POSSE Magazine - December 2007

December 2007 The Official Magazine of OSU Athletics

The official magazine of OSU Athletics

Vol. 1, No. 3

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LETTER

[from]

MIKE

It’s wintertime in Stillwater, and the OSU athletic department is a busy place. For a second year in a row, the Cowboy football team is in a bowl game. The Cowboy and Cowgirl basketball teams are about to begin their annual battle through the Big 12 Conference. The OSU wrestling squad continues to represent us well as they take on all challengers.

Oklahoma State has been blessed this year with outstanding efforts by our coaches, and in particular, by our student-athletes.

As fans, you should be proud of their accomplishments in competition and the classroom. As always we appreciate your support of them through your purchase of season tickets, POSSE membership and attendance at events.

Even through the ice and rain, construction continues on Boone Pickens Stadium.

This fabulous facility will be finished soon. Many of you have referenced the fantastic views from the new seats there. Next fall, you will be able to take advantage of the seating in the new west end zone.

Please join me this winter as we cheer on the Cowboys and Cowgirls!

T HE OF F IC I A L M AG A ZINE OF OSU AT HL E T IC S 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

PROGRAMS COORDINATOR Mindy Walthall

DIRECTOR of UNIVERSITY MARKETING Kyle Wray

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Cory Cheney

ART DIRECTOR Kim Butcher

DESIGNER Paul Woodard

ILLUSTRATOR Hannah McGill

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Phil Shockley

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Gary Lawson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Clay Billman, Lonna Mann, Clinton Wieden, Gavin Lang, Ryan Cameron, Michael Harris

ADVERTISING: 405.744.7301 E-MAIL: JASON.PENRY@OKSTATE.EDU EDITORIAL: 405.744.6263

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.

COMPLIANCE As we approach another holiday season I wanted to provide you with a quick reminder that NCAA rules prohibit our student-athletes, or even their family or friends, from receiving any special benefit that would not be available to the general student populace. Some examples of such extra benefits would include holiday gifts, free drinks or meals, special discounts not available to the general public, and free or discounted services.

I know these restrictions may sound a bit harsh, but in 2005 a booster of an NCAA women’s basketball program gave Starbucks gift cards as Christmas gifts to four student-athletes. As a result, the institution was forced to report a violation to the NCAA and the four student-athletes were temporarily declared ineligible for competition. I am sure that the last thing you would want to do would be to jeopardize the eligibility of one of our players, or even place the university in a position to be sanctioned by the NCAA. The Athletics Department is extremely appreciative of all the support that is shown to our program by our loyal POSSE members. Once again, we would like to thank you in advance for your cooperation and support.

Should you have any questions or comments, please feel free to call me at 405-744-8166.

Happy Holidays,

Ben Dyson assistant athletic director/ compliance

CONTENTS DEC07 ISSUE 3

WWW.OKSTATE.COM

18

Women’s Basketball:

THE TURNAROUND

28

62

76

First & 10 with

Greg Casillas A HANDS-ON KIND OF DONOR

Season of Success

Scott Verplank

42

12

Cowgirls return to NCAA tourney

Donor: Bruce Smith

14

Where Are They Now?

17

Bobby Stillwell

18 22

The Turnaround Kenya Larkin

28

First & 10: Scott Verplank

32

Point of Emphasis

35

Orange Pride Girls

38 Insight into the Season 42

Wrestling with Tradition

46

Sharon Buckingham

48

Cross Country

52

Behind the Scenes

58

Pernilla Lindberg

62 65

68

Carrying the Standard

70

Under the Hat

74

The 150

76 WRESTLING

WITH

TRADITION

Donor: Greg Casillas James Anderson

Season of Success

78

Polaris

82

Wray-vings Cover photo by Phil Shockley

December 2007

The Official Magazine of OSU Athletics

5

DID YOU SEE IT?

photo by GARY LAWSON

www.okstate.com

photo by PHIL SHOCKLEY

Laying the foundation for Championships. glad to be part of the team.

wittwerconstruction.com

Once the stadium is bowled in, the noise level will grow and the energy of the crowd will be amazing.

It’ll be a special place to watch a football game.

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THEDONORS: BRUCE SMITH

A CONVERSATION with MR. SMITH

T

here are OSU fans and then there are OSU fans.

Just over four years ago, Bruce Smith and his family were driving back from Galveston along Interstate-35. His daughter, Makenna (the current Miss Oklahoma), was driving, the rest of the family was in the back of the van watching The Matrix or sleeping.

Between Norman and Purcell, a car came across the median and hit them headon. One minute he’s watching a movie, the next he’s coming to alongside the road, head spinning with a concussion, hip broken, back in pain. A couple of men had stopped and helped Smith and his family from the van, then left.

As it turned out, those two men were University of Oklahoma football players, and the story was picked up by local, then national media. Shortly before OU’s bowl game, ESPN came to Oklahoma City and interviewed Smith and his family.

The reporter asked him if he was going to pull for OU. Smith said, “Absolutely not. I hope that they lose. But I will be cheering for Mark Clayton and Lynn McGruder to do well.”

What else would you expect a lifelong OSU fan to say? In his defense, the OU players were making jokes about perhaps not stopping to help because of the POSSE sticker on the back of the van.

Smith (’75, BS civil engineering; ’77, MS, civil engineering), president of Atlas Paving Co. in Oklahoma City, has been an OSU fan for as long as he can remember, in no small part because his father is also an OSU alumnus.

In fact, attending OSU has become a family tradition. Two of Smith’s three children have attended or are attending OSU,

though there’s the daughter who went down south.

“I tell everyone, ‘I have three kids and one of them turned bad.’ You treat them all the same. There’s no explanation for it. But then again, one out of three isn’t bad,” says Smith.

“She isn’t much of a Sooner fan. She just went to school there and put her time in. She never went to a football game. She always tells me she wishes she’d gone to OSU because we have so many more traditions and activities.”

The activities she’s talking about are those on game day. The Smiths, like many OSU families, tailgate and they hardly ever miss a game.

“We had season tickets when I was 7,” says Smith. “As far back as I can remember, we went to OSU games. That’s when State Highway 51 was a two-lane road, all the way in and out. We sat right on the 50-yard line, probably about 45 rows up.

“Over the years, we just kept the tickets,” says Smith. “They sent me a survey once.

‘Are you going to come back?’ This is when we were 0-10-1. ‘What can we do to enhance the experience? Are you going to drop your tickets because we had a losing season?’ I’m an OSU fan. We’re going to be there, win, lose or draw. This is our school, and we’re committed, and we’re going to be there and support you. There’s no reason to send a survey to us.”

He remembers when there was a track around the field and how a truck would drive around it when the Pokes scored. He remembers the Gashouse Gang and Orange Stetson hats.

“Everyone bought them,” says Smith.

“My dad still has his.”

Smith has his own collection of memorabilia, and he’s working on decorating Atlas’ break room with it. He has a bunch of stuff from various OSU fundraising auc-

tions, including a warm-up from the days Eddie Sutton played basketball for Coach Henry Iba. He has a wrestling warm up, a John Smith Olympic singlet, a Jake Rosholt autograph and even an old orange tablecloth from the Student Union. Someday, it’ll all be on display in “the room.”

It’s a visual representation of how Smith feels about Oklahoma State, but his support goes far beyond hanging banners and autographs on his company’s break room walls. He’s contributed to the renovation of Gallagher-Iba Arena and Boone Pickens Stadium and has partially endowed a scholarship for the wrestling program.

“I chose to do the wrestling program because I’ve followed OSU wrestling since I was about 10 years old,” says Smith. “I think it’s the most successful sports program on campus, and I’d like to see it continue its excellence.

“Wrestling has kind of lost its popularity in the country and at OSU. The matches are not as well-attended as they used to be. But I think all OSU alumni take great pride in the program.”

Smith also contributes to OSU academically (there is an engineering scholarship provided by Atlas Paving Co.) and is a member of the board of visitors for the civil engineering school. He works to try to reconnect his fellow engineering alumni with the program. “Hopefully, they’ll stay in touch and donate some money,” says Smith.

“After you go to school there and graduate, it becomes a part of who you are,” says Smith. “If you look back and think about what events or institutions have influenced your life, OSU has to be one of them. And with that comes pride. You want OSU to succeed.”

byCORY CHENEY photo byGARY LAWSON

December 2007

The Official Magazine of OSU Athletics

13

13

O-CLUBPRESENTS: Where are they now?

JIM BOLDING

[Thoughts about being an OSU student-athlete] “It was a wonderful opportunity. There are so many things you can take away from the experience that will serve you well in later life and pursuits.”

[Additional Thoughts] “I’m not sure you can put a definite value on the real worth of having the opportunity to attend a quality university like OSU as a scholarship athlete. We all want athletics to be successful so we can continue to be proud of our alma mater, and I think that whatever we can do to help advance that desire is our obligation.”

[Hometown] Oklahoma City, OK [Sport] Track (1968-72); named Outstanding Athlete at 1971 and 1972 Big 8 Championships; holds World Record in 440-yard hurdles (48.7 seconds).

[Degree] B.S. in business administration, 1972 [Current residence] Stillwater, OK [Current job] Owner, Carlson Wagonlit/International Tours Travel Service.

[Family] Wife Denise; son Taylor (23) and daughter Tatum (21).

[Life after OSU] Continued with Pacific Coast Track Track Club for four years after graduation … went into the travel business in OKC following retirement from competitive track … moved back to Stillwater in 1980 to operate International Tours.

[Hobbies/Interests] Most outdoor activities (especially golf) and travel.

[Best OSU memory] “The lifelong friendships I have made from athletics as well as my campus and fraternity relationships.”

[What was your best meet?] “My best meet was Milan, Italy, in 1974 when I set the American record for 400-meter hurdles and beat the current Olympic champion as well as the current world record holders for both 440 yards and 400 meters.”

[Talk about your world record] “In 1974 at an international competition in Torino, Italy, I was approached by the meet director who wanted to have a 440-yard hurdles race to try to break the existing world record. It was during this period that track races were beginning to change to the metric system. Fortunately, I was able to break the record by one-tenth of a second. Within a few years, all one-lap hurdle races were run in meters.”

[What’s it like to have a world record?] To have done something at that time better then anyone had ever done before is a very personally gratifying experience. I was lucky to have a great coach in Ralph Tate here at OSU, who was a very good hurdler himself, and some terrific teammates to train with, like Dennis Schultz.

[Do you keep in touch with former teammates?]

“I keep in touch with Dennis (Schultz), along with two South African runners, Peter Kaal and Johnny Halberstadt, who both live in the U.S. now. Living in Stillwater, I often hear from former runners who call just to see what is going on with the program and see if I have heard from other teammates.”

Who do you want the POSSE Magazine to catch up with next? Send us a suggestion at posse@okstate.edu.

14

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The Official Magazine of OSU Athletics

December 2007

“While at OSU I was able to learn, develop skills and achieve the confidence that

enabled me to compete successfully in life’s

endeavors. I want future students at OSU

to have those same opportunities.”

• • • Dennis White ’64

Philanthropists are changing our state and our students through their generosity.

Read their inspiring stories of philanthropy, or submit your own, now at OSUgiving .com/whyigive.

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Get ready for more Orange Power this season.

Because we’re bringing more horse power.

Here comes Bullet.

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The Student Store is Oklahoma State University’s original outlet for Cowboy clothing and souvenirs. Owned and operated by OSU, all proceeds help fund the many activities the Student Union and Campus Life provide to keep memories alive in the students at OSU.

THEDONORS:

SHADESof ORANGE If you ask him, Robert “Bobby” L. Stillwell will tell you straight up: he prefers his Orange burnt.

“I’m a Longhorn,” says Stillwell.

“I’ve been a Longhorn forever. I’m still a Longhorn.”

Okay, maybe not forever. He actually turned into a Texas Longhorn fan about the time he was 14. It was a trying time for him.

The rest of his family, his father in particular, were OU fans.

“We had to listen to the OU/Texas game in separate rooms,” he says.

“My whole family is from Oklahoma,” says Stillwell. “My mother was born in Pawnee, and my dad is from Chickasha.

We moved to Texas when I was 2, then to Washington, D.C., and then back to

Houston. My dad was always a huge OU fan.”

Reading that might make you wonder why he can be seen along the sidelines of Cowboy football or basketball games, or having lunch with Mike Holder or new OSU President Burns Hargis.

“Up until six years ago, I wasn’t particularly involved with OSU,” says Stillwell. “But when I retired from my law firm in 2001, I came to Dallas to work for Boone.”

What Stillwell does is help Boone Pickens accomplish whatever he can think of, and the past six years, Pickens has been thinking of ways to help Oklahoma State. Pickens asked Stillwell to look into ways he could help his alma mater become more successful, and to provide advice, legal and otherwise, as to how to accomplish that goal.

“Boone’s idea is that OSU is going to become a national-class university, one that people recognize and respect,” says Stillwell.

“Money is one of the components in making that happen.”

A lot of that money has come from Pickens, but Stillwell believes those donations are an inspiration to other alumni.

“What an alumnus wants is to be proud of having been here,” says Stillwell. New facilities and successful athletics programs inspire alumni pride.

“Football and sports can be a part of that for a lot of people,” says Stillwell. “Last year, I went to the bowl in Shreveport. Man, what an enthusiastic crowd. That’s the spirit we see everywhere we go when we run into OSU people. Sure, that’s all football related, but we know that kind of enthusiasm spills over to the university at large.

“I see it when we meet with city of Stillwater officials and the OSU Board of Regents. What I have seen has been cooperative and exciting.”

Stillwell spends much of his time keeping up with progress on the stadium and the Athletic Village, visiting campus every couple of months for “official” reasons, and then stopping in for games from time to time.

Stillwell worked with Boone and others to develop the Leave a Legacy fundraising campaign.

“It’s been gratifying to see the participation and enthusiasm that program has engendered,” says Stillwell. “People are proud of their association with the university. A lot of them aren’t in the position to give $5 million to their school, but they can give their insurance policy.

“I think other institutions and schools will copy it, but Oklahoma State started it and they are to be congratulated for it.”

OSU has become special to Stillwell.

“It’s a labor of love for me,” he says. “I spend a lot more time on Oklahoma State activities than I do Longhorn activities.

That’s just how it’s worked out.

“My Longhorn friends say, ‘I know you’re helping Boone in Stillwater.’ I tell them, ‘What they are doing is helping themselves. They’re pulling themselves up by their bootstraps. They want the same things we have’.”

He’s almost as passionate about his work with OSU. “It all derives from my relationship with both Mike Holder and Boone, and with Regents I’ve come to admire. Just a lot of good OSU guys who’re trying to accomplish something worthwhile. I’m proud to be a part of it.”

byCORY CHENEY photo byPHIL SHOCKLEY

December 2007

The Official Magazine of OSU Athletics

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17

TheTURNAROUND Just two years ago, the OSU Cowgirl basketball team went 6-22, with an 0-16 record in the Big 12. Last year, they made the NCAA tournament.

T

his year, they’ve cracked the Top 25 for the first time in 11 years.

“What these kids did last year was really special,” says Cowgirl head basketball coach Kurt Budke. “I don’t think people really understand how special it was.”

Consider this, at the time of this writing, OSU is ranked 25.

Ahead of the Cowgirls in the poll are Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor and Oklahoma. Sitting at No. 27 is Texas Tech.

“Those teams are all women’s basketball powerhouses,” says Budke. “I don’t know many teams that would want to come in and play those teams twice.”

Two years ago, those teams kept the Cowgirls winless in the Big 12. The competition isn’t lessening. The Cowgirls are getting better, putting up 86.2 points per game and holding opponents to 51.4.

“This team has a knack for getting easy baskets,” says Cowgirl associate head coach Jim Littell. “They go get a lot of offensive rebounds and they get a lot of points off of steals. As long as you have the opportunity to get easy baskets, you’re going to be successful.”

A lot of that success can be attributed to sophomore point guard Andrea Riley, who’s averaging 21.8 points per game.

“She’s just that difference maker,” says Budke. “She’s that person who can give you an 8-2, 10-2 run that gets you separation from teams. And she can do it all by herself. She’ll score two or three buckets, then assist two or three, then get a steal off someone for a bucket.

“She’s almost impossible to guard because of her quickness and she’s so much smarter and more mature this year. She’s turning into a legitimate all Big 12 performer, and if you’re that, you’ve got a chance at All-American someday.”

But Riley has a good supporting cast, which includes seniors Danielle Green and Maria Cordero, as well as freshman sharpshooter Kristin Hernandez.

“Our two seniors are winners,” says Budke. “They want to do nothing but win. Maria Cordero, you have to kick her out of the gym every night. On a game day, you have to tell her when she can be in the gym and when she can’t be in the gym, or she’d be in the gym all day leading up to the game. I’m not kidding.

“Danielle Green. Just a flat-out winner. The tough one. The blue collar one that’s just going to go get the tough rebound. She’s going to go make the tough basket. And when you have two seniors like that, who want to win so bad, that’s leadership by example.”

All Hernandez did was score 25 points in her first game as a Cowgirl.

“She’s our leading three-point shooter right now,” says Budke.

“She has shown the ability to drive and score. She’s an outstanding finisher on the break, maybe the best on the team.”

“I think she has the mental makeup to be very, very good,” says Littell. “If she’s had a bad game, she has the capacity to forget it and move on to the next one. There’s going to be peaks and valleys for a freshman in this league. It’s not going to be a rosy picture every night.

But she has the mental makeup to succeed in this conference.”

There’s more depth and talent on the Cowgirls’ bench, and they have a better understanding of coach Budke’s system, and they have experienced success. They want to win.

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The Official Magazine of OSU Athletics

December 2007

“They got a taste of it in the NCAA tournament, and they want to get back,” says Budke. “Every one of them feels we could’ve and should’ve won that tournament game last year, even though we weren’t favored and were playing a team that had won 30 games. They feel they should’ve won that game and the game in the next round.

“They have the confidence that they can go out and play with anyone in the country.

We didn’t have that at this time last year.”

That mentality is a stark contrast from when Budke landed on campus two years ago. At that time, no one expected the Cowgirls to win.

“There wasn’t a winning mentality when he was hired here,” says Littell. “I think that’s the most outstanding thing he’s done.

He’s changed the mindset of what women’s basketball can be.”

The biggest piece of that turnaround has been the successful recruiting of the Cowgirl coaching staff, and Budke gives all the credit to his assistant coaches – Littell, Kenya Larkin and Miranda Serna.

“My assistant coaches did an unbelievable job,” he says. “To be able to go into homes when you’re 0-16, 6-22, they don’t

get enough credit for bringing the right kind of kids in. Players we can win with.

“Coach Littell and I have known each other for a long time now, and he knows what we’re looking for,” says Budke. “Miranda and Kenya have played for me and understand what kind of player will react well with what we bring to the table. Someone who wants to win. Someone who wants to go to the NCAA tournament every year. Not everybody comes in and wants to deal with the kind of pressure we put on them every day.”

Even in the middle of the season, the Cowgirl recruiting staff has been on the road scouting. It’s a never-ending process.

“We have to continue to increase the talent level,” says Budke. “Eight-and-0 is great, but if we’re going to achieve our goals, we’re going to have to continue to work hard in recruiting and bring more great players here.

It’s about being able to go into recruits’ homes and say, ‘We’re ranked 25th. We’ve made the tournament. We want to compete for Big 12 championships. Come help us take that next step’.”

Being a Cowgirl isn’t easy. Expectations are high, and recruits know this coming in.

But being invited to join the team is also being

invited to join a family.

“I think our players understand that we legitimately care about their future and about the success they are going to be 10 years down the line. It’s not about wins and losses anymore. Twenty years ago when we both started coaching, probably our egos were much more involved than they are now.

“We’re going to push them as hard as we can push them and ask them to do the right things on and off the floor at all times. We ask them to be responsible, to be adults and to continue to grow as young women. We’re not going to let them do something wrong and just let it go.”

That accountability has translated into wins on the court, and just two years removed from being at the bottom of the Big 12, the Cowgirls are contenders. It seems as though it’s just a matter of time until they bring home a conference championship.

“At Oklahoma State, with the support of the president and the athletic director, what they’re doing for us gives us the chance to win a national championship someday,” says Budke.

“They have the confidence that they can go out and play with anyone in the country. We didn’t have that at this time last year.” -Kurt Budke 20

The Official Magazine of OSU Athletics

December 2007

COLONY SPORTSWEAR FOUND ONLY AT THE STUDENT STORE

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photo by GARY LAWSON

THECOACHES

Assistant Coach KENYA LARKIN

K

enya Larkin is no stranger to basketball success.

In high school, she led perennial power Duncanville to an undefeated season and the Texas Class 5A state championship.

As a freshman at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas, she led her team to a 36-0 season and the National Junior College Athletic Association national title.

At the University of Texas, she led the Longhorns to the Sweet 16.

Since 2005, she’s been sharing that experience with the Oklahoma State Cowgirls as an assistant coach, and she says having been there before is a big help.

“It gives you instant credibility with the kids,” Larkin says. “Having achieved goals and won championships, when you relay that and the kids see the passion in your eyes, when they can see that you want them to achieve all the things that you’ve already done, it really goes in a different way.”

Cowgirl fans might remember Larkin from her days at Texas. From 2000 to 2002, Larkin served as the Longhorns’ floor general, starting 62 of 65 games and leading the team in assists both of her two seasons. But even if the OSU faithful don’t recall her play, her coaching colleagues – many of whom were at their jobs when Larkin played – certainly did.

“My first year, the running joke of the Big 12 was ‘Don’t put on your uniform, we don’t want to play against you anymore’,” Larkin says. “I had to remember that I am a coach because you see those people and it’s like they’re a coach over you, but these are my colleagues now.”

Larkin’s primary duties are recruiting and working with the players at her old position, point guard. She brings a unique perspective to her work – not only was she an

accomplished player, but Larkin’s two seasons at Trinity Valley were spent under the tutelage of her boss: Cowgirl head coach Kurt Budke.

That’s something that helps her work with sophomore guard Andrea Riley.

“I stay in her ear and try to always remind her of what he expects of her,” Larkin says. “We have a lot of conversations, and it’s been good to see her come to terms with what he wants and step up to the challenge to do it.”

Larkin knows from experience how demanding Budke can be on his point guards.

But she is quick to point out how caring the Cowgirl boss is toward his players.

“He loves all of these players like they’re his own. He really wants to see these girls achieve the success that he’s already achieved,” Larkin says. “Life is more than just basketball with him. If you’ve had a bad day or some family troubles, those things are important to him.

He’s concerned about each individual player.”

That combination of determination and caring has made for a successful career for Budke, particularly his well-documented achievements at the junior college level. Associate head coach Jim Littell also had a noteworthy career at the junior college level. Because Larkin and fellow assistant Miranda Serna both played at junior colleges, Larkin says the combined familiarity with junior college basketball gives the Cowgirl staff an advantage.

“There’s a lot of people who try to recruit junior college kids, and they’ve never recruited a junior college kid before,” Larkin says. “One thing that’s really great about us is that we do understand how much of a task it is as a junior college player to come in and learn.”

That knowledge became evident last season, as the Cowgirls improved from 6-22 the previous year to 20-11 with an NCAA Tournament berth, the program’s first since 1996. Larkin says the experience of the NCAA Tournament has been

an important motivator for this year’s Cowgirls.

“They got a taste of it,” Larkin says. “That’s something that some people never get to experience, and for our players to get a taste of it, that automatically puts a greater hunger inside of them.”

Heading into the 2007 winter break, the Cowgirls have taken advantage of the friendly confines of Gallagher-Iba Arena, building a 20-game nonconference home winning streak. Having played at Texas, Larkin has seen Gallagher-Iba from two different perspectives.

She’s glad now that the building is on her side.

“It’s such a hard place to play, because everyone is right on top of you,” Larkin says.

“It was always a difficult situation. I think Gallagher-Iba is the best arena in the country.”

The venerable arena is just one of the things that make OSU a special place, something Larkin has quickly recognized.

“The thing I enjoy the most about OSU is that it’s really a family atmosphere,” Larkin says.

“All the teams want to see each other succeed.”

That family atmosphere is something Larkin says has also permeated the Cowgirl team.

Larkin says the closeness of the squad makes coaching easier, and with goals as lofty as the ones in place for Cowgirl basketball, that can be very important.

“We felt like our group would be close, and they are. They’re a very tight group that spends a lot of time together off the floor,” Larkin says.

“It makes it so much easier. You’re never going to have twelve best friends, but you can have twelve people that respect each other and have one common goal.”

The pursuit of those common goals is what drives Larkin and her colleagues in coaching the Cowgirls.

“That’s something Coach Budke talks about with them: ‘Do you want the success that we’ve all experienced?’ Because we’ve done it. Now we want to see them excel.”

byCLINTON WIEDEN photo byGARY LAWSON

December 2007

The Official Magazine of OSU Athletics

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[ Q& A ]

FIRST&10 stick with me. Personally, because I was a freshman coming onto the best team in the country already, and I got to play and actually contribute. When you have your four best friends there beside you, it makes it pretty cool.

What are three things you would have to have with you if you were stranded on an island?

I’d have to have a television at least with the college football package.

Obviously my wife and my kids, but not necessarily in that order.

PG A T o u r g o l f e r Scott Verplank should’ve played golf for Texas. After all, pretty much his entire family went there.

“My dad played baseball there. My mom went there.

My grandparents, aunts and uncles,” says Verplank. “I grew up a Longhorn fan.”

He says he ended up at OSU because of the golf program’s tradition of excellence, as well as the players on the team at the time and coach Mike Holder. Once here, he contributed to that legacy, helping the Pokes win national and conference championships.

He’s continued that success as a professional golfer on the PGA tour, and as of early December, he’s 11th in the FedEx Cup standings (as of Nov. 25). If you ask him, he’ll tell you he’s just lucky to get to do something he enjoys for a living.

What’s your favorite OSU sports memory?

It has to be the football game in Norman when we won 16-13 (2001). I’ve been lucky enough to be friends with the football coaches for 20 years, all the different ones we’ve had. I’ve always been on the field. It was pretty exciting when Rashaun Woods caught that pass.

I’ll always remember that because it was a lot of fun. We were such huge underdogs. We shouldn’t even have been in the game. That one’s kind of etched in my memory just because of the sheer excitement of it.

The only game I’ve ever missed in Norman since 1984 was the 12-0 game (1995).

What athlete, living or dead, do you wish you could see play?

I’ve seen just about everybody that’s alive that I’d want to see. I wouldn’t have minded seeing Bobby Jones play golf. That’d have been pretty interesting. He was a step above at the time.

What’s something that gets you riled up?

I try not to get real riled up anymore. Oh, I don’t know. It would probably have something to do with one of OSU’s athletic events.

Probably the fans in Norman.

What’s your proudest accomplishment?

This year, winning the Byron Nelson. That was probably as cool a thing as I have done. That and when we won the NCAA championship my freshman year in college. I guess I’d lost the tournament in a playoff individually, but we won as a team. That will always 28

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December 2007

Who do you admire (and why)?

There are a bunch of people. I’ll put it in relative terms. I admire Tiger Woods and how good he is and how he handles all the things that go with the life he has to lead. He is probably the most recognizable athlete in the world. I’ve been lucky enough to be around him and get to know him, and it’s pretty amazing he handles it all as well as he does.

Everyone admires his golf game, but I admire the way he handles a lot of other things.

You have one wish. What is it?

That’s a hard question. There are a lot of things you could wish for.

How about a national championship in football for OSU in the foreseeable future?

What’s your favorite type of music and where do you listen to it?

Classic rock and I just listen to it in the car. That’s about the only chance I get.

Who had the biggest effect on how you turned out the way you did?

Obviously, my mom and dad. They are a big part of any kid’s life and I’m fortunate enough to have both a mom and a dad who’re still married and set a good example on how to run a family and how to co-exist with everybody.

And then Coach Holder had a lot to do with helping me grow up when I got to Oklahoma State. He was pretty tough on me when I was there. But it was for the best. He made it a little bit harder on me than he did some of the other guys at times, but he knew what he was doing. He was doing it to motivate me and to make me tougher and stronger. And it worked.

We have a funny relationship. I respect him greatly. I think he respects me some, but I always say we like being around each other but we can’t be around each other too much. There’s always a problem when both guys are right. We’ll never just be able to see eye-to-eye because we’re both right.

I’ll always respect him. He did a lot for me and he’s going to do a lot of great stuff for the Athletic Department.

How big an OSU fan are you?

Pretty big. I watch pretty much everything we do. I’d sure like to see us win all the time. I’m a big fan. I’ve supported athletics there since I’ve been out of school. I’m fairly die-hard. I drank the Kool-Aid. Sometimes it’s tough. But I’m patient. I’m waiting for us to kick the door down and go do some things we are getting ready to be capable of doing.

If you put in facilities that are second to none, I think that’s an attractive package for a kid and his or her family, whether it’s in football, basketball, softball or anything.

When everything is done, it should be an incredible place for a studentathlete. I think that’s important. If it’s good for athletics, it’s good for the whole school. It’s going to make everything else better. It’s going to make academics better. It’s going to bring more awareness to the school.

It’s going to make alumni more proud to be associated with OSU and that, at the end of the day, is going to be good for academics. If they can get on the same page and move hand-in-hand forward together, it’s going to be good for everybody.

There are a lot

of things you could wish for. How about a national championship in football for OSU in the foreseeable future?

photo by PHIL SHOCKLEY

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photo by PHIL SHOCKLEY

yron Eaton pushed himself

hard during the off-season, pushing himself to be the leader his coach needs him to be … to be the player the fans want to see … to be the person he knows he can be.

“We’re counting on him to play a huge role on this team,” says Cowboy head coach Sean Sutton. “I think he understands that if we’re going to be successful, he’s got to become one of the best point guards in the Big 12. And he’s got to play at a high level every night and be a leader on the court and be a leader in practice every day.”

“Leadership is the main thing that Coach and I talk about,” Eaton says. “We talk about me becoming a leader on this team, running the team and being a better player-coach on the court. It’s something that I’ve got to do – just push myself so I can push my teammates to do the same thing that coach wants us to do.”

A former point guard himself, Sutton pays particular attention to the position.

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“So many things on both sides of the ball start with your point guard,” Sutton says. “He’s the guy who gets things set up on the offensive end, and he’s the one who picks up the ball at the point of attack on defense. It’s a position that I watch closely and visit with Byron a lot about. I think each year he’s gained a better understanding of his responsibility and his role on the team, and he’s gotten more comfortable in the system and really understands everything that’s expected of him.”

“I think he’s tougher on me than anyone else on the team,” Eaton says. “He played the position, and he played in the same system for his father. He knows how it should be run, how it should look, how things should go, and I think he just wants to bring out the best in me so I can help our team win.”

Sutton also believes Eaton’s current supporting cast will help make him a better player.

“He’s got more guys around him who can make plays than he’s had the last two years. He plays a big role in setting guys up, and we have some guys who can finish plays in transition.”

At a stocky but muscular 5 feet 11 inches, Eaton has a football player’s body, but excess weight has hindered his progress at OSU. Last season, he played nearly 230 pounds. Thanks to a renewed commitment during the off-season, Eaton is nearing his goal weight of 205 pounds.

“Getting my weight down is a big thing,” he says. “In order for me to be the leader, I have

to start doing things where my team looks at me and says, ‘I can’t fire this guy.’ Going home over the summer and getting my weight down was one of those things. When I came back, a lot of the guys were like, ‘he’s for real now.’”

In two years at OSU, Eaton has averaged a little more than 24 minutes per game on the court.

“He needs to be on the court 33 to 35 minutes,” Sutton says. “He’s got to run the team and take care of the basketball. He’s got to make plays for other players. He’s got to be a guy who can pick the ball up full-court and put tremendous pressure on the basketball and push the ball up. I’ve talked to him about the importance of staying out of foul trouble. In order to do that, he’s got to be in the best shape he’s ever been in.”

“All those reach-in fouls I was getting, I can’t get those,” Eaton says. “Everybody understands hustle fouls, but I can’t have those tired, reach-in fouls this year. For us to get a win, I’m going to have to be out there helping my team.

Coach says he’s looking for me to play 35 minutes, so I can’t be having dumb fouls like that.”

Sutton says Eaton, who has averaged 7.8 points per game at OSU, will be counted on to score more this season.

“We need him to score in double-figures and have some big nights offensively. I think he’s capable of all those things.”

Byron Eaton

The junior from Lincoln High School in Dallas came to OSU with a McDonald’s AllAmerican résumé, but he hasn’t yet lived up to the billing.

“In his first two years he’s been inconsistent and probably has not achieved the level of success that everybody thought he would,” Sutton says. “But he has two years left. He worked extremely hard this summer. He’s got great talent when he’s in shape, and I think we’re starting to see the player he was when he came out of high school.”

In addition to his on-court contributions, Eaton is equally valuable in the locker room.

“Guys like him, and they respect him,” Sutton says. “He’s got a fun personality. He goes to class everyday and meets all of his obligations off the floor. He practices hard every day. I think he’ll be a lot more productive this year.”

Despite his weight issues, Eaton has never been accused of being lazy or not giving it his all on the court.

“I think he plays as hard as anybody,” Sutton says. “Playing hard and competing

and taking charges and diving for loose balls have always been part of his personality on the court. I don’t think anybody can question how hard he plays every night.”

“I just play like it’s my last game,” Eaton says of his fearless style. “I’m going to go out there and leave it all on the court and have fun. I’m a hustler. I’m going to do everything the coaches want me to do, even if it’s diving over the stands or whatever, just so we can get the win.”

Eaton’s hustle was critical in OSU’s biggest win of 2007, and it earned him a permanent place in Gallagher-Iba Arena lore.

OSU trailed Texas by seven points early in the second half and the Longhorns were looking to run the Cowboys out of their own gym. With the shot clock winding down, Eaton chased an errant pass toward the sideline. In one fluid motion, Eaton saved the ball from going out of bounds, turned in mid-air and launched a 40-foot rainbow that became OSU’s most amazing three-pointer since “The Shot” from Bryant “Big Country” Reeves in 1993.

“It was amazing,” Eaton recalls. “At the

time I was really just trying to get the ball and throw it back in and hopefully get some of the rim so we could get a long rebound or something like that. I didn’t want a wasted possession. When I released it, the ball had good rotation and started looking better as it went to the rim. It was amazing. That got the crowd into it. Then two or three plays later I came back down and made a behindthe-back pass and Mario [Boggan] dunked it. Those two plays got us within two. That momentum got us going again.”

The Cowboys went on to beat the Longhorns 105-103 in triple overtime thanks to some more buzzer-beating heroics. But without Eaton’s extra effort, the outcome would surely have been different.

“It’s the small plays like that that turn out to be something big,” Eaton says. “Just making that extra hustle for our team, just doing the extra things for us to win. It’s the small things that count when you go out there and hustle for your team. That’s the way I look at it.”

Clay Billman

" ’ ...It s the small things that count when you go out there

’ " and hustle for your team. That s the way I look at it.

December 2007

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ORANGE PRIDE GIRLS

photo by PHIL SHOCKLEY

fter Amanda Clements had an OSU campus tour in the spring of 2002, she knew she wanted to be a part of Orange Pride. In the spring of 2003, she had her opportunity. The organization that did more than just campus tours was her way to get involved at OSU. The students of Orange Pride aren’t football fans. Their dedication stands through rain, sleet and snow of the games and they help with recruiting through the offseason.

Orange Pride is a group of 42 ladies who assist in the football recruitment process.

In 2001, the group adapted the name Orange Pride, formerly known as Cowboy Co-Eds. The change came with the transition of coaches as Les Miles joined the Cowboy family.

Every home game, the ladies show up three hours early and split into three groups.

Two groups sell Orange Pride koozies and towels, and one group hosts 30 to 40 potential Cowboys and their families with dinner and answers any questions. After dinner, Orange Pride escorts the recruits and their families to the sidelines to watch the team warm up.

“It is a cool feeling being on the field as the team works out,” Clements says. “It has to be cool for the recruits, too.”

Then the ladies take the recruits and families to their seats near the 15-yard line on the south side of the stadium.

The proceeds from the towels and koozies go toward the funds for Orange Pride.

Generous sponsors and donations help pay for the uniforms also.

The students have office hours for three hours a week in the football office helping coaches and coaching staff.

“The coaches try to personalize recruitment as much as possible, like hand-writing letters, so we help them with the addressing, calling high school coaches, updating files and anything else we can do,” Clements says.

During offseasons starting in December and working through the spring, the students help with recruiting weekends, the alumni golf tournament and Junior Days, when high school juniors who are potential recruits come for tours and to learn more about OSU and OSU athletics.

“I love knowing I am helping the university bring in good students and great athletes,” Clements says.

Since Orange Pride is affiliated with the Academic Office, campus tours are often led by Orange Pride members. The tours are offered

to prospective students and prospective student athletes along with their families.

March starts the recruiting for Orange Pride. Potential members fill out applications and have short interviews.

“We look for candidates who are outgoing, well-spoken, and have a good attitude about OSU,” Betsey Weaver, sponsor of Orange Pride, says. “We look for ones who are comfortable in the interview because the interview is actually less stressful than some of the other situations they will be in as members. We want smart, polished, well-mannered young ladies that carry themselves well and can represent our university in a positive manner.”

The new members have a meeting the next week along with spring practice and shortly after work the alumni golf tournament.

“The girls get experience fast because there is so much going on,” Clements says. “There are also camps the girls can go to throughout the summer and that get them excited.”

Orange Pride members receive points for going to mandatory meetings and events. Points can later be cashed in for prizes and OSU products.

“Orange Pride has been such and amazing experience for me,” Clements says. “I have made great friends and have made memories that will last a lifetime.”

Lonna Mann

December 2007

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INSIGHT INTO THE SEASON hile the records for the past two Cowboy seasons may look the same, the fact is that when the dust settled on the 2007 regular season, the Pokes were a better football team than the one that beat Alabama last year in the Independence Bowl.

“Our football program is further along this year than we were last year at time,” says Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy.

The NCAA’s “Toughest Schedule” report, released on Dec. 8, featured the Pokes at the top with their opponents having won 62 percent of their games. Against that schedule, the Pokes went 6-6 and earned a berth in the Insight Bowl, facing off against the 7-5 Indiana Hoosiers. The Hoosiers are making their first bowl appearance in 14 years.

“Obviously, we’d like to win more games, but it was a very interesting season,” says Gundy. “We played the hardest schedule in the NCAA and were in a lot of close games.”

The Pokes also went 4-4 in conference, the most conference victories since 2003.

Two of those were scintillating wins over Kansas State and Texas Tech. The triumph over Nebraska in Lincoln was historic. In fact, the Pokes had opportunities to win all but three games.

“We weren’t as competitive as we wanted to be against Georgia, Troy and Oklahoma,” say Gundy. “People have to be careful just looking at the record. You can go out and buy four wins. We won six against a lineup of very strong teams.”

The Cowboys came into the season with high expectations from the offense, and those expectations were fulfilled. The team finished ranked eighth in total offense in the country, and was the only team to average more than 230 yards rushing and passing

W

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December 2007

per game.

The offense featured the talents of explosive seniors Dantrell Savage and Adarius Bowman. “Our senior leadership was huge,” says Gundy.

Savage finished second in the Big 12 in rushing yards (1172), rushed for eight touchdowns, ran in two receptions for scores and threw for one. He was also a first-team Big 12 selection. Bowman finished the season with 932 yards receiving and seven touchdowns, and was a second-team Big 12 selection despite missing nearly three conference games with a knee injury.

Dez Bryant made an impact as a freshman, hauling in 34 catches for 505 yards and four touchdowns. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew made several game-changing catches, and also accounted for more than 500 yards of offense and four touchdowns.

On the defensive side of the ball, Patrick Lavine lead the team in tackles with 77.

Nathan Peterson led the Big 12 with six quarterback sacks, giving him 20.5 for his career, enough to make him fourth all-time at OSU. The Pokes also saw the maturity of sophomore quarterback Zac Robinson, who assumed the starting position in the third game. After getting off to a slow start, Robinson went on to throw 21 touchdowns, score seven times on the ground and break the OSU record for total offense in a season. Cowboy fans have two more years of Robinson at the controls, and expectations are high.

In the meantime, Robinson and the Cowboys have the bowl game to put the exclamation point on the end of a good season.

“Indiana is a good team,” says Gundy.

“They are very skilled on offense and defensively they’re sound. There is some excitement up there for that team. They’re trying to turn the corner.

It’ll be a really good match-up. I’m excited.”

The bowl game impacts the team in many ways.

“First off, it’s a reward for the hard work of the coaches and their families,” says Gundy.

“It’s an opportunity to spend time together, relax and enjoy themselves.

“Secondly, it’s great for our team. They’ve worked hard and earned the right to be there.”

Bowl invitations are also important in building a successful program. It’s another tool for OSU coaches to use when they are sitting in the living room of a five-star prospect from Oklahoma or Texas or anywhere else in the country. Success builds upon success, after all.

An integral part of the building process, the Cowboy coaching staff is making strides in recruiting, with back-to-back Top 25 classes. The Pokes had enough talent on the field this season they were able to redshirt around 18 players.

“You want to bring in young people and give them a year in the weight room with Coach Glass, not put them right out on the field,” says Gundy. “We’ve been fortunate to be able to do that.”

The young players especially benefit from a bowl game through the 15 extra practices the team receives. Players like Richetti Jones get the reps that give them a jump on spring ball and a head start for 2008.

“We’re spending about 20 minutes a practice with the young guys, getting them quality reps,” says Gundy. “Our veterans have been there and done that. We get them prepped for the game and then work on developing our young men.

“There are a lot of things that have to take place to build a football program,” says Gundy.

“There is no way to fast forward it. You can’t just make it happen over night and do it right.

But that’s our goal. We’re going to build it up and do it the right way.”

photo by PHIL SHOCKLEY

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WRESTLING WITH HISTORY

photo by PHIL SHOCKLEY

Smith John wrestles ghosts.

He did it while competing in an Oklahoma State singlet during the 1980s.

And he does it even now, after nearly 17 years as head coach of his alma mater.

With names like Tradition, Excellence and Championships, these spirits haunt the halls of Gallagher-Iba Arena, creating an atmosphere of reverence for those who’ve come before.

“Responsibility,” Smith simply states regarding his role. “And respect.”

The legacy forged by Oklahoma State Wrestling is beyond compare. Boasting 34 NCAA team titles and 132 individual champions – more than any other sport or school – the Cowboy program is truly a dynasty in collegiate athletics.

“I don’t think you can ever underestimate tradition,” Smith says. “Tradition is hope. It is passion. It gives your student-athletes something that they’re proud to be a part of.”

Despite a dominant run of four-straight national championships from 2003-06, last season ended with a fifth-place finish. When expectations are as high as those at OSU, seasons are judged in terms of first-place trophies, not consolation prizes. And Smith won’t let the program rest on its laurels.

WRESTLINGwithHISTORY

“Take, for instance, this team we have right now. I basically told them we’re no longer the best team in the country,” Smith says.

“So to walk around and act like we are is the worst thing we can do. Sure, you can lump it in with the four championships and say we’ve won four out of the last five years – that’s real easy to do. But in reality we’re not the best. If we are not careful, we’ll be saying we’ve won four out of the last 10. We’re not the best.

We have to earn that back.”

Smith embraces the challenge of getting OSU back on top.

“What history has taught us in sports is that there always comes a time when you fall off. As soon as you do something special, you know that six months from now you’re going to get tested again on it. I keep that in mind – how tough it is to stay at the top and how easy it is to fall from the top. With that comes a lot of responsibility.”

Ranked No. 3 in the nation, the current Cowboy squad is young but talented. And although this group of grapplers is an underdog to win the 2008 title, Smith isn’t going to alter his goals or lower his expectations for the team.

“There’s no question we have a high standard,” he says. “I have gone into seasons in the past and known we don’t have

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the depth or the personnel to win championships. But I don’t think you set your standard any lower. You teach the standard of what’s expected, what you want each year. Anything’s possible. I’ve seen that happen too many times.

It’s that process of keeping people level-headed and believing that what we’re saying can happen. But you don’t accomplish anything great unless you have high standards.”

The tradition of Cowboy wrestling remains an ever-present motivator, Smith says.

“It plays a major role. When you are struggling, you can always point to teams, to individuals, who have maybe found themselves in a similar position, and it gives you motivation to work a little bit harder and do a little bit more,” he says. “There isn’t any question our tradition helps bring our kids to a new level, one that I’m not sure I could get them to on my own. If I had this team at (another school), I’d have to be a hell of a coach to get it done.

But that tradition and that standard is what makes the difference.

“Tradition is something you don’t ever want your student-athletes to forget,” he adds.

“I think you’ve seen in other sports or other places around the country where a program was very, very good and has fallen off for several years. Then you get a new generation of student-athletes who come in and really don’t

understand the tradition because they never were a part of winning at that level. So I think it’s been important for us to maintain that over the years. It makes a big difference in the overall atmosphere.”

As a former Cowboy-turned-coach, Smith says he has a more personal stake in maintaining OSU’s tradition.

“I think it makes it probably three times tougher when you’re not successful,” he explains, “rather than saying, ‘If it doesn’t happen here for me I can go somewhere else.’

Well, I don’t want to go anywhere else. This is home. This is where I wrestled. This is where I trained. So, the losses become much more painful, and they don’t wear off as quickly. The scars are a little bit deeper when you’re not as successful as you hope for each season.

“But then on the flip side of it, it’s a lot easier to get motivated when you fall short. There’s a responsibility there that this is not acceptable.

We can’t point fingers and always say that the student-athletes are the ones who fell short. It might have been us.”

Smith took the reins of the Cowboy program in 1992 with NCAA probation looming due to prior infractions. After winning the team title in 1994, the program was hit hard by sanctions the following year. From 1995 to 2002, Smith’s teams failed to claim the ulti-

WRESTLINGwithHISTORY

mate prize. As a former college, Olympic and World champion, the coach wasn’t used to losing, but Smith says it took those down years to teach him about how to handle adversity.

“I’m not sure I could get to the level I wanted to get to if I didn’t go through those years,” he recalls. “I had a chance to understand losing a little bit more, which I never quite understood as an athlete. Those were tough years, but I wouldn’t change them. I loved what I learned at that time, and a lot of what I learned was well after those seasons had occurred. Some of those years were very rewarding.”

While some may measure success solely based on what happens on the mat, the contemplative coach has a deeper definition of success.

“Ultimately, success to me is putting the right foot forward, that you did the right things to try to accomplish something, that there were sacrifices involved. Regardless of what happens, you’re going to end up a winner,” Smith says.

“Whether that be winning a wrestling match or raising a family, somewhere you’re going to end up a winner because of it.”

An avid reader, Smith says he gains inspiration and insights from numerous sources outside the sports arena.

“Regardless of who you are or what you’ve done, you don’t have all the answers all the time,” he says. “Keeping an open mind to change and learning new things is very rewarding. I’ve always been very interested in learning, and the things I’ve learned over my career as a coach have really made my life better in general, not just as a wrestling coach.

“I love to read about people who sacrifice their whole lives for others,” he adds. “They teach us a lot. They make us better people.

There are a lot of wrong ways to achieve success.

I’m just interested in the right ways. Success doesn’t always mean that you’re on top of the platform necessarily, but you’re fulfilled with what you’re doing and you’re making the sacrifices and the commitment to try and do some special things.”

Smith says he wants all of his student-athletes in the wrestling room – not just those in the starting lineup – to enjoy their time in Stillwater.

“Ultimately, I hope it’s a great experience for everybody who comes through here,” he says.

“That’s one of my mission statements for our program. I hope everybody who comes through here feels that it’s one of the greatest experiences of their life. Not everybody gets a chance to wrestle or a chance to start, but even for those guys, if they stick with us, I hope they look back and see that it was a great experience. That’s more important to me than winning championships. And if we have that atmosphere, then we’re going to win championships. But that atmosphere has to come first.”

“It’s a privilege to wear the orange singlet for the winningest team in NCAA history, under the best coach in the country,” says senior Coleman Scott, a three-time All-American. “It’s an awesome feeling.”

Growing up in Waynesburg, Penn., Scott was well aware of OSU’s wrestling tradition.

“The wrestling community’s not very big, so of course I knew of John Smith and how good the Oklahoma State wrestling program was. When I got the opportunity to come wrestle here, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. It’s what we all want to be when we’re little kids, wrestling for the best and being the best.”

Last year’s runner-up at 133 pounds, Scott is seeking the top spot this spring.

“That’s what I came here for. That’s my whole goal this year, to get that national championship.”

The landscape of college wrestling has changed, Smith says. Parity has entered the picture, and no longer are just few teams guaranteed their place at the top of the podium.

“So many programs have upgraded their expectations of what they expect from their wrestling teams. There’s a great challenge right now. There’s no given. It’s not as simple as when I started coaching. Even if a couple things went wrong, it was going to be pretty hard for us not

to place in the top four or five. Now, if you have poor recruiting seasons or you do some things wrong, you’ll be out of the Top 10 real quickly. There isn’t any question about that.

“But that challenge excites me. I want wrestling to have parity. I want to see that – I just want to make sure that we stay out of it. It’s real important that we continue to keep some sort of an edge on the rest of the nation.”

Cowboy associate head coach Mark Branch wrestled under Smith from 1994-97 and now takes pride in helping maintain his alma mater’s heritage.

“It’s a lifestyle,” he says. “It’s been a part of my life since I was born. From day one I was an Oklahoma State fan.”

Growing up in Newkirk, Okla., Branch says he’s always been in awe of the Cowboy mystique.

“I followed Oklahoma State wrestling growing up, and it was almost like an untouchable thing,” he says. “When I was a little kid coming here for a wrestling match, I felt like I was walking into the Taj Mahal. I remember how big Gallagher Hall looked to me. Getting the opportunity to wrestle here was like a dream come true.”

A two-time individual champion, Branch says he’s humbled to be a part of OSU’s wrestling fraternity.

“I had a great career here, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. But look at the company I’m with,” he says. “It’s a great family to be a part of, but I’m always looking up in amazement. Every day I’m amazed at what people have accomplished wrestling on this campus.”

Branch believes OSU’s crop of young wrestlers have what it takes to be champions before their college careers are complete.

“We’ve got a good, young, talented group, and it’s so important not to take anything for granted,” he says. “We have to develop these kids and keep the tradition strong. A lot of wrestling fans know that OSU played second-fiddle for quite a few years. We were always in there battling and always competitive, but not dominant.

Then we went on a four-year run and basically made a statement that we’re back – we are Oklahoma State. After finishing fifth last year, it brings the point back that we can’t go on another dry spell. We need to put together four more in a row and let people know that’s what Oklahoma State Wrestling is all about.

We’ve done it, it’s fresh on people’s minds, and we don’t want that thought to go away.”

“There’s only one place at the top,” Smith echoes. “That is a great challenge for us, to stay on this path. Nothing has changed in what we’re trying to accomplish. There’s never an end to this journey and that’s the way we want to keep it. It’s a journey of excellence.”

Clay Billman

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POSSEMEMBERS: Sharon Buckingham

A FAN-TASTIC LIFE lthough Sharon Buckingham now resides in Florida, she may be mistaken for a Stillwater resident by others.

She can be frequently spotted at soccer matches, equestrian meets, football games and other OSU contests throughout the year.

For as long as she can remember OSU Athletics has always been a part of her life. POSSE magazine recently asked Buckingham, who grew up in Stillwater, why the Cowboys and Cowgirls mean so much to her.

“I’ve always considered my life a tapestry,” says Buckingham. “It’s woven of different bits and pieces. OSU has always been part of it. My life would not be near as colorful or exciting without OSU Athletics.”

At an early age her late mother and father, owners of Central Drug in Stillwater, planted the seeds of passion for OSU sports in Sharon and her sister, Saralee Howell.

The two made a big impression on their daughters. Her father, Earl Fisher, taught a young Sharon that when OSU does well, the community does well.

Her mother, Ruth Fisher, may have been the biggest men’s basketball fan in the family. She had the uncanny ability to remember decades of special moments in Cowboy history. She reffered to the 1957 contest between Oklahoma A&M and Kansas as the game where “Eddie beat Wilt.” In that famous contest, Eddie Sutton scored 18 points against Kansas and Wilt Chamberlain in Gallagher Hall, leading the Pokes to one of the program’s most victories.

There are so many memories of OSU and family. As a child, Sharon can vividly recall sitting on the steps next to her par46

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ents’ basketball seats in Gallagher Hall. She also remembers sitting around an old radio with her family to listen to the away games of Cowboy football and basketball.

Like many others, Buckingham believes OSU Athletics serves as the glue to keep alumni and fans connected to the university. While it excites and engages others, she also sees the benefits of athletic competition as an important educational complement to the rigorous academic work of our 467 student-athletes.

Because of this strong belief, both she and Saralee have invested in OSU student-athletes for decades through POSSE membership.

Buckingham takes special pride in seeing our student-athletes and sport programs succeed.

Of all our sports, she has taken a special interest in the success of OSU’s Cowgirl programs, particularly equestrian and soccer.

“Equestrian is a wonderful sport for OSU to have in the middle of Cowboy country,” Buckingham said. “Coach (Larry) Sanchez has been able to do a lot with a little. I am thrilled with the new equestrian facilities he has envisioned.”

Sanchez is extremely grateful to Buckingham and Howell for being such avid

investors in the three-time national championship program.

“One of the reasons we have been so successful is because we have such a special group of individuals involved with our program,” Sanchez said. “Sharon has meant a lot to our program. She has been so supportive to me, our staff and student-athletes.”

OSU soccer is another sport that Buckingham believes is on the rise. Although the Cowgirls lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to top-ranked UCLA, Buckingham says OSU is clearly building something special.

“Our women’s soccer team did a great job this year,” says Buckingham. “I am very proud of what Coach Carmichael and Coach Hancock have done. I think they are incredible. The program has its best years ahead.”

Through many wins, championships and hard fought losses, thousands of OSU student-athletes have provided the sisters (and countless other families) with great memories.

Buckingham is proud of OSU’s past accomplishments, but she envisions an even brighter future. “The best is yet to come for OSU Athletics.”

A SEASONfor the RECORD BOOKS COWBOYS WIN NCAA REGIONAL, TAKE THIRD AT NATIONALS. BY: GAVIN LANG

A third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, a pair of All-American runners and a third consecutive NCAA Midwest Regional crown highlighted the 2007 Oklahoma State men’s cross-country season.

Led by 2007 Midwest Region Coach of the Year Dave Smith and All-Americans Ryan Vail and David Chirchir, the Cowboys enjoyed one of the finest years in school history. Other than an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Pre-National Meet in which neither Vail nor Chirchir competed, OSU finished no lower than third place in any of its races all season long.

Perhaps the first indication of what 2007 had in store for Oklahoma State came at the Cowboy Jamboree, where OSU fought off a talented field that included fifth-ranked Arkansas to claim the title at its home meet.

With Vail taking third and junior Matt Barnes-Smith placing eighth, the host Cowboys placed two of their runners in the top 10, four in the top 20 and five in the top 25. Sophomore Daniel Watts finished 14th with freshman Sean Fleming and senior Brian Ehlis rounding out OSU’s scoring unit by placing 20th and 24th, respectively. Junior Brian Gosnell was not far behind, placing 26th with Chirchir coming in 30th.

Smith coached the Cowboys under the philosophy that the team would peak at the end of the season, and that upward trend began to take shape at the Big 12 Championships in Lubbock, where Oklahoma State took second place behind reigning NCAA champion Colorado. All five OSU scorers finished in the top 15 and earned all-Big 12 honors. Vail placed third in the race, with Chirchir earning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors after finishing eighth.

Other Cowboys to earn all-Big 12 honors were Fleming, Jankowski and Barnes-Smith.

From there, the Cowboys traveled to Peoria, Ill., to compete at the same NCAA Midwest Regional Championship race that they had won in both 2005 and 2006. Smith said going into the race that the goal was to have the team run as a collective unit without burning too much energy, but still win the race. The strategy worked to perfection

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as five Cowboys finished in the top 15 and all crossed the finish line within 10 seconds of each other. Chirchir finished seventh in the 10,000-meter race with a time of 30:11 and Vail finished eighth, just fractions of a second behind. Jankowski placed ninth with a time of 30:12 and Watts and junior Matt Barnes-Smith placed 11th and 12th respectively with times of 30:16 and 30:21.

Barnes-Smith, Chirchir, Fleming, Jankowski, Vail, and Watts all secured NCAA all-region honors and with six of its runners earning all-region recognition, Oklahoma State had the second-highest total in the nation.

Following their success at the NCAA regional, the Cowboys went to the NCAA Championships. Smith pointed out, heading into the event, that 2007 was not like past years because more teams had a legitimate shot to win, rather than a group of four traditional powers who usually distance themselves from the pack. Smith’s stated goal entering the race was to finish among the top 10 and improve on OSU’s eighth-place finish in 2005.

“I hope that we can get a trophy, which would mean a top four finish,” Smith said, entering the race. “It would take an exceptional run from our guys. But I think this is the best team we’ve had in the last 10 or 11 years by far.”

Sure enough, the Cowboys responded by finishing third and bringing a trophy to Stillwater. Oklahoma State’s third-place finish in 2007 matches its third-place finish in 1995 for the best finish since the Cowboys won the 1954 NCAA crown. Oklahoma State placed fourth in 1996.

Vail led the way for OSU by running the 10,000-meter race in 29:58 to finish eighth. Vail was a top-10 finisher in every race in which he competed in 2007 and is on his way to stamping his name among the greats at Oklahoma State.

“I’ve known all along that he was a very talented kid,” Smith says of Vail. “I remember back to when we were recruiting him and some of the high school coaches in the area were saying that this kid was really good and could end up being one of the best ever at OSU. The thing with him is that he’s a guy who started running late. He was into wrestling and other things and he is

still making the adjustment from high school to college. It’s really exciting to see it all coming together for him.”

Smith says part of the Cowboys’ strategy at NCAAs was to have Chirchir, the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and an all-NCAA Midwest Region honoree, run a conservative race early then make a move as the race went on. The strategy proved beneficial, as Chirchir surged his way through the field to a 15th-place finish.

“Chirchir is another guy who is new to running and is just now learning how to race and run. He didn’t run much before, and he is still figuring out how to pace himself,” Smith says.

“We asked him to stay back for the first 5K of the race and be ready to make a move as the race went on. If I had let him loose, he probably could have finished even higher, but he did exactly what we asked of him, and it worked out well.”

Smith says Vail and Chirchir’s respective finishes put the Cowboys in good position at the top of the lineup, but the performances of Watts, Barnes-Smith and Jankowski ended up being the difference in OSU finishing as high as it did. Watts took 42nd overall with a time of 30:43, with Barnes-Smith finishing 48th with a time of 30:45 and Jankowski clocking a 31:05 to take 67th.

“Vail and Chirchir both did great, but we beat most teams with how Watts, Barnes-Smith and Jankowski did,” Smith says. “Teams like Northern Arizona, Wisconsin and Colorado, we matched them up front but hurt them with depth throughout the lineup. We only finished 10 points ahead of the fourth-place team so if those three guys didn’t do as well as they did, we could have easily dropped to fourth overall.

“I’m really happy for guys like Jankowski and Brian Ehlis, who came here five years ago, really taking a gamble on OSU at a time when we were struggling a little bit and didn’t go to NCAAs,” Smith says. “They came here and worked hard their entire career and were great ambassadors for the program in recruiting and now it’s their fifth year and they get to enjoy this.”

2007 OSU Men’s Cross Country HIGHLIGHTS • NCAA Midwest Regional Champions.

• Third-place finish at NCAA Championships.

• Junior Ryan Vail and sophomore David Chirchir named All-Americans.

• Dave Smith named Midwest Region Coach of the Year.

photo by PHIL SHOCKLEY

• Vail, Chirchir, junior Matt Barnes-Smith, freshman Sean Fleming, senior David Jankowski and sophomore Daniel Watts earn all-region honors.

• Vail, Chirchir, Fleming, Jankowski and Barnes-Smith earn all-Big 12 honors.

• Barnes-Smith, sophomore Ryan Birkholz, Gosnell, Jankowski, Vail, Watts and sopho more Tucker Weems named to first-team academic all-Big 12 squad.

photo by PHIL SHOCKLEY

Center for Executive and Professional Development Pl an to attend the OSU B usiness Spe aker Series

education beyond the usual OSU’S ExEcUtivE ManagEMEnt BriEfingS/tUlSa BUSinESS fOrUMS

Vicente Fox President of Mexico, 2000 – 2006 » Topic: “Bringing the New Economy to Latin America” President fox discusses his business-centered approach to the development of Mexico, the future of the north american free trade agreement (nafta), and the opportunities available for international corporations in the region. a critic of the populist movements sweeping central and South america, President fox offers an alternative that should be heard by everyone concerned with the future of the hemisphere. » ExEcUtivE ManagEMEnt BriEfing — Oklahoma city • tuesday, february 5, 2008 • Oklahoma city civic center • Presentation: 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.

» tUlSa BUSinESS fOrUM • tuesday, february 5, 2008 • Mabee center, tulsa • Presentation: 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Marcus Buckingham Author of three international bestsellers, including First, Break All the Rules and Go Put Your Strengths to Work » Topic: “Go Put Your Strengths to Work” renowned management expert Buckingham says the secret to great performance is to uncover and leverage strengths while managing weaknesses. He will get to the heart of building and sustaining strength-based individual and team performance. » ExEcUtivE ManagEMEnt BriEfing — Oklahoma city • tuesday, March 25, 2008 • national cowboy & Western Heritage Museum • Presentation & Book Signing: 9:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Center for Executive and Professional Development To Order Tickets: 1.866.678.3933

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» tUlSa BUSinESS fOrUM • tuesday, March 25, 2008 • renaissance tulsa Hotel • Presentation & Book Signing: 2:30 – 5:00 p.m.

OSU Spears School of Business cepd.okstate.edu

noncredit Opportunities: Open Enrollment Programs • custom/On-Site Programs • Business Speaker Series • retreat and conference Planning credit Opportunities: Distance learning Degrees, certificate Programs and courses • Study abroad and travel Programs

BEHIND THE SCENES Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series OSU vs. Washington 12.01.2007 Gallagher-Iba Arena

photos by PHIL SHOCKLEY

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Coach Sean Sutton

preps the Cowboys for Washington,

no doubt telling them to be on the lookout for Huskies’ inside man Jon Brockman (18.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per game), as well as guard Justin Dentmon (13.8 ppg.) and forward Quincy Poindexter (10.2 ppg.). Prior to playing the Pokes, the Huskies’ (4-2 on the season) only two losses had come at the hands of ranked opponents (Texas A&M and Syracuse).

96Washington71

OSU

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Leave the electrical work to the pros.

The Swedish Connection Sweden native Pernilla Lindberg hopes to lead the Cowgirls back to national prominence.

klahoma State’s women’s golf program has long benefited from a strong Swedish influence that has included the likes of former first-team All-Americans Eva Dahllof, Maria Bodén and Karin Sjödin as well as 2007 Solheim Cup participant Linda Wessberg.

Once again, the Cowgirls’ pipeline has proven fruitful as the anchor of this season’s lineup comes in the form of Bollnäs, Sweden native Pernilla Lindberg.

Without question, the arrival of Lindberg at OSU stemmed from the school’s

long tradition of successful Swedish players.

“I went to three different schools for recruiting trips, and this was by far the best place for golf,” Lindberg said. “I had talked to Karin, Maria and Emma (Zackrisson) and I had never heard anything bad before. I knew that if I was going to go anywhere for golf, this was the place to be.”

In Lindberg, the Cowgirls gained a highcaliber athlete who is also an accomplished downhill skier at the junior level.

At the age of 2, Lindberg first hit the slopes and was skiing competitively six years later. Competing in all four disciplines, she quickly ascended through the national rankings and moved into the top 10 just two years into her career.

A three-time regional team selection, Lindberg excelled in both the slalom and giant slalom and qualified for the Swedish Junior Championship, which would heavily influence her career path.

At the event, Lindberg witnessed a serious injury and began to realize the toll the sport could take on her body. It was soon thereafter she gave up skiing and moved golf to the forefront. The decision paid off as she was promptly selected to the Swedish National Team.

With golf serving as her sole focus now, one would be hard-pressed to find any weaknesses as she possesses an all-around game that features length off the tee as well as the ability to manage herself on the course.

Continued...

photos by PHIL SHOCKLEY

“I always know what my plan is out there and I stick to it,” Lindberg said. “Even though I might not feel comfortable on the range in the morning because I am not hitting the ball very solid, I know I can get around the course.”

Lindberg put those talents to immediate use as a freshman, winning once on her way to being named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and earning all-league honors.

One of Lindberg’s goals she has set out to accomplish is to improve during each year of her collegiate career. As a sophomore, she did just that, becoming the first Cowgirl since Sjödin and Annie Thurman-Young in 2005 to earn first-team All-America honors.

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a season that saw her win twice, including an impressive wire-to-wire victory at the NCAA West Regional, and finish in the top five on four other occasions.

Despite having already cemented her place among the school’s most decorated players at the halfway point of her career, the honor came as a surprise to Lindberg.

“I was hoping to make the second team, but they started off our awards banquet and when they announced the second team, I wasn’t on it,” Lindberg said. “Then I realized I was going to make the first team, and it was more than I was hoping for because both my dad and my brother were there and got to see that.”

“It was better than my goals I had for last year, so I set higher goals for this year. ”

Among those goals for this season is to finish the season ranked among the top three in the nation, a feat well within reach after picking up where she left off a year ago.

Through the squad’s first three fall events, Lindberg finished in the top 10 on all three occasions and now finds herself in position to not only achieve her goal, but on the brink of becoming the first Cowgirl in 20 years to earn first-team All-America status twice.

“Last year my goal was top 10 and I was almost there, so I set a higher goal for this year,” Lindberg said. “I know it is tough, but I also know I can do it if I play like I know I can.”

Even though she is a constant fixture near the top of the leaderboard, Lindberg’s best golf may very well lie ahead of her this season.

“It doesn’t feel like it has been anything spectacular. It has just been really steady.

One of my strengths is that I don’t have to hit the ball extremely solid to still shoot a decent score,” Lindberg said. “Right now, it feels like when I have a bad day it is the day I am shooting 1-over, but maybe in a couple of months I will be trying to figure out how to shoot under 80 and that is golf.”

A two-time Scholar All-American as well, Lindberg’s ability to score even when she has not been at the top of her game has allowed her to climb atop the school’s career stroke average list at 74.13, placing her among the best players in the program’s history.

“I have always looked at Oklahoma State as one of the best programs, and I know all of the good players that have come through here,” Lindberg said. “Am I really one of them? It doesn’t really feel like that. It feels kind of unreal to me and I need to start thinking that I can be that good.”

Not only has Lindberg placed higher expectations on herself, she has her sights set on helping the Cowgirls play more consistently and once again emerge on the national stage.

“We had a couple of wins last year, so we know we can win and we know we are a good team,” Lindberg said. “We aren’t steady enough, and that is what we need to improve.

Our bad days need to be better than they are right now. If we can do that we will be a top five team in the nation.”

With four players back from a squad that won twice last season, the Cowgirls have the experience to turn their attention toward becoming the first team in school history to win an NCAA title in a women’s sport.

“It would be amazing. Winning as an individual is one thing, but winning as a team would be better because you have someone to share it with,” Lindberg said. “It would be a historic thing because it hasn’t happened here before, and that would be the best way to finish my four years here.”

Ryan Cameron

INTERNATIONALTOURS Your OSU Bowl Headquarters

Be sure to contact us for all your travel plans.

800.678.2255 or email us at osu@travel-its.com www.travel-its.com

THEDONORS: GREG CASILLAS

A Hands-On Kind of Donor

G

reg Casillas never planned on getting into the oil and gas industry.

Like most college freshman, he really had no idea what he wanted to do for a degree, never mind a career.

“Due to my uncertainty, I initially enrolled as a business major. My first semester I took a geology coarse and absolutely loved it. After speaking with an academic adviser, I decided to pursue a degree in geology. I had no idea when I first enrolled in geology what it was all about,” says Casillas. “But once I took that first class, I knew it’s what I wanted to do.”

It’s a decision that worked out well for him. After graduating from OSU in 1983 with his geology degree, Casillas spent three years working for Seigel Petroleum in Tulsa.

“I was fortunate to get a job,” says Casillas. “At the time I completed my degree, there was an oil bust going on.

Most of the geology students I went to school with didn’t even get a job in the field of geology. In fact, a lot of them went back and retrained to do something different.”

After two years, Casillas was promoted from staff geologist to president of exploration, and in that position, he discovered several new oil and gas fields through the generation of drilling prospects, pursued venture capital and oversaw the drilling operations of the company. Then, in 1986, due to significant oil price declines, Seigel Petroleum was forced to close.

It was bad timing. Casillas had just purchased a new home, had a 1-year-old daughter and just found out he and his wife were expecting another child.

“It was either I’m going to have to figure out how to do this myself, or I’m going to have to retrain,” says Casillas. “But I loved the industry and I knew I wanted to stay in it, so I thought I’d give it my best shot.”

In the meantime, he needed another means of income. He applied to the Tulsa Fire Department. He passed the writ-

ten and physical examinations, and had an oral interview scheduled when he struck oil, specifically the MW #1 in Hughes County, Okla.

“After that, the fireman career was finished,” says Casillas. “There were still a lot of difficult times thereafter, but with all things, persistence pays off.”

Persistence is one way of saying it. Hard work would be another. Casillas may be president of his own company, but that doesn’t mean he spends his weeks behind a desk or on the golf course.

“About 50 percent of my time I’m in the office, and 50 percent I’m out in the field,” says Casillas. “It’s a hands-on deal and I’m a hands-on person. I go out in the field probably twice a week. I visit all my leases and try to be involved as much as possible in the field operations. A lot of people get engineers to handle the field operations, but I like the participation.”

Casillas used to spend a lot of his time just driving to his sites, which would then force him to stay overnight. It was a lot of nights away from his wife and three daughters. When he turned 40, however, all that changed. He took helicopter piloting lessons and learned to fly. Now he has his own Bell helicopter. Just don’t ask him what color it is (it’s not Orange).

That he’d take to the air is fitting, as his father had a career with American Airlines.

“I’d actually thought about going into the aviation industry,” says Casillas.

He gives a lot of credit for his successes to those who influenced him most. “I think that because of the success I’ve had, I really continue to look back at what gave me these opportunities,” says Casillas. “I have fantastic parents, and they lead me in the right direction growing up. And then at OSU, I had great professors. My degree has been one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.

“I feel like we should contribute back to the things that made us who we are,” says Casillas. “That’s why I’ve gotten involved with the School of Geology.”

Casillas sits on the OSU School of Geology Board of Advisers and helps the school ensure its curriculum is preparing students for professional life in the industry. Casillas is proud of the school.

“It’s one of the best in the country,” he says. “It prepares you very well for a career in the field.”

In addition to his time, Casillas has contributed money to OSU, both for academics and athletics, though his involvement on the athletics side of things has picked up in the last five years.

Casillas holds a suite in Boone Pickens Stadium, though it wasn’t something he had planned on doing when first contacted

by OSU. “It’s a first-class facility,” says Casillas.

“Whenever they asked me to come over there and look at participation in the suites, honestly I thought, ‘Well, we’ll go take a look and see how else we can contribute to the program,’ but when we looked at the facilities … it was unbelievable the type of job they did. Everything is first class. It’s a program I want to be involved in and help continue what they started.”

“Greg has stepped up to be a significant difference maker,” says Craig Clemons, vice president, external affairs and development.

“Beyond purchasing a suite and filling it with orange fans every home contest, Greg has committed a significant planned gift in our Leave a Legacy campaign. This endowment will provide a scholarship – providing tuition, books, fees, academic support, travel, etc. — for a football student-athlete in perpetuity.”

“Mr. Pickens, Holder and administrative team have done a great job bringing new life to their programs,” says Casillas.

“They know what it takes to win, and based on their track records, OSU athletics has a great future. The Big 12 is a tough conference. I think the athletic village and the stadium are going to be a great thing for the university. The stadium is going to be unbelievable when it’s complete.”

byCORY CHENEY photo byPHIL SHOCKLEY

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photo by PHIL SHOCKLEY

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CARRYING the STANDARD

Though young, OSU’s golfers know what’s expected of them:

CHAMPIONSHIPS

I

n the 61 years Oklahoma State has fielded a golf team, the Cowboys have won 10 national championships, 50 conference titles and produced 149 All-Americans.

Staggering numbers that have relied on a steady flow of talent to help OSU remain the standard in college golf and continually raise the bar.

To add the next chapter to a program steeped in tradition, the Cowboys have turned to an inexperienced but talented cast of players that includes just two returning letterwinners, one transfer and six freshmen.

Spearheading the Cowboys’ drive to once again reach the pinnacle of college golf will be Trent Leon. A battle-tested performer, the junior from Dallas Texas will be looked upon for guidance and leadership.

“This year, I knew I was going to be the most experienced guy, so it wasn’t a surprise.

I like being the leader and want guys to look up to me,” Leon said. “I want to work hard in the weight room, do what I am supposed to do in the classroom and do what I am supposed to do on the course. Hopefully, they will follow this year.”

Leon arrived three years ago under different circumstances than the squad’s current crop of newcomers. As a freshman, he had the benefit of a strong nucleus of returning players, including his older brother, Tyler, who went on to be an All-American for OSU. During that 2006 season, Leon saw the Cowboys go through a growing process that concluded with the ultimate prize as the squad captured the school’s most recent NCAA title.

“What we did that year was work our tails off and do what we were supposed to do. We did not start out as the best team and we weren’t the best team three months before the tournament, but when it came down to the postseason, we were the best team in the country,” Leon said.

Knowing he wanted to contribute to the victory and help the squad etch its place in OSU lore, Leon produced a crucial 69 on the final day that helped the Cowboys secure their 10th national championship. In the process, the blueprint was created for him to move to into his current role.

“I told myself if we won the national championship and my score didn’t count, 66

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I was giving my ring to somebody because I couldn’t hold on to that,” Leon said. “I think I took that score and have carried it over. I made a 6-foot putt on the last hole and have used that when I get in a pressure situation. Being under pressure like that is fun and that is why you play golf.”

Two years later and now the squad’s elder statesman, Leon was called upon by head coach Mike McGraw to speak at the team’s first meeting of the season and address the expectations that come with being a Cowboy.

“In that first team meeting I stood up and said, ‘We are here to work hard, and we are here to do well in the classroom. Just because you are out here for two hours doesn’t mean you are working hard. You need to be out here anytime you can and getting something done.

If that isn’t what you want to do or where you want to be, you are at the wrong school.,’” Leon said.

Upon arriving in Stillwater, Leon learned the stature of the program and that the privilege of being a Cowboy comes with much responsibility.

“When I was first recruited here, I knew Oklahoma State was a great golf school. I didn’t know that this is one of the few campuses where you walk around as a golfer and people know who you are,” Leon said. “You don’t get that at a lot of places.”

“I keep reminding these guys that it is the off-season and it is cold and you may not want to practice, but keep after it and stay polished and keep working,” Leon said. “Now is the time to do it because it is going to be too late in the spring.”

So far, Leon’s guidance has paid off as the young Cowboys earned their first victory at the Fighting Illini Invitational in just their third outing of the season.

“Everybody on this team works hard and knows what they are supposed to do. I have tried to help those guys, but I have learned from them too,” Leon said.

In addition to the proven veteran, OSU’s lineup has counted on three true freshmen that have shown they can step in and carry the banner immediately.

Leading the next generation of talent is Murrieta, Calif., native Rickie Fowler.

Fowler arrived on campus with much fanfare and has not disappointed as he has made a smooth transition to life in the Midwest.

“It has been awesome.” Fowler said. “I basically came here for golf. I knew this was the best place to come to get my golf game where I want it to be.”

Despite missing the squad’s first tournament to compete for the U.S. in the prestigious Walker Cup, Fowler’s transition on the golf course has also been seamless as he has already taken over the nation’s top spot in the individual rankings.

“For the most part, it hasn’t been much of an adjustment for me because I played amateur golf throughout the summer and then the Walker Cup,” Fowler said. “A lot of the guys out playing college golf are the guys that I have been playing throughout amateur golf, so it wasn’t much of a change. It was just playing more tournaments.”

With a penchant for posting low scores, Fowler averaged nearly five birdies per round in the fall en route to a 69.89 stroke average and top-five finishes in all three of his starts.

The OSU rookie highlighted his first fall as a collegian by making it a clean sweep for Cowboys at the Fighting Illini Invitational, adding individual medalist honors to the team victory. In the process, Fowler wrote his name in the Olympia Fields Country Club record books, firing a 63 during his second round to match Vijay Singh’s course record.

In regard to the expectations that come with representing the Orange and Black, the talented freshman does not shy away, but rather embraces them.

“With all the guys that have played here and accomplished those things, I have something to shoot for,” Fowler said. “The bar is set so high that you really have to push yourself and become a better player.”

Fowler also knows that if he and the team continue on their current path, the next successful chapter in OSU golf can be written this spring.

“Individually, I want to win as much as I can and put myself in the position to win, but I want to be out there shooting as low as I can to help out the team,” Fowler said.

“Hopefully, we can pull it all together and play well when it comes down to it in May.” Ryan Cameron

photo by PHIL SHOCKLEY

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December 2007

The Official Magazine of OSU Athletics

69

Under t he Hat

BY MICHAEL HARRIS, CURRENT PISTOL PETE

single ring sits comfortably on Chuck Lester’s right hand, but time has reduced its former golden luster to a hazy bronze.

Pistol Pete still stands proudly on the ring’s face, but what was once cast in sharp relief has been worn nearly smooth after decades of wear.

It is a ring identical to those worn by each of the men chosen to portray Oklahoma State’s mascot, Pistol Pete, but Lester never stood in Boone Pickens Stadium while adorned as the Cowboys’ iconic mascot.

Instead, Lester wears the ring in loving tribute to his late father, Charlie, who was the first OSU student to don the caricatured head that is so readily identifiable with the university today.

“When his dad passed away, Chuck contacted all of the former Petes to make sure it was OK if he wore his father’s ring,” says Josh Pulver, who portrayed Pistol Pete from 2003 to 2005. “He just wanted to make sure because he knows we consider it such an honor to wear that ring, and he has a lot of respect for it.”

Indeed, I had the great honor of joining a select group when I was named Pistol Pete on April 29, making me the 70th member of Oklahoma State’s mascot fraternity.

Like many Petes, I descended from a line of proud Aggie alums, and it’s that family tradition many cite as their reason

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for wanting to become OSU’s mascot.

“We were little-bitty kids, and one of us was sick Sunday morning so we couldn’t go to church,” says Steve Sturgeon, Pistol Pete 2002-03. “My middle brother, Scott, stands up on the ottoman to give a few words of wisdom and says, ‘There’s only two good schools in Oklahoma – Sunday school, and Oklahoma State. There’s only two things we hate – the devil and OU. That’s pretty much all we knew as 3-, 7 and 10-year olds.”

And though we all take great pride in calling ourselves “Cowboys,” we could have just as easily called ourselves “Tigers” had an old ranch hand not inspired a group of Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical students in 1923.

When it was founded in 1890, Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College – as OSU was then known – was a land-grant institution in the truest sense, though the university had earned a reputation as the “Princeton of the Prairie” throughout the territory. As such, OAMC’s first students adopted Princeton’s orange and black as its colors, and Princeton’s Tiger as its mascot.

Subsequent student bodies, however, pined for a symbol more synonymous with the oil derricks, cattle ranches and farmland more readily associated with the school’s agricultural heritage, and by the early 1920s, the

search for a new mascot was on.

That year, students from Oklahoma A&M saw a weathered cowboy leading Stillwater’s annual Armistice Day parade and they knew they had found a perfect mascot for the young university.

The cowboy’s name was Frank Eaton, and from the wide-brimmed cattleman’s hat he wore on his head to the pair of six-barreled revolvers he wore slung around his waist, Eaton was a walking relic from the Old West.

More important to OAMC’s students, however, was that the cowboy was a breathing representation of the spirit they wanted the university to exude, and Eaton’s own story made him all the more appealing.

“He represents history – not only for the university, but for Oklahoma and this area of the United States,” Pulver says. “He’s just one of those figures that represents more than OSU because he was the wild west, and a lot of people relate to him because of that.”

In retelling Eaton’s story to the people I’ve met as Pistol Pete, it’s always reassuring that most Cowboy fans know that Eaton was a U.S. deputy marshal who tracked and shot the posse who murdered his father. In that respect, Eaton’s story is a captivating and courageous one, but the harsh reality is he was a gunslinger who killed more than a dozen men. Still, Eaton’s era was one governed by a

photos by PHIL SHOCKLEY

December 2007

The Official Magazine of OSU Athletics

71

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aspect changed the whole way I related to the A candidate’s physical condition is only law different than our own, and his sense of Precedent one of the requirements sought by the selection crowd.” duty is still endearing.

The memory of meeting Pistol Pete for the committee, however, which spends the bulk of “As bad as he was, and as good as he was first time is undoubtedly one Wilson shares an audition interviewing the Pete hopeful.

– the fact is that he was a real man,” says with many OSU fans, though it never ceases Candidates are expected to have a basic Rick Wilson, who was Pistol Pete 1984-86. to amaze me how many adults tell me they still knowledge of Oklahoma State and its tra“That makes him unique among mascots, cherish an autograph they received as a child. ditions, but more than anything, the panel and it gives the person portraying him the Therein lies my favorite part of being Pistol wants to know they have a true passion for the responsibility of being true to his spirit.”

Pete, and I’d venture a guess that many former university.

Such responsibility might help explain Petes would say the same.

“That part of it is really key,” says Scott why Pete alumni take it so seriously when “The things that are most precious are the Petty, Pistol Pete 1985-87. “You’ve only got selecting two students to portray Pistol Pete things that oftentimes, you wouldn’t think about a 20 minute window to get to know each spring. would be,” Petty says. “It was an interaction somebody really personally, but we just want This year, I share Pistol Pete duties with that took place at a parade with a child, and to get guys who are going to be doing the right a fifth-year senior named Ryan Nickell, who his parents were wanting him to meet Pete. He thing and acting honorably even when they might have described the audition process was scared to death, but he’d get that bullet think nobody’s looking.” best when he called it a “reality show without and it was like a gold nugget. Things like that The task of selecting new Pistol Petes is the cameras.”

– I have tons of memories like that.” particularly important to Wilson, who was the Each year, an average of 15 students try off­road utility The fact that OSU’s fans hold Pistol Pete first Pete to earn All-American honors from transporation out to become Pistol Pete, and the audition in such esteem is itself very humbling, as is the the National Cheer Association. is set up to ensure the university finds people fact that the 70 of us who have portrayed him “I can remember the first time I put the who will portray both Eaton and the univeraccount for such a small number of Oklahoma head on,” Wilson says. “I was 6 years old and sity in the best light possible.

State’s student body and fan base.

I was at a wrestling dual. I had gone down to The process usually begins about a week “In the grand scheme of things, you’re meet Pistol Pete and get his autograph. The guy before tryouts with an informal clinic. More very small compared to the whole thing,” who was Pete at the time was Tom Bennett, than anything, candidates use the time to get Pulver says. “It’s something not to be taken for and I asked him if I could put the head on. a feel for wearing Pistol Pete’s fiberglass head. granted.”

“I remember that like I’m talking to you, “People might not realize it, but you’re and I made a commitment to myself that every wearing a 45-pound head,” Wilson says. time I put that head on my shoulders, I would “You’re out there on a 110-degree field, and remember exactly what it felt like the very first you’re losing 10 to 12 pounds per game – time I put it on when I was 6 years old. That you’ve got to be conditioned.”

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Oklahoma State’s Top Difference Makers.

Points

T. Boone & Madeleine Pickens

2 Sherman & Eloise Smith 3 Karsten Manufacturing 4 Walt & Peggy Helmerich III 5 John Clerico 6 Ed & Jana Evans 7 W & W Steel Co. 8 Ross & Billie McKnight 9 Bob & Nedra Funk 10 Joe & Connie Mitchell 11 ONEOK Inc 12 Gary & Jerri Sparks 13 Mike & Robbie Holder 39,595

Men’s Golf 14 Harold & Joyce Courson 15 Joullian & Co. 16 Toklan Oil & Gas Corp.

Wrestling 17 Jim & Mary Barnes 18 Richard & Barbara Bogert 19 Home National Bank

Men’s Golf 20 OG&E 21 Stillwater National Bank 22 Dennis & Cindy Reilley 23 OSU President’s Office 24 SemGroup LP 25 Chad Clay 26 Chuck & Kim Watson 27 United Supermarket 74

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5929636

28 Lew & Suzanne Meibergen 22,454 29 Andy Johnson 30 Phillip & Shannon Smith 31 Anonymous 32 Bob & Kay Norris 33 David Bradshaw 34 Flintco Inc. 35 Jon & Suzanne Wiese 36 OSU Foundation 37 Garland & Penny Cupp 38 Sparks Financial 39 Les Dunavant 40 KNABCO Corp 41 A.J. & Susan Jacques

Women’s Swimming 42 David Le Norman 43 Richard & Joan Welborn 44 Jay & Connie Wiese 45 John & Gail Shaw 46 Ed & Mary Malzahn 47 Thomas & Barbara Naugle 48 K.D. & Leitner Greiner 49 Larry Bump 50 Kent & Margo Dunbar 51 Mark & Lisa Snell 12,373 52 Russ & Julie Teubner 53 Jim & Barbara Carreker

Football

45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86

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

54 Scott & Kim Verplank

Men’s Golf 55 Austin & Betsy Kenyon 56 Johnson’s of Kingfisher 57 Bryant J. Coffman 58 Harvey & Donna Yost 59 Russ Harrison & Natalie Shirley 60 Chandler USA Inc. 61 Jerry & Lynda Baker 62 Bank of Oklahoma 63 Anonymous 64 Bill & Claudean Harrison 65 Dennis & Bonnie Smith

Spirit Squad 66 John & Sue Taylor 67 Jay & Fayenelle Helm 68 Titleist & FootJoy Worldwide 69 A-Cross Ranch 70 Bob & Tammie Tway

Men’s Golf 71 Norman & Suzanne Myers 72 John & Jerry Marshall

Men’s Golf 73 The Siegenthaler Family 74 Brent & Mary Jane Wooten

Men’s Track 75 Ike & Mary Beth Glass 76 American Fidelity 77 E.K. Gaylord 9,012 78 Greg & Kay Massey 79 Bill & Laurie Dobbs

Baseball 80 Darton & Jamie Zink 81 Larry & Shirley Albin 82 Tom & Patricia Maloney 83 AEI Corp-Oklahoma 84 David & Marellie Littlefield 85 Griff & Mindi Jones 86 The Oklahoman 87 John & Terri Smith 88 Brad & Margie Schultz 89 Greg Casillas 90 Spirit Bank 91 Midfirst Bank 92 Emricks Van & Storage 93 Jim & Vicki Click Jr.

Football 94 Chesapeake Energy, Inc. 95 Lambert Construction 96 Jack & Joyce Stuteville 97 Jameson Family LLC 7,335

Spirit Squad 98 Bob & Mary Haiges 99 Judith G. Mace 100 Ron & Marilynn McAfee

101 Bruce Smith 102 Bancfirst 103 Melvin D. Jones 104 Phillip & Susan Ryan 105 Harriett Phillips 106 Southwest Filter Co. 107 Lonnie Jay & Sally Lamprich 108 Kirk & Jan Jewell 109 Ed & Marilyn Keller 110 Pixley Lumber Co 111 Max & Lynn Elsberry 112 Walter & Alma Duncan 113 Jerry & Rae Winchester

Football 114 Jack Allen Jr. 115 Southern Cross Alliance LLC 116 F & M Bank & Trust 117 Wentz Oil Company LLC

Football 118 Bill & Karen Anderson 119 Drummond Investments 120 Roy & Norman Townsdin 121 AT&T 122 Henry Wells 123 Frits Properties LLC 124 Robert C. & Martha Buford 125 Fletcher Family 126 Edd Bellatti 127 Steve Tuttle 128 Fred & Kellie Harlan 129 Steve & Judy Thurman 130 Randy & Patti Thurman 5669 131 Jim & Ann Berry 132 Danny & Jeannie Stith 133 Barry & Roxanne Pollard 134 Chris & Julie Bridges 135 Z-Equipment LLC 136 Don Lippert 137 Roger & Laura Demaree 138 James Hays 139 Jack & Janet Griffith

Wrestling 140 John & Delone Hessel 141 Dick & Carol Ann Powell 142 Joe Tippens 143 Stan & Shannon Clark 144 Frank & Ludmila Robson 145 John Melot 146 Jack Bowker Ford 147 Richard & Lawana Kunze 148 SemMaterials 149 Linda Smithton 150 Gary & Mary Ellen Bridwell 5,115 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 four ways • Current contributions: All current 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.

• Consecutive years of contribution: Donors will earn points for each consecutive year of POSSE donations.

• Continuous ticket purchases: Donors will earn points each year (per sport) for continuous season ticket purchases.

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

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.

December 2007

The Official Magazine of OSU Athletics

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It was an interesting and successful season for the Cowgirl soccer team this year, with both landmark victories and close defeats. Despite any adversity, the team came away with another berth in the NCAA tournament and a strong foundation for next season.

“We were coming off our most successful season ever, and it was very important for us to back that up,” says Cowgirl head coach Colin Carmichael. “We didn’t want the tag of ‘a good team for one season.’ It showed people that it wasn’t just a one-year deal.”

The Cowgirls started conference play on the wrong foot, dropping a 3-0 decision in the Big 12 opener at Iowa State, but rebounded in their next game to take a 1-0 victory at Nebraska.

“Ames is a very difficult place to play,” says Carmichael. “We actually played very well in the first half and were unfortunate not to be up. Then we gave up a goal right before the half, and from then on it was a struggle.”

The next game up was a match with sixthranked Texas A&M. Excitement was high as Fox Soccer Channel was in town to broad-

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cast the game. The Cowgirls got off to a quick start thanks to a goal from junior midfielder Jamie Markaverich, but couldn’t hold the lead and fell 2-1.

“I thought for the first 60 minutes, we were clearly the better team,” Carmichael says. “They’re a great team, and they came back. But I was very proud of the performance.”

After a win over Baylor and a tie with Kansas, the team headed to Missouri.

Having never won in Columbia, it seemed an unlikely site for another landmark win for the Cowgirls.

Missouri was in the midst of one of its finest seasons on the soccer field, and the Tigers were flying high with a number five national ranking. All that changed soon after the Cowgirls left town with a 2-1 overtime win, the first in school history over a top-five team.

“They were on a tear. They were just playing some really good soccer,” Carmichael says. “We didn’t have a very good first half, but we hung in there. It was a really clutch performance.”

The Cowgirls continued their up-anddown ways the next week, with a victory over in-state rival Oral Roberts and a 1-0 defeat

at Texas Tech. But the sting of losing to the Lady Raiders soon disappeared.

Since 2003, Texas has claimed only one regular-season victory over OSU. Sophomore midfielder Siera Strawser ensured there wouldn’t be a second with a 70th-minute strike that sent the Longhorns back to Austin on the short end of a 1-0 score.

“We’re kind of making a habit of (beating Texas). For whatever reason, we tend to play very well against the Longhorns,” Carmichael says.

After a tough 1-0 loss to Colorado, the Cowgirls took the field for the 2007 edition of the Bedlam Series against Oklahoma.

Despite a dominating OSU performance, the match went to halftime scoreless. That would quickly change, as Strawser put a pass from Markaverich into the net just four minutes after the break to put the Cowgirls in front. Three minutes later, midfielder Yolanda Odenyo scored another goal, giving the Cowgirls a 2-0 lead that would hold as the final score.

“The Bedlam game is always tough.

There’s very rarely a one-sided affair,” Carmichael says. “Our girls played very well.”

Since the soccer series began in 1996, the Cowgirls have dominated. OSU now leads

photos by GARY LAWSON

the series 10-2-1, its best mark against any Big 12 opponent.

The Cowgirls entered the Big 12 tournament as the sixth seed due to the Texas Tech loss. OSU won a rematch with Kansas, then moved on to the semifinals against Texas.

While the Cowgirls have owned the regular season in recent years, the Longhorns have controlled the postseason. After the game ended in a 1-1 tie, a 5-3 advantage in penalty kicks sent UT on to the finals. It was the second season in a row that Texas knocked the Cowgirls out of the conference tournament.

“I thought we played a tremendous game.

Many neutral observers commented that we should have won, but their goalkeeper is great,” Carmichael says. “It went to a penalty shootout, their keeper made one save, their kids made all their shots, and that was it.”

The strength shown by the team throughout the season was rewarded in the form of the program’s third NCAA Tournament berth. The draw sent the squad west to Los Angeles to take on ninth-ranked San Diego.

The Cowgirls won 2-1 over the Toreros, setting up a second-round match with the site host – the top-ranked Bruins of UCLA. Though the team fought hard, UCLA showed why it was ranked No. 1 with a 4-0 victory that ended the OSU season.

“We played a very good game for about 60 minutes. I thought they deserved to win the game, but I didn’t think there was four goals’ difference between the teams,” Carmichael says.

With the season concluded, the awards have begun to file in for this year’s Cowgirls.

Odenyo was named first-team All-Big 12 and a finalist for Soccer Buzz magazine’s National Player of the Year Award. Defender Allyson Leggett was named to the Big 12’s AllFreshman team. Sophomore midfielder Kasey Langdon was named a second-team pick to Top Drawer Soccer’s Women’s College Team of the Season, and forward Katie Richardson was a second-team pick for that publication’s All-Rookie squad.

The Cowgirls also made a strong showing for academic awards. The team had the highest cumulative GPA in the Big 12 and garnered a league-leading 13 academic allconference picks, with 11 of those on the first team. The team also received the team academic award from the NSCAA for the sixth straight year, and senior defender Niccole Grimaldi was named a second-team Academic All-American.

“In our sport, not many of these kids will go on to make a living out of soccer, if any of

them,” Carmichael says. “It’s very important that they’re taking care of business in the classroom. Over the last five or six years, our kids have made a huge commitment, and our academic support staff did a great job. We’re proud of what our team accomplishes on and off the field.”

Next year will see some light rebuilding for the Cowgirls, but not as much as there might have been. Odenyo was granted another year of eligibility in midseason, meaning the 2006 All-American will be back next year to lead the Cowgirls.

However, Carmichael’s squad will have to replace three seniors who have been cornerstones of the team.

“We lose Sasa Jackson, who’s been a great midfielder for us and done a lot of the intangible things. Adriane Radtke was a great player for four years and a great leader for our team, and Nicci Grimaldi was a force in the back,” Carmichael says. “We’ll certainly miss those three players, but as we told them after the season, they’ve raised the bar and now it’s our job to go out and improve on that.”

Clinton Wieden

December 2007

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OSUGEAR

Tailgaters might’ve seen the big Orange Polaris Ranger patrolling the parties this fall. It’s hard to miss, partly because it’s OSU Orange, partly because fans could hear it coming with its eight top-mounted Kicker speakers and massive subwoofers.

And then there’s the matter of the cannon. The OC has a massively powerful T-shirt cannon mounted on its top rack, a cannon capable of flinging shirts further than Brett Favre can toss one deep. And don’t even ask about the OC’s top speed. The information is classified.

Look out for the Orange Crush on Fridays at the Fountains, leading the walk before home games and eventually, the Crush might make it to away games to lead the charge.

Just remember: Wherever the OC stops, the party starts.

photo by PHIL SHOCKLEY

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December 2007

The Official Magazine of OSU Athletics

81

WRAY.VINGS he movie industry has come a long way in the last 30 years.

Special effects and computer technology have given movie directors the ability to turn the supernatural plausible, at least on the silver screen.

Composers are able to score film with such dramatic music; it leaves audiences on the edge of their seats or slumped in sorrow.

The one thing they have not been able to change in 30 years is: you still have to set through an entire movie to determine if it was terrible.

T

Even then, who am I to make the complete determination?

I mean, my last name is not Siskel or Ebert. I simply don’t have the credentials to accurately critique the movie industry.

The same things can be said for many socalled, self-proclaimed experts in the sports media world. Magazines, newspapers, television and sports talk radio are overpopulated with those who know enough about athletics to be dangerous. But because they have pen and paper in their possession, expertise is awarded.

A great analogy would be: I own a set of golf clubs, but you won’t hear me calling out

Scott Verplank any time soon. In a world full of instants, (information, coffee, potatoes) the local sports market is full of Monday morning Lombardi wanna-be’s.

Just add water.

Oh, they’re experts alright. Just ask them. They pick on everything from coaches decisions to the Cowboy fan base.

It forces us, the readers, listeners and viewers, to have something they don’t: objectivity.

For those who want to criticize the fan base, here is a message: its okay. We know you can’t comprehend it.

I heard a really intelligent fan say, “From the inside you can’t explain it and from the outside you can’t understand it.”

There is a great deal of pride associated with being a Cowboy.

Oklahomans for Oklahoma State are proud for the integrity to call a team “theirs,” even when times are tough.

Unlike the fictional family from Steinbeck lore, Cowboys meet hard times head on, where they stand. Success and set-backs are dealt with realistically, and are embraced as part of the journey. It’s a noble quest to represent an institution as well as the greatest icon of the American west.

Being a fan is more than purchasing a sweatshirt in a team color, only to toss it in the trash on the way to your car if you come up on the short end of the stick.

There is a degree of self-actualization which envelopes you as a Cowboy fan. It is above wins and losses.

So the next time you read, hear or watch a biased report about OSU or the fan base, you might remember a few things: 1. It’s entertainment. The writer is merely an actor on a stage. The lines, motive and agenda will all change next week.

2. It’s an opinion. Theirs. And opinions are like navels. Everybody has one, and some have lint in them.

3. It’s difficult to write about something you don’t understand.

You get it. That’s all that maters.

Ride ‘em.

Kyle Wray

Illustration by: Hannah McGill

“Give yourself a break: take five.”

You’ll be amazed how much you’ll save when you take these five powerful steps to use energy wisely: 1. Replace lights with compact fluorescent light bulbs. They give just as much light, but last much longer and use 75 percent less electricity.

2. Replace your old heating and cooling system with a new, high-efficiency system. Consider a geothermal system — they’re about 200 percent more energy efficient, and may qualify for lowinterest financing.

3. Insulate, caulk and weatherstrip your home. Most people don’t realize that a third of their energy bill can come from air leakage alone.

4. Set your water heater thermostat at 120ºF. Adding a water heater blanket can cut water heating costs another 10 percent.

5. Shade your house. Plant trees that shed leaves to give shade in the summer and admit sunlight in the winter.

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