end of the day, I’m just going to go out and compete for my team,” Bodendorf said. “I know I’m good enough to help my teammates, and I’ll do that at all costs, even if I end up having a little Bumgarner or Zito in me that day.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
OSU baseball’s offense heating up down the stretch
CALIF PONCY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @PONCYCALIF
For parts of the season, Oklahoma State baseball’s offense has struggled.
Over a 10-game stretch from April 11-27, OSU scored four runs or fewer seven times. With an inconsistent pitching staff, OSU often needed its offense to carry it for stretches. Sometimes, it would, but often, the offense was just as underwhelming as the pitching.
But over the last few weeks, OSU’s offense has morphed into the form most expected it to be at the start of the season. The Cowboys scored 16 runs against Dallas Baptist, 12 and 10 against UCF and nine against Houston. Whatever their offensive woes have been for most of the season, the Cowboys seem to have solved the ailment, at least for now.
And based on what OSU coach Josh Holliday said earlier this season, the fact that his Cowboys have been able to string together good offensive showings makes all the sense in the world.
“I can’t put it into words clear enough what relaxing does versus pressing,” Holliday said after OSU’s win over Louisville. “We were clearly pressing early yesterday, then we relaxed... once you relax, you start laying off those pitches, start taking walks, start hitting the ball the other way, quit trying so hard.”
After a long stretch of pressing, it appears the Cowboys have finally relaxed.
Freshman Brock Thompson dominated UCF, hitting three home runs and going 4-of-8 during OSU’s series with the Knights. Collin Brueggemann and Jayson Jones also went yard on the Knights.
Thompson’s emergence has come right as the Cowboys needed it. Despite Jones’ home run against UCF, he has been inconsistent at the plate this season, hitting just .253, a marked improvement from his .195 average at Arkansas over the past two seasons. Thompson hasn’t been a model of efficiency in his own right, but his explosiveness as
a batter has been a solid addition to OSU’s lineup.
Kollin Ritchie has also been solid, hitting above .230 in each of OSU’s last eight games. OSU’s up-and-comers have been helpful to the team’s offensive improvement, but it has been a familiar face that has led the charge. Brueggemann’s return to form is the most important of any of the listed group. Jones and Thompson are both known for their defensive prowess, and while Brueggemann is a solid player on the defensive end, he does most of his work at the plate. Now, after a rough patch, Brueggemann is back to his best.
“You’d love to stay hot all year from start to finish, but that’s tough,” Holliday said. “... I think he’s on the right pitches now. Maybe at times during that little stretch, he’d try to hit some pitches out of the zone that weren’t ideal for his swing. So I think he’s on the right pitches. That’s what I’d see a difference in.”
On the season, Brueggemann has been OSU’s best offensive player, hitting .319 on the year with 12 home runs, which seems to grow with each passing game. Brueggemann has gone through his slumps this season, and when he’s down, OSU tends to be down as well.
As this season has gone on, it has become clear that OSU’s offense goes as Brueggemann goes.
In OSU’s five highest-scoring games of the season, Brueggemann has gotten on base in each of them. He hit home runs in four of them. With OSU’s offense trending in the right direction, it’s no surprise that Brueggemann is back in the swing of things.
Now, as the games get more important and OSU’s season hangs on by a thread, the offense is playing as well as it has all season. With Brueggemann playing well and the offense following suit, the Cowboys have a chance to get hot at the right time.
“Hits are contagious,” Brueggemann said. “Guys at the top of the order set the tone. Guys one through nine have good ABs. Guys just not letting the first pitch dictate their ABs.”
Kaytlyn Hayes
Collin Brueggemann has led the Cowboys to an offensive turnaround as the postseason approaches.
Payton Little
Harrison Bodendorf has become
Top OSU sports storylines from the year
GERL SPORTS EDITOR @PARKER_GERL
There were highs and lows for Oklahoma State athletics in the 202425 school year.
One of the strangest football seasons ever; a national title in one of OSU’s biggest sports; and a non-football event at Boone Pickens Stadium. There was a lot to cover during the past year.
Here’s a look at the five biggest OSU sports stories from the 2024-25 school year:
Hendrickson’s big win Daniel Cormier — a former OSU wrestler turned UFC Champion — said it twice in a shocked voice on ESPN’s broadcast.
“Wyatt Hendrickson just beat Gable Steveson!... Oh my god!”
In what’s regarded as the biggest upset in college wrestling history, the Cowboys’ Hendrickson stunned Olympic gold medalist and Minne -
A TRIUMPHED END!
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering , and the time of my departure Is at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day, and not to me only but to all who have loved His appearing.”. (2 Tim.4:6-8 NKJ)
Here is a man who has lived a life in serving the Lord Jesus and others. He is in a prison cell, expecting his execution at any time. According to history, Paul was beheaded at Rome.
In his last words to a young man and minister, Timothy; Paul was looking ahead to greater and lasting judgement that would come from Christ himself. A
well done to a good and faithful servant. We all can take encouragement from his life of service to the Lord and his vision of something much better that awaited him.
As Jesus neared the end of his life. He prayed:to God “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do. And now, O Father, glorify me...with the glory which I had with you before the world was.”
(Jn.17:4-5 NKJ)
Brother and Sister in Christ: Let us set our goal for a triumphed ending by finishing the work God has called us to do. If it be large or small to our eyes; no matter! Let’s be faithful to that calling and receive a greatly blessed entery into the eternal presence of God. Remember, this life is not the end. It is only a short beginning that will last for eternity.
sota wrestler Gable Steveson 5-4 in the heavyweight final, becoming the second OSU wrestler to win a national title since 2005 after teammate Dean Hamiti won the 174-pound title earlier that day.
Cormier’s partner, Jordan Burroughs, called Hendrickson’s win “the biggest upset in the history of the NCAA.”
Gundy’s reported standoff with OSU OSU football almost launched its first coaching search in 20 years.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported in December that Mike Gundy, OSU’s all-time winningest coach, was in a “standoff” with OSU about his future. Thamel reported that OSU “discussed firing (Gundy) for cause if he doesn’t agree to the new contract,” which included a pay cut.
Gundy eventually accepted the amended contract with a reduced salary and buyout. The contract also includes a clause that requires Gundy to be more involved in fundraising and donor initiatives.
If Gundy hadn’t agreed to a pay cut, OSU was prepared to “terminate his existing deal and launch a head coaching search,” according to Pete Nakos of On3. That would have left the Cowboys without the man who has built their program and recorded 10 AP top-20 finishes.
Cowgirl basketball’s turnaround
There wasn’t a better coaching job in Stillwater this year than Jacie Hoyt’s 2024-25 bounce-back.
After finishing 14-16 and missing the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24, Hoyt’s Cowgirls responded with a
25-7 season and a 17-1 home record.
OSU also picked up its first 25-win season since 2013-14.
The Cowgirls defeated TCU for their first Top-10 win since 2017 and entered the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2018.
All around, Hoyt put on a coaching clinic and showed that bouncing back from a dreadful season in the NIL era is feasible.
‘The Boys from Oklahoma’ shows Boone Pickens Stadium wasn’t just a football stadium in April.
OSU Athletics successfully held a four-day Red Dirt country music festival at BPS, with its shows benefiting OSU’s NIL fund. That seemed to have worked well, as OSU was a big-time buyer in the spring football transfer portal and men’s and women’s basketball.
The concert was initially set to be a one-day event, but ticket demand skyrocketed, leading to three extra days being added.
Cowboy football’s shocking season
Expectations were ultra-high for OSU football coming into 2024; but the Cowboys couldn’t sniff them.
After a 10-4 season in 2023 with a Big 12 Championship Game appearance and most of its starters returning — including Ollie Gordon II after he led the nation in rushing — OSU was considered one of the favorites to win the Big 12.
Instead, the Cowboys flopped, going 3-9 and winless in conference play. It marked Gundy’s worst season as coach.
Charles White
OSU wrestler Wyatt Hendrickson (left) made history by defeating Minnesota’s Gable Steveson in what many view as the biggest upset in NCAA wrestling history.
PARKER
Connor Fuxa
Jacie Hoyt coached OSU women’s basketball to its first 25-win season since 2013-14. sports.ed@ocolly.com
