POSSE December 2009

COWBOY COWBOY BASEBALL BASEBALL

& the & the Cincinnati Cincinnati Kid Kid

L INCOLN M ERCURYL INCOLN GMC M ERCURYB UICKGMC P ONTIAC

B UICK P ONTIAC

LETTER«from»MIKE

contributors OSU Athletics made a splash nationally this fall.

Our football team finished with a 9-4 record, played in the Holiday Bowl and featured two consensus All American players. We also finished the first season in Boone Pickens Stadium with the Wild West Zone, setting several attendance records along the way. Your support of the Cowboys made BPS one of the toughest places in the Big 12 for opposing teams to win.

We’re in the middle of an exciting spring with our nationally ranked baseball, tennis and track teams, our softball team, the wrestling team, our men’s and women’s basketball teams and the equestrian team all already into their seasons. If you’re an OSU Athletics fan, there’s plenty to keep you entertained.

Now is also the time to start thinking about season football tickets for the coming fall, and to renew your membership to the POSSE. Both of these actions are vital to keeping our teams competitive.

Thank you for your support, and we’ll see you at the game.

Go Pokes.

POSSE DIRECTOR Jason Penry EVENT COORDINATOR Brandon Armstrong DONOR RELATIONS Ellen Ayres PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR Clay Billman ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT Stephanie Boese CLUB SEAT COORDINATOR Matt Grantham PREMIUM SERVICES Karyl Henry PROJECT MANAGER Shawn Taylor ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT ENROLLMENT & MARKETING Kyle Wray EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Cory Cheney ART DIRECTOR|DESIGNER Kim Butcher DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Phil Shockley CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Gary Lawson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Clay Billman, Matt Elliott, Kevin Klintworth PHOTO CREDITS Phil Shockley: 9, 10, 14, 16, 20, 24, 26-31, 46, 64, 68, 70, 71, 80, 82 Gary Lawson: 5, 6, 13, 29, 52, 53, 74, 76 ADVERTISING: 405.744.7301 EDITORIAL: 405.744.7192 OSU POSSE 102 ATHLETICS CENTER STILLWATER, OK 74078-5070 P: 405.744.7301 / 877.2B.POSSE F: 405.744.9084 WWW.OKSTATEPOSSE.COM POSSE@OKSTATE.EDU The Oklahoma State University Athletic Department would like to thank John Clerico for his vision and dedication to our athletic programs. His generosity has made POSSE magazine possible.

the PLAYBOOK Cover photo by Phil Shockley

FEATURES 26. ESPN GAMEDAY: WELCOME TO THE BIG TIME 36. THE DOUG GOTTLIEB SHOW 42. FOOTBALL: SENSATIONAL SEASON 50. COWBOY BASEBALL SEASON PREVIEW 60. FALL '08 WALL OF HONOR 68. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: SPEAKING OF SHAUNTE´ 74. MEN'S BASKETBALL: TERREL HARRIS

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WWW.OKSTATE.COM

the PLAYBOOK

DEPARTMENTS 08. ADMINISTRATOR’S CORNER 12. THE DONORS: DENNIS WING 16. FIRST & 10: TRAVIS FORD 20. THE DONORS: LEW MEIBERGEN 22. THE 150 82. WRAY-VINGS

COMPLIANCE As a father of a toddler I often think that I am wiped out at the end of my day. However, if I were to compare my daily activities to that of our student-athletes, it simply pales in comparison. For most of our student-athletes, many mornings start with a workout at a time that I would never ever consider getting out of bed. After pushing themselves to their breaking point for an hour or more, it is off to class. With few exceptions, the NCAA requires that a student-athlete be enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours, but with current progress-towards-degree requirements in place, many student-athletes choose to take more than the required minimum.

Once classes conclude in the early afternoon, it is off to the training room to get ready for practice.

Coaches are allowed to require up to 20 hours of practice a week (strength and conditioning included), but the good news is they must also provide at least one day off per week. After practice and film, it is time for a quick dinner before heading off to the Joe & Connie Mitchell Academic Center to work with a devoted staff of advisers, tutors and facilitators who make sure each student-athlete is keeping up with their mountains of class work.

As if this was not enough, you still have to factor in the frequent road trips for away competitions that each bring a tremendous amount of make-up work.

What I have described above is just what is required of our studentathletes. Most go above and beyond by volunteering their time to various community service projects in addition to the countless hours of voluntary time devoted to individual practice and film study. Don’t know about you, but I would be laid up in bed for a month if I tried to keep up their pace for more than a week!

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6 02.03

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admin’s corner » words by: CRAIG CLEMONS

In mid-January, the Sporting News released their way-too-early 2009 football preseason rankings. The list was either the sixth or seventh (it’s hard to keep count) poll that has the Cowboys ranked in the Top Ten. There is a strong chance we may debut in the Associated Press poll higher than we have ever have in the program’s 108-year history. With the return of Zac Robinson, Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant, pollsters have three good reasons to justify such a lofty ranking to start the season.

Other good reasons for this high level of enthusiasm, locally and nationally: How about the official grand opening of Boone Pickens Stadium this fall?

When I started with OSU in 2002 to lead the Next Level Campaign, I began to envision what subcontractors would be hammering finishing nails in right now. Surpassing many individuals’ wildest expectations, Oklahoma State now boasts a state-ofthe-art stadium second to none.

Many individuals share in seeing this vision through to completion, starting with our OSU Regents, former Athletic Directors Terry Don Phillips and Harry Birdwell, architect Gary Sparks, OSU Foundation President Kirk Jewell and VP of University Relations Gary Clark, campaign chairs Nancy Ellis and Ross McKnight, Coach Mike Holder and, drum roll please ... Boone Pickens!

Besides Mr. Pickens, 1273 donors stepped up through contributions, suite leases and club level seats. All of these Cowboys should be proud of what has been accomplished. We now have a spectacular setting in which to enjoy Cowboy football.

And how about our schedule? We have eight home games in 2009 (the most in history), starting with SEC powerhouse Georgia on Labor Day weekend. It should be a game of ranked teams with great national interest. You can almost feel the buzz already.

Speaking of buzz, has the Grambling band ever

disappointed? They’ll be fun to watch in September. Texas Tech and Texas are back in Stillwater. There have been a number of “edge of seat” contests with these ranked teams in recent years, and now it is our turn to come out on top. Two other schools from Texas, Houston and Rice, come to town. Led by impressive offenses, both won bowl games in 2008. Big 12 North schools Missouri and Colorado round out our home conference schedule.

Then there is the energy and gameday environment. More and more students are attending, wearing orange and cheering loudly. This factor, coupled with the Spirit Squad, OSU marching band and expanded family fun zone in close proximity – has the new “Wild West Zone” rockin'. The stadium is definitely louder and more intimidating for opponents; we are closing in on a GallagherIba-type atmosphere for football games.

All of these things lead me to believe that we will build on last year’s record for season ticket sales. As a POSSE member, we appreciate your commitment to the program; however, if you don’t have season tickets, please plan on purchasing them.

Don’t miss this historic season.

If you had season tickets last year, THANK YOU! You assisted in making history. For the first time ever, the Pokes drew more than 50,000 fans for threestraight home games.

Season tickets sales are the lifeblood of OSU Athletics. By purchasing season tickets you are sending the message that you are committed to the success of Oklahoma State Athletics, its seventeen other varsity sports and all student-athletes. (Entirely selfsupporting, the OSU Athletic Department receives no state funds.)

My message to you is simple: Get in the game ... or ... Stay in the game. There has never been a better time to be a Cowboy.

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT ORANGE! Craig Clemons

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Photograph by Phil Shockley

Photograph by Phil Shockley

the donors

Under his

WING “They think that It seems to be a recurring when athletes theme with our donors. get scholarships, someone magically pays for that. But the athletic department has to pay for it. So I think it’s important to have those scholarships endowed.”

— Dennis Wing

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02.03

A lot of them never planned on attending Oklahoma State. Dennis Wing didn’t. His dream was to play baseball for Arizona State.

“Like a lot of people in Oklahoma, I grew up a huge OU fan,” says Wing. “I liked their football and baseball team, but I’d always dreamed of going to Arizona State and playing baseball.”

Even then, his path to OSU was anything but straight. He didn’t start out at Arizona State after high school.

That summer, he went to the Air Force Academy.

“I fell and broke my back the fi rst summer I was there,” says Wing. He left the Academy and returned home to Tahlequah and enrolled at Northeastern State for a year. He had to have an operation on his pitching arm, so he thought his pitching career was probably over, but it didn’t stop him from wanting to attend Arizona State.

So he planned a trip to Arizona to enroll. His former brother-in-law intervened on OSU’s behalf.

POSSE 09

“He said, ‘why don’t you go by Stillwater and take a look.’ I said, ‘why would I want to do that?’ But I did, and I just fell in love with the campus. Soon as I drove on, it felt like home. I liked the campus so much, I never even went to Arizona State to look at it.”

The beginning of his baseball career at OSU was just as serendipitous. While on that visit to campus, Wing stopped by the new head baseball coach’s office. Coach Gary Ward just happened to be there.

They talked about Wing’s pitching background and Ward agreed to let Wing try out for the team.

“The fi rst day of class, I didn’t know they’d started practice, but I’d fi nished class and thought I’d go by the baseball field to check it out,” says Wing. “Lo and behold, they were out there practicing. So I went home, changed clothes and came back. I didn’t get to do anything that day, but they said if I wanted to try out, I needed to stay for the weekend and there was going to be a scrimmage.

“At the scrimmage, I pitched basically a five-inning no-hitter. But I hit three people, walked three and struck out the rest, so they

let me stick around and redshirt and then play two years after that.”

His baseball experience at OSU was a good one, and his favorite memory is striking out seven of eight in two innings during a Bedlam game his last year, followed closely by playing against Missouri in the Big 8 Tournament where he pitched six innings and only gave up one hit.

Wing’s playing career ended in 1980, one year before the Pokes began dominating the Big 8 and taking yearly trips to the College World Series. Wing had decided to go ahead and forfeit his last year of eligibility, so he could’ve been on the field in 1981.

“I remember sitting at home and thinking, ‘I’d be coming in to pitch relief right now.”

Wing graduated from OSU in December of 1979 with his accounting degree, joined one of the Big Eight accounting firms and thought he had his life planned from there.

“I was assigned the tax return of a man named Allen Roberts,” says Wing.

“I did his tax return for two years. He was building a house and it took him three years to build this house. So I wanted to see a house it took three years to build.

Growing up in Tahlequah, we were pretty poor. Six kids. My father died when I was very young. Living out on the farm, there wasn’t a whole lot of money. I’d never seen a house like that.

“I took his tax return out there and, like a smart alec, after he showed me the house, we were sitting in his den, I said, ‘so when are you going to hire me so I can have a house like this?’”

Shortly after that, Mr. Allen offered Wing a job. That job was with a company called OGCI, which specialized in continuing education for petroleum professionals – geologists, geophysicists, drillers, petroleum engineers.

“Mr. Roberts always told me that if anything ever happened to him, he wanted me to have the business,” says Wing. “He passed away in 1998 and lo and behold, I got the business. I was very fortunate.

“We rebranded the company to Petroskills. We have more than 200 courses we teach around the world, and we reach between 18,000 and 19,000 people a year. We’re the largest commercial training company. The universities do a great job of teaching people to think, but they don’t teach people how to do

Photograph by Gary Lawson

anything. What we do is actually teach them how to apply what they learned in school to the real world.”

Wing’s success has allowed him to give back to his alma mater.

“What I am currently trying to do is fund at least three scholarships – one for baseball, one for basketball and one for football. Maybe a fourth one,” says Wing.

“That’s the goal I’ve committed to do.

Whether that takes two years or five years, I don’t know.”

Wing wants to fund the scholarships because he understands the impact paying for student athletes’ scholarships has on the athletic department’s budget.

“What people tend to forget is that

athletes have to pay the same cost for room and board and tuition as everyone else,” he says. “They think that when athletes get scholarships, someone magically pays for that. But the athletic department has to pay for it. So I think it’s important to have those scholarships endowed.

“I’m at the position financially now that we can afford to do it,” says Wing. “The reason I haven’t done it before is because I’ve always been so active in our local church. That’s the bulk of my giving. The last three or four years, my wife and I have said we also need to be doing things outside our church. Our kids are grown and out on their own, so it was just the time.”

13

»OSu’s German Fernandez Sets Junior World Record

Oklahoma State freshman German Fernandez set a junior world record in the indoor mile run with a remarkable time of 3:56.50 on Jan. 24 at the 2009 Razorback Invitational at the university of Arkansas.

Fernandez was running in the first indoor meet of his career, as well as his first meet back after injuring his leg at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

"He looked like a million bucks - looked smooth as ever," coach Dave Smith said. "He ran a really smart, intelligent race. He sat back and just waited until about 400 to go and put a move on the guy who was leading (last year's 1,500-meter NCAA runner-up Dorian ulrey of Arkansas, who competed for Northern Iowa a year ago). He just blew by him. It was unbelievable."

Fernandez's time surpassed the previous mark of 3:59.6, held by Jim Ryun since Feb. 26, 1966.

It was also enough for the automatic qualifying mark for the NCAA meet, a new Oklahoma State school record and a first-place finish at the event.

"We just went out there to have fun," Fernandez said. "That was my first indoor meet ever, so i really didn’t know what to expect. I felt pretty good. I just wanted to go out and run a good time and run conservatively and run smart and it went my way. I didn’t expect to break the record at all.

That's the best time I've run in my life. I couldn’t believe it at first."

Photograph by Phil Shockley

14

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st

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The Pokes have had an up and down season so far, showing flashes of the team they could be, but also failing to live up to Coach Ford’s expectations. They’re very much a work in progress.

At press time, the team was 4-6 in Big 12 play and Coach Ford was talking about line up changes and threatening to bench some of his starters if he didn’t see improved effort.

Coach Ford took time out from his busy schedule to answer some candid questions about his background and coaching style for POSSE magazine.

Photograph by Phil Shockley

&

» When did you know you wanted to coach?

I always thought I would get into coaching basketball. It’s been my whole life and just a natural progression. I grew up in a basketball family. I began seriously considering it when I was at Kentucky under (Rick) Pitino. » How would you describe yourself as a coach?

A lot of people use the phrase ‘players coach.’

I try to relate to players and put myself in their shoes. I try to develop relationships with them off court before we get on the court. We meet and talk. I like to spend time with them. Getting to know them helps me motivate and push them.

I’m a demanding coach and I ask a lot of them in a game and I don’t want them to take it personally. I coach through ‘feel.’ I hope my enthusiasm is contagious. » What were your expectations when you took the OSU job?

Our program is the same as any program in the country. You make it the best you can. Attract the best student-athletes, represent OSU in the best way, work hard and be prepared. » What has surprised you the most about this team?

Not a lot of surprises. You feel your way through it the fi rst year or so. I like this team because they work extremely hard. They have bought into the work ethic. I love their attitudes. They have been very receptive to everything we asked them to do.

They have struggled a little bit in understanding defensive schemes and offensive plays. They’ve been a little slow to pick up some of those things.

But I have enjoyed working with them because of their attitude and how hard they work every day. » OSU is known for being a basketball school, and crowds of 4,500 are the exception, not the rule. How much, if at all, does the lower attendance bother you, and to what extent does fan support affect the success of the team?

When I took over, I was doing background work and saw the tradition. One of the things that stood out was all the notoriety Gallagher-Iba (Arena) gets. You read phrases like ‘rowdiest crowd’, ‘best home court advantage’, ‘best facility.’ You know the fans get excited and it is an electrifying atmosphere. No question we would

02.03

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love being sold out every game. We have a great home court advantage. When we get big crowds and great support, it does make a big, big difference for the basketball team. » You seem fairly candid and forthcoming with the media. Is this just your personality, or is it a technique you’ve developed over the years?

I enjoy meeting with the media and talking about basketball, enjoy talking about this basketball team. Sometimes it’s positive and sometimes it’s negative. I try to be myself. Sometimes I’ve got to check myself, I can’t allow my emotions to get the best of me. I’m such a competitive person and I have to watch what I say. But I really enjoy it, especially with the media here.

I have a lot of experience. Playing in Kentucky, you deal with the media everyday, so I guess I’ve gotten used to it. » Are you equally candid with your players?

I’m probably overly candid with my players. I’m going to tell them the truth. I’m going to tell them when they are great and when they are not so great. I think players respect that.

They know it’s not personal. They understand I’m going to tell it like it is. I’m speaking from experience, I know what they are going through. » What are the toughest challenges coaching college basketball?

Where do you start? There are a lot. Anytime you coach 18-1920-21 year olds, it’s a challenge. Inconsistency is always a great challenge, recruiting, whether you are big or small, depth, and that’s what I enjoy about it – the challenges. There is pressure, but I think it’s pressure you put on yourself. That’s the competitive side of me and I enjoy it. » The past couple of seasons have been hard on the players and the fans. How do you go about changing that mindset?

My thought process is I can only control what we do today as a basketball team. Hopefully that will affect the future. How hard we work, style of play, type of player, fans we get around these guys. I don’t get up in the morning trying to figure out how to make others happy other than trying to figure out how I can make our team better. Make sure they are prepared, executing. There’s a lot to be done to get the fans involved. » What do you think about your OSU experience thus far?

I think it’s been tremendous so far. Everybody has treated me and my family great. We really enjoy living in Stillwater. I appreciate the support of Coach (Mike) Holder and President (Burns) Hargis. The fans have been terrific. It is a process. It takes time. I’m impatient, I want immediate success. But that’s not fair to the team, because this is all new to them. We’re still trying to figure each other out. We have three seniors who have been through a lot. We’re trying to change their mindset. It’s a process. We have to be patient. But I think great things are ahead for this program.

POSSE 09

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L Photograph by Phil Shockley

20

the donors

Lew Meibergen went to elementary school in a one-room school house in Enid, Okla.

“My grandkids don’t believe me,” he says.

The school had eight grades, one teacher and in his words, “was not modern.” It didn’t hold him back from doing well in high school or attending Oklahoma State. Of course, his family didn’t really want him to attend OSU. “I was the fi rst one to go to OSU,” he says. “Everyone else went to OU.” Turns out, however, Meibergen’s a pretty good OSU salesman, because his kids and their kids all attended OSU. “All but one of the grandkids are graduates of OSU,” he says. “One of them wants to be an actress, so she’s out in California.”

Meibergen went to OSU with the intention of becoming a veterinarian.

He’d participated in 4-H in high school, showing steers, Hereford heifers, lambs and barrows. He ended up majoring in animal science.

“When I got to OSU, all the WWII veterans had preference, so it was going to be awhile before I could get in vet school,” he says.

He graduated from Oklahoma State in 1953 with his bachelor’s in animal science.

After college, Meibergen enlisted in the military for two years, 18 months of which he spent in Europe. He came home and began managing part of the family business – the W.B. Johnston Grain Company Elevator in Fairview, Okla., founded by Meibergen’s grandfather, Willis Boyd Johnston. His career took off from there.

02.03

In 1963, Governor Henry Bellmon appointed Meibergen Secretary of Agriculture. In 1976, he was hired by Liberty National Bank to serve as their agricultural representative. He moved back home to Enid to work for the First National Bank in 1969, and was named president in 1973.

He returned to the family business, Johnston Enterprises in 1976 when his uncle, Dale Johnston, approached him about buying controlling interest. The remarkable thing about the company is not only that it’s been kept in the family, but that it’s 116 years old. Founded in 1893, the company has managed to expand and flourish.

“We’re in the grain and seed business, primarily,” says Meibergen. “We have several country elevators in Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle.”

He’s underselling it. Johnston Enterprises currently operates more than 19 country elevators, two terminals, a seed company, water ports in three states, an experimental research farm and more.

They service more than 10,000 customers and have developed specialty turf products in partnership with the United States Golf Association and OSU. “We’ve been successful because we provide good service to our customers,” says Meibergen. “Treat them like you want to be treated, and treat everyone the same.”

Meibergen has since passed the day-today operations of the company to his son, J.L. “Butch” Meibergen, and grandson, Joey.

Meibergen’s financial success has allowed him to give back to his alma mater.

“OSU has been good to us, and they’ve produced some good people,” he

POSSE 09

says. “I bet we have 25 OSU graduates working for us. In fact, the only OU graduate in the whole works is my wife.”

The Meibergens contribute seven $1,500 scholarships every year to different schools within the university.

“We spread them around to make an impact in the various colleges,” he says.

The Meibergens are also significant contributors to the athletic department. He’s been a football season ticket holder since 1955, attends every contest he can, and considers himself a “passionate” football fan.

“I have football and basketball season tickets, now,” he says. “In fact, we have a suite for football on the south side of Boone Pickens Stadium. Our family and friends thoroughly enjoy this premium area to watch our Cowboys.”

“The Meibergens were one of the fi rst families to step up in the Next Level Campaign,” says Craig Clemons, associate athletic director. “We had a kickoff event surrounding the Houston Bowl in ’02 where Lew stepped forward to the stage and made his significant pledge. His contribution, along with 2,600 other loyal OSU supporters, contributed more than $104 million to build our new stadium.

And then in December of 2005, Mr. Pickens made his NCAA recorded-setting gift of $165 million to complete the stateof-the-art west end zone.”

“We love OSU and believe it’s a great university,” says Meibergen. “We hope it becomes even greater. We just have to always remember we’re a land-grant school. We need to make education available to as many young people as possible.

We need to keep higher education and the OSU experience a priority.”

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A R T X E

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A R T X E

02. Malone & Amy Mitchell 03. Sherman & Eloise Smith 04. Karsten Manufacturing 05. Walt & Peggy Helmerich III 06. John Clerico 07. Ed & Jana Evans 08. W & W Steel Co 09. Robert A. Funk 10. Ross & Billie McKnight 11. Gary & Jerri Sparks 12. ONEOK, Inc 13. AJ & Susan Jacques 14. Joe & Connie Mitchell 15. Patrick & Patricia Cobb Wrestling 16. Mike & Robbie Holder 42,817 Men’s Golf 17. Harold & Joyce Courson 18. Home National Bank Men’s Golf 19. Joullian & Co 20. Richard & Barbara Bogert 21. Stillwater National Bank 22. Jim & Mary Barnes 23. Vickie & Tucker Link Foundation 24. Dennis & Cindy Reilley 25. OSU President's Office 26. OG&E 27. Chuck & Kim Watson 28. Chad Clay 29. Flintco, Inc 30. SemGroup, LP 31. United Supermarket 32. Lew & Suzanne Meibergen 23,561 33. Andy Johnson 34. Sparks Financial 35. Phillip & Shannon Smith 36. Jon & Suzanne Wiese 37. Anonymous 38. Sandra Lee 39. Garland & Penny Cupp 40. Greg & Rhonda Casillas 41. David Bradshaw 42. Bob Norris 43. Sally Sparks 44. Berkeley Manor Enterprises 45. Jameson Family LLC Spirit Squad 46. OSU Foundation 47. Les Dunavant 48. KNABCO Corp 49. Jay & Connie Wiese 50. David LeNorman 51. John & Gail Shaw 52. Bryant J. Coffman 53. Richard & Joan Welborn 54. Jerry & Lynda Baker 55. K.D. & Leitner Greiner 56. Ed & Mary Malzahn 57. Vicki & Jim Click, Jr. Football 58. Thomas & Barbara Naugle 59. Anonymous 60. Harvey & Donna Yost 61. Scott & Kim Verplank Men's Golf 62. Kent & Margo Dunbar 63. Mark & Lisa Snell 13,850

64. Larry Bump 65. Brad & Margie Schultz 66. Johnson's of Kingfisher 67. Russ & Julie Teubner 68. Austin & Betsy Kenyon 69. James D. Carreker Football 70. Brent & Mary Jane Wooten Men’s Track 71. Bank of Oklahoma 72. Chesapeake Energy 73. Chandler USA, Inc 74. Russ Harrison & Natalie Shirley 75. Norman & Suzanne Myers 76. Bill & Claudean Harrison 77. John & Jerry Marshall Men’s Golf 78. Emricks Van & Storage 79. A-Cross Ranch 80. Jay & Fayenelle Helm 81. Jack & Joyce Stuteville 82. Dennis & Bonnie Smith Spirit Squad 83. Ike & Mary Beth Glass 84. Lambert Construction 85. John & Sue Taylor 86. Bob & Tammie Tway Men’s Golf 87. Titleist & FootJoy Worldwide 88. Bruce Smith 89. American Fidelity 90. The Siegenthaler Family 91. Darton & Jamie Zink 92. Greg & Kay Massey 93. Bill & Laurie Dobbs Baseball 94. David & Marellie Littlefield 95. John & Patti Brett 96. E.K. Gaylord 97. AEI Corporation 98. Larry & Shirley Albin 99. Ed & Kathy Raschen 100. Patricia Maloney 101. The Oklahoman 102. Griff & Mindy Jones 103. Henry Wells 104. Cheryl & Tom Hamilton 105. Mark & Susan Morrow 106. Ron & Marilyn McAfee 107. Donald Coplin 108. F & M Bank & Trust 109. John & Terri Smith 110. Bob & Mary Haiges 111. Spirit Bank 112. Midfirst Bank 113. Pixley Lumber Co 114. Steve & Judy Thurman 115. Bancfirst 116. Southwest Filter Co 117. Jerry & Rae Winchester Football 118. Drummond Investments 119. Judith Mace

120. Phillip & Susan Ryan 121. Jack Allen, Jr. 122. Bill & Karen Anderson 123. Max & Lynn Elsberry 124. Fred & Kellie Harlan 125. Jack Bowker Ford 126. Southern Cross Alliance, LLC 127. Ed & Marilyn Keller 128. Justin & Karla Hoose 129. Bank of America 130. Lonnie Jay & Sally Lamprich 131. Melvin Jones 132. Z-Equipment, LLC 133. Harriett Phillips 134. Wentz Oil Company, LLC Football 135. Kirk & Jan Jewell 136. Randy & Pati Thurman 6,865 137. Jim Williams 138. Roy & Norma Townsdin 139. Chris & Julie Bridges 140. Bryan Close 141. Robert Fletcher Family 142. Steve Tuttle 143. Connie & Stephen Tatum 144. Sem Materials 145. Edd Bellatti 146. Bryan & Becky Brady 6,429 147. Walter & Alma Duncan 148. AT&T 149. Wittwer Construction Co 150. Robert C. & Martha Buford Former athlete or coach OSU Athletics Priority Point System The Priority Point System provides a fair, consistent and transparent method of providing benefits to donors in exchange for their financial investments in OSU Athletics.

Donors gain points three ways: • Contributions: All current and lifetime contributions (cash or stock) are worth 3 points per $100 donated.

Planned (deferred) gifts in the new Leave a Legacy Endowment Campaign will receive 1 point per $100.

• Commitment: Donors will earn one point each year for each season ticket purchase and one point for each year of POSSE donations.

• Connection with the University: Donors (or their spouses) who are OSU Alumni receive a one-time 10 point bonus, as do OSU faculty/staff and letterwinners.

Points never diminish and will carry over to subsequent years.

Donors retain all previously earned Priority Points in their giving history.

For questions about the POSSE Priority Point System, e-mail posse@okstate.edu or call us at 405-744-7301.

23

DID YOU SEE IT?

Photograph by Phil Shockley

www.okstate.com 877-ALL4-OSU

Like a traveling circus or a concert tour, the trucks rolled into Stillwater the day before Thanksgiving.

While students slept, the “roadies” were busy assembling the immense set, lighting and camera platforms on Oklahoma State’s Edmon Low Library lawn.

Photography by Phil Shockley

26

27

The Bedlam football game was still three days away, but the buzz was palpable: ESPN’s College GameDay was in town.

The Nov. 29 matchup of the 11th-ranked Cowboys and No. 3 Sooners had become more than a regional rivalry.

With a primetime ABC telecast and Bowl Championship Series implications, Bedlam took center-stage on college football scene.

For the Cowboy faithful, the presence of College GameDay back on campus was a sign that OSU Football was no longer an also-ran.

“It’s a tribute to Coach Gundy, the team and the whole athletic department,” says GameDay Coordinating Producer Lee Fitting, “because we’re not going to show up if the team’s not good. It’s a big story, and we’re here because of that.”

GameDay’s destinations in 2008 included stops in Austin, Lubbock, Norman and Stillwater.

“This is our fourth visit to a Big 12 South campus this year, and that doesn’t include Dallas for Oklahoma and Texas,” Fitting says. “Several years ago we went to four SEC schools, but it was nothing like this. The Big 12 South has been the epicenter of college football this whole 28

year, and it’s just a great tribute to the conference.”

GameDay host Chris Fowler agrees.

“We go where the games are,” he says.

“It is unusual to have four trips to one conference plus a neutral field location, but four in one division is unbelievable. Clearly the games have been pretty compelling.

“The Big 12 South has been the place to be. It’s been a primetime showcase and people around the country are able to see it. It wasn’t too long ago that you didn’t see many Big 12 games outside of this region. The afternoon regional games gave good exposure, but not nationally. Now it doesn’t matter where fans are, they’re watching the Big 12 South all the time.

That helps perpetuate what’s already going on here in terms of recruiting visibility.”

Fowler says he’s impressed by the strength of the league, particularly OSU’s division.

“To me, it’s going to be an annual fi stfight in the Big 12 South,” he says. “The teams in this division aren’t going away.

It’s going to take a great team and a couple breaks to just get out of your division and play for a conference title, much less a national title, because of the power that’s concentrated down here now.”

Watched by more than 1.5 million tele-

vision viewers each week, College GameDay has become an event in and of itself.

“It amazes me how much it grows each year,” Fitting says. “It’s really a tribute to Kirk, Lee, Chris and Desmond. It all starts with their love for the game. The guys do it because they love it. The guys come across as likeable, and with that being said, the popularity just continues to grow.”

“In my mind, it’s one of very few shows left in television that’s a pure sports show,” Fitting adds. “It’s a fair show. It’s a fun show. It’s informative. It’s analytical.”

“To me, it’s about the game,” echoes Fowler. “We’re here because the game is big. All we’re trying to do is show up to the site of the biggest game and the biggest story and reflect what’s going on. We’re not trying to put on a production that any way competes with the game or pretends to overshadow the game at all. Bedlam is the most impactful game of the day.”

Original cast member Lee Corso has been with the show since its in-studio incarnation in 1987. The popular ex-coach serves as a colorful analyst, providing personality along with outlandish predictions. A young, but poised and polished, Fowler took over the host’s seat three years later. Former Ohio State quarterback Kirk Herbstreit joined the cast in 1996, while Michigan Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard came on board in 2005.

“The thing that makes this show comfortable to do is that everybody sort of falls into their natural role and fits very well,” Fowler says. “Obviously Mr. Corso is adept at the showbiz aspect. I think he’s got a real flair for entertaining the fans, playing off a crowd and winding them up.

Kirk is delivering the bulk of the football stuff in the show – the meat and potatoes.

Desmond does that as well, and brings his own personality and experience as an ex-great player.”

The host says he’s there to quarterback the impromptu production.

“My job is basically to deliver information instead of opinions, and navigate around what is a very complicated show,” Fowler says. “It’s two hours of no-script, no-teleprompter, and a lot of stuff flying around. They keep it challenging. I feel like a QB who’s trying to get the signals called out before the play clock expires.”

Fowler says the camaraderie among the cast and crew is what makes it a special show.

“It’s a really comfortable feeling. You don’t have to act or pretend you have chemistry or try to create something that’s

not there. It’s very natural,” he says. “It all starts with being able to do your job well.

Once you figure out how good the people are you work with and how close and competent a team it is, then I think you can let the personal side really develop.

The three of us on the set have been doing it for years and years, not to mention the guys in the stage crew and in the [production] truck ... And Desmond’s been a great addition the last few years.”

“The fact that there is so much good chemistry among the people who work on this show, it really is like a traveling family,” Fowler adds. “When you’re around people you really like and care about and respect professionally, it makes life on the road that much easier.”

The on-campus spectacle attracts hundreds of rabid fans who are corralled behind the set, waving signs and cheering (or booing) the on-air commentary. The OSU band, spirit squad and Pistol Pete add to the orange fanfare.

“We’ve figured out how to mic the show, so there’s no amount of volume back there that can really bother you,” Fowler says. “We’re long past being distracted by the crowds … you couldn’t do this for one week if stuff bothered you.”

The boisterous behavior is encouraged, he adds.

“We want the fans to come express

themselves. The show is as much about what’s going on back there and the expression of what a gameday is on your campus as it is about what we’re doing. I think it’s the reason why it doesn’t look or sound like any other show out there, because the atmosphere and the background changes a little bit, and there are always things that are unique, like the cheerleaders, signs and stuff. That’s the concept – it still has a little different flavor everywhere you go.

Stillwater’s no exception.

“We’re able to see tremendous games every week and we’re flattered that people continue to come out so early and give so much of their time,” Fowler admits. “You walk out there and it’s not a real struggle to be energized and focused because the atmosphere is so much fun. We just want to show how pumped up we are to not just do a show, but to be able to watch the game.”

The climax of the show is when the GameDay analysts make their predictions.

A flair for the theatrical, Corso announces his prognostication by donning the headgear of his chosen team. Fans are eager to play along, shouting cheers and jeers, depending on where their loyalty lies.

Some see Corso’s selection as a surefi re jinx.

“The kids will hold up signs that read ‘Don’t Pick Us’ … It’s fun to see that,” Larick says.

29

Before Bedlam, only a select few knew which way Corso was leaning.

“Lee doesn’t tell anybody else who he’s picking,” reveals Larick. “He’ll call the school directly to get the prop. Then we sneak it up there in a plastic bag during a break. It’s kind of fun, the things that go on in the background that people don’t see.”

In Stillwater, Corso plays the villain, fi rst pulling an OSU flag from under the desk, but quickly tossing it aside in favor of Sooner garb. A chorus of boos ensues.

“They love to hate him,” Larick smiles. “Showbiz.”

“We had a good time today,” says Fowler afterward, signing autographs for 30

fans from both schools.

Fitting, who’s been with the show more than eight years, says he’s surprised at GameDay’s growth over the years.

“Without a doubt, it’s a traveling circus,” he says. “It’s just nuts. People will come out just to see the show, even if they’re not going to the game. They want to see the guys and be part of the whole deal. It’s just amazing how it continues to grow.”

According to Operations Producer Don Larick, it takes a half-dozen tractortrailers (including a satellite truck) and more than 60 crew members to pull off a production of this magnitude.

“It’s like a rock show. We’ve got the

TV trucks, the generators, stage truck, the satellite truck and the bus following us. It’s just an amazing, big production.”

“We never know where we’re going until Sunday night, so it’s kind of a logistics nightmare,” he says. “All our trucks will sit and wait until I get a phone call. Typically, I’ll meet the crew on Wednesday. If we’ve been to a school before, my job is pretty easy. If not, we visit the school ahead of time on Monday or Tuesday and make the adjustments.”

Larick says it only takes about a dayand-a-half to put it all together.

“Most of the crew I work with have been with us at least 10 years, so when they

get on-site they know what to do. I don’t have to tell them how to do everything. In a couple hours it’s built.”

With such a quick turn-around from week to week, the on-site support from the university is essential, and Larick says OSU rolled out the orange carpet for his crew.

“The Oklahoma State folks love us coming,” he says. “They can’t do more to help us out. They spoil us when we come here. They love us. They take care of us.”

The veteran producer has been with College GameDay since the show gassed up.

“The fi rst shows were in the studio,” Larick recalls. “We put it on the road 15 years ago for the 1993 Florida State-Notre

Dame game, and we’ve been on the road ever since. It’s been a great run for me.”

Larick says he’s amazed at the growth and popularity of the show during his tenure. (There’s even a Wikipedia entry listing all of GameDay’s 191 destinations to date.)

“Who would’ve thought? We started out as an hour show, then we went to an hour-and-a-half, then we went to two hours, and it just keeps growing. We bring more equipment. We have our sponsors and our vendors here interacting with the audience.

The show’s just grown – it’s amazing. There are times when you think, how long can this go on? How long will these kids do it? And they just keep coming …”

The two-hour show airs live on ESPN beginning at 10:00 am Central.

“I still get a thrill when I hear the music at the start of the show, still get goosebumps. It’s a fun show for me.”

After the broadcast, Fowler and company retire to the comfort of the bright orange tour bus emblazoned with Home Depot’s title sponsor graphics.

That evening, the cast will head to Boone Pickens Stadium to prepare for their postgame wrap-up show, shot on the field from the northwest tunnel. By then, Larick and his crew will be long gone.

“All of us will be out of here by 4 o’clock, and I’ll be home by midnight,” he says. “I’ll take Sunday off and be in the office Monday and Tuesday planning for next week, wherever it might be.”

This is Larick’s third stop at OSU. College Football GameDay fi rst came to Stillwater in 2004 for the Bedlam matchup, and returned in February of 2005 for the basketball version of College GameDay, in conjunction with the launch of the ESPNU network.

Fowler also visited OSU in 2000 to host a promotional video with thenAthletic Director Terry Don Phillips. The two discussed the importance of fi rst-class

football facilities and the immediate needs for upgrades at Lewis Field.

“What I was doing was speaking in general terms about what facilities mean in terms of a school’s image and the recruit’s perception of a school based on what the facilities are like,” he says. “There’s no denying the importance of facilities, especially in the Big 12 South. When you get into the arms race with Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M, who have seemingly unlimited resources, there’s the need to stay up with them. It’s a constant uphill fight, but Oklahoma State has clearly turned the corner. In that way, I think a lot of schools are envious of what you have here.”

A Colorado graduate, Fowler was already quite familiar with OSU, and at the time was impressed by the recent renovation of Gallagher-Iba Arena.

“I think the way the Gallagher-Iba expansion and restoration was handled was beautiful. You run the risk when you modernize an arena of spoiling what makes it special, but the atmosphere in there, if anything, has been enhanced.

They did a great job with that.”

In 2004, the south side of Boone Pickens Stadium was complete, but this fall was Fowler’s fi rst look at the bowled-in west endzone.

“From what I’ve seen of the stadium, it’s really impressive,” he says. “It blends in very well with this campus, which is a really underrated campus, in terms of beauty and the buildings.”

His colleagues agree.

“I couldn’t believe it when I rolled into town,” Fitting says. “The outside of the football stadium, the surrounding buildings … it’s like a whole new university. It’s awesome. Of all the schools we’ve been to in the last four or five years, from 2004 to now, I think OSU’s seen the most growth of any school we’ve been to. It’s remarkable.”

“It’s been great to see the work that’s been done,” adds Larick. “The stadium is just beautiful.”

A team of ESPN producers will begin meeting this offseason to discuss the first GameDay destination of the 2009 campaign.

With the Cowboys expected to be a preseason Top 10 team and a home opener looming with perennial power Georgia, the OSU campus could once again get a visit from this gridiron roadshow.

The orange carpet will be ready.

Clay Billman

31

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36

OUG TLIEB SHOW

37

You’ve seen those NCAA ads during college games on television: “There are over 380,000 student athletes, and most of us go pro in something other than sports.”

Doug Gottlieb is one of them.

Technically. He doesn’t play sports, he just talks about them, which is probably not that unusual for an ex-collegiate athlete. It just so happens that he talks about sports on ESPN. When Gottlieb was point guard for OSU, he set the school and conference record for assists and took his team to the 2000 Elite Eight. Some of us might remember him for wearing too-small shoes or taking the court with his shorts on backward, but he was always good for highlight reel passes.

Now as a do-anything-and-everything analyst and talk show host for ESPN radio, he’s more known for his highlight reel quips and candor, though calling it candor doesn’t quite.

But the truth is, he tried everything he could to fulfill his dream of playing in the NBA before settling for a job with ESPN. He actually began his broadcasting career while still at OSU, starting out doing small bits on The Sports Animal, a sports talk radio station out of Oklahoma City (640 AM/98.1 FM).

“I was supposedly their insider college analyst,” he says. Gottlieb credits OSU alumnus Jim Traber and Citadel GM Larry Bastida for helping him get him into the

38

business. “Jim was great. He always said, ‘hey, if you’re ever around, come in, do a show with me, see if you like it.’ He really stuck out the olive branch and said, ‘I want to help you.’”

After graduation (marketing, 2000), he played professionally, here and abroad.

Gottlieb played in France, Russia and Israel. He won championships overseas.

In the states, he played in the USBL, CBL ABA and the Los Angeles Lakers summer team (2001).

Most of his professional playing experiences go something like this one…

Gottlieb had just come home from playing abroad and his coach from the USBL called to ask him to try out for a CBA team.

“They brought in eight point guards and were keeping two,” says Gottlieb. “I made the cut. But then the day before the first game, we’re taking team pictures, and … There’s a guy named Randy Livingston who, when he came out of high school, was the No. 1 prospect in the country. He’s a 6’4” point guard who tore his knee up at LSU. He ended up playing for something like 12 NBA teams.

“So we’re getting ready to take team pictures, and I see Randy walk in the gym because he’d just gotten cut from his NBA team, and I realized my time was up in the CBA.” Gottlieb has other stories like that one. In-and-out in pursuit of the dream.

In between basketball gigs, he returned to The Sports Animal, which in turn got him a gig doing a couple of games for ESPN

Plus.

In September of 2003, he was offered a full-time job with ESPN doing a radio show and color on on a limited number of games a year. At the time of the offer, he’d just finished the summer league with the Lakers. It was a close thing.

“I was getting better. My shot was getting better. They told me I could make it for sure in the NBA development league,” says Gottlieb. “But the NBA of broadcasting was staring me right in the face. I didn’t want to be 30 with a family and still trying to live the dream.”

So he took the ESPN job and moved to Canton, Connecticut. It was what people would call a “good move.” Being in close proximity to the ESPN studios in Bristol has afforded him opportunities he wouldn’t otherwise have had. If someone wasn’t able to be in the studio, Gottlieb was always on hand to step in.

“When I go and speak to people, whether it’s basketball groups, fundraising groups or even regular business people, I always tell them about how I prayed for snow,” says Gottlieb. “I prayed for the opportunity. I’d get excited and tell Angie, ‘Honey, there’s a snowstorm coming.’

She’d kind of roll her eyes, but a snowstorm meant they’d have to use me on TV because they couldn’t fly anyone else in. It was awesome.

“I got a couple of opportunities, and then was very fortunate to get more and more because of those, and things have just kind of

grown from there.”

He’s not kidding when he says “grown from there.” Gottlieb works like a fiend, and if someone offers him something new to do, he takes it.

“I think it takes a ton of luck to be able to show that you can be good. I’m not so egotistical to think that I’m so much better than anyone else, but I try to work really, really hard.”

Gottlieb does a little bit of everything for ESPN. As of February 2009, he hosts The Doug Gottlieb Show on ESPN Radio, which is on from 3-6:00pm CST. He also writes a column for ESPN.com, does a weekly blog, pens articles as needed, provides commentary to anyone who asks and does a podcast for ESPNRadio.com.

“I also do a section called “Putbacks,” which is kind of nuggets picked up from the road, for ESPN The Magazine. The great thing about this company is that if you like to work, there’s always something more for you to do.”

It’s clear Gottlieb loves what he does.

He told us so at least three separate times.

“The company I work for has a really great vision of the future in sports,” says Gottlieb. “It’s a neat and fascinating place.

I’ve shown other OSU alumni around on tours and the same 'geek out' feeling they get about sitting on the SportsCenter set, I still get. I’m very happy to be here.”

Gottlieb has fi lled in for Jim Rome on Rome is Burning, was the only guest host in the entire run of Quite Frankly and has designs on co-hosting Pardon the Interruption.

But he doesn’t necessarily have his eyes set on the SportsCenter desk.

“I would love to do SportsCenter,” he says.

“I’ve never been necessarily groomed for it.

SportsCenter anchors are SportsCenter anchors.

“Hopefully, this a 30, 40-year career.

My biggest flaw is that I always want more.

That’s what I do. It’s how I’m wired,” says Gottlieb. “It’s what’s made me successful, but it can drive people crazy.

“Dick Vitale has to retire sometime.

Digger Phelps has to retire sometime. I’d love to be one of the next guys in line. I think I’m really close. You have to kind of roll with the punches and just keep doing your job and eventually you’ll get bumped up. It’s no different than anyone else’s gig.

“I’d love to do SportsCenter, but it’s probably not what I’m cut out to do. Those guys are … they just have different jobs. In SportsCenter, very seldom are you supposed to give your opinion. John Anderson and Scott Van Pelt and those guys are incredibly creative, smart and witty, and they throw their own stuff in there, but they’ve been working their whole lives to do that.

“The other day, my dad said, ‘when are you going to get one of those three shows?’

I said, ‘well, you know, there are only two other shows that actually have someone’s name attached to it, and I’m one of them.’

“Again, I’m in the NBA. I may not be an all-star, but I’m in the NBA.” Gottlieb has made his reputation by speaking with intelligence and candor about pretty much anything that pops into his mind. No topic is taboo. He strives to be as unbiased as he can, even when it comes to his alma mater.

“I know there are people who want me to be the ultimate hardcore OSU homer,” he says. “There are times for that. There are times to be a fan. But how I’ve made my career is, you know, I just give it to ’em straight. It stings a bit when the truth hits you between the eyes, but after awhile, you start to understand that if you treat everyone the same and you try to take away any biases you have, you’ve created a niche for yourself in this business.

“When Coach (Sutton) got in his

thing, I thought there was something that needed to be done. I thought he should step away. When Sean was fi red, I thought it was wrong. It’s not that I liked or played for Sean, it’s because of the image it projects of our university. I just didn’t think it was right. Especially when you give an extra year to Coach Gundy when he had an average start to his career.

“Again, that doesn’t mean I dislike my university. Far from it. I just have my own opinion and I have a bully pulpit to stand up and say what I think. If you don’t like it, you’re welcome to stand up and disagree with it. But it’s my opinion. I’m paid to give it. And I try to make it as thoughtful and thought provoking as possible.”

Don’t let Gottlieb’s sometimes dissenting opinions make you doubt his love of Oklahoma State.

“Whatever you do, if you’re successful as an OSU alumnus, it should be promoted,” he says. “Any modicum of success that has OSU attached to it does wonders for the image of the university. I try to carry myself that way. I take great pride in showing that I have character and that it was built at OSU. “I feel there’s a pride in being a little bit of an underdog and very much a united force. I want Cowboy athletics to succeed.

I want Cowboy basketball to succeed. I want Cowboys in general to succeed. I think one of the best ways to promote that is to carry myself and be successful in the right way so that maybe others can get the opportunities I’ve gotten.

“I realize had I not played basketball on a really good team for a really well respected coach in a special place like Stillwater … if that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be here today. I always remember and respect that.”

“I feel there’s a pride in being a little bit of an underdog and very much a united force. I want Cowboy athletics to succeed.

I want Cowboy basketball to succeed. I want Cowboys in general to succeed.”

39

FOOTBALL: SENSATIONAL SEASON stories by Kevin Klintworth

42

43

Any doubts about which way the Oklahoma State football program was heading under Mike Gundy were put to rest in 2008.

After seasons of 4-7, 7-6 and 7-6, Gundy’s fourth year at his alma mater was one chalked full of headlines, highlights, accolades and honors.

It was a season that saw an Oklahoma State program, unranked for five seasons, become a weekly fixture in the national polls, BCS standings and atop the NCAA statistical charts. It was a season that saw a Cowboy team that was out of sight and out of mind in August, climb into the top 10 for the first time in 20 years. It was a season that saw the Cowboys successfully bump heads with some of the best teams in the nation and in front of record home crowds. And it was a season that saw the Cowboy win total climb to heights rarely achieved in Stillwater.

It was a season that tantalized the Cowboy faithful with the promise of future celebrations.

Unranked Oklahoma State opened the year in Seattle against Washington State. In a rare cross-country trek in a season debut, the Cowboys, in a bluecollar effort, dismissed the Cougars by a 39-13 count. Sophomores Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant had strong 2008 debuts in a season that would see both earn firstteam All-America honors with Bryant a consensus All-America pick.

Following the win over Washington State, the Cowboys played four straight home games that established them on the national scene as one of America’s top offensive units. In wins over Houston (56-37), Missouri State (57-13), Troy (55-24) and Texas A&M (56-28), OSU broke into the AP poll, and set a school record by scoring 50 points in four straight games.

Dez Bryant was the national player of the week for his 236 receiving yards and a scintillating 71-yard punt return against Houston. He and teammate Kendall Hunter (210 rushing yards) provided OSU with its first 200/200 tandem in school history against Houston.

The Cowboys opened conference play against a Texas A&M team that had registered two straight one-point wins over the Cowboys. The 2008 season would be different as OSU jumped out to a 28-7 lead en route to the big win. That victory set the stage for a showdown at No. 3 Missouri.

44

The undefeated Tigers, fresh from a rout of Nebraska in Lincoln, were victims of Hunter (154 rushing yards) and Damian Davis (three catches for 76 yards with two touchdowns) in a 28-23 OSU win. It was one of the biggest road wins in Cowboy football history. Following the victory in Columbia, OSU jumped from No. 17 to No. 8 in the Associated Press poll.

Following a 34-6 home win over an improved Baylor team, the Cowboys hit the national spotlight again when they visited No. 1 Texas. In a game that wasn’t decided until the final play, the Longhorns held off the seventh-ranked Cowboys by a 28-24 count. Hunter, who would lead the Big 12 in rushing all season on his way to first-team all-league honors, ran for 161 yards to keep OSU within striking distance in a battle of unbeatens.

Following a sixth straight home win, this time a 59-17 romp past Iowa State, the Cowboys hit prime time with an ABC showdown at No. 2 Texas Tech. The Cowboys trailed 28-14 at halftime, but could never catch the streaking Raiders in a 56-20 loss.

OSU’s final road game of the season was once again an ABC prime-time game as the Cowboys held off Colorado in Boulder, 30-17, to earn their ninth win of the season.

The regular season ended with another high-profile ABC prime time game as No. 3 Oklahoma outscored No. 11 OSU, 61-41, in a game that turned on a pair of turnovers.

By season’s end, OSU had its best Big 12 record since 2003 (5-3), tying for the best Big 12 record in OSU history. Bryant, Hunter and kick returner Perrish Cox had been named All-Americans and quarterback Zac Robinson would end the season as the school’s career total offense leader.

Oklahoma State ended the season with a 42-31 loss to Oregon in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. The Cowboys held a 10-point lead at the half, but injuries helped the Ducks take a late lead. After OSU failed to tie the game at 38, Oregon put the game away with a touchdown with just 92 seconds left in the contest.

The Cowboys finished the year with a 9-4 record and ranked No. 16 in the final Associated Press poll. Incredibly, every point Oklahoma State scored in 2008 came from an underclassman – paving the way for exciting prospects in 2009.

45

46

All-AmericaNS

Two of the glaring questions

for the m entering

Oklahoma State football tea

the 2009 season were obv

Dez Bryant replace All-Am

ious: Could

most exciting teams.

Bryant’s performance as a pun t returner (second in the nation with 18 yards per attempt), receiver (third in the nation with 114 yards per game) and all-around scorer (second in the nation with 9.69 points per game), propelled him from firstyear starter to household nam e in college football circles. He was a Bile tnikoff Award finalist -- the trophy is presen ted annually to the nation’s top receiver.

erican candidate Adarius Bowman as receiver?

Could Kendall Hunter replac e All-Big 12 running back Dantrell Savage ?

The answers, of course, we re yes and yes.

Bryant and Hunter became firstteam All-Americans in 200 9. Bryant was a consensus All-American while Hunter Hunter finished seventh nat ionally was named as a Football Wri ters Asin rushing with 120 yards per gam e. sociation of America (FWAA ) All-AmerHe ran for 1,555 yards and an impresican. Their accomplishment s marked sive 6.5 yards per carry. He had 16 the first time since 1988 tha t a Cowboy touchdowns and is already nearing the squad featured two All-Am ericans OSU top 10 in career rushin g. Hunter (Barry Sanders and Hart Lee Dykes). became OSU’s first All-Am erican Throw in Perrish Cox, who was running back since Gerald Hudson in named by Sportsline.com as an All1990. Overall, OSU has now had seven America kick returner, and tight end All-America running backs.

Brandon Pettigrew, who cou ld be headCox was third in America in kickoff ed toward the first round of the NFL returns with 30 yards per atte mp t. He Draft, and it becomes obviou s that the leads all active NCAA player s with four 2008 Cowboys were one of America’s career kickoff returns for tou chdowns.

In 2009, he opened and clo sed the regular season with 90-yar d touchdown returns against Washington State and Oklahoma. He will likely end his career as the Big 12 Conference’s all-time record holder in kickoff retu rn yards.

And if you are keeping sco re, OSU has had just seven past pla yers become two-time All-Americans. The last was Rashaun Woods in 2002 and 2003.

Oklahoma State fans can enj oy the accomplishments of 2008 all spring and summer as the three AllAmericans return in 2009. Throw in the return of one of America’s top dua l-threat quarterbacks in Zac Robinso n, and an All-America candidate in the offense line with in all-Big 12 tackle Rus sell Okung and it’s easy to see why the Cowboys are an early trendy pick for the top 10 in 2009.

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om Belza’s expectations of Oklahoma had a real Grapes of Wrath vibe to them before he came to OSU. He says he’d never beEn west of Chicago before he came to StilLwater on a recruiting visit.

“All I thought was: ‘real flat and real brown,’” says the sophomore, who led the Big 12 in hitting last year, a rare feat for a freshman.

That Dust Bowl-era perception changed during his move to OSU from his suburban Cincinnati hometown. In Oklahoma, he saw rolling, cedar-specked hills sheathed in prairie grass waving in that legendary Stillwater wind. He saw pumps plunging the region’s red clay for oil. He was struck by Stillwater’s hoppin’ college town vibe set against the backdrop of the farming communities that surround the city. And, he saw his fi rst dirt road on a trip with a roommate to Leedey, population 316, in western Oklahoma.

“People were like, ‘are you serious about the dirt roads,’” Belza says, recounting his teammates’ reaction during the visit. “There’s one main street that goes right through the town, which is probably sixty yards of town – then it just turns into a highway.

“We were throwing a football on the highway just because there was nothing to do … We went to his grandparents’ house, and it was dirt roads the whole way. I just thought it was really cool. They were probably like ‘what are you talking about? Why do you think this is so cool?’ I said ‘I don’t know. I’ve never been on one. It’s kind of sweet. I’ve heard people sing about ’em.’”

There were more firsts for Belza last year. In Stillwater, he discovered Red Dirt music, also known as called Texas Country, a whiskey-tinged gumbo of rock and traditionalist country slung

52

by artists such as Randy Rogers and the Eli Young Band.

Of course, there was baseball, too.

He started at second base about 15 games into last season despite, he says, not taking one ground ball to that base all year. On offense, he was a one-man army, tying school and conference records with six hits against Arkansas-Pine Bluff during his fi rst career start. He also tied an OSU record with six runs, smacked three doubles, a home run and five RBIs during that 34-1 drubbing of the Lions. He ended the season on a 14-game hitting streak and was named a Freshman All-American.

He helped his team to a 44-18 record, the best in head coach Frank Anderson’s five-year tenure. On the strength of strong hitting (a conference-best 89 home runs) and pitching (the Cowboys kept a 3.98 ERA), OSU fi nished with the secondmost wins in the Big 12, came in second in conference standings and earned a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Regional tournament hosted in Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

The team spent five weeks in the top-10 of national polls and had nine players, including Belza, make the allconference team. Star pitchers Tyler Lyons and Andrew Oliver made the USA Baseball National Team.

But, the season was marred by Oliver’s ineligibility, declared just hours before the team’s June 1 loss in the NCAA Regional that ended the team's postseason dreams.

The NCAA determined a violation occurred due to impermissible contact by Oliver’s former advisors with the Minnesota

"...We’re going to have to grow and get betTer day by day.

But, I think we have the opPortunity to do pretTy welL before it’s alL said and done.”

—Coach Anderson

Twins, the team that held his draft rights following the 2006 Amateur MLB Draft.

Later, the NCAA reinstated his eligibility under the condition that OSU not play him during the first 39 games of the 2008-2009 season. He sued the NCAA, and was reinstated for those games by an Ohio judge in February.

Those events made for tough ways to end the year for a team that expected to go to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. “I wasn’t disappointed in our effort,” Anderson says. “I thought the kids played very hard.”

During the offseason, the Cowboys lost four starters to the draft, including shortstop Jordy Mercer, who set OSU’s career saves record last year, and All Big 12 selections Luis Flores and Rebel Ridling. Anderson says the players will be hard to replace.

However, Baseball America rated OSU’s However 2008 recruit class 19th in the nation, and USA Today/ESPN Top 25 preseason poll ranked OSU at 13th – the Cowboys’ highest ever under Anderson. With Belza returning, along with Oliver and Lyons, Anderson says 2009 will show a squad stacked with hitters, pitchers, athletic runners and a strong defense.

“We’re excited about the season,” says Anderson, whose fi rst game was Feb. 20 against BYU. “We’re going to have some bumps in the road because we’ve got quite a few new guys. That’s part of the new season. We’re fortunate we get to play fi ftysix games. And you can’t lose the national

championship the fi rst day you go out there. We’re going to have to grow and get better day by day. But, I think we have the opportunity to do pretty well before it’s all said and done.”

Meanwhile, Belza is chomping at the bit to play this year. There’s talk of moving him to shortstop, but he can play almost any position in the infield. At 6’ 0” and 188 pounds, he feels he’s stronger than he was last year. He hopes that translates into more home runs, doubles and triples. He’s even excited about the long bus rides and consecutive days spent playing road games.

That dedication is no surprise to Tim Held, Belza’s infield assistant coach at Archbishop Moeller High School, who is now head coach of the Crusaders.

“He’s a great kid,” says Held, who also taught Belza in his senior pre-calculus class. “We think we play in one of the best leagues in the state of Ohio, but to project somebody to go out and make an impact in the Big 12, we just don’t have a history of sending a lot of guys out that way … To go out and say, ‘yeah you’re going to start the majority of games as a freshman and lead the Big 12 in hitting. That’s not really what you’re guessing for a kid from Cincinnati.”

Anderson says Belza has exceeded his expectations, which aren’t known for being low. That’s lofty praise for the young whippersnapper who broke records at a high school known for producing first-class baseball players including former Seattle Mariner and Hall of Fame shoe-in Ken Griffey Jr. In fact, Belza may have the best one-

"We’ve had some pretTy decorated alumni, especialLy in basebalL..."

—Tom Belza

liner for a résumé ever – that is, if he ever has to write one. As a senior, he set the school’s batting average record with an astonishing .556, blowing away Griffey’s mark of .478. What’s even more astounding, Held says, is Belza led the team in at-bats during a 30 plus-game season that year. He also led in stolen bases.

Belza says he probably wouldn’t put it on his résumé. He doesn’t want to brag.

“We’ve had some pretty decorated alumni, especially in baseball,” he says. “I honestly had no idea about any of the records until they told me. When you go to school there, you don’t think about it as much. But, if I went online, and saw somebody else broke someone else’s record that was real famous, I’d probably be like, ‘dude, that’s pretty awesome.’

“It’s fun and everything, but the past is the past. I’ve got to move forward.”

Matt Elliott

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We’re talkin’ Red Dirt ... and it all started right here in Stillwater!

Stillwater is considered the Nashville of Red Dirt because it had its roots in the Red Dirt of Oklahoma. Bob Childers, Stoney Larue, Red Dirt Rangers, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland and plenty of others have played here, really helping the genre to avoid classification by any title but Red Dirt. It’s sometimes called Alternative Country, but it is a little bit Folk, a little Western Swing, a little Blues and a little Rock ... It’s Red Dirt!

Join about 20,000 of your closest friends for the Calf Fry at Oklahoma’s #1 place for Red Dirt ... the Tumbleweed ... check visitstillwater.org for updates on nightlife and special events in Stillwater, OK

Photograph by Phil Shockley

Leave the electrical work to the pros.

2008 FOOTBALL HONORS AND RECOGNITION Matt Fodge • Ray Guy Award winner (nation’s top punter) • Phil Steele Second-Team All-American • Second-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches) • Second-Team All-Big 12 (Associated Press) Perrish Cox • Phil Steele First-Team All-American Kick Returner • CBSSportsline.com First-Team All-American KR • SI.com Honorable Mention All-American Returner

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• Rivals.com Third-Team All-American Kick Returner • Honorable Mention All-Big 12 KR/PR (Coaches) • Honorable Mention All-Big 12 All-Purpose (Associated Press) Russell Okung • Rivals.com Second-Team All-American • Phil Steele Fourth-Team All-American • I.com Honorable Mention All-American • First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches) • First-Team All-Big 12 (Associated Press) Andre Sexton • Second-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)

• Second-Team All-Big 12 (Associated Press) Jacob Lacey Second-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches) Jeray Chatham Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches) Orie Lemon Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches) Ricky Price Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches) Tonga Tea Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches)

Andrew Lewis First-Team Academic All-Big 12 David Washington Second-Team All-Big 12 (Associated Press) Dan Bailey Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Associated Press) Jacob Lacey Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Associated Press) Ricky Price Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Associated Press) Zach Allen First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Jamie Blatnick First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Seb Clements First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Jared Glover First-Team Academic All-Big 12

Jeremy Broadway Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 Shane Jarka Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 Nick Martinez Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 Dez Bryant • Walter Camp First-Team All-American • AFCA First-Team All-American • Associated Press First-Team All-American • The Sporting News First-Team All-American • Runner-up for the Biletnikoff Award presented to the nation’s top receiver • Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 • Phil Steele First-Team All-American • SI.com First-Team All-American • Rivals.com Second-Team All-American • Walter Camp Foundation National

Offensive Player of the Week, Sept. 7 • USA Today National Offensive Player of the Week, Sept. 7 • First-Team All-Big 12 Wide Receiver (Coaches) • First-Team All-Big 12 KR/PR (Coaches) • Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year (Coaches) • First-Team All-Big 12 (Associated Press) • Honorable Mention All-Big 12 All-Purpose (Associated Press) • Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, Sept. 8 • Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week, Oct. 6 • ESPN GameDay Final Helmet Sticker From Mark May, Sept. 6 • Finalist, ESPN All-America Player of the Week, Sept. 8 • Finalist, ESPN All-America Player of the Week, Nov. 1 Zac Robinson • SI.com Honorable Mention All-American

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• one of 10 finalists for the Manning Award presented to the nation’s top quarterback • one of 10 semifinalists for the davey O’Brien Award presented to the nation’s top quarterback • one of 15 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award presented to the nation’s top player KENDALL HuNTER • FWAA First-Team All-American • The Sporting news Second-Team All-American • Associated Press Third-Team All-American • Phil Steele First-Team All-American • Rivals.com First-Team All-American • Si.com Second-Team All-American • First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches) • First-Team All-Big 12 (Associated Press) • one of 10 semifinalists for the doak Walker Award • Finalist, eSPn All-America Player of the Week, Oct. 13 AndRe SexTon • Big 12 defensive Player of the Week, Oct. 13 • eSPn Gameday Final helmet Sticker From Lou Holtz, Oct. 11 BRAndon PeTTiGReW • one of three finalists for the Mackey Award presented to the nation’s top tight end • Phil Steele Third-Team All-American • honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Associated Press) • Watch list, Biletnikoff Award ARTRELL WOODS nominee, Fedex orange Bowl/FWAA

COuRAGE AWARD SEB CLEMENTS Semifinalist for the draddy Trophy, presented to the college football player who stands out as the best in the country for his combined academic success, football success and leadership in the community.

MIKE GuNDy one of 15 semifinalists for the George Munger Award presented to the nation’s top coach

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2008 OKLAHOMA STATE COWGIRL SOCCER

• oklahoma State finished the 2008 season with an 18-1-4 record. The 18 wins are the most in school history.

• The Cowgirls compiled a 7-1-2 record in Big 12 Conference play to claim their first-ever regular season conference championship.

• oSU ranked sixth in the country with an .870 winning percentage.

• The Cowgirls earned a no. 7 ranking in the final regular-season national polls (nSCAA/adidas, Soccer America and Soccer Buzz), which tied their highestever national ranking.

• oSU was ranked as high as 13th in the final national polls by nSAA/adidas, Soccer Buzz and Soccer Times.com.

The No. 13 ranking marked the Cowgirls’ second-highest finish ever in the final polls.

• oSU began and finished the season in the national rankings for the second consecutive year.

• oSU was ranked no. 1 in the Central Region for the final four weeks of the regular season by nSCAA/adidas.

• oSU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship for the third-straight season.

• The Cowgirls had a program-record six honorees for 2008 Big 12 Conference postseason awards. Colin Carmichael was named Big 12 Coach of the year, and yolanda Odenyo was the Big 12 offensive Player of the year.

• yolanda odenyo and Kasey Langdon were first-team All-Big 12 performers, while Siera Strawser was named to the second team. Freshmen Melinda Mercado and Kyndall Treadwell earned

spots on the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team.

• Colin Carmichael was named the 2008 Central Region Coach of the year by the NSCAA. • A school-record three Cowgirls were named eSPn The Magazine Academic All-Americans. yolanda Odenyo was a second-team selection, while Jessica Jarrell and Jamie Markaverich were third-team honorees.

• oSU had 11 players named Academic All-Big 12 Conference, including 10 on the first team.

• oSU earned the nSCAA Team Academic Award for the seventh consecutive year with a team GPA of 3.36. The Cowgirls were one of just two Big 12 programs to earn the award.

• yolanda odenyo was named to the nSCAA/adidas Women’s College Scholar All-American first team, and Kasey Langdon earned second-team honors.

• yolanda odenyo and Kasey Langdon were named to the nSCAA/adidas Scholar All-South Region first team.

Jessica Jarrell, Bridget Miller, Annika Niemeier and Jamie Markaverich earned honorable mention status.

• oSU led the nation in scoring offense at 3.22 goals per game and finished third nationally with 74 goals.

• The Cowgirls led the Big 12 in goals (74), assists (55) and points (203).

• The Cowgirls’ seven goals against iowa State marked their most ever against a Big 12 Conference opponent.

• Fifteen different Cowgirls scored goals in 2008.

• oSU set school single-season records for goals and points, and its 55 assists ranks second.

• oSU had three double-digit goal

scorers — Yolanda Odenyo, Siera Strawser and Kasey Langdon — for the first time in school history.

• Yolanda Odenyo led the Big 12 with 16 goals and 37 points.

• Kasey Langdon led the Big 12 and tied for fifth nationally with 14 assists.

• Kasey Langon ranked tied for eighth nationally in assists per game at 0.61.

• Yolanda Odenyo set a school record by scoring goals in seven consecutive games.

• Kasey Langdon became only the second Cowgirl to record 10 or more assists in a single season.

• Kasey Langdon had a pair of threeassist games, becoming just the second player in OSU history to reach that feat multiple times in a career.

• Siera Strawser had a pair of hat tricks to become just the fourth Cowgirl to achieve that mark twice in a career.

• Erin Stigler finished her career with 21 shutouts, a school record. * Yolanda Odenyo was one of 15 semi finalists for the Hermann Trophy, which is given to the nation’s top collegiate player.

• Yolanda Odenyo was a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.

• Yolanda Odenyo was named to numerous All-America teams, including:

* TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Season first team

* NSCAA/adidas All-America third team

* Soccer America MVPs first team

• Yolanda Odenyo was a finalist for the Soccer News Net Player of the Year Award.

• Three Cowgirls earned NSCAA/adidas

All-Central Region honors. Yolanda Odenyo and Kasey Langdon earned first-team accolades, while Siera Strawser made the second team.

• Yolanda Odenyo and Kasey Langdon were named to the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team.

• Kasey Langdon earned TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week honors on Oct. 13 • Yolanda Odenyo was named to several outlet’s teams of the week in 2008, including: Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week, 10/14; Soccer America Team of the Week, 10/14 & 10/27; Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, 10/14 & 10/28; TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week, 9/15 & 10/26.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM

• 2008 Big 12 Champions (First in school history) • 2008 NCAA Midwest Regional Champions (Fourth straight year) • 2008 Cowboy Jamboree Champions (Second straight year) • Eighth-Place Finish at 2008 NCAA Championships (Fourth straight top-10 finish)

INDIVIDUAL GERMAN FERNANDEZ • 2008 Big 12 Individual Champion • All-Midwest Region (fifth-place finish at NCAA Regional Championships) • All-Big 12 (first-place finish at Big 12 Championships) • School record 8,000-meter run (23:34.7) • NCAA Pre-Nationals Open Race Champion COACH DAVE SMITH • 2008 Big 12 Coach of the Year • 2008 NCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year (second straight year) RYAN VAIL • All-American (seventh-place finish at NCAA Championships) • All-Midwest Region (sixth place finish at NCAA Regional Championships) • All-Big 12 (fourth-place finish at Big 12 Championships) • First-Team Academic All-Big 12

JOHN KOSGEI • All-American (18th-place finish at NCAA Championships) • All-Midwest Region (third place finish at NCAA Regional Championships) • All-Big 12 (third-place finish at Big 12 Championships) • Second-fastest 8,000-meter run in school history (23:44.4) DAVID CHIRCHIR • All-Midwest Region (seventh place finish at NCAA Regional Championships) • All-Big 12 (13th-place finish at Big 12 Championships) MATT BARNES-SMITH • All-Midwest Region (21st-place finish at NCAA Regional Championships) • First-Team Academic All-Big 12 COLBY LOWE All-Big 12 (fifth-place finish at Big 12 Championships) RYAN BIRKHOLZ First-Team Academic All-Big 12 BRIAN GOSNELL First-Team Academic All-Big 12 ALEJANDRO RUIZ First-Team Academic All-Big 12 PETER WOOD First-Team Academic All-Big 12 DANIEL WATTS Second-Team Academic All-Big 12

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY HONORS AND AWARDS INDIVIDUAL Mihaela Susa All-Midwest Region (10th-place finish at NCAA Regional Championships) Mihaela Susa All-Big 12 (13th-place finish at Big 12 Championships) Tone Hjalmarsen First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Tihana Sarac First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Leah Schroeder First-Team Academic All-Big 12

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Shaunte´ Smith’s statistics speak for themselves.

Her current stat-line shows 11.0 points and 7.6 boards per game. Recently, the Cowgirl senior became only the third player in Oklahoma State history to record 1,000 points and 800 rebounds in a career. When this basketball season is complete, she will likely be No. 3 all-time in games started.

But stats don’t tell the whole story.

To fully appreciate Smith’s contributions (on and off the basketball court), you have to talk to those who know her best. Ask a teammate. Ask a coach. Ask a member of the support staff. Ask any one of a dozen people who interact with her on a daily basis to describe Shaunte´, and you’ll get strikingly similar answers.

An All-State standout from Putnam City North High School, Smith signed with OSU in 2004. However, before she even got to campus, Kurt Budke became the Cowgirls’ new head coach.

As a freshman in 2005-06, she started 25 games, averaging 10.8 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds. But her first season in Stillwater will best be remembered for a 17-game losing streak, including an 0-16 league record. Budke was recruiting replacements to fit his style of basketball, and Smith’s physique wasn’t what he was looking for. It was unclear whether any members of that team would return the following year.

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´

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Senior Taylor Hardeman (like Smith, a freshman from Budke’s first squad) recalls that infamous season.

“It was just scary,” she says. “We didn’t even know any of the staff. They were not the people who recruited us … what do we do now?”

In the offseason, the pair went to work.

“We never gave up on it,” Hardeman says. “It was me and her against the world.”

Her teammate says Smith returned that next fall looking like a different player.

“In order to play in this league, you have to be lean and fast. Every day she’d be downstairs on the Stairmaster, doing something extra beyond practice.”

“After her freshman year, she was 70

willing to do anything, because we were just awful,” says Cowgirl athletic trainer Amy Shipman. “That summer she decided she was going to get in better shape, so she worked out constantly. Outside of the regular workouts the other girls were doing, she was probably putting in three extra hours a day, and she really concentrated on what she was eating. She made up her mind and she did it, which I think in and of itself explains Shaunte´ … She decided she wanted to be better than what she was, and she put her mind to it and took care of business.”

Smith was named a team captain for her sophomore season, and helped lead the Cowgirls to a 20-win season and their first

NCAA Tournament appearance in more than a decade.

“She transformed her body to be able to play at Oklahoma State,” says Assistant Coach Richie Henderson. “Coach Budke told her exactly what she needed to do to play for him, and she really took that to heart. She got her body in shape and really took on her role of being a defender and making sure she goes out and rebounds and gives us those extra possessions.”

Henderson says Smith takes pride in playing hard every time she steps on the floor.

“She’ll do whatever it takes for this team to be successful,” he says. “It goes back to her personality. She’s a hustle player. She has no problem with throwing this team on her back. She’s not going to shoot the ball every time, but she’s going to get the ball to whoever needs to shoot. And if they miss it, she’s going to do her best to go get it.”

The coach says Smith is one of the most underrated players in the the Big 12.

“She’s one of the best forwards in this league, and we would rather have her in the 4-position than just about anybody else in this league or in the country because we know what she can do,” Henderson says. “She should be All-Big 12. She’s real humble, but she’s well deserving of those things. She’s definitely worked hard enough to get those types of accolades.”

“She’s definitely our leader,” he adds.

“Shaunte´ leads by example.”

Hardeman, who with Smith also earned the title of team captain this season, agrees.

“I am more vocal, but that kind of

leadership is more impactful on the team than words. That rubs off. Her hard work makes the rest of us want to do it.”

Smith is also poised under pressure.

“She doesn’t get worked up,” Hardeman says. “She calms the rest of us down and says, ‘Hey, it’s okay. Let’s go.’”

“Those two kids do an outstanding job of being leaders” Henderson says of his seniors. “There’s no question about who our team captains are. We see how much these kids respect them.”

The rags to riches story of Cowgirl Basketball continued into their junior campaign, as OSU tied a school record for wins (27) and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tourney.

“People don’t understand what that achievement means to us, going through what we went through that first year,” Hardeman says. “We’ll remember it forever.”

The pair, who played against each other in high school, have grown close over the last three-plus years.

“She’s like my sister and best friend – an absolute sweetheart,” Hardeman says.

“Shaunte´ is someone you watch and want to be like.”

Like her intense physical conditioning, Smith pushes herself to succeed in her studies.

“Shaunte´ has done well [academically], but she’s a student who really has to work at it,” say Agatha Adams, assistant director of academic services for athletics.

“She’s not one who takes the bare minimum.

She usually takes a full load and is always in heavy-duty classes every semester.”

Adams says new student-athletes are required to put in a minimum of eight hours of study per week at the Joe & Connie Mitchell Academic Enhancement Center. If they perform well in the classroom, that requirement is dropped. Smith comes in anyway.

“When she’s not on the court or working out, she’s in here. It’s funny, she’ll come in dressed to practice, and if she’s got 15 minutes she’s in here trying to do an assignment or review her lecture notes on the computer. She’s a very hard worker.”

Smith also takes new teammates under her wing, says Adams.

“Shaunte´ is like a big sister. She’s not told to help them, but she goes out of her way to make them feel comfortable and make sure they know the ropes and what they need to do, not just athletically but academically.

“That shows her responsibility. She’s very responsible and dedicated – a good

leader. On occasion, she’ll come in and check on how a teammate is doing and if there is anything she can do to assist them. That’s the type of person she is. In addition to her own responsibilities in the classroom, she can always find time to assist one of the other girls.”

Smith will graduate in May with a Business degree.

“I’m going to miss her,” Adams admits. “She’s just a sweetheart. She has a very outgoing, caring personality.

Everybody loves her. There are not very many who come through here like Shaunte´.”

A future in coaching is on Smith’s radar, but first she may take her game to Europe.

“She’s talked about possibly getting into coaching as a graduate assistant and getting her master’s degree,” Adams says. “Shaunte´ has also expressed interest in playing basketball professionally overseas, so she’s just looking at all her options right now.”

Assistant athletic director Amy Weeks calls Smith a “model student-athlete.”

“Shaunte´ is definitely a role model for her teammates. She is the type of young person you want your children and grandchildren to grow up to be like. OSU is blessed to have her.”

If not a basketball, Smith always seems to have a textbook in hand.

“That girl is a perfectionist,” Hardeman says. “Always in a book.

Always taking notes. She knows she has to work hard to get what she wants in life, so she goes after it. She has this will to be the best she can be.”

“She’s always studying,” Shipman adds. “There are times when we’re taping for pregame, and she’s studying, doing homework. On the road Shaunte´ always has her books with her.”

There’s another side to Smith, Shipman says – one that’s endearing (if not concerning) to the trainer.

“If I had to pick one word to describe Shaunte´, it’s clumsy. She might be supertalented on the basketball floor and go after every ball, but she hits the floor really hard. When I first got here, it used to make me really nervous, because I always

worried she wasn’t going to get up. It’s not just on the court, either. She falls all the time. Shaunte´ fell off the treadmill when we were working out. She dropped 135 pounds on her legs when she was in the weight room. Whenever we go somewhere, Coach Budke will say, ‘Somebody hold on to Shaunte´ …’ She’s just clumsy and goofy. She’s really silly. A lot of fun.”

Hardeman thinks so, too.

“People think she’s quiet, but she can make me laugh all day,” she says. “Shaunte´ is always spilling her drink or tripping over a line on the court … Goofball.”

Hard-working. Strong. Leader. Perfectionist.

Driven.

Sweetheart. Caring. Humble. Faithful.

Silly. Clumsy. Goofy.

Across the board, these are the traits most often cited when describing Smith.

Anecdotal evidence can sometimes be misleading, but when the consensus is so overwhelmingly positive, there can be only one conclusion: Shaunte´ Smith is special.

Clay Billman

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74

ON THE COURT WITH TERREL HARRIS

It’s

cold outside Gallagher-Iba Arena. It’s December.

Campus is deserted. A dense fog drapes the historic building, wrapping Hall of Fame Avenue in a white haze so thick that only Boone Pickens Stadium, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Bennett Hall’s graceful modifiedGeorgian architecture poke through. On Eddie Sutton Court, Terrel Harris has his teammates rolling.

Wordlessly, Harris has his 6-5 frame hunched over, and he’s lumbering with the ball in the post like a poorly controlled robot as he jerks his arm up in a comically too-strong hook shot. The ball careens into the backboard and forward Anthony Brown, the target of Harris’s mockery, acts like he doesn’t see it as he shoots from the top of the key. Guard Nick Sidorakis falls over in the seat next to him, guffawing as he watches.

Lately, Harris has been slayin' ’em on the court, too. Just about all of his stats – minutes, points, rebounds, blocks, steals and assists – are up over last year. Harris is benefiting from fi rst year head coach Travis Ford’s run-and-gun style that had the Cowboys averaging more than 83 points per game in February. Harris, a senior, was third on the team in scoring after conference play began, hitting Photography by Gary Lawson

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48 percent of his jump shots. In December versus Mercer, he nabbed seven steals in addition to two blocks and 18 points and scored 22 in a one-point victory over Texas Tech in February. Before the Christmas break, he scored 20 points or more in four games.

It’s a long way from last year, when inconsistent play and off the court problems landed him in the doghouse once Ford took over the team. But, to Harris’s credit, he toughed it out and worked his way back after an indefinite suspension that began last April.

“I’ve learned how to really be myself and prepare for a game,” Harris says. “A lot of people don’t realize this game is more mental than physical. The last few years I was just coming out thinking my natural ability could get the job done.

But I really learned to focus on the things that I need to do in the game, whether it’s rebounding, whether it’s scoring or defending my man.”

Ford believes this improvement is due to a renewed commitment Harris made to himself and OSU last summer. He honed it during a Houston basketball camp run by former NBA player John Lucas II. There, he worked with athletes including former pro guard Damon Stoudamire and the Pacers’ T.J. Ford.

That summer, he took it upon himself to steer others right. Byron Eaton, the team’s point guard, told the Tulsa World in an interview that Harris came back from the break like a preacher.

“People were actually getting tired of me,” Harris says. “I had to lighten up. I had to realize that people aren’t always going to understand the way I understand. I just had to know who I can talk to and give other people a little space.”

Basketball, however, was a breeze.

Ford says it was Harris who regularly won his trainers’ grueling preseason conditioning drills. Once practices started, it was his quickness, height, raw talent on defense and ability to shoot off the dribble that had NBA scouts talking, Ford says.

“He’s seeing the benefits of his commitment, hard work and dedication,” Ford says. “He’ll tell you he’s like a different person. He feels great. He’s more focused. Other people will tell you this is the best he’s looked. He’s just a terrific, terrific young man to be around every day.

Everybody loves Terrel.”

Harris has always been one of the most popular student athletes in the athletic department, says associate media relations director Mike Noteware. Noteware says that’s part of what makes his improved play fun to watch. It’s good to see it happen to a good kid, he says.

Ford says he would like to see him keep working on his defense, though, and results from that were evident when conference play began. Ford says Harris has the raw athleticism to be an incredible defensive player. That causes him to expect his quickness to let him back off his man, a tendency the coach says can leave him out of position.

But after all Harris has been through, correcting that should be a breeze. He and

Eaton are the only players left from a 2004 recruiting class considered the best in the country at the time. Since then, there’s been plenty of adversity to go around, and Harris has seen his fair share of it. When former head coach Sean Sutton resigned last year, it left Harris entering his senior year without the coach who recruited him.

But he says he feels good when he looks back over what he’s overcome.

After all he’s been through in Stillwater, talk of his graduation brings a distant tone to Harris’s voice. He’ll miss OSU. All players say that, but with Harris, it’s obvious he means it. That’s why he gets a bit misty-eyed when he talks about the Orange and Black.

“It’s amazing man. Leaving … it’s going to be tough. It’s going to be a good Senior Night for me. For me and Byron.”

As for his future in basketball, Harris has visions of a big NBA payday’s dollar signs dancing in his head. He says he’ll be happy wherever he lands but he’d like to play with Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics. But, no matter what happens, in Stillwater, he’ll have a host of Cowboy fans rooting for him.

Matt Elliott

“Terrel Harris is the X factor for this team.”

— Travis Ford 77

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Stillwater Location at 5215 W. 6th Now Open!

( L to R) Chris Batchelder, OSU Alumni (‘95) and Vice President of Commercial Lending, Arvest Bank - Stillwater; and Don Gable, OSU Alumni (‘78) and President, Arvest Bank - Stillwater.

Arvest Bank already has more banking offices in Oklahoma than anyone else, so just about anywhere you live in the state, we’re ready to serve you.

We’ve expanded into Stillwater, home of the Cowboys. And who better to lead our Stillwater expansion than two OSU alumni – Don Gable and Chris Batchelder? Don, Chris and the entire team of Arvest bankers are ready to serve you at our new branch located at 5215 W. 6th Avenue. Our ATM at 139 S. Knoblock is now open, and our 524 N. Main location is scheduled to open in March 2009.

If you’re ready to switch to Oklahoma’s most convenient bank, stop by your local Arvest Bank today. And if you’re in Stillwater, give Don or Chris a call at 405-385-5801.

ATM - 139 S. Knoblock

now open - 5215 W. 6th Ave.

opens MARCH - 524 N. Main St.

Photograph by Phil Shockley

wray.vings KYLE WRAY

If, however, you place your spoon in your “ joe” and it stands up without you touching it, you are probably in a locally owned joint where Mel, Flo, Vera or whoever makes the coffee is not worried about beverage conservation.

My mind and my stomach have an ongoing debate about the better breakfast entree: the protein route, complete with eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, etc., or the greatest breakfast food ever invented (in my opinion): pancakes! I’m not sure if the secret is in the batter or how long you wait until you fl ip them that makes them so great, which begs another question – what’s the difference he is not a boxer. He stumbles around and between pancakes and flapjacks? gets beat up. Eventually he spends the night When you are on the road with the in a barn on Harley's ranch.

Cowboys or Cowgirls and you fi nd yourThe next morning, after she cooks a self in a diner in front of a steaming stack big breakfast, she says: “Well, Dusty … of golden brown pancakes, don’t trade you can’t drink, you can’t dance and you them for anything. Not for a treat. Not for can’t fight. Can you eat?” They fi nally Senate seats. And please, keep your stimfound something Dusty could do … eat a ulus package. great breakfast.

And can a person get some safe As many of you have found out as peanut butter? What is the world coming you’ve traveled to watch Oklahoma State to when you can’t get some peanut butter athletic teams over the years, there are to put on top of your pancakes? Top it off some fantastic places to eat breakfast on with your favorite flavor of syrup (mine the road. And lets face it, breakfast is the is strawberry or maple) and you are in best meal of the day. business.

The most important rule of thumb for Regardless of the diner or your breakdetermining your breakfast destination is fast of choice, perhaps the best part is this: if there is a long line, the food is probsurrounding yourself with other OSU fans ably worth the wait. and stories of years gone by and hopes There are other considerations as well. for tomorrow. You can wash it all down For instance, there should be lots of choices with a big, tall cool glass of … what else: available, starting with beverages. The ORANGE juice. java du jour is a good indicator of the type Go Pokes. of breakfast bistro you have chosen. If the coffee looks like a glass of iced tea, you are probably in a national chain-type restaurant where they have careful instructions about conserving coffee.

DUSTY, JOE AND A STACK OF FLAPJACKS Several years ago country m usic mega%

star George Strait

starred in the movie Pure Co untry.

Strangely, he's never been the lead in another motion picture. I think it was because his acting was so good in Pure Country, Hollywood never came calling again.

The character Strait played was named Dusty, a country singer (of all things). In the movie, Dusty falls in love with Harley Tucker, played by Isabel Glasser, and the rest is history.

The first night they meet, Dusty exhibits the fact he can’t hold his liquor real well and 82

02.03

POSSE 09

“Give “Give yourself yourself a break: a break: take take five.” five.”

You’ll be You’ll amazed be how amazed much how you’ll much save you’ll when save youwhen takeyou these take fivethese five 3. Insulate, 3. Insulate, caulk and caulk weatherstrip and weatherstrip your your powerfulpowerful steps to use steps energy to usewisely: energy wisely: home. Most home. people Mostdon’t people realize don’tthat realize a third that a third 1. Replace 1. Replace lights with lights compact with compact fluorescent fluorescent of their energy of theirbill energy can come bill can from come air from leakage air alone. leakage alone. light bulbs. lightThey bulbs. giveThey just give as much just as light, much light, 4. Set your 4. Set water yourheater waterthermostat heater thermostat at 120ºF.atAdding 120ºF.aAdding a but last much but last longer muchand longer use 75 andpercent use 75less percent less water heater waterblanket heatercan blanket cut water can cut heating water costs heating costs electricity. electricity. another another 10 percent.

10 percent.

2. Replace 2. Replace your oldyour heating old heating and cooling and system coolingwith system a new, with a new, 5. Shade5.your Shade house. yourPlant house. trees Plant thattrees shedthat leaves shed leaves high-effihigh-effi ciency system. ciency system.

ConsiderConsider a geothermal a geothermal system — system they’re — they’re give shade to giveinshade the summer in the summer and admit andsunlight admit sunlight in in about 200 about percent 200more percent energy moreeffi energy cient,effi andcient, mayand qualify mayfor qualify low- for to lowthe winter. the winter. interest fiinterest nancing. financing.

Saving energy Savingand energy money andismoney in our ispower in our power See more energy-saving See more energy-saving tips at www.oge.com. tips at www.oge.com. ©2007 OGE Energy ©2007Corp.

OGE Energy Corp.