POSSE Magazine - Fall 2021

CHAD WEIBERG

AJ FERRARI LAUREN BAY REGULA LESLIE O’NEAL

MESSIN’ WITH TEXAS ...AGAIN

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THE OLD AND THE NEW OF REALIGNMENT

BY KEVIN KLINTWORTH Senior Associate Athletic Director

When Mike Holder was the head coach of Cowboy Golf, he was often the victim of negative recruiting due to Oklahoma’s, shall we say, versatile weather. Holder’s response to recruits was quite simple.

“If our weather is so bad, why do we win so much?”

Coach Holder has always had a way of getting right to the point. I once described my problems on the golf course to him, particularly getting out of sand traps. He had some sage advice.

“If I had trouble getting out of a trap, I wouldn’t hit into one.”

That may not be up there with “Give me liberty or give me death,” but it covered the topic and ended the conversation. His “tip” didn’t inspire me to play better golf. It inspired me to try pickleball instead.

Here’s another quote that several thousand coaches have uttered.

“It’s not about them. It’s about us.”

Saying those words in a pregame locker room simply reiterates that the result is up to the good guys. The bad guys are basically irrelevant and have no authority to dictate the outcome.

Both quotes fit nicely in today’s crazy, frenetic, chaotic, 90-miles-an-hour world of college athletics.

We have it all now-a-days. We have Name, Image and Likeness, we have the transfer portal, we have the ongoing pandemic-related issues, and of course we have realignment.

Realignment.

Realignment has been around college athletics longer than the NCAA has been around college athletics. In fact, Oklahoma A&M/Oklahoma State has been a member of the Southwest Conference, the Missouri Valley Conference, spent some time as an independent, then joined the Big Seven, which was then renamed the Big Eight, which grew into the Big 12, which shrank to 10 schools but remained the Big 12, with possible plans to grow to 14 and then circle back around to 12.

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Up to speed? Don’t worry. No one is.

Realignment is not finished. How can we surmise this with such authority? Because in the history of the world, conference realignment has never ended. Why would we think we have crossed the finish line now?

We love our traditions in college athletics.

Seriously we do. It is the romanticized traditions of college football that separates it from the NFL. It is the diversity in schools, in weather, in locales, in offenses, in defenses, in fan bases, in elevation, in bands, in tailgating and team entrances that keep us locked in on football Saturdays from morning until midnight.

But the one true tradition in all of college athletics is that things change. Florida is now considered a football power but did not win its first SEC championship until 1991. Entering the 1990s, Tulane had won more SEC titles than the Gators. And Tulane hasn’t been in the SEC since 1966. Boise State was a junior college until the 1960s. The University of Chicago was in the Big Ten for 50 years. Texas once defeated Oklahoma State in wrestling.

Things weren’t always like they are now.

And tomorrow they won’t be like they are today, I’m guessing. So why would conference affiliations be any different.

OSU has seen realignment from multiple perspectives. In the 1920s, when the Big Six was formed by outgoing members of the Missouri Valley, Oklahoma A&M was left out.

The exclusion was primarily due to the way the Valley had awarded the Aggies the conference football championship based on percentage points, despite the Aggies having played just four Valley games. In the defense of OAMC, as the newest member of the conference, it had only been able to schedule four league games.

It was a stunning blow to the folks in Stillwater, as noted by Doris Dellinger in her Centennial Series book on the history of Oklahoma State Athletics.

The folks in orange and black responded by winning more national championships than the Big Seven schools won, combined. It led

Hal Middlesworth of The Daily Oklahoman to write, “The Big Seven should consider joining A&M, not A&M joining the Big Seven.” The Big Six had added Colorado since leaving the Missouri Valley.

In 1957, realignment was more of a reason to celebrate. As the school was making its name change to Oklahoma State, it was voted into the Big Eight Conference, beginning competition in 1960. Athletic Director Henry Iba called it finest thing that ever happened to Aggie Athletics.

The invite was accepted by Oklahoma State president Dr. Oliver S. Wilham.

In the 1990s, the Big Eight Conference and the Southwest Conference had some preliminary dialogue regarding a scheduling alliance for their football programs, remembers long-time Big Eight and Big 12 staffer Tim Allen. The conversations led to some sidebar conversations which led eventually to the formation of the Big 12, which launched in 1996. It was a move spurred in part by the move of Arkansas and South Carolina to the SEC, Penn State to the Big Ten and Florida State to the ACC. And you thought this stuff was new.

At this writing, realignment has appeared to settle down. Or we are in the middle. Or it is just beginning. One of those choices surely is correct – or maybe all of them.

Schools can engrave their conference logos into their facilities, or they might use pencil just to be safe.

Regardless of traditions, shared histories, lost rivalries, gained rivalries, new time zones and familiar challenges, the words of all of those coaches ring true today as Oklahoma State looks to continue its consistent ranking among America’s best collegiate athletic departments.

It’s not about them. It’s about us.

Who cares about the weather?

F E AT U R E S

12 20 34 42 LESLIE O’NEAL

College Football Immortality Awaits

DE PARTM E NTS

28 50 58

A.J. FERRARI

The Greatest Showman

The 150 The Honor Roll WRAYVINGS

new neighbors

COVER PHOTO BY BRUCE WATERFIELD

CHAD WEIBERG

Cowboy with a Commitment LAUREN (BAY) REGULA

Medaling in Life POSSE 3

POSSE MAGAZINE

FALL 2021

POSSE Magazine Staff KYLE WRAY

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF EXECUTIVE AFFAIRS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR / EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

PHOTOGRAPHER / PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

BRUCE WATERFIELD CLAY BILLMAN

ASSISTANT EDITOR

GARY LAWSON, PHIL SHOCKLEY CLAY BILLMAN, MARY ELIZABETH CORDIA LIZ PARKE, CAULEN SPENCER

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

JESSE MARTIN DAVE MALEC

ART DIRECTOR / DESIGNER

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KEVIN KLINTWORTH

CLAY BILLMAN, TOM DIRATO, HALLIE HART KEVIN KLINTWORTH, ROGER MOORE, KYLE WRAY

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Donations received may be transferred to Cowboy Athletics, Inc. in accordance with the Joint Resolution among Oklahoma State University, the Oklahoma State University Foundation, and Cowboy Athletics, Inc. POSSE magazine is published four times a year by Oklahoma State University Athletic Department and the POSSE, and is mailed to current members of the POSSE. Magazine subscriptions available by membership in the POSSE only. Membership is $150 annually. Postage paid at Stillwater, OK, and additional mailing offices. Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Higher Education Act), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, or status as a veteran, in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This provision includes, but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. The following have been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 408 Whitehurst, OSU, Stillwater, OK 74078-1035; Phone 405-744-9154; email: eeo@okstate.edu.

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This publication, issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the Senior Associate Athletic Director. May 2021.

POSSE magazine is published four times a year by Oklahoma State University, 307 Whitehurst Stillwater, OK 74078. The magazine is produced by OSU Athletics and University Marketing, and is mailed to current members of the POSSE Association. Membership starts at $150/year and includes benefits such as the POSSE Magazine and member auto decals. POSSE annual funds contribute to student-athlete scholarships and operating expenses, which are critical to helping our teams stay competitive. Gifts of all sizes impact all areas of athletics. Postage paid at Stillwater, OK, and additional mailing offices.

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welcome back, champs OSU hosted a reunion of former football players – including the 2011 Big 12 Champions – for the Baylor game Oct. 2. Teammates Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon were among the Cowboys reunited on the Boone Pickens Stadium turf for the 10-year anniversary of that magical season, which included a 12-1 record and final ranking of No. 3 following a thrilling Tostitos Fiesta Bowl victory over Stanford.

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shiny things The Cowgirl golf team won the prestigious East Lake Cup defeating third-seeded Duke (3-2-0) in the match play championship. Ranked No. 1, coach Greg Robertson’s squad went undefeated in the fall, collecting four team trophies and three individual titles.

Junior Caley McGinty earned back-to-back medalist honors at the Schooner Fall Classic and Jim West Challenge, while sophomore Rina Tatematsu punctuated her East Lake Cup individual title with an eagle on the final hole.

PHO TO M

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twice as nice The Oklahoma State men’s and women’s cross country teams swept the team titles at the 2021 Big 12 Championships, hosted at the newly-named Greiner Family OSU Cross Country Course. The Cowgirls edged Iowa State by one point (35-36) in the women’s 6K race. All-American Taylor Roe led the way, finishing third overall. In the men’s 8K, the defending champs outran the Cyclones once again, taking the trophy by a seven-point margin (24-31). Isai Rodriguez was OSU’s low stick, finishing second overall. The accomplishment marks the second time head coach Dave Smith’s squads have swept the conference championships on OSU’s home course, also completing the feat in 2015.

PHO TOS CLA Y BI

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SLIE O’ENAL

College Football Immortalit y

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STORY BY TOM DIRATO

You could hear the Edmon Low Library bells loud and clear.

E AL Awaits

Five o’clock on the Oklahoma State University campus and football practice inside Lewis Stadium was winding down.

Players had learned to look forward to the sound of chimes.

Usually that meant stretch was just minutes away.

Not this warm September afternoon. Head coach Pat Jones was not happy with the energy or effort he saw from his team. Instead of calling the squad up at midfield, he took the whole team down to the 30-yard line on the east end of the stadium.

“I want the 1's out here now! Offense, first and 10 headed this way,” he said as he pointed toward the west end zone.

The players and some of the assistant coaches looked a little surprised. The Cowboys had already worked close to two hours. But now the head man wanted a goodon-good, first-team offense against the top defense to scrimmage. Lay it and play it. Full scale contact.

It turned out to be a spirited 15 minutes. It was physical and intense with a couple of after the whistle fights included.

Message sent from Jones. Message clearly received by the team.

One player stood out as usual. Defensive tackle Leslie O’Neal flat got after the Cowboy offense. No one kept stats, but I recall him racking up a pair of sacks, forcing a fumble and generally wreaking havoc. Double teams, triple teams.

It didn’t matter.

I dropped by the coaches locker room minutes later.

The remarks were glowing. “Relentless. The best player on the field. An all-conference performance. A guy who will play a lot on Sunday afternoons.”

Needless to say, they were very happy No. 99 was on their team.

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“Whenever I put the cleats on, my goal was to be better than the last time I played.”

Shortly after I retired from OSU Athletics I was asked by an Oklahoma City radio station to come up with a list of “bests.” One of my categories had to do with practice. I’ve been consistent with this claim for almost 40 years.

O’Neal was the best practice player that I had ever seen at OSU. And I’ve seen a ton of practices over the decades.

He never cheated you on effort. He played hard every play. He competed at the highest level drill after drill. I probably interviewed him on the Cowboy Radio Network 40 times.

Every visit ultimately included talk about his work ethic.

“I’ve always been this way. Whenever I put the cleats on, my goal was to be better than the last time I played. It didn’t matter whether it was a game or practice. Getting better was my goal.”

Fast forward almost 40 years. That relentless drive to be better will soon be recognized when the Little Rock, Ark., native is inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He will become OSU’s sixth member of the hall, joining coach Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf (inducted in 1966), Bob Fenimore (1972), Barry Sanders (2003), Thurman Thomas (2008) and coach Jimmy Johnson (2012).

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O’Neal was a two-time All-American at Oklahoma State (1984-85), a first-round draft choice (eighth overall pick) of the San Diego Chargers in 1986 and a six-time Pro Bowl selection. He had more than 130 career sacks. That total still ranks in the Top 15 in the history of the NFL. Those numbers were accumulated despite him missing almost two seasons with a knee injury during his prime.

So where does he rank among the greatest players to ever wear an Oklahoma State uniform?

I totally agree with Jones, who in a 2020 interview with Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World said, “Depending on where you put Bob Fenimore, O’Neal is either the third or fourth best player ever at Oklahoma State. The first two are Sanders and Thomas.

“I think it’s safe to say that through the decade of the ’80s, O’Neal and Lawrence Taylor (North Carolina) were the two best pass rushers in college football.”

Coincidentally, both of those players finished their NFL careers with 132.5 sacks.

O’Neal, who hailed from the same high school that Jones attended (Little Rock Hall), anchored the best two defenses in school history (1984 and 1985). Those units allowed just 34

touchdowns over two seasons—the lowest totals ever at OSU. He was named Big Eight Defensive player of the year in ’84 and earned all-conference honors in each of his last three seasons in Stillwater.

He set a school record that still stands by registering 16 sacks for 118 yards lost in 1984.

He also remains the career leader at OSU with 34 sacks.

At 6-3, 249, O’Neal dominated offenses. He had that combination of strength and quickness that made it almost impossible to keep him off a quarterback. He finished with 372 total tackles at Oklahoma State, 47 for losses. Throw in 58 quarterback hurries and you can see why he was every offensive coordinator’s nightmare.

His busiest day came in Lincoln, Neb., in 1984 where put together a 20-tackle performance against the Cornhuskers. Keith Jackson, who was calling the game on ABC, said, ‘If that number 99 isn’t an All-American, I’ll be awfully surprised.”

SMU coach Bobby Collins told Jones a few days later, “That number 99 of yours was so impressive against Nebraska I just nominated him for the Lombardi Trophy.” O’Neal was a semi-finalist for the Lombardi award in ’84.

He was a finalist in 1985.

PICK OVER ALL 1986 NFL D R AF T

PR O B O W L SELECTIO N

O SU CAR EER SA CKS

TO P 15 IN NFL SA CKS

LESLIE O'NEAL CAREER NUMBER S

ALL AMER ICAN AT O SU

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O’Neal came to Oklahoma State as a lanky, relatively light defensive end. Recruited by assistant coach Butch Davis, O’Neal was courted by a bevy of football powers. He narrowed his choices to Arkansas, UCLA, Oklahoma and Mississippi State before choosing the Cowboys.

He knew in order to play at the Big Eight level, he had to hit the weight room. And he put on some 30-plus pounds to become one of the most feared defensive linemen in the country.

O’Neal was a man of few words. If it took the average person 15 words to get a point across, O’Neal would do it in seven.

He was soft-spoken when not tracking quarterbacks down.

He never sought the limelight and truly was a man who let his play do all his talking.

He was also gracious when talking about his teammates.

“We have a lot of great players on this team, especially on defense. Anyone could make a play at anytime,” he would remind me on numerous occasions. “It’s not just me.”

During his time in San Diego (1986-95) O’Neal enjoyed rock star status. You could say he was the face of the Chargers.

I experienced his popularity on several occasions while working in the Oklahoma State Athletic Department.

We were outsourcing our highlight tapes during that era.

Four Square Productions worked with us to produce football and season-ending highlight tapes. Four Square was located in one of San Diego’s suburbs. Twice a summer I would head to my favorite city in America to put the finishing touches on the tapes.

O’Neal would pick me up at the airport and take me to my hotel. We’d go out for dinner once or twice and each time the autograph seekers seemed to know exactly what restaurant we had chosen long before we had arrived. O’Neal was always courteous and accommodating to those who came up to our table. He always had time for his fans.

“These are the people we play for,” he would say between bites. “They are a huge part of our team … a huge part of the success we have.”

Not too many people knew the O’Neal was a self-made golfer. He started playing while he was in Stillwater. Our paths would cross during the summer months. He could hit it a mile off the tee, but his short game and putting left a lot to be desired. But the work ethic that drove him on the gridiron turned him into a low handicap golfer (with some help from a golf pro or two along the way).

He was an all-around athlete in high school. He lettered in football, basketball and track. I remember Johnson telling me early in O’Neal’s college career, “I really think he could play anywhere on the field. Anywhere. We think he will be dominating on the line of scrimmage.”

During his Cowboy career, Oklahoma State played in the Bluebonnet Bowl and in consecutive Gator Bowls. He was a unanimous All-American in 1985, earning a spot on each of the five recognized teams (American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News and Walter Camp).

O’Neal had to come back from a severe knee injury in his rookie season in San Diego. He missed three games and didn’t play again until midway through the 1988 campaign. But he was dominant from that point on. He played for the Chargers, St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs before retiring in 1999.

He made 164 starts in the NFL. He was just as durable and reliable at Oklahoma State. He started 26 of his last 27 games.

O’Neal is already a member of several halls of fame: the Oklahoma State Athletics Hall of Honor, the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and the Chargers Hall of Fame.

He now awaits another induction—one that should’ve taken place a long time ago. The Cowboy Nation can celebrate. So can the guy who simply “wanted to get better every day.”

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IN A WORLD OF MANY, ONE SHINES BRIGHTEST. At Oklahoma State University, we turn to research for many of those solutions.

Our ideas are bold and bright as an Oklahoma sunrise. When the world asks the question, Orange is the Answer.

TELL THE HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR YOU KNOW TO APPLY BY FEBRUARY 1 FOR PRIORITY SCHOLARSHIP CONSIDERATION.

AthertonHotelOSU@okstate.edu

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RARI THE GREATEST SHOWMAN STORY BY ROGER MOORE | PHOTOS BY BRUCE WATERFIELD

Ferrari Flexes His Way to Fame POSSE 21

In 2007, Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy put many eyes on Stillwater with his infamous “Come after me.

I’m a man, I’m 40!”

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Just mention Gundy, especially outside the state of Oklahoma, and the immediate reply includes that postgame press conference.

Is it possible that “665-pound deadlift, baby!” barked by an amped 19-year-old true freshman wrestler has taken the reins as Oklahoma State’s new face and holder of the title “most quoted line regarding OSU athletics?”

If you’ve met Albert James Ferrari Jr., then you know that moment in time caught by ESPN cameras will most likely be followed by many more. From the outside looking in, one sees an arrogant, overly-cocky showman with the confidence of someone who’s been there and done that. A polarizing figure more pro wrestling than Edward Clark Gallagher.

“When we went to the (United States) Olympic Trials, AJ fully expected to win it,” said OSU assistant coach Chris Perry of Ferrari’s attempt to make the U.S. freestyle squad less than a month after winning the NCAA title at 197 pounds in March.

Winning a national title at OSU is commonplace, but only three—Richard Hutton (1947), Pat Smith (1990), and now Ferrari—have done it as true freshmen. The teenager did not earn a spot for Tokyo, but it would not be wise to bet against Ferrari in future cycles.

“665-poun

Counter to those on the outside, looking in, are those in the program who witnessed firsthand the development and commitment to his craft that Ferrari displayed during his first year in a program that requires much to be mentioned among its greats.

“You normally don’t have someone who is physically ready at those upper weights in that first year,” OSU head coach John Smith said. “With AJ you saw someone who was a different wrestler by the end of the year. By early February, he developed some skills that really made a difference for him. He’s such a hard worker, and he’s got an upside, can still get better. We haven’t seen the best of AJ by any means, and the thing that really sticks out with him is that he steps out to win every time.

As a coach you can’t ask for anything more, that commitment to get better.”

From the moment Ferrari stepped into the Cowboy wrestling room it was evident that the nation’s top recruit in 2020 was going to do big things. John Smith has done big things too— two Olympic gold medals and four World Championships and mentor to countless stars. In his three decades, Smith has seen plenty of high-profile recruits fade into oblivion, not quite buying into the lifestyle commitment it takes to be elite.

More than a few massive egos of alpha males have been put to the test two months into a collegiate career.

“We knew what we were getting, but like a lot of those type of recruits, we didn’t know if he would adapt,” said Perry, a two-time NCAA champ who did not finish in the top eight at nationals as a rookie. “Could he beat everybody in the room?

Sure. Was he competitive? Obviously. But could he keep that up, that grind to be able to compete at that higher weight class, against a lot of big, strong guys. Sometimes when you are young, beating guys in the room doesn’t always translate into beating guys like (Michigan’s) Myles Amine, an Olympian, or some of the guys who’ve been out there a year or two. I didn’t even place as a freshman … took me until my junior year to win it.

It is impressive what AJ did.”

Gary Calcagno, a longtime member of OSU’s strength and conditioning staff, is high-energy to say the least. Working with football and wrestling, he has seen a thing or two in the weight room and been a part of developing young talent.

Plenty of student-athletes have brought bad habits or were in need of refining their skills. At the center of it all, however, is commitment and attitude.

eadlift, baby!”

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“He’s such a team guy and has another level of getting everyone involved. That’s who he is 24/7, 365 days a year.”

– GARY C ALC AG N O

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“Everyone who shows up for football or wrestling has pretty much spent time in a weight room,” Calcagno said.

“The ones who are top recruits, the serious ones, more than others. (AJ) had worked more in powerlifting, obviously with his ‘665-pound deadlift, baby.’ He can lift a house. But Coach (Rob) Glass always talks about work capacity. AJ would spend all day lifting if he could, but OSU is coached by the greatest American wrestler in history, and there has to be that balance. AJ admitted it pretty early, that winning and beating these guys was more than strength and power, about being technically sound. When you add that to the power he already has that’s scary.

“But when I saw what he did with the other guys in the weight room I told Coach Smith that this is pretty awesome.

He’s constantly pumping everyone up and then giving so much effort it makes everyone raise their game. He’s such a team guy and has another level of getting everyone involved. That’s who he is 24/7, 365 days a year. There is nothing fake about it.

A lot of talent and personality, a once-in-a-generation talent.”

“I’m just getting started,” Ferrari said. “I looked at other programs, but I really looked up to (Coach Smith) coming up from an old-school Italian household and becoming what he is. I couldn’t ask for a better experience, being around people who have taken me places, to that deep water. The program, the lifestyle, you combine all those elements day-in and dayout and it is the perfect place for me. The family element, the faith in God, the possibilities are endless.”

Growing up in football-crazy Texas, Ferrari, of course, played. But he was drawn to the one-on-one challenge of wrestling. Roman-era gladiators, minus the fight to the death, bring a smile to Ferrari’s face.

“I’ve always had a passion for combat sports,” said Ferrari, who was 96-1 in high school and a 2018 Cadet freestyle World Champion. “The grind of it, the one-on-one aspect of it, the pressure of it, the competition. Growing up in an old-school household, it wasn’t easy. I was raised to work hard during the

day, have God in my life and understand that God put me here for a reason. My father prepared me for this.”

Something Ferrari has already become accustomed too during his short time in Stillwater is the “haters.” It is nothing new for the orange and black. Fans have shown their disdain for collegiate wrestling’s royalty for a century. Ask Johny Hendricks, an NCAA champion in 2005 and 2006 who dealt with a ton of critics. It might not have drawn the attention of “665-pound deadlift, baby,” but following a loss in the NCAA finals as a senior Hendricks said “(OSU) gets treated differently; the rules aren’t always the same for us. People just don’t like us, I guess.”

The 2021 NCAA champion fully expects similar treatment over the next four years.

“I’ve always dealt with haters,” Ferrari said. “Love me or hate me, it’s not going to stop my desire to win championships.

For me, I know what I want, and I am going to do whatever it takes to get it. I’m willing to take whatever path to get there.

And the thing is, I can talk the talk, but I’m willing to put in the work to back it up.

“It motivates me more than ever when someone says something online about me or my teammates because they usually don’t know what is going on around here. Waking up at 4 a.m. for an extra run, not everyone sees the type of work going into this. That doesn’t bother me.”

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“When you are great or winning championships there are going to be those who don’t like you, especially in this sport,” Perry said. “At Oklahoma State we are kind of used to that role, everybody being against you. And if someone is talking, doing whatever it takes to get them ready to compete, and winning, that’s okay. And if you are talking, but not performing, we have ways of dealing with that, too.

“With AJ, the more hype the better for him. The bigger atmosphere, the adrenaline, the more he talks, the better for him. That is what gets him going. I learned at Big 12s that if you put something on him, let him know the magnitude of the moment, he’ll perform. That’s what makes him go.”

The commitment, the grind and the haters have and always will be a part of the sports vernacular. Something new, however, joined the mix in July 2021—Name, Image and Likeness, known simply as NIL. For college athletes it was a watershed moment that allows for financial compensation for those able. Football and men’s basketball players, components of the largest revenue streams on college campuses, would seem to be the first to benefit. Ironically, and perhaps fittingly, a program with 34 NCAA Championships provided one of the first to ink a deal in the person of Ferrari.

“Right now there are so many things to think about, things to balance,” Ferrari said. “It’s been a thousand miles a minute.

Everyone wants to know ‘What’s Ferrari doing?’ I know that

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social media is a way for me to promote God, wrestling, the lifestyle … there are a lot of possibilities.”

The challenges of 2020 were evident, for college athletics and life in general. A global pandemic brought things to a standstill. With attempts at normalcy in the making, NIL adds yet another element.

“It’s here, and as I’ve learned in the last 30 years, change is going to happen,” Smith said. “We have to try and mentor these young athletes without crossing any lines. We knew there would be opportunities for someone like AJ because of his personality, the attention he’s gained. It’s a challenge, something else we have to deal with.”

Dealing with it all, behind all the bravado, the boasting, the bare-chested flexing at baseball stadiums, Ferrari’s philosophy and recipe for success is fairly simple.

“I don’t care what you do, if you are a garbage man or whatever, just be the best you can be, give it everything you have,” Ferrari said. “If you do that, the possibilities are endless. I know there are a lot of guys out there who want to beat me, that are training to beat me every day. I can’t let up. I have to attack every day, do what I can to keep getting better.”

And you can bet he will, with or without cameras.

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TOP 150 DONORS

(ALL-TIME, BASED ON PRIORITY POINTS)

AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2021

1 Boone Pickens – 6,116,022 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

28

Malone & Amy Mitchell Sherman Smith Family Patterson Family Dennis & Cindy Reilley John A. Clerico W & W Steel, LLC Michael & Anne Greenwood Robert A. Funk Karsten Manufacturing Ross & Billie McKnight Anonymous #18 Vicki & Bob Howard A J. & Susan Jacques Harold Courson Helmerich Family Jim & Mary Barnes Cecil & Frances O'Brate Ken & Jimi Davidson Chesapeake Energy, Inc. ONEOK, Inc. Mike & Robbie Holder Simmons Bank Mike Gundy Joe & Connie Mitchell OSU Foundation Jack & Carol Corgan Chad Clay Kent & Margo Dunbar Baloo & Maribeth Subramaniam

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31 Bob & Addilee Coleman 32 Watson Family Foundation 33 OSU President's Office 34 Greg & Rhonda Casillas 35 David & Tracy Kyle 36 Johnson Auto Family, LLC 37 OG&E 38 Waits Family 39 Russ Harrison & Natalie Shirley 40 Mark & Beth Brewer 41 Vickie & Tucker Link Foundation 42 Les & Cindy Dunavant 43 Richard Bogert 44 The Cobb Family 45 Gary & Jerri Sparks 46 Bryant & Carla Coffman 47 Joe & Vickie Hall 48 Johnston Enterprises 49 Gary & Claudia Humphreys 50 Calvin & Linda Anthony 51 Anoymous #1 52 RCB Bank 53 Anonymous #4 54 Mike Bode & Preston Carrier 55 Jerry & Rae Winchester 56 Barry & Roxanne Pollard 57 Brad & Margie Schultz 58 Lambert Construction 59 OSU Center for Health Sciences

60 Joullian & Co. 61 Darton & Jamie Zink 62 Ike & Mary Beth Glass 63 Baab Legacy, LLC 64 Mark & Lisa Snell 65 Flinto, Inc. 66 Phil & Ruth Terry 67 Jana Drummond 68 Wiese Family 69 Paycom 70 Bank of Oklahoma 71 KNABCO, Corp.

72 Anonymous #2 73 Bill & Marsha Barnes 74 Turner & Cynthia Davis 75 Steve & Jennifer Grigsby 76 Chip & Cindy Beaver 77 Z Equipment, LLC 78 David & Julie Ronck 79 Steve Tatum 80 OSU Business Office 81 Bancfirst 82 Ed & Kathy Raschen 83 Ed Evans 84 Randall & Carol White 85 Atlas Asphalt Products 86 Jameson Family, LLC 87 American Fidelity 88 Steve & Diane Tuttle

OSU ATHLETICS POSSE 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 donation. 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 purchasing season tickets (one point per sport annually), as well as one point for each year of POSSE donations.

PHOTO CAULEN SPENCER

89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119

Anonymous #3 Fechner Pump & Supply Jay & Connie Wiese Bob Norris Sparks Financial Midfirst Bank K D Greiner Pam J. Russell Lon Kile Henry Wells Ron & Jan King Brent & Mary Jane Wooten Patterson UTI OSU Alumni Association Garland & Penny Cupp Richard & Joan Welborn Barber-Dyson Ford Lincoln Mercury Vicki & Jim Click Larry Albin The Bank of America Mike & Glynda Pollard David D. LeNorman David Bradshaw Steven & Vicki Farris Andy Johnson John Groendyke Lindel & Donielle Larison Larry & Kayleen Ferguson Southwest Filter Co. Jerry Marshall John & Kaye Hull

120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150

Emricks Van & Storage Philip B. Smith Harvey D. Yost II JS Charter Investments, LLC Austin & Betsy Kenyon Griff & Mindi Jones Thomas Naugle Randy & Pati Thurman Chris & Julie Bridges Blueknight Energy Partners, LP Douglas & Nickie Burns Bob & Mary Haiges AEI Corporation Joseph E. Eastin Wiley McCollum Ronald McAfee Bill & Karen Anderson Sandra Lee Bruce & Sheryl Benbrook Bryan Close Vionette & John Dunn Brad & Leah Gungoll Matt Holliday Robert & Sharon Keating Gary & Mary Ellen Bridwell Harrison Investments Terry & Martha Barker Foothills Foundation Fred & Janice Gibson Drummond Investments Byford Auto Group

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, email posse@ okstate.edu or call us at 405-744-7301.

HOW DO MY POINTS RANK? as of OCTOBER 1, 2021 Points

Rank

6,116,024 1 240,564 80,534 50,795 38,300 32,980 22,280 12,760 6,400 3,100 1,100 400 220 170

1 5 25 50 75 100 150 250 500 1000 2500 5000 7500 8500

29

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do the gundy Head Coach Mike Gundy gets down after OSU’s 32-24 comefrom-behind victory over Texas.

The Cowboys closed the game by scoring 19 unanswered points and outscoring the Longhorns by a 16-0 margin in the fourth quarter.

The Pokes have now won six of the last seven games in Austin.

D

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TO PHO

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bedlam bragging rights Senior midfielder Grace Yochum hoists the Bedlam trophy as the Cowgirl soccer team celebrates an overtime victory at Neal Patterson Stadium on Oct. 21.

Freshman Samiah Phiri notched the golden goal in the second extra period. OSU has had the Sooners’ number in the rivalry, boasting a lopsided 30-9-4 record all-time in the series. The win was OSU's sixth in a row against the Sooners.

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In his dream job, OSU Athletic Director Chad Weiberg wants to honor the many people who have inspired and guided him.

B TO PHO Y JE S SI C AM ORR EY

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COWBOYw i t h a COMMITMENT STORY BY HALLIE HART

O

rdinary moments in a workday sometimes leave Chad Weiberg awestruck.

The Oklahoma State sports icons he revered as a young fan have turned into his employees, colleagues and friends. It’s normal for Weiberg to enjoy a casual conversation with wrestling legend John Smith or maybe bump into baseball superstar Robin Ventura, who was on his way to an unparalleled 58-game hitting streak in 1987 with Weiberg as a witness on the Allie P. Reynolds Stadium hill.

Each day, Weiberg steps into the historic arena where his father coached alongside Paul Hansen on the white maple court, the same venue where Weiberg’s sports administration career took root because of a college internship. And his office building adjoins the east end zone of a football stadium that will always be special — it’s the place where he asked his wife, Jodi, to marry him.

OSU Athletic Director Weiberg has referred to his role as a dream job. When he collaborates with well-respected coworkers in the comfortingly familiar setting of GallagherIba Arena, he is reminded why.

“Sometimes I think, ‘How is this happening? Is this real?’”

Weiberg said. “But it’s awesome, and all of those people … they’re all just great people, and that’s what makes it so fun to get to work with them. I come away from those conversations just (thinking), ‘How fortunate am I?’”

Since taking his seat at the helm in July, Weiberg hasn’t drastically adjusted his day-to-day operations. Sure, anyone following Big 12 Conference athletics knows he is navigating unexpected changes, but Weiberg has lived in the sports business world long enough to steer his department with steady leadership.

While he sat in his office and reflected on his first month as AD, the word “continuation” emerged as a theme. Weiberg is expanding on the work he started as Deputy Athletic Director and adding to the progress his predecessor, Mike Holder, created within the department and beyond.

“He absolutely recognizes what was done before him at OSU,” Jodi Weiberg said. “He understands that he stepped into a time at OSU that Coach Holder did what he has done with facilities and cultivating donors … He definitely isn’t trying to rewrite OSU’s past. I think he said in the (introductory) press conference, he’s just here to add a chapter to it, to an already great start to a book.”

Holder laid the foundation for the next steps, but Weiberg is following a career trajectory that had already taken off when he returned to OSU to work for the then-AD. It began with a chance encounter in Gallagher-Iba Arena, of course, and he had no idea how everything would fall into place years later.

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GETTING STARTED If it weren’t for Dave Martin’s encouragement, Weiberg might have ended up in an office halfway across the country from his home state.

As Weiberg embarked on the job search in 1994, preparing for life after graduating from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, the prospect of staying in Stillwater looked unlikely. An opening suddenly popped up — someone in the POSSE office was moving on to a career outside of athletics — but Weiberg didn’t bother applying. He figured he would lose the opportunity to someone with more experience.

Then Martin, the Deputy Athletic Director who knew Weiberg from his student internship, made him think twice during a random conversation in the arena.

“Weiberg, are you gonna apply for that job or what?”

Despite never holding a full-time position in the sports industry, Weiberg had proven himself as a worthy candidate.

He had an undeniably high level of investment in OSU Athletics. The storied traditions of Cowboy basketball surrounded Weiberg when he was a junior high kid whose father, Mick, joined Coach Hansen’s staff in the 1980s.

“I've been around sports all my life,” Weiberg said. “I wasn't the most talented player in the world, so I figured if I was gonna be involved with sports, it would have to be some way other than playing it.”

Unlike his younger brothers, Weiberg didn’t follow Mick into coaching. It wasn’t the right fit for him. Instead, he looked to his uncle, Kevin, whose successful athletic administration career later led him to preside over the Big 12 as conference commissioner from 1998-2007.

After graduating from Tonkawa High School, Weiberg’s love for OSU brought him back to Stillwater, where he strengthened his dreams of following the sports business avenue.

Weiberg had business savvy. His passion for athletics was there. He just needed a way to launch his career.

So when OSU’s Interfraternity Council president selected him for a student athletic committee, Weiberg jumped on the

FALL 2021

PHOTO BY OSU ATHLETICS

36

chance to network with administrators. Soon those connections helped him land an undergraduate internship in the athletic department.

Behind the scenes of seamlessly coordinated alumni fundraisers and corporate suit-and-tie meetings, OSU employees put in hours of work to make the events happen.

Weiberg quickly learned this as a student intern.

He prepared for Cowboy Caravans and tailgating festivities, and he stayed to clean up when they were done. Before the convenience of the digital era, Weiberg cut and pasted materials by hand for fundraising displays — and he did all of this as a volunteer while also getting paid as a lab monitor at OSU’s English Language Institute.

Despite his heavy workload, Weiberg made a strong impression. The department asked him to stick around for his senior year. This time, he would earn money, so he left his other job and narrowed his focus to athletics.

“I thought that was a big step for me,” Weiberg said. “I just learned a lot and had a great experience, and it just reinforced that this was what I thought I wanted to try to do.”

If he had to travel far for work, then he would do it. When graduation approached, Weiberg submitted applications for entry-level jobs across the nation.

But what if he followed Martin’s advice instead? What if there was a slight chance he could stay in the athletic department where he had devoted himself to gaining experience in his dream career field?

Weiberg, an ambitious college kid entering the complicated maze of postgraduate employment, was hearing the Deputy Athletic Director urge him to apply for a position as the OSU Athletics director of corporate sales and donor relations.

There was one correct response.

“I said, ‘Yeah,’” Weiberg said. “So I went and got my stuff together and applied for it and ended up getting the job.”

That decision led to a staircase of career opportunities, a network of lifelong friends and a connection with his future wife.

“Sometimes I think, ‘How is this happening?

Is this real?’”

PHOTO BY BRUCE WATERFIELD

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PHOTO BY OSU ATHLETICS PHOTO BY BRUCE WATERFIELD

“The student-athletes are why we are here, and we are only going to be as successful as they are.”

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MEANT TO BE PHOTO BY JESSICA MORREY

Jodi McGatlin wasn’t sure why someone had left a lit candle in a Boone Pickens Stadium suite.

As she looked around and saw photographs of herself with her boyfriend, Chad, she realized everything had been carefully arranged for a moment that would change their lives forever.

For a while, Weiberg had planned to surprise her with the perfect marriage proposal. Finding the right time was tough for two busy athletic fundraising professionals with jobs at different schools.

Weiberg’s deep-rooted OSU ties permeate many aspects of his life, and that’s evident in his love story. The pair started talking at a Big 12 alumni conference in Austin, Texas. Jodi was employed with Kansas State’s alumni association, and Weiberg was still at OSU. After the conference, they continued to keep up with each other, and Weiberg invited her to Homecoming. As they explored campus before Walkaround, Jodi was impressed with Weiberg as her tour guide.

“I just remember his passion for the campus,” Jodi said.

“And I remember just thinking how knowledgeable he was about every single building, every single curriculum, and I just thought, ‘You really have to be proud of your university to understand that much about the university as a whole,’ so that really made an impact on me.”

In the following years, Weiberg held a variety of positions at his alma mater, moving to the OSU Alumni Association and OSU Foundation before shifting back to athletics. At the same time, his friendship with Jodi evolved into love.

“Of course, there was the distance thing,” Weiberg said.

“But we stayed in touch by phone and email, and then would see each other a lot at either alumni events or when OSU and K-State played or the Big 12 tournament, those kinds of things.”

After struggling to find the best moment to ask her to marry him, Weiberg realized if they met because of work, then why couldn’t he incorporate it into his proposal, too?

On a Friday before the Cowboys hosted the Wildcats, Weiberg told Jodi he had to make sure the stadium suites were ready for game day. When they arrived at Boone Pickens Stadium, he asked the big question, and her family soon joined them to celebrate.

The relationship had blossomed because of their shared career interests, and it also opened the door for Weiberg’s next opportunity. As a married couple, he and Jodi had to bridge the gap between their workplaces so they each considered jobs in Stillwater and Manhattan.

Jodi even sold her house in Kansas, anticipating a move to Oklahoma. But soon, her husband received an offer at Kansas State, and the Weibergs realized it would be their best option, though it was bittersweet for him.

“I hated the thought of leaving OSU, just because I never thought that I would,” Weiberg said. “But I had a sense that this was a really good opportunity just to grow and learn, and really, it exceeded all of my expectations from that regard.”

Weiberg has fond memories of Kansas State. The fans and donors reminded him of OSU’s devoted alumni base, and he and Jodi started a family, raising children Ella and Grant in Manhattan.

The people he met appreciated him, too. Weiberg continued his climb in the sports administration industry, earning National Fundraiser of the Year accolades from the National Association of Athletic Development Directors in 2014. The next year, the Weibergs headed to Lubbock as he assumed the role of Deputy Director of Athletics at Texas Tech.

His ideal career path, the one he dreamed of as a high school student who wanted to be like his uncle, had taken shape. And OSU was in the rearview, though it was always close to his heart. Returning to Stillwater would make his job even more rewarding, but he didn’t count on it happening.

There are always surprises.

Weiberg’s connections have constantly guided him, and this situation was no different. Because of a familiar mentor, Weiberg had the unimaginable opportunity to go back to Stillwater. In 2017, Martin retired from his longtime career at OSU, and Weiberg, once the young intern who started his first full-time job because of Martin, was stepping in as his successor.

Weiberg described it as a full-circle development, something that continues to amaze him when he stops to think about it.

“I almost couldn’t believe it, that it was actually happening,” Weiberg said.

Once again, Weiberg was working in a Gallagher-Iba Arena office, chatting with generous donors and spending weekends hearing the familiar tune of “Ride ’Em Cowboys” as a sea of orange cheered on the football team. This time, he was Deputy Athletic Director.

Weiberg hadn’t known if this opportunity would ever be possible, but because of his unbreakable bond with his alma mater, Jodi wasn’t surprised when they found their way back to Stillwater.

“I think, in my heart, I always knew we would,” Jodi said.

“Because it just meant that much to him that somehow, someday, we would be here. So when those talks started happening, it just was like it was meant to be.”

Weiberg had arrived home. From there, his impact on OSU would become only more valuable.

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FULFILLING A MISSION Weiberg views Boone Pickens Stadium as a colossal classroom.

It’s home to metal benches and padded orange seats instead of wooden desks, and notepads filled with X’s and O’s are a little different from the books that line the shelves of Edmon Low Library. But no matter the environment, students are learning, which is Weiberg’s main goal.

To Weiberg, every athletic venue serves this purpose. It doesn’t matter whether a student is blasting a home run over the fence at Cowgirl Stadium or passing the ball to a teammate for a monstrous dunk in a basketball game. Their coaches are teachers, he said, and they’re equipping student-athletes with life skills.

“That's why we’re here,” Weiberg said. “The studentathletes are why we are here, and we are only going to be as successful as they are.”

As Athletic Director, Weiberg approaches his responsibilities with this philosophy. This mindset also guided him as Deputy AD when the athletic department appointed a director of counseling and sport psychology to support student-athletes’ mental health and later founded its Council for Diversity and Inclusion. He prioritizes student-athletes, and he wants to make the most of every chance to positively influence their lives.

It’s how he pays homage to his late brother Jared.

Jared Weiberg was one of 10 members of the OSU community who died in an airplane crash on a trip home from a Cowboy basketball game at Colorado on Jan. 27, 2001. He is remembered in numerous ways at OSU, including the Remember the Ten memorial in the southwest lobby of the arena where Weiberg goes to work each day.

Jared’s memory is also honored through his older brother.

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A student manager at the time of the crash, Jared had plans of coaching. Despite their different ambitions, the brothers shared a value of putting student-athletes first.

“I know that he would be, by now, touching so many lives through coaching and teaching and didn’t get the chance to see it through,” Weiberg said. “For me, I am. I still have the opportunity to do that so I just feel like because I have the opportunity, I need to take advantage of that every day in every way that I can.”

Weiberg mentioned Jared’s influence as he spoke in his introductory press conference on July 1, his first day as AD. He had a long list of people to thank, and they are his constant source of motivation.

From Weiberg’s perspective, he carries an obligation to his mentors and friends, the people who shaped him, to continue OSU Athletics’ advancements and success.

He owes it to Coach Holder, Dave Martin and the late T. Boone Pickens. He owes it to the former OSU sports greats who now work with him as coaches. He can draw inspiration from Jodi, his kids, his parents and his uncle Kevin.

And he does his job for Jared.

As Weiberg geared up for fall sports, everything was a whirlwind, but the busy nature of his work is nothing new.

Because of the people around him, the reasons he calls this a dream job, he holds onto his firm belief that OSU’s best days are in the future, regardless of what it holds.

“That's what gives me that confidence,” Weiberg said. “It is our coaches, it is our student-athletes, it is our team here in athletics and on campus. It is our donors and fans and alumni.

“All of the things that have put us here are what are going to keep us here and make the best still to come.”

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PHO TO B Y JE S SI C AM

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Medaling in Life STORY BY HALLIE HART

LAUREN (BAY) REGULA’S LIFE HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THE SUMMER WHEN SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS SAYING GOODBYE TO PROFESSIONAL SOFTBALL AFTER TWO OLYMPIC EXPERIENCES. A record-shattering Oklahoma State pitcher in the early 2000s, Regula has given birth to three active children who are discovering their own enthusiasm for playing sports. She’s also tapped into her entrepreneurial side, launching a personal training business in Ohio with her husband, Dave.

And this year, when softball returned to the Olympic Games for the first time since 2008, so did the Canadian.

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PHOTO PROVIDED

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OSU records since 1993

451

SINGLE-SEASON STRIKEOUTS

23

SINGLE-GAME STRIKEOUTS

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY OSU ATHLETICS

1,151

CAREER STRIKEOUTS

After persevering through physical and mental adversity to continue playing, Regula recently competed at the Tokyo Games with a new outlook on the sport she loves—and it worked in her favor. Team Canada won its first medal in softball, and Regula posted a flawless ERA through 5 1/3 innings to help her nation bring home the bronze.

At 39, Regula was the oldest member of her team, but she approached her day-to-day routine with the exuberance of a kid.

“It’s not a job,” Regula said. “I think for me, as you go along in your career and the newness wears off of—say, being on a national team, and it’s just what you do—I look at this opportunity through a perspective that I never even thought possible … I really am just trying to find the joy in it.”

Despite the unique limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic— including daily testing, staying in a bubble and spending a reduced number of days in the Olympic Village—Regula treasured the chance to play on a team again. It was something she hadn’t expected to happen, an idea she would have dismissed during her retirement after the Beijing Games 13 years ago.

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Since then, a number of challenges could have deterred her from pursuing this opportunity. Regula dealt with postpartum depression for six years, had to restore her pitching form in 2016 after a lengthy hiatus and, when she decided to make her second comeback, realized the Tokyo Olympics would be delayed because of the pandemic.

With resilience and tenacity driving her, Regula’s detours and exits have ultimately routed her back to softball.

“There is no one way to be an Olympian,” Regula said. “And there’s no one way to show up that’s universal, cookie cutter, that everybody has to fit into. So I’m looking at this Olympics in the lens of, what do I have today? How am I going to show up, be my best self? My path to get there and the amount of years I’ve had off has been a little bit different, but there’s no right or wrong.”

No matter how much time passes, there is a magnetism between Regula and a softball diamond, a magic that entices her to compete again. It’s the same love for the game that led a teenager to leave her cozy Canadian community and head south for Stillwater, where she could make her mark on a growing Cowgirl legacy.

“It’s not a job.

I think for me, as you go along in your career and the newness wears off of—say, being on a national team, and it’s just what you do—I look at this opportunity through a perspective that I never even thought possible … I really am just trying to find the joy in it.” ­

—L auren Regul a

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PHOTOS BY

Fueling the Dream The last official visit of the Canadian’s recruiting journey made the best impression on her.

Growing up in Trail, British Columbia, more than 1,800 miles from Stillwater, Regula wasn’t too familiar with OSU, but the program’s success intrigued her. She knew it was the alma mater of powerhouse pitchers Michele Smith and Melanie Roche, and the Cowgirls had just advanced to the World Series in 1998, the year before Regula started her college career.

When Regula (then Bay) arrived on campus, her decision became clear.

“It wasn’t until I actually showed up (when) I truly felt at home,” Regula said. “The way I felt when I was on Oklahoma State’s campus, I never felt like that any other place.”

OSU’s student body was much larger than the entire population of Trail, but Regula appreciated the close-knit, family-like environment she found in Stillwater. She said as a Cowgirl, she “fell in love” with softball from a game standpoint,

PHOTO BY BILLY D PHOTOGRAPHY

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developing her technique to transform from a “thrower” into a pitcher while gaining wisdom she carried beyond the field.

“That’s where I grew up,” Regula said. “Oklahoma State is what propped me on my feet.”

Regula’s fine-tuned skills allowed her to rack up legendary stats and earn All-American honors.

Since 1993, she has held OSU’s records for career strikeouts (1,151), single-season strikeouts (451) and single-game strikeouts (23 in an 11-inning game against Kansas).

When she wasn’t mowing down opposing batters as a Cowgirl, she was doing the same for Team Canada. It’s rare for an OSU athlete to proudly wear a red jersey, but for Regula, the color represented her home nation. She competed for the Canadian Junior Women’s National Team in 1999 before joining Canada’s senior team in 2002.

Regula’s dedication to softball remained strong when she met future husband Dave, a former kicker for Dartmouth’s football team, three years later. She had transitioned from college to a professional career with the Chicago Bandits, and she had already participated in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

“From the day I met her, she’s been playing ball and traveling, so this is just like normal,” Dave said.

Over time, it’s become easier for the couple—and their whole family—to stay connected when Regula jets around the world.

Dave is thankful for the advent of FaceTime so he no longer has to pay for international calls, but even when he was dialing numbers in Beijing to reach her during the 2008 Olympics, he understood and cherished her passion for sports.

“That’s why the softball thing’s easy for us, because I want her to win and do this as much as she does,” Dave said. “There’s no give and take. It’s just we’re both giving to this right now, and I think we’ve always just kind of had that whole thing going.”

Chasing athletic dreams was Regula’s way of life, but after a disheartening summer for Team Canada, Regula decided to shift her focus.

olympic appearances

2004

ATHENS, GREECE

2008

BEIJING, CHINA

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TOK YO, JAPAN

Weathering the Storm All signs seemed to tell Regula it was time to move on from softball.

Team Canada missed the chance to medal, instead placing fourth with a disappointing 5-3 loss to Australia in Beijing. A secret ballot vote among International Olympic Committee members resulted in the sport’s exclusion from the Games beyond 2008 so Regula figured she wouldn’t have a chance to return.

“Once I kind of came to terms with it, I was really ready to put my glove away and not look at it,” Regula said.

Wiping the tears from her eyes after her final game, Regula pushed softball behind her. She didn’t stop to reminisce on her time as an athlete. Instead, she focused on new responsibilities.

She and Dave were married and planning to have children.

Regula devoted herself to family life, giving birth to three kids in three years: Grace, Jack and Will. She embraced her new role as a mother, and eventually, she also assumed the identity of business owner, founding TrAkAthletics with Dave.

For eight years, she didn’t pitch.

But Regula also faced mental health struggles. Today, she openly speaks about her experience with postpartum depression, depression that sets in after childbirth.

“As moms, it’s so hard for us to ask for help because we want to be everything to everybody else,” Regula said. “But at the end of the day, it takes a village, it really does, and I think we really need to open up our minds and understand, it’s OK. Help is good, so I think it’s a strength for us to ask for help.”

Drawing upon her story, Regula established the Strong Mom Strong Fam movement, an online coaching business that offers support for mothers, many of whom are former athletes.

Dave has noticed how his wife’s advocacy for mental health awareness has benefited her and others.

“She got to kind of just walk through the world without feeling like she needed to hide,” Dave said. “And I think that gave her some confidence back, and that process of her getting that out there really got her back to where she is. And it obviously has helped a ton of people.”

Along with realizing the importance of seeking help, Regula revived her athletic dreams. During spring 2016, she received an unexpected email from Softball Canada with a request for her to join the team for World Championships in Surrey, British Columbia. She had only a few months to train, but Regula was ready to come out of retirement.

“I do remember thinking, like, ‘Maybe this is why I’m not feeling like myself,’” Regula said. “Maybe softball was such a huge part of my life that this is the missing piece of the puzzle, and I’ll start to feel better again.”

Regula vividly remembers her first game back. Although it wasn’t a high-stakes matchup—Team Canada was playing against a 16-and-under squad for practice—she found herself trembling as she stood in the circle. Did she still belong there?

With a concoction of fear and adrenaline driving her, Regula sent her first pitch screaming up the backstop and eventually exited the game early with a tear in her left bicep. But she also overcame her doubts. The experience of bonding with a team again moved her emotionally, spurring her to stick with her World Championship goals even after a shaky comeback game.

Her loyal teammate instincts had returned.

“That is a part of me,” Regula said. “And I actually have goosebumps right now. I love the team camaraderie.”

With a renewed spark for competing, Regula trained for the World Championships and steered Team Canada to a bronzemedal finish. She had proven to herself that she could keep playing at an elite level, and more importantly, she enjoyed it.

But after the World Championships, Regula stepped away from softball again. Although Tokyo’s organizing committee decided to bring the sport back for the 2020 Olympic Games, Regula wasn’t sure if she was in the right mindset to spend four years invested in the process.

If she changed her mind, the door was open.

As the Games approached, Regula couldn’t resist the chance to reunite with Team Canada for one more shot at winning a medal, so she went for it.

Her boldness was rewarded.

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PH

OT O BY BI LL Y D PH OT O GR AP HY

“I’m trying to really live in the moments because it can get very heavy and tedious, especially when you’re at a really high level, but it’s a game.

And you don’t work softball. You play softball.

So I’m just trying to play a little bit more.”

Making it Happen While preparing for the Olympics this summer, Regula’s teammates knew where to turn if they needed items they couldn’t find in their backpacks.

A bandage? Regula had it. Medicine to relieve muscle cramps after a doubleheader? She had that, too. A pen? Well, it was in her bag, but she’s already loaned it to someone.

Along with sporting Team Canada’s signature vivid red backpack in Japan, Regula carried her “mom bag”—a large black shoulder bag filled with essentials. Her teammates joke with her about it, but she’s used to carrying it as an on-the-go mom of three. Why not bring it to Tokyo for the Olympics, too?

As Regula continues reaching her softball goals, all aspects of her identity are woven together. Lauren the teammate is Lauren the mom and Lauren the businesswoman.

In 2020, when schools and gyms were closed during the pandemic, the Regulas homeschooled their kids while Lauren trained for the Olympics, leading up to her qualification as one of only 15 team members. She’s a supportive fan when her sons and daughter are playing, and she’s an athlete when it’s her turn.

At ages 12, 10 and 9, Regula’s children motivate her to take chances as an athlete. It can be difficult when she travels away from her kids—she gives all credit to Dave for the extra work he does as a dad while she’s gone—but she’s setting a positive example for them. Dave said her impact on the kids is immeasurable, even if they don’t realize just how extraordinary it is for their mom to be an Olympic athlete because they’re used to it.

“That’s just what you do,” Dave said. “You just chase your dreams. That’s normal to them now, which is really cool.”

In many ways, Regula is that same determined dreamchaser who spontaneously decided to relocate from Canada to Oklahoma after one eye-opening visit. She still thrives in team settings, and she maintains a connection with her alma mater. In 2018, she returned to Stillwater for Cowgirl Softball’s Diamond Club banquet, and she recently took over the team’s Instagram account for a day, giving fans an up-close look at her Olympic journey.

“I think she really feels a part of it again, which is awesome,” Dave said. “We love it. Our kids wear the stuff, we watch the World Series, all that stuff. It’s cool.”

Regula has continued on her path in the softball world, but her new experiences have shaped and transformed it. As she hopes to influence her kids, they also inspire her to look at the game a little differently. When she sees the grins on their faces and the joy in their eyes as they play sports, she realizes she can be more like them. They’re the reason for her recent focus on enjoying each game, even when she’s competing in a pressureinducing situation such as a matchup for an Olympic medal.

“I’m thankful to be here,” Regula said. “And I’m trying to really live in the moments because it can get very heavy and tedious, especially when you’re at a really high level, but it’s a game. And you don’t work softball. You play softball. So I’m just trying to play a little bit more.”

POSSE 49

Baseball

10.25

When OSU announced its scholarship endowment initiative, the athletic program was last in the Big 12. Now, more than halfway through the 10-year program, OSU leads the conference.

FULL SCHOLARSHIP

Dennis and Karen Wing (2) | Hal Tompkins Sandy Lee | Jennifer and Steven Grigsby Mike Bode and Preston Carrier (2) David and Julie Ronck

But we’re not finished yet.

HALF SCHOLARSHIP

OSU awards 229 full scholarships to student-athletes each year at a cost of $4.5 million. Each dollar freed up through endowed scholarships goes back into our programs. Better equipment. Better facilities. Better support. Each dollar has a direct impact on the lives of our student-athletes.

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Sally Graham Skaggs Bryant and Carla Coffman David and Grace Helmer | Jill Rooker Martha Seabolt | Dr. Scott Anthony John and Beverly Williams Richard and Lawana Kunze

Equestrian

1.25

This is the list of all the generous supporters who have helped to provide a bright Orange future.

FULL SCHOLARSHIP

Baloo and Maribeth Subramaniam

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

They are our Honor Roll.

David and Gina Dabney

PHOTO / BRUCE WATERFIELD

Football

33.0

FULL SCHOLARSHIP

Bob and Kay Norris Bryant and Carla Coffman / The Merkel Foundation David LeNorman | Dennis and Karen Wing (2) Dr. Mark and Beth Brewer Ike and Marybeth Glass Jack and Carol Corgan Jim Click | John and Gail Shaw Ken and Jimi Davidson | Leslie Dunavant Mike and Kristen Gundy Mike and Robbie Holder Ron Stewart | Ross and Billie McKnight Sandy Lee | Tom and Sandra Wilson Wray and Julie Valentine James and Mary Barnes

HALF SCHOLARSHIP

Cindy Hughes | Donald Coplin Doug Thompson | Ed and Helen Wallace R. Kirk Whitman | Greg Casillas Jim and Lynne Williams / John and Patti Brett Mike and Judy Johnson | Sally Graham Skaggs State Rangers | Tom Naugle | Nate Watson

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Al and Martha Strecker Arthur “Andy” Johnson, Jr. Arthur Couch | Barry and Roxanne Pollard Bill and Ruth Starr | Brad and Leah Gungoll Brian K. Pauling Bridgecreek Investment Management LLC Bryan Close | David and Cindy Waits David and Gina Dabney | Dr. Berno Ebbesson Dr. Ron and Marilynn McAfee Eddy and Deniece Ditzler | Flintco

50

FALL 2021

Fred and Janice Gibson | Fred and Karen Hall Howard Thill | James and LaVerna Cobb Jerry and Lynda Baker | John P. Melot Jerry and Rae Winchester John S. Clark | Ken and Leitner Greiner Kent and Margo Dunbar | Paul and Mona Pitts Randall and Carol White | Shelli Osborn Roger and Laura Demaree Steve and Diane Tuttle Tony and Finetta Banfield

General

1.25

HALF SCHOLARSHIP

Terry and Martha Barker

Men's Golf

5.25

FULL SCHOLARSHIP

David and Julie Ronck Dennis and Karen Wing Jack and Carol Corgan Men’s Golf Scholarship Baloo and Maribeth Subramaniam

HALF SCHOLARSHIP Simmons Bank

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP Bob and Elizabeth Nickles Garland and Penny Cupp Richard and Joan Welborn

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Bill and Roberta Armstrong Bill and Sally Cunningham Donald Coplin | Jill Rooker Richard and Linda Rodgers Jo Hughes and Deborah J. Ernst Richard Melot

Women’s Golf

2.0

FULL SCHOLARSHIP

Baloo and Maribeth Subramaniam

HALF SCHOLARSHIP

David and Julie Ronck | Dena Dills Nowotny

Men's Tennis

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Women’s Tennis

0.75

HALF SCHOLARSHIP

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Men's Track

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP David and Judy Powell Kenneth and Susan Crouch Sally Graham Skaggs

Graduate Athlete Bob and Joan Hert | Neal Seidle Tom and Cheryl Hamilton

Men's Basketball

23.5

FULL SCHOLARSHIP

Baloo and Maribeth Subramaniam A.J. and Susan Jacques Bill and Marsha Barnes Brett and Amy Jameson Calvin and Linda Anthony Chuck and Kim Watson David and Julie Ronck (1.25) Dennis and Karen Wing (2) Douglas and Nickie Burns Griff and Mindi Jones James and Mary Barnes | Jim Vallion Ken and Jimi Davidson Kent and Margo Dunbar | KimRay Inc. Sandy Lee | Mitch Jones Memorial

HALF SCHOLARSHIP

David and Julie Ronck Dr. Mark and Susan Morrow Jay and Connie Wiese | Sally Graham Skaggs Stan Clark | Billy Wayne Travis Holloman Family

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Dr. Scott and Lynne Anthony Gary and Sue Homsey Michael and Heather Grismore Rick and Suzanne Maxwell Robert and Sharon Keating Steve and Suzie Crowder Terry and Donna Tippens

0.75

Tom and Cheryl Hamilton

Jim McDowell Men's

0.75

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Dr. Mark and Susan Morrow Susan Anderson | Ken and Leitner Greiner

HALF SCHOLARSHIP

Mary Jane and Brent Wooten

Soccer

1.0

FULL SCHOLARSHIP

James and Mary Barnes

Softball

0.75

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP Tom and Cheryl Hamilton Richard Melot Ann Dyer

Women’s Basketball

7.25

FULL SCHOLARSHIP

Brad and Margie Schultz Ken and Jimi Davidson Mike Bode and Preston Carrier

HALF SCHOLARSHIP

Baloo and Maribeth Subramaniam Don and Mary McCall John and Caroline Linehan Calvin and Linda Anthony Mike Bode and Preston Carrier

Amy Weeks | Kent and Margo Dunbar

0.5

Jamie Maher Richard Melot

Wrestling

10.75

FULL SCHOLARSHIP

A.J. and Susan Jacques Bruce and Nancy Smith Chuck and Kim Watson Lon and Jane Winton OSU Wrestling – White Jacket Club / Gallagher Endowed Wrestling Scholarship OSU Wrestling – White Jacket Club / Myron Roderick Endowed Wrestling Scholarship OSU Wrestling – White Jacket Club / Ray Murphy Endowed Wrestling Scholarship OSU Wrestling – White Jacket Club / Tommy Chesbro Endowed Wrestling Scholarship The Cobb Family

HALF SCHOLARSHIP

Mark and Lisa Snell Bobby and Michelle Marandi

QUARTER SCHOLARSHIP

Danny and Dana Baze / Cory and Mindy Baze John and Beverly Williams | R.K. Winters

To learn more about scholarship opportunities and how you may contribute, please contact: Larry Reece (405-744-2824), Matt Grantham (405-744-5938), Shawn Taylor (405-744-3002).

POSSE 51

jump ball Cowboy Brennan Presley goes up high to bring down a 42yard touchdown pass from Spencer Sanders (their second TD connection of the day) in the Oct. 23 game vs. the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames. A sophomore from Bixby, Okla., the 5-foot-8 receiver has earned a reputation for highlight-reel plays.

PHO TO O

KLA

HOM

A ST ATE ATH L

ETIC S

52

FALL 2021

POSSE 53

that no. 1 feeling The top-ranked Cowgirl Equestrian team celebrates in the Atherton Family Arena after knocking off previous No. 1 Auburn 10-9 in the season opener.

OSU ended the fall slate ranked No. 1 in the NCEA Farnam poll and will resume competition Feb. 5, hosting Baylor at the Pedigo-Hull Equestrian Center.

PHO TO M

ARY

ELIZ

ABE

TH C ORD

IA

54

FALL 2021

POSSE 55

NEW NEIGHBORS It’s a normal Saturday morning at your house. Sun is breaking the horizon on a beautiful day. Your coffee is just right, and you look across the street to see the new people moving into the house which was just vacated by the previous tenants. “Is that a lamp in the shape of a woman’s leg he’s carrying in?” you quip to yourself. “That’s weird. Like the one in A Christmas Story.

Interesting."

When you see people pack or unpack a moving van, one can make some assumptions. Some good and some bad. How and when they leave or arrive is important, too. Early morning or under the cover of darkness, all key indicators.

The Big 12 Conference HOA has helped us welcome four new families into the neighborhood. Each of those family units are different. They come from different parts of the country. Their incomes and lifestyles are varied.

They may dress differently and speak with an accent which is not like ours. The new additions to Maple Drive from Houston, Cincinnati, Provo and Orlando arrived behind the wheel of vehicles unlike the ones we drive.

Their furniture may be Southwest, modern or earlyAmerican. And all of that is ok. Change is good. The inclusion of four teams means the wording on the entry gate is finally correct: Big 12.

56

FALL 2021

Each institution brings history, color, pageantry and tradition to add to those of the conference cornerstones we are used to being neighbors with prior to their arrival.

It's an opportunity for adventure. Break out the parka for games in Utah and Ohio or sunglasses and sunscreen for south Texas and Florida. All fantastic places to visit when you’re tired of the same dull routine.

So Cowboy fans, it’s time to walk across the street and welcome the new neighbors. You can offer to help mow the grass, trim the hedges or perhaps make any repairs needed from wear and tear or years of neglect from the previous owners. Make a pan of brownies and roll out the welcome mat … a bright orange one.

GO POKES!

KYLE WRAY

Senior Vice President for Executive Affairs Kyle Wray OSU

@KyleWrayOSU

A Nike White with Orange Ringer Tee XS-XXL | $35 B Nike Orange Slub V Neck Tee XS-XXL | $35 C Nike Short Sleeve Velocity Legend Tee S-3XL | $35 D Nike Mini Football | $15 E Nike DF Velocity Short Sleeve Sideline Tee S-3XL | $35 F Nike Cowboys Cap $23 G Nike Black Dry Crew Tee XS-XXL | $30 H Nike Flex Polo S-3XL | $80

I Nike Youth Team Issue Tee S-XL | $25 J Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38 6-15 |$130 K Nike Dry Polo 2 S-3XL | $75 L Nike Campus Ok St Cap $24 M Nike Tri Vault Pete Tee S-XXL | $35 N Nike Orange Boxy Tee XS-XL | $35 O Nike Oklahoma State Tee S-3XL | $25 P Nike Old School Arch Tri Tee S-3XL | $35

ALUMNI A S S O C I AT I O N

Let Pete pay.

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