Friday, Feb. 3, 2023

Black History Month

An everlasting legacy

Nancy Randolph Davis made history at OSU

Purcell Staff Reporter

A bronze statue of a powerful Black woman stands proudly in cap and gown in front of the College of Education and Human Sciences building.

Nancy Randolph Davis is a familiar famous name around Stillwater and OSU. In 2019, a bronze statue was built in her honor and now hundreds of students pass her everyday. Randolph Davis became the first Black student to enroll at OSU.

Although many students have heard the woman’s name and are aware of her statue, they don’t know about her story, her significance or what her statue represents.

She was born in Sapulpa and is the youngest of five other siblings. The family lived during strict laws of segregation and prejudice in Oklahoma, which lead the children’s parents to raise them on the importance of education and faith as Black individuals.

They grew closer during times of struggle when during her senior year of high school, Randolph Davis’ sisterin-law suddenly passed away from pneumonia and she helped raise her four young nephews the rest of the year.

She barely graduated high school be -

cause of the toll of the events. However, in the fall of 1944, with her family’s support and encouragement, Randolph Davis enrolled at Langston University and pursued a degree in home economics.

College helped Randolph Davis excel academically and flourish into the confident, powerful educator she would one day become.

After graduating in 1948, she landed her first job at Dunjee Public School in Choctaw, where she taught for 20 years. Later she moved to Star Spencer High School where she taught for another 23 years before retiring.

Randolph Davis did not plan on being a civil rights pioneer, but in light of the Supreme Court allowing another young black woman to enter the University of Oklahoma School of Law, she made her move to apply to Oklahoma A&M College and pursue a Master of Science in Home Economics.

Because of segregation, Randolph Davis was forced to sit in the hallway during lectures and listen in. However, because of her intelligence and making excellent grades in class, students argued on her behalf to be included in the classroom.

See Davis on 4A

First Latina elected to Oklahoma’s House of Representatives

Kennedy Thomason Assistant News & Lifestyle Editor

Annie Menz is the first Latina elected to Oklahoma’s House of Representatives.

Residing in Norman, Menz officially claimed her District

45 seat in January. Her democratic platform consisted of environmental protection, supporting working families and expanding access to mental health resources, amongst other issues.

Elva Soto, the president of Voto Latino, an OSU club aimed at empowering Hispanic and Latino voices through the democratic process, said seeing

See Latina on 3A

“Passion remains unchanged” Q&A with Brett Carver

Clausen News & Lifestyle Editor

The O’Colly interviewed Brett Carver, who received the Eminent Faculty Award last month for his contributions to instruction and service.

Carver holds the Wheat Genetics Chair in Agriculture and is a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America. He

leads the OSU Wheat Improvement Team in its charge to develop and release winter wheat cultivars customfit for the Oklahoma wheat industry.

Q-Tell me a little bit about your career. You are originally from Atlanta, correct? How was your time at the University of Georgia? Did you always know what you wanted to do?

A- Yes, I was raised mostly in Decatur, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, and then moved into the city of Atlanta after my 9th grade year to finish

See Brett on 6A

Perkins Road construction not an issue for medical emergency responders

Stephanie Landaverde Staff Reporter

Construction on Perkins Road may be a nuisance, but during a medical emergency it is not a hindrance to first responders.

The construction started in December 2021 and created an inconvenience for Stillwater residents. Despite the increased traffic, firefighters and emergency medical technicians report they have been nearly unaffected in their response times and arrivals.

Capt. Chad Hane of Stillwater Fire Station No. 3, said the construction has not impacted his team the way they thought it might.

“It might slow down our response time by 10 or 15 seconds at the most,

and that’s during peak rush hour,” Hane said.

Fire Station No. 3 covers the area north of McElroy and Perkins roads, therefore the construction on Perkins Road affects the station the most.

Hane said within the last year there has not been any life-threatening injury during his shift in which the construction impacted the response time. He noted that because many residents avoid the area because of high traffic, it helps out the fire fighters when they have to travel on Perkins Road.

Hane said the expectation for emergencies is to be out the door within 80 seconds. Assistant Fire Chief Brandon Halcomb said that per National Fire Protection Standards the first truck is

expected to arrive within five minutes and 20 seconds and three or four more within nine minutes and 20 seconds. Last year there were 13 structure fires within Stillwater city limits. Halcomb said that for those fires, the five minutes and 20 second deadline was met 100% of the time and the nine minute and 20 second deadline was met 94% of the time.

Zach Harris, director of operations at LifeNet, said the construction has only had a minor, insignificant impact on their response time.

LifeNet is a private company that the Western Payne County Ambulance Trust Authority contracts. It serves the western twothirds of Payne County, including all of Stillwater. A group of volunteers consisting of board

members from the city of Stillwater, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater Medical Center, Payne County, the city of Perkins and the city of Glencoe are appointed to form a trust and have the authority to run the ambulances of the community. LifeNet bids on a contract and follows specific standards that the WPCTA set.

In its contract, LifeNet has four time frames within which to arrive at the scene, depending on the situation and location. Harris said LifeNet has a 60 second shoot time, so from the moment they are notified, they have one minute to get to the truck.

For emergencies, LifeNet is contractually expected to arrive at

File Photo

Nancy Randolph Davis was a powerful woman who made history at OSU and influenced the young lives of all the students she taught during her career.

Luisa

Brittney

during the Groundhog Day festivities Thursday in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

5 things to do on a snow day

J.R. Churchill Staff Reporter

It is that time of the year where the last thing most people want to do is be outside in the dreaded cold. Because of the cold weather, there are far fewer things that we can do to keep ourselves entertained.

This does not need to be the case. There are numerous activities that can be used as a tool to find motivation to get school work done or simply to activate your mind. Here are five things that you can do to pass the time while cooped up indoors.

No. 1: At-home workouts

Keeping your body active can be rather difficult to do while staying indoors. A workout at home is a good way to combat this. There are many different ways to do this, however, Nike has made it easier than ever before. Nike recently released more than 90 workout sessions to Netflix. They are specifically designed to be completed at home. These workouts are basic and require no equipment, making them an excel-

lent way to activate your body while stuck at home. For those without Netflix, there are free workout/yoga session/ calisthenic videos on Youtube.

No. 2: Find new music

Finding new music is a personal favorite of mine. Music activates the brain in many ways and can be a powerful tool when trying to get something done. For Spotify users, it is incredibly easy to find new songs. Discover Weekly is a great tool, however, going to a song’s radio station is arguably more effective. Almost every song in Spotify’s library has a radio linked to it. This radio shows similar artists, as well as songs that have a similar sound to the specific song. Making a playlist of all these new songs can be a cool way of compiling tracks that sound like your favorites.

No. 3: Plan a trip

Imagine that you are not stuck at home and plan a day trip or a vacation to somewhere interesting. This can be anywhere you can think of. It could be a spring break trip with your friends, a trip to Bricktown over the weekend, or even somewhere exotic like Tahiti.

Budgeting as a college student

Brittney Purcell Staff Reporter

College is more than going to class.

It is often the place where young adults learn how to become financially responsible and handle their own money. Some students learn how to grasp the skill of organizing and budgeting, while many others struggle to figure out a balance and often lack the funds to be

successful in the first place.

Morgan Buie, a second year ecology and management major, explained that she utilizes budgeting to manage her personal expenses. She has noticed a decrease in random purchases as a result of her efforts.

Buie now has a better grip on the things she needs and doesn’t buy random things for fun.

Other students agreed that

Latina representation is a step in the right direction.

“I think it’s a huge deal,” Soto said. “Growing up, it’s not often that you see somebody that looks like you or comes from similar backgrounds, yours, or at least, you know, compared to like, my personal perspective, to serve in any sort of U.S. government position, whatever that may be.”

Menz was born in Oklahoma City to an immigrant mother and Army veteran father. She served in the United States Navy. Menz has her Associate of Arts degree from Oklahoma City Community College and is a part-time student at the University of Oklahoma.

Nadia Valles, the treasurer of Voto Latino, said it is encouraging to see a Latina in state government.

“Realistically, there’s not a lot of people who fall into minority communities in the House, just like historically,” Valles said. “So having someone that like, looks like me, or like, has the same background, you know, it’s a really big deal that people are making decisions that have experienced or like have that knowledge, you know, of what it’s like to live in an underserved community. That’s really powerful.”

Menz wants to use her seat to advocate for the citizens of District 45 and improve legislation centered around her core issues, the main ones including “preserving natural resources” and “providing tangible support

Planning an actual trip, whether you go, can be a great way to discover new places that capture your interest. This can also lead to discovering new music, food and events that you never knew existed. Planning trips and researching places is a great way to pass the time, and doing it with friends can lead to some pretty cool conversations.

No. 4: Learn something new Research a subject that has always fascinated you. Now more than ever, it is easy to learn about anything you want via any medium. For example, I have always been interested in perspective and story telling. I have heard so many positive things about the “Chernobyl” series on HBO, many people saying it is a masterclass on perspective. On top of this, I found video essays on YouTube that were informational, as well as a book that I found online, too. Long story short, there is a nearly bottomless pit of information on anything you have ever been curious about.

No. 5: Tidy up

Lastly, you can clean your room, dorm or house. Over the course of a semester, your living space can become

rather dirty and this is an excellent time to clean up. Put on some music and make it fun. Cleaning is a great way to get your mind ready to be productive for the day, and it makes it way easier to find things when you need them.

news.ed@ocolly.com

for working families.”

Menz’s campaign website shares the motivating factors behind her campaign. She has specialized in legislative research and constituent communication and casework during her six years at the Capitol.

“Watching my family serve our country and community, I learned the value of hard work and public service at an early age,” Menz’s campaign website says. “Since concluding my service with the Navy, I’ve continually sought opportunities to make a difference.”

Menz won her race against Republican Teresa Sterling, with 53.5% of the votes. The incumbent, Merleyn Bell, did not run

for re-election. As a state representative, Menz will serve for two years. She is serving on the A&B Finance, A&B Transportation, Tourism and Transportation committees.

Lindsey Smith, the president of the College Democrats, said she was excited to see Menz serving in the House. Smith said it was encouraging to know any racial or ethnic background can have a voice in government.

“I think that it’s great that the number of women in our legislature is growing,” Smith said. “I believe, I mean, we’re over 50% of Oklahomans, and we were in 2020, I think 22% of the legislature in Oklahoma.”

Smith added to her

comments, saying representation in government is crucial to the democratic process.

“She really is creating a path for future Latina women to follow because now, you know, representation matters, and we can see that it is possible and there is a path for women, and Latina women to follow,” Smith said.

Menz is in her first month of service, and has authored 12 bills so far. For more information on Annie Menz and her campaign, visit her website, annieforhouse. com.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Anne Menz Facebook Page Anne Menz, far left, celebrating the Lunar New Year with friends and neighbors at the Central Library on Jan. 22.

Continued from 1A

After a few years of attending masters courses during the summer and teaching in her own classroom during the school year, Nancy Randolph successfully graduated Oklahoma A&M College in 1952. She is a powerful woman who made history at OSU and influenced the young lives of all the students she taught during her career.

Randolph Davis married Fred C. Davis in 1953 and famously became Nancy Randolph Davis. She served in several alumni associations at both Langston University and OSU, and was an active member in the Oklahoma City

N.A.A.C.P Youth Group. Oklahoma State University honored her with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 1999 and formally named a residence hall after Davis in 2001.

Davis received multiple awards from OSU after she graduated. She paved the way into OSU and made history and opportunities for Black students.

Davis died in 2015 and her legacy lives on at OSU and in all the lives and organizations she touched. OSU dedicated a statue in the likeness of Randolph Davis that was unveiled in 2019 and her confident figure stands dressed in a cap and gown as a gentle and powerful reminder of her story and her significance.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Super Bowl 57 matchup set OSU picks its favorite

on which team will end up on top.

Jalen Hurts’ first Super Bowl appearance and Patrick Mahomes’ third; the stage is set for an exciting matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Last Sunday, the conference championship games decided the matchup for Super Bowl 57. In the NFC, the No. 1 Philadelphia Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game, 31-7.

In the AFC, the No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs defeated Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20. Two dominant NFL franchises will face off Feb. 12 on the biggest stage in American sports.

With the Super Bowl matchup set, who do students and staff at OSU want to win the biggest game of the year?

Jacie Hoyt, Cowgirls basketball head coach, is a Kansas City Chiefs fan and gives her prediction for this year’s Super Bowl. “Let’s see,” Hoyt said. “I’m gonna say Chiefs 24 and Eagles 10.”

OSU men’s tennis coach, Dustin Taylor, does not have a particular team he is cheering for, but he gives his take

James Gunn’s universe

Big change to the DCEU

James Jones Staff Reporter

Will the DC Cinematic Universe finally reach the successful heights of the MCU?

With James Gunn sitting at the executive spot for DC Studios, the answer may be a yes. The popular director, known famously for his excellent live action take on the “Guardians of the Galaxy,” is taking the challenging initiative of re-shaping the universe as a whole. The plans he has set seem extremely exciting.

No.1- Creature

Commandos

The first in line of the many new projects coming to the DCEU is an animated TV series called “Creature Commandos.” James Gunn is set to write this sevenepisode series staring Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, who will put together a group of mon-

strous prisoners as they embark on black ops missions.Although this entry into the universe will be animated, Gunn has stated that it’ll have an effect on the universe and consist of a voice cast that’ll play their live action counterparts. A release day has not been confirmed.

No.2- Waller The next confirmed project is a TV series starring Viola Davis playing the coldhearted Amanda Waller. Not much is known in terms of story and release date, but this will feature returning characters from Gunn’s “Peacemaker.” It’ll also be written Christel Henry, who directed 2019’s Watchmen, and Jeremy Carver, who directed the cult classic series Supernatural.

No.3- Superman: Legacy Gunn will write the return of the man of steel himself in “Superman: Legacy.”

This film, according to James Gunn, will focus on Superman balancing both his heritage as a Kryptonian and his human upbringing. Sadly Henry Cavill won’t reprise his role as the man of tomorrow, but hopefully whoever Gunn cast as Superman will fill that void the fans yearn for.

No.4- The Brave and The Bold

Another entry in the revamp universe will feature the dark knight himself and his son Damian embark on a crime-based journey. Not much information is known on this project as of yet. There are many more projects to come, including “Booster Gold and Lanterns,”but from the information that Gunn has provided shows that there is a chance for DC to make a comeback in the movie industry.

“It’s a fun matchup because it’s experience against talent,” Taylor said. “Gun to the head, I’m going to go with the Eagles. I’m gonna go with Jalen Hurts. It’s his time to shine.”

Gabe Klein, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, has been rooting for one of these Super Bowl teams since the beginning.

“The Chiefs because I have been a Chiefs fan my entire life,” Klein said. “My favorite part about this team is obviously Mahomes at one, but our defensive line is also really good, especially Chris Jones. It’s gonna be super tough against the Eagles though. The Eagles have a better overall roster, but we have a big quarterback advantage.”

Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes will be making their third Super Bowl appearance in the last four years. Mahomes is coming off of an MVP caliber season where he will likely end up with the award.

Mahomes led Kansas City to the Super Bowl despite losing wide receiver Tyreek Hill in the offseason to Miami. Mahomes played through a high ankle sprain against the Ben-

gals. Chris Jones is a key leader on the Chiefs defensive front with 15.5 sacks and a potential Defensive Player of the Year award.

Klein’s score prediction, “Chiefs 28-23.”

The Eagles have their fair share of supporters too.

John Nguyen, a sophomore majoring in political science, thinks that another Eagles Super Bowl win would be electric.

“I would like to see the Eagles win,” Nguyen said. “Because you know it’s like their fourth Super Bowl appearance and if they win this one it’ll be their second trophy. It would be really dope because the first time seeing them win was awesome. And I’m not even an Eagles fan. Let’s go 28-24 Philadelphia.”

The Eagles are making the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018 where Nick Foles led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

The Eagles are now led by Pro Bowl quarterback Hurts along with seven other Pro Bowl. Hurts is leading one of the league’s best offenses with an MVP-caliber season.

File Photo

The statue of Nancy Randolph Davis looks toward Edmon Low Library on Oklahoma State University’s campus.

Courtesy

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, left, and tight end Travis Kelce, will

Courtesy of MovieMaker Magazine

James Gunn directed several Marvel movies such as “Guardians of the Galaxy” but became copresident of DC Studios in October.

Baylor Bryant Staff Reporter

Budgeting...

Continued from 3A

budgeting would likely solve impulsive spending problems, whereas not having a budget makes it easy to get carried away.

Chelsea Spearman, a sophomore human development and family sciences major, explained the struggle of being a college student on a budget.

“I think that finding the correct system that works for me is really what I need,” she said. “But that comes with trial and error and figuring out what works and what doesn’t.”

Finding a perfect budgeting system isn’t possible without trial and error, which makes handling finances feel stressful to approach.

“It’s more stressful to see the reality rather than going through life blind,” Spearman said.

Spearman doesn’t budget, but she said it would help some of her financial problems if she did. It is easy to ignore financial responsibility because it’s a difficult thing to manage, but money is finite and comes with major consequences.

It can be hard to bud-

get successfully when most college students don’t have the funds to make ends meet.

Most full-time students don’t have the time to work full-time jobs to support themselves independently. Many students agreed that without support from family and financial aid, they could not afford life expenses by themselves.

Luckily, colleges provide plenty of resources to make their students successful. OSU provides several general scholarships and a list of academic college scholarships available for all students to apply.

Some organizations and companies offer scholarships to the general public that only takes some searching on Google to find and apply to.

OSU’s Financial Aid Department is available to offer financial advice and support. Looking to friends and family for advice is a great way to begin budgeting goals. Life and money is hard to navigate as an upcoming adult, but responsibly handling one’s money through budgeting and utilizing financial resources will set up any student for success.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Perkins...

Continued from 1A

“A lot of times it doesn’t take that long,” Harris said. “That’s a contractual standard, not an average of what our time is to make it to a call.”

Stillwater Police Department, however, has not had the same

fortune.

Lt. TJ Low said the department has been affected tremendously. This is because of its differing responsibilities. Police must respond to minor car accidents, shoplifting incidents and domestics, whereas LifeNet and Stillwater Fire Department respond to medical situations and fires.

“We respond to a lot more calls than fire

and EMS do,” Low said.

Low said the apartment complexes and businesses along that road make for frequent visits. He also reported that Perkins Road has always had a high number of accidents and construction has not increased the number.

Low said officers are required to be familiar with the geography of the

city, so despite being slowed down, they are still able to navigate the area.

“Thankfully, our officers are pretty familiar with their geography,” Low said. “That’s part of our training program, for officers to be very familiar with their side streets and getting around town.”

news.ed@ocolly.com

“You People” movie review

Jaycee Hampton Staff Reporter

Kenya Harris directs “You People,” Netflix’s new romance comedy that follows a new couple and their families as they adjust to modern love, clashing cultures, stereotypes and different family dynamics.

Released on Jan. 20, “You People” starts off when Ezra Cohen (Jonah Hill) is on the verge of giving up on love. But on one fateful day, Ezra meets Amira (Lauren London), whom he mistakenly confuses as his Uber driver. Their romance comes easily, but they quickly discover their growing relationship isn’t as accessible to their parents, which they were already expressing their worries about.

Long before Ezra meets Amira, he is working in finance while co-hosting a podcast with his best friend, Mo (Sam Jay). Finance is not his passion, and he knows that being a podcaster is his dream job. Ezra works diligently toward that goal, despite people like his future father-in-law not understanding the appeal.

Comedian Eddie Murphy portrays Amira’s father, Akbar. As a devoted Muslim, Akbar wants what is best for his daughter, and that vision never included a Jewish, white, podcaster with a family who is a complete 180 from his own. Murphy takes on a role opposite of what he normally portrays. His performance was not terrible, but it is not the Murphy most people are familiar with.

Ezra’s mother, Shelley, (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), is one of the more frustrating characters throughout the film. Despite her feeling her intentions are all pure, she often treats Amira and the other Black women in the film like prized possessions and a topic of conversation. This makes her future daughter-in-law uncomfortable, like she’s a toy.

Most of the conversations they had in this movie could be heard in our everyday life. Although it was brutal to watch at times, these are necessary conversations for families to become more unified and allow others to coexist peacefully. There were many teaching moments not only for younger generations, but for the older generations too.

It felt like the characters did not develop at all beyond a surface level, and whenever they did develop it was almost too late. It is hard to connect to a movie when you don’t have likable characters to build connections with through the screen and it was hard to do that during this film. It is honestly a shame considering the talented cast that consists of Hill, London and Murphy. It is not that their characters are unlikeable, it just did not feel authentic and it didn’t flow. Even scenes between Ezra and Mo felt forced, despite them literally being on a podcast where it’s supposed to be two friends having a regular everyday conversation.

Unfortunately, “You People” has a great plot with an even greater cast, but it came up short with mostly unfunny jokes and it sometimes brushed over heavy controversial issues that are long overdue conversations the world needs

to have. There is definitely room for films like this today, but the execution of this movie was less than mediocre. The ending got lazy, it felt like they were rushing to tie up loose ends. Instead of choosing to be comfortable in your own ignorance, “You

Courtesy of Tribune

People” showed what it is like for two families trying to cope with their kids loving each other despite them not fitting their ideal backgrounds. It was a good message to get out and definitely worth the watch.

Jaiden Daughty

Zach Harris, director of operations at LifeNet, said the construction has only had a minor, insignificant impact on their response time.

Jonah Hill, left, and Lauren London in “You People.” (Netflix/TNS)

Continued from 1A

high school at Druid Hills High. For not one minute in a central city high school did I think I would pursue this career in agriculture and plant breeding. I credit UGA for helping me eventually find my way to OSU. After establishing a strong educational base in pre-medicine for two years, I started to look at science in different and much broader ways. My biology classes took the blinders off. I was intrigued by the applications of scientific research to food production (no surprise–it was the 1970s). I changed majors from pre-med to agronomy, and from there, the race was on. Friends in high places thought I had lost it...completely derailed. I never thought of myself as a risk-taker, except then.

Q- Who were Dr. Weaver and Dr. R.H. Brown? How did they influence you? What did you learn from them?

A-In the longer term, we tend to recall our college experiences by the professors we meet and get to know. Dr. Brown was a well-known crop physiologist who specialized in photosynthetic research. He satisfied my deep desire to know how plants work, and how different plants work in different ways, Well, that is the driver of plant adaptation, something I educate and research about today.

Dr. Weaver was a renowned cotton geneticist and breeder, but I was fascinated by his drive to not just make cotton a more productive plant, but to make it a different kind of plant, one that produced a finer fiber or a different boll structure to evade insects. To a city kid, this was pretty cool stuff. I was able to work under Dr. Weaver as an hourly employee for over a year, and those were defining moments in my career... even the cotton-picking moments.

Q- How was your time at North Carolina State University? Can you explain to me what research in soybean lipid biochemistry and in soybean genetics and breeding mean?

A-Believe it or not, I was still trying to find myself going into graduate school. I knew I wanted to pursue a career in ag research, but I did not know if that meant working at the more basic level of plant physiology or the more applied level of plant genetics or breeding. I started at the most basic level, in soybean lipid biochemistry, or in more common terms, soybean oil quality.

The lipid fraction of a soybean, or its oil, is naturally quite healthy for human consumption, most often in salad dressings or as a cooking oil. However, its fatty acid makeup is highly unstable over time or under heat. Chemical hydrogenation makes the oil more saturated (i.e., fewer double bonds) and thus more stable with less rancidity potential. Just check out the label on a bottle of salad dressing for “hydrogenated soybean oil”. The hydrogenation process, however, shifts the chemical structure of certain soybean fatty acids to a less healthy “trans” fatty acid structure. As consumers, we are more sensitive to foods that contain “trans fatty acids”.

A soybean geneticist at N.C. State had already developed new strains of soybean with a more stable oil quality that required far less chemical processing. My graduate research at N.C. State was to elucidate the biochemical (M.S. research) and genetic mechanisms (Ph.D. research) of naturally stable oil quality.

Q- How was the transition from North Carolina to Oklahoma? How long did it take for you to get used to it?

A-My first thought was that this move was going to be a reach. I had no family in Oklahoma or nowhere close. So why not start one? I am proud to say both of my sons graduated from OSU some 22-25 years later. Looking back, it took me all of one day to get used to Stillwater. I gave the job all I had. I became immediately immersed in the college atmosphere and the true college town. Acclimation seemed natural.

Q- Do you miss Atlanta or North Carolina?

A- Only the family and the eastern North Carolina barbecue are missed. And both of those can be in Stillwater on moment’s notice.

Q- You joined the faculty to begin a research and teaching career in quantitative genetics and wheat germplasm development. How was the transition from only being a researcher or student, to being a teacher?

A-The transition from college student to college professor was not difficult. I attribute that, in part, to the education and training I received from UGA and NCSU. Plus, it really did not matter, because the stakes were so much higher for making tenure than making good grades. Fear can be a highly effective motivator in managing transition.

The greatest challenge for me was learning a new plant with a complex history and complicated personality –wheat. I spent as much time the first two years of my career in the library (yes,

Edmon Low) as I did during graduate school altogether. Remember, no internet in the mid-1980s. I had to learn a new plant which previously came to me only in pictures, a new genetic system and a totally new phylogeny. Fortunately, the classes I taught were fundamentally about plant breeding theory and quantitative genetics. Today, I still go to school on wheat.

Q- In 1998, you started leading the OSU Wheat Improvement Team and conducting a wheat breeding and genetics research program. Can you tell me a little bit about that? What does the wheat improvement team do? If you could explain the process of wheat breeding and how is that connected to genetics research?

A- First of all, wheat breeding is the application of genetic principles. Genetics tells us how a trait, or more realistically, a group of traits, is inherited; breeding puts those pieces of knowledge together in the form of a new progeny, something better than the parents one started with. Inheritance can be, but is not always, explained at the DNA level. That makes plant breeding a bit more accurate and effective, but wheat has a complicated family tree, which makes the DNA more cumbersome to interpret.

The OSU Wheat Improvement Team was formed to engage complimentary research skill sets already present in the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and thus create a research synergy that previously did not exist. What makes OSU WIT so unique is the transparency which exists among team members in their planning and work output, to the point a single unified research proposal is submitted to the Oklahoma Wheat Research Foundation each year, instead of nine or more competing proposals.

The WIT was formed out of necessity and greater efficiency, because nine faculty with their unique expertise (agronomy, physiology, pathology, entomology, molecular genetics, weed science, and modeling) can provide better information on those traits than a single plant breeder could ever fathom alone. The challenge is to encourage nine independent faculty to fly in formation toward a common goal. We have been able to make it work wonderfully, unlike any other wheat improvement program in the country.

The drastic increase in opioid overdose deaths is largely due to fentanyl poisoning. Illegal fentanyl is cheaper than most other drugs on the streets and is being intentionally substituted into cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and drugs like counterfeit Adderall®, Percocet® and Xanax® as well.

Courtesy of Brett Carver

Carver said he gets a deep sense of joy when a wheat farmer takes ownership of an OSU wheat variety and says about their crop, “My Gallagher was the best wheat I ever produced”, or “My Doublestop toughed it out this year”.

Responsible drinking The danger of drinking and driving

Carter White Staff Reporter

Drinking and driving is a present issue in the life of some college students.

Lt. Terry Low works for the Stillwater Police Department and said drunken driving affects OSU’s campus. Low said DUIs are something current in the police station and students often do things without considering the consequences.

“It happens almost daily,” Low said. “A lot of college kids come to college, obviously they get away from their parents, they’re seeking their independence.”

According to The Toney Law Firm, a company that concentrates in the areas of criminal defense and DUI defense, approximately 30% of college students admit to driving under the influence of alcohol, more than 50% of college students report getting into a car with an intoxicated driver and almost 40% of college students believe they are OK to drive after three or four drinks.

Gus Warne, majoring in agricultural leadership, said college students are not responsible drinkers and as an employee at Coney Island, a bar in Stillwater, he tries to stay aware of when they have underage drinkers with fake IDs.

“You just gotta educate yourself about drinking and driving, because

you might get a DUI,” Warne said. “Get a ride home, if you have friends that are sober enough to drive, go home with them, and or if you have someone who can get you an uber, there’s nothing wrong with getting either uber or lyft.”

Uber partnered with Drinkwise, an organization committed to to shaping a healthier and safer drinking culture, and they created a feature on the uber app called “Ghost with Uber” that will inform friends when you are out, and when you are on your way back home.

Levi Murphy, a sophomore studying marketing with a minor in finance, said that students who drink cannot recognize the fact that it’s not safe for them to drive.

“I think most people don’t un-

derstand the risk that they’re creating because they think that they’re fine,” Murphy said. “They don’t understand that they’re actually way more impaired.”

When asked about what advice he would give to students who think about drinking and driving, Murphy said, “Worse comes to worse, sleep in your car.”

Students at OSU can receive alcohol and drugs awareness training from the campus OSUPD. They can request this training by calling 405-744-6523, or by reaching out to osupd@okstate. edu. They can call 405-744-2818 for help from the OSU Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center.

Drunken driving can be an issue anywhere but especially in a college town. Students try to use fake IDs to enter bars and sometimes do not understand the consequences of driving under the influence.

For Pete’s Sake manager Stillwater local brightens community

Mak Vandruff Staff Reporter

Sharon Sample has lived in Stillwater for 60 years and has worked at For Pete’s Sake, an Oklahoma State University-themed store, for 25 years.

The owner of the store invited Sample to come work when she didn’t have a job. It was meant to be a smaller gig, but Sample fell in love with the store and the people. She works seven days a week and enjoys every second of it, saying it is the perfect job for her.

People from all across the country have met Sample and loved her, too. She says she now has places to stay in Kansas, Colorado, Florida and even New York because she made friends with people who came into the shop.

Not only that, but she hosts people at her house as well. Hotels in Stillwater get crowded quickly, and Sample says she has let people stay with her and she even feeds them.

Sample said a girl from Texas had her mom and grandmother come up to Stillwater during a busy time, and there were no rooms available in town. The girl asked Sample if she had any ideas of what to do, and Sample took the two in immediately. This is just one story from the times Sample has brought people into her home to give them a safe place to stay.

She has also taken employees to her house to give them food. Sample loves making friends, and the store is just the place to do it.

“You just kind of adopt them and take them home,” Sample said.

Sample said the children of people she met years ago keep popping up at OSU, so they come by the store to see her. Everyone is welcome to come in just to talk to her because that is her favorite part of the job.

Another of her favorite things about Stillwater is the Special Olympics that come to town in the spring. Sample helps out and provides food and said she loves the competitors. She looks forward to helping out every time.

“Because I was working here I could get involved,” Sample said. “They

come in and hug me, and they’re precious. They’re just precious.”

Game days are one of the days Sample looks forward to the most.

People flood in from all parts of the country to see OSU sports, which gives her the opportunity to see old friends and make new ones.

She gets to hear many new perspectives from people, and it has her excited for every game day. Some parents of freshmen also come in on game days, Sample said, unsure of whether or not to root for the Cowboys just yet. She said they usually come around.

“I get to console some when they have to leave their children here,” Sample said. “They’ve never left them before, and some of them are quite a ways away.”

Those parents end up becoming Sample’s friends, and she cannot wait to see them when they come back for the next game. Some parents also send their kids to go see Sample just to give them

a warmhearted person to talk to.

Another of Sample’s favorite Stillwater activities is to go to the McKnight Center with her husband to enjoy the performances. The acting and singing holds unlimited entertainment for her, and she also loves to watch the OSU marching band. All of these activities keep Sample and her husband entertained when they aren’t working at the store together.

Two more members of For Pete’s Sake might seem a little unorthodox at first, but some customers come in just to see the four-legged pets. Sugar and Babydog get dressed up every day to come to work and see the customers.

They used to live in the office, but things started getting crowded when everyone was trying to go in the back to see the two tiny workers, so they were moved up to the front to greet customers with their friendly attitudes.

“I just have the best little kids that come in, and a lot of them have been

coming in for a long time to see them,” Sample said.

Sample also knows she can rely on her store neighbors, and they can rely on her. She said she has only had to call someone once to come help her during an emergency, but everything was fixed. It gives her peace, knowing that she can count on her friends to come help her when she needs them, and she will always do the same for them.

Above all, Sample loves making friends, and she aspires for the store to be a welcoming environment for everyone who walks through the doors.

“I feel like my friends are coming in to see me,” Sample said. “Not just a customer, because I’m going to make them a friend. We like what we do, and we hope we can do it for many more years.”

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Mia Ledbetter

Sharon Sample, the manager of For Pete’s Sake store, said everyone is welcome to come in just to talk to her because that is her favorite part of the job.

The Newton of OSU’s offensive force

back in tune with the team.

Ben Hutchens Staff Reporter

He said Newton, OSU forward, lacked supreme confidence. To that point in the season, Newton, a junior, had a season-high six points against UT Arlington. Newton was 3-of-11 from deep and had eight turnovers against one assist.

“Like at some point in his life he thought he was a really good player and for a myriad of reasons it hasn’t gone the way he had hoped coming into college, whether it be Syracuse or here so far,” Boynton said.

Some things have been out of Newton’s control. His freshman year at Syracuse, Newton integrated to college basketball in a pandemic, hardly a true experience. He contracted the virus and played only 11 games. This season, Newton’s father, Atwood, died in November.

Rodrick Harrison, Newton’s high school coach at Mt. Zion Prep, said how tough that news was on Newton. When Newton returned to the court, he needed time to get his legs under him and get

Cliff Keen, from OSU roots to Michigan legend

ure as a Wolverine, Cliff gazed at plaques of his former teams.

Adam Engel Editor-in-Chief

Cliff Keen sauntered through the halls of Michigan’s Crisler Center and admired the men he led. Tom Keen, Cliff’s grandson, followed.

A wrestling coach, proud of his 45-year ten-

He pointed toward each plaque and lectured Tom, emphasizing that success was never measured on the mat.

“He would be talking about what they were doing in life,” Tom said.

“‘Oh, this guy became a doctor.’ Or, ‘This guy became a pilot. This guy became a judge.’ He never once talked about their wins and losses. He talked about who they became as

a person. I always thought that was the coolest thing.”

Cliff coached 11 individual national champions. Their success after wrestling became his biggest achievement. One of Keen’s pupils: Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States.

Cliff, a Michigan treasure whose name still adorns the UM arena, found his start at Oklahoma State, set to face the Wolverines Friday in Arlington, Texas, at the

Bout at the Ballpark.

“I do sometimes feel that his Oklahoma State roots get lost,” Tom said.

“It was such an important part of his life, lifechanging wrestling for Ed Gallagher and learning those lessons from him that later on he was able to impart on so many of his wrestlers and I think why he was admired by his wrestlers.”

See Keen on 3B

Nobody was satisfied with the level of Newton’s performance. He was a four-star prospect from one of the top prep schools in the Washington D.C. area. Newton started all four years of high school. He was in his junior year of college and should be making plenty of impact plays as an everyday starter, right?

Boynton is quick to remind everyone how difficult that is.

See Woody on 4B

Asberry finding more confidence throughout career

Gerl Staff Reporter

Caleb Asberry pointed to the sky, directing Avery Anderson to throw him a lob pass.

OSU was amidst a 31-18 run; Asberry added on by snatching the ball out of the air and flushing home a two-handed jam.

Gallagher-Iba Arena erupted, and the Cowboys were on their way to a fourth consecutive home Bedlam win.

“I can jump pretty high,” Asberry said.

OSU forward Woody Newton nodded his head.

“He might have the most bounce on the team,” Newton said.

“Facts,” Asberry responded.

That’s where Asberry’s confidence kicks in – calling for

an alley-oop in Bedlam in a packed arena – but finding success at this level wasn’t easy, and it took some time.

After four years at Pflugerville High School, where he earned many prestigious state accolades, Asberry’s offers were mostly from junior colleges. He was disappointed and didn’t know what to do next.

“It’s been a long journey for Caleb,” Mildred Asberry, Caleb’s mother, said. “He always wanted to go to the bigger stage, and he was getting discouraged because he was getting overlooked a lot, but I told him, ‘It’s gonna be okay, it’s gonna work out for you.’”

Asberry listened and played one season under Gillespie at Ranger College.

See Asberry on 4B

Collins’ new role plays to her strengths

impossible to overstate.

“Taylen is a great team player, she’s willing to do whatever it takes for the team to win,” coach Jacie Hoyt said. “Her defense, her shot blocking ability, her ability to be a mismatch problem for people has been really fun to coach and I think she’s really bought into that.”

Freshman team, and after the team made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament, expectations were high for Collins heading into a season where she was expected to see a larger role.

Someone has to do the dirty work.

When looking through a team’s roster, nearly all have one player who doesn’t average the most points or take the ball up the floor every time, but is just as important to the team as the star player.

For the OSU Cowgirls, that player is Taylen Collins.

When scouring the stat sheet, Collins won’t leap off the page, but her importance to the Cowgirls is

Collins’ journey to becoming a team player is not one that was expected at the start of her OSU career.

Collins, the daughter of Terry Collins, a member of OSU’s fabled 1995 Men’s Final Four team, came to Stillwater as a top 100 recruit, according to ESPN.

Collins backed up her ranking with a strong freshman season, averaging six points and five rebounds, along with dishing out two assists a game. Collins’ freshman performance was enough to earn her a spot on the Big 12 All-

But Collins and the Cowgirls struggled in her second season. Her efficiency dropped, her field goal attempts increased and the team’s win total went careening downward.

The season was a struggle for all involved, with then-coach Jim Littell being fired following the season and all but four players following him out the door. Collins was one of the four holdovers, and with a whole cast of new teammates and a wildly new system under Hoyt, Collins had a decision to make.

Chase Davis

Caleb Asberry spent one season at Ranger College, then three at Texas State before coming to OSU.

Courtesy of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Cliff Keen, an Oklahoma A&M graduate, coached Michigan to 11 conference titles and 11 individual national championships.

Taylen Collins was one of

Three weeks ago, Mike Boynton looked directly at a reporter and spoke honestly about Woody Newton.

Parker

Calif Poncy Staff Reporter

The O’Colly Sports previews the Bout at the Ballpark between OSU and Michigan on Friday.

How the Bout at the Ballpark venue benefits OSU and Michigan

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

When it comes to abnormal events, college wrestling fits the mold.

Not because of its rules or reputation, but because of its methods of operation.

In recent years, the sport has claimed rather unorthodox venues for major duals to increase its level of uniqueness. Why not? Unique features tend to draw in more views. Larger amounts of viewership often lead to better attendance — particularly in a city like Arlington, Texas.

As of late, duals have been held in on-campus college baseball stadiums and even on aircraft carriers.

In 2015, OSU wrestled rival Iowa at Kinnick Stadium — the home of the Hawkeyes’ football team. Last year, the Cowboys and the Hawkeyes wrestled at Globe Life Field — home of MLB’s Texas Rangers. It marked the first of what coach John Smith hopes to make an annual event known as Bout at the Ballpark.

The neutral-site contest between the storied programs garnered an attendance of 12,028. That exceeded the total for last year’s Big 12 baseball championship game of 10,308, held at the same venue.

“Last year against Iowa we drew a good crowd,” Smith said. “I think if (Globe Life Field) were to ever get an

NCAA Championship down there, it would smash an all-time NCAA attendance record. Stuff like this, it represents the complexity of the sport, which makes it unique and fun to watch for casual fans and especially for diehard wrestling fans.”

This week, the Cowboys return to Globe Life Field to take on No. 6 Michigan.

With an event holding the magnitude as such, both coaches have the objective to expand wrestling down south.

Texas is widely considered a ground for prominent high school recruits — particularly in the DFW area, with notable powerhouses such as Allen, Arlington Martin and others. The issue being, the Lone Star State doesn’t have a D-I college wrestling program. So, how exactly does holding one of the biggest duals of the season benefit both programs while pushing it into that particular region?

In their eyes, it establishes continuity pertaining to recruiting and generating a presence, while exposing the sport to Texans.

“It’s a great opportunity for (college) wrestling and it’s a great opportunity for the state of Texas,” Michigan coach Sean Bormet said. “I think it’s a state that is just ripe and ready to start a Division-I wrestling program. The state’s built a lot of depth. It (holds) a lot of talent.”

Smith seconded his counterpart’s statement.

“When you have a state like Oklahoma with the amount of good prospects it holds, you might be liable to overlook a place like Texas,” Smith said. “But no, it’s important to establish yourself in Texas. I think an event like (Bout at the Ballpark) brings the sport of wrestling to light in a place where there have been

Know the opponent

Rowdy Baribeau Staff Reporter

Konner Doucet and Wyatt Sheets will have their hands full as they battle topfive opponents in Arlington.

Michigan heavyweight Mason Parris has been dominant at the weight with a 20-0 record and 71.4% bonus point rate. Cameron Amine is another ranked opponent who Sheets is slated to wrestle. Sheets notched a win over No. 8 Austin Yant of Northern Iowa last weekend which was not only a big win for OSU but big for Sheets’ confidence.

The Cowboys are favored at multiple weights but they are not sure-fire victories for any

Projected Lineup:

125: Zach Blankenship or Reece Witcraft (OSU) vs. No. 20 Jack Medley (Michigan)

133: No. 2 Daton Fix (OSU) vs. No. 12 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan)

some damn good wrestlers to come out of there.”

While the creativity for the event setting boded well for attendance and streaming viewership, the question many fans are wondering still lingers.

Why give up a traditional homeand-home for a neutral-site dual meet?

The responses from OSU’s fanbase.

“Won’t get my money this year. (A) home-and-home would be better,” one fan said on Twitter.

“Cool idea, but there is no way you can replicate the atmosphere like when (Nick) Piccininni pinned (Spencer) Lee outside,” another said. “Being in GIA when it’s full and loud like that can’t be beat.”

While the disdain was recurring, there was also a notable level of support for the choice of venue.

“I don’t mind the neutral-site match at all. I think events like these help grow and bring more attention to the sport. Even more so to the less than average fan,” longtime OSU fan and alumnus Chance Freeman said.

The majority of fans who shared their thoughts preferred home-andhomes because of the advantage that is felt at a place like Gallagher-Iba Arena when nearly all 13,611 seats are filled. Yet, the opportunity to showcase the sport at a notable venue such as Globe Life Field was one that neither Smith nor Bormet could overlook.

The truth is, because of various conflicts arising between the Big 12 and Big Ten it is difficult to schedule home-and-homes. Of course, the yearly OSU-Iowa meet is one of the pinnacles of college wrestling. If that rivalry diminishes, college wrestling viewership likely dwindles. Besides a return

Who: No. 11 Oklahoma State vs. No. 6 Michigan

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

team. The match that is most likely to swing in the Cowboys’ favor is the 133-pound match between Daton Fix and Dylan Ragusin. The Cowboys have yet to lose a 133-pound match in duals this season.

Where: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas TV/Radio: Rokfin, Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM Series History: Oklahoma State leads the series with the Wolverines, 6-0, with the last dual coming more than 19 years ago.

experienced wrestler who could bring more competition from the Cowboys at the weight class.

Luke Surber won’t have as daunting of a task to begin his weekend as he takes on Brendin Yatooma, who is 5-9 and unranked.

Earlier in the week, coach John Smith stated that Reece Witcraft would be down at 125 pounds this weekend, leading to the possibility he wrestles instead of Blankenship, who is 0-4 in duals. Witcraft is an

The only other match with a clear-cut favorite on paper is the 174-pound bout between Dustin Plott and Max Maylor, with Plott being favored based on his ranking. There are plenty of “battle matches” that take off at 141 pounds between Carter Young and Cole Mattin. Young soared up the rankings, thanks to back-to-back wins over ranked opponents at Northern Iowa and Iowa State. His performance against the Panthers and Cyclones last week earned him Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honors.

Victor Voinovich will battle Chance Lamer at 149 pounds, while Kaden Gfeller takes on Will Lewan, both of which fit under the battlematch criteria. If he’s able to go, Travis Wittlake will wrestle Matt Finesilver in a match that could determine whether Wittlake cracks the top 10 in the 184-pound rankings.

dual with Minnesota this year from last season’s road contest, OSU’s last true home-and-home was with Penn State from the 2015-16 to 2016-17 seasons — nearly six years ago. The answer?

Holding it at a major venue in one of the highest-grossing sports markets.

“I think every student-athlete loves to be a part of something like this,” Smith said. “Wrestling at a venue like (Globe Life Field) and continuing to grow the sport. So, that’s ultimately what we’re trying to do here. It’s to show people that, ‘Hey, this is real,’ and we’re trying to make the most of it, so, let’s take a chance on it. Why not?”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

More changes for OSU at 125, Sheets, Young improve

Not even a top-10 win is enough to be coach John Smith’s friend.

Carter Young and Wyatt Sheets picked up ranked victories during Oklahoma State’s trip to Iowa last weekend. Sheets pinned No. 10 Austin Yant from Northern Iowa while Young picked up a major decision over No. 8 Cael Happel from Northern Iowa.

At 125 pounds, the Cowboys went with freshman Zach Blankenship over the last four duals, but Reece Witcraft, who has been at 133 this year, has bumped down and will wrestle this weekend. Trevor Mastrogiovanni, OSU’s original 125-pound starter, remains out with an undisclosed injury. Travis Wittlake, OSU’s 184-pounder, will also wrestle in this weekend’s dual.

Sheets and Young gaining confidence, wrestling at higher level

Smith didn’t hold back when addressing Sheets’ wrestling. Before the duals in Iowa, Sheets was 9-7. After the trip saw him get a pin and drop the proceeding match with second-ranked David Carr 5-3, Smith said he wrestled well, but that’s the expectation.

“Sheets needed to get off his ass and start doing something,” Smith said. “It’s time. Knowing who he is and knowing what he’s about, it’s unacceptable, who you are and what you’re about has nothing to do with the way you’re wrestling, that’s for damn sure. A little heartto-heart, and he kicked it forward and he seems to be doing a little better.”

As for Young, he took Smith’s “seven and eight” nickname personally and Smith is glad he did. In addition to Young’s major decision over Happel, he picked up another ranked victory over No. 19 Casey Swiderski in the Iowa State dual.

See Young on 4B

Abby Cage

OSU will face Michigan in the second “Bout at the Ballpark,” a wrestling dual in Globe Life Park.

Rowdy Baribeau Staff Reporter

An invitation to join the Aggies wrestling team transformed Cliff’s life and the trajectory of amateur wrestling.

Cliff grew up in a family of 10 on a ranch outside Cheyenne, enrolled in Oklahoma A&M in 1920 and encountered Gallagher, the school’s athletic director and wrestling coach.

He excelled in the sport, thanks to ranch-influenced work ethic and skill from Gallagher’s coaching. Cliff became a three-time conference champion (NCAA didn’t host a national championship until 1928). He also ran track and played football. Cliff earned a spot in the 1924 Olympics but didn’t compete because of a broken rib.

Gallagher’s influence as a coach and teacher led Cliff to pursue identical ambitions before hopes of law school.

In 1924, Cliff taught and coached multiple sports at Frederick High School before a familiar contact connected him to the University of Michigan.

For many, that’s where Cliff’s legend began. Sure, he was an Oklahoman, but time and success molded a Michigan man. One move and one hire opened a chain of events that led to a distinctive resume and transformative career.

John Maulbetsch, a Michigan football All-American, coached Cliff on the Aggies’ football squad. In 1925, Michigan sought a new wrestling coach. Maulbetsch recommended Cliff to UM’s athletic director, Fielding Yost. Cliff became Michigan’s wrestling coach and physical education teacher on Dec. 1, 1925. He joined the football team as an assistant in 1926.

There he went, a young coach tasked to elevate a newer program. Cliff used Gallagher’s teachings on the mat but adopted psychological techniques and life values that accompany wrestling today.

He wrote about Gallagher’s influence in a tribute after Gallagher died in 1940. The tribute was republished in Dave Taylor’s book, “Legends of Michigan: Cliff Keen.” Cliff recalled a message from his coach moments before Cliff’s match against Kansas.

“‘This is the biggest event in your life and winning this first match will be the first big monument in your life,’” Gallagher told Cliff. “‘Tomor-

row morning, your dad is going to rush down to the news stand and read in the paper where you won your first match. They will receive their first dividend that you have ever been able to pay.’”

Cliff won and felt invincible. That motivation and impact influenced his career.

“And yet, there are so many people who will never know what a tremendous influence a great coach can exert on a boy during this highly impressionable period of his life,”

Cliff wrote.

He wanted to win. Regardless of result, coaching equipped him with the ability to shape young minds and careers. His coaching made an immediate impact in Ann Arbor.

Cliff persuaded 95 men to participate in tryouts. He coached the Wolverines to a 3-3 mark in his first season. He quickly planned for stronger results. Keen hosted an intramural tournament to identify talent. Again, he used Gallagher’s teaching, science-based techniques and humility-based values.

“He was never critical and learned from Gallagher that criticism had no positive effect in a sport that was so demanding with such a high attrition rate,” Taylor wrote.

Keen just wanted to grow the sport and help young men. Those principles still hold high importance in Michigan’s program. Last season, the Wolverines celebrated the program’s 100th season. Coach Sean Bormet, a Michigan graduate, carries those values to his team.

“He just had this real dignified presence,” Bormet said. “It just made you stand up a little taller. Whenever you were around him and whenever he spoke. You just puffed your chest out. It made you a little stronger.”

Cliff didn’t just coach wrestling or football. He taught life, said those he molded. Values learned on the Oklahoma prairie, values enhanced via Gallagher and refined at Michigan.

His coaching career was supposed to be short-lived.

Cliff attended Michigan’s law school while he coached. He wanted to be an attorney because his brother was a judge. Time and other circumstances often change plans. One problem emerged with Cliff’s law aspirations: the height of the Great Depression. Coaching presented more stability. He had a family now,

wife, Mildred, and two daughters, Joyce and Shirley.

So, he stayed with the Wolverines. “What ifs” surrounded his career. What if Cliff abandoned coaching for law? Perhaps no namesake for Michigan’s wrestling venue. He wouldn’t invent headgear or the Cliff Keen Athletic company. Just another wrestler who made an impact in a different profession. Much like the guys he coached.

Tom, president of Cliff Keen Athletic, wrestled for Michigan with Bormet. The two strive to uphold Cliff’s legacy 32 years since his death.

“He said he learned so much from coach Gallagher not so much on the winning and losing but how to motivate,” Tom said. “How to do things the right way. He talked about doing it with humility, honor and character. That made such an impact on him that he said he would run through a brick wall for him.”

Though Cliff departed Oklahoma for Michigan, he and the family returned each summer. He left Oklahoma but the Oklahoman in him never subsided.

“Never forgotten,” Tom said. “It was always in his blood… They would go to reunions at Oklahoma State and what not.”

Cliff used his connections to recruit Oklahomans. He could’ve returned, too. Maybe. He was certainly an option. Gallagher died on Aug. 28, 1940, from pneumonia.

What if Hank Iba, OSU’s athletic director and basketball coach, hired Cliff?

“It certainly could’ve been a possibility,” said John Hoke, publisher of Amateur Wrestling News. He wasn’t the only qualified candidate. Gallagher’s coaching tree extended nationwide. Between 1928 and 1942, at least 10 head coaches from 37 teams wrestled for Gallagher, according to Taylor’s book.

“The reason Oklahoma wrestling was good was because of Ed Gallagher,” Hoke said. “When he started teaching and coaching wrestling, he graduated guys from Oklahoma State that went to Oklahoma high schools and then developed high school wrestlers into state champions. They went to Oklahoma State.”

Fendley Collins at Michigan State was a potential candidate, too. He later became a fierce rival to Cliff.

“I’m sure that was a thought on his mind, but I believe he was at Michigan for maybe 15 years when Gallagher passed away,” Tom said. “He was pretty entrenched at Michigan.”

Cliff stayed but was commissioned into the Navy in April 1942 as a Lieutenant. His family relocated to Georgia and Keen taught hand combat to pilots at Pre-Flight School training during World War II. Lessons from Gallagher spilled into the U.S.’s World War II efforts.

“What an unbelievable life,” Tom said. “You couldn’t make it up.”

The OSU connections never stopped. In 1948, Cliff and Griffith coached the U.S. in the Olympics. The achievements continued. Charter member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, inaugural president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, U.S. Olympic Committee member and pioneer in wrestling equipment.

“Hard to comprehend really,” Bormet said. “He coached wrestling for 45 years so by the time he retired he was the longest tenured coach.”

Cliff retired in 1970. He led the Wolverines to nine conference titles and 11 top-five finishes at the NCAA Championships. He remains the program’s winningest coach. After retiring, he routinely visited Michigan practices in his signature three-piece suit and long coat. He stayed close to the program while he served as president of Cliff Keen Athletic. He founded the company in 1958.

“He was just so good at conveying that message,’ Bormet said. “Making young men feel better and more confident.”

Cliff never stopped teaching, even in retirement.

When Cliff was 70, he walked into the athletic office to visit old friends. Middle of winter. Snow covered the ground, and the temperatures were frigid. That didn’t matter to Cliff. He noticed a Michigan wrestler passing him on the sidewalk, stopped and performed a spur of the moment

demonstration.

“He said, ‘Hey, I noticed you at your last meet,’” Tom said. “‘I wanted to show you something.’ He starts showing him moves and throws him into a snowbank.”

Cliff and Gallagher’s values built each program.

“He’s a great part of Oklahoma State and he’s been a great part of Michigan,” OSU coach John Smith said.

Geographical and conference differences separate the teams, but the history and identical principles remain. Humility. Honor. Character. Universal values for wrestling and sport.

“He always said winning and losing will take care of itself but doing things the right way and doing it with character and honor,” Tom said. “That’s the whole goal of the sport. That’s the greatest thing that our sport provides.”

In college, Cliff befriended Chester Gould, fraternity brother and cartoonist. Cliff became the inspiration for Gould’s popular comic character, Dick Tracy. A sharp jawline and a black fedora. That’s Cliff.

“When we all looked at it, we were like, ‘Gosh, that sure is grandpa,’” Tom said. “He had that stone jaw. It was pretty obvious it was him.”

Cliff’s legacy remains with the programs. Michigan wears Cliff Keen branded singlets and Olympic hopefuls train at Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. Alex Dieringer, one of those hopefuls, won three national champions for OSU. He recently became Michigan’s recruiting and video coordinator and views Cliff as wrestling royalty.

None of this may have happened without Maulbetsch’s call to Yost. Or Gallagher. There’s a reason OSU competes in Gallagher-Iba Arena.

“It’s really cool because I feel like I’m kinda connected to him in that way,” Dieringer said. “I’ve obviously been at both places now. He’s obviously a big part of this sport. Very successful man.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Cliff Keen (middle) coached football and wrestling at Michigan. He spent 45 years as its wrestling coach, the longest tenured coach.

Courtesy of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Cliff Keen (right) used dozens of values and principles he learned from former Oklahoma A&M coach, Ed Gallagher, to coach at Michigan.

Woody...

Continued from 1B

“It’s hard becoming a really good college basketball player and most people don’t understand it,” Boynton said. “And so, you have to at some point have enough humility to allow people to help you.”

So, Newton sought help. Boynton said his coaches have done well sticking with Newton. He acknowledged there were frustrating times, but that’s because they knew Newton had more to give.

Boynton said it starts with work ethic. He used the example of Cowboy guard Bryce Thompson, a player who erupted for 19 points against Oklahoma and then scored only one point the following game against Iowa State. Thompson, a grinder, never worries about an off-shooting night because he returns to the gym later that night or at seven the following morning to get shots up.

Asberry...

Continued from 1B

“Talking to coach Gillespie, he told me, ‘Dude, you’re gonna be fine, just come to JUCO and embrace the grind,’ and that’s what I did,”

Asberry said. “As time went on, I realized that you can’t just start at the top, and then just getting in the gym and trusting myself, knowing that it would all be good.”

Asberry appeared in 33 games and posted 10.5 points per game on 43.6% shooting from behind the arc, mainly in an off-the-bench role. His shot-making and versatility shined, leading to an offer from Danny Kaspar at Texas State University. Asberry accepted. He was headed to San Marcos, making the jump from JUCO to Division I.

The success only continued.

Asberry spent three seasons with Texas State, bursting onto the scene after the 2021-22 campaign, in which he averaged 13.6 points and 4.5 rebounds, while shooting 38.4% from three.

He became the first Bobcat to earn back-toback All-District honors and was selected to the 2021 All-Sun Belt Conference Third Team.

After his three-

year stint at Texas State, Asberry decided to put his name into the transfer portal once again with one year of eligibility remaining. This recruitment went a little differently, though. A number of Power Five schools hoped to add him to their team.

Even with a handful of teams interested, Asberry went through the process on his terms.

“Caleb had a lot of schools, when I say a lot of schools looking at him in the portal, and he still wouldn’t go on any visits. He didn’t go on one visit, not one,”

Mildred said. “But when Oklahoma State called him and tried to set up a visit, he said, ‘I’m gonna visit and I’m gonna sign that day.’ And you know, those coaches, they pulled every stunt on Caleb and then tried to set up visits, but Caleb wouldn’t go.”

As soon as Asberry stepped foot on OSU’s campus, his recruitment ended.

“I’ve always liked OSU growing up as a kid and I always had a strong feeling about them. I didn’t take any other visits, this was my only visit and I committed on sight,” Asberry said. “It just felt like a family atmosphere, that ended up having me come here, that family atmosphere.”

So far with OSU, Asberry has played

19 games, tallying 7.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 24.2 minutes a night. He’s also hit 35.2% of his 3-point shots, including 10 games where he shot 40% or better from deep.

Now, with less than half the season remining and the Cowboys looking to make a late tournament push, Asberry has been providing a spark off the bench with his combination of elite perimeter defense and 3-point shooting.

And when he’s on the court, he’s often tasked with defending the opposing team’s best guard.

“My mentality is that if you play defense, you’re gonna stay on the court,” Asberry said. “Coming into college, that’s how I got on the court.”

Although he comes off the bench, he sometimes finds himself helping close out games down the stretch.

“The skill level and IQ for the game, that’s really what’s given him a chance to make the impact that he’s had,” OSU coach Mike Boynton said. “There’s gotta be a certain level of courage that you play this game with, and he certainly plays with a great deal of courage.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

“Obviously, he’s been through a lot personally and I think at this point now he’s just trying to find a way to enjoy the process a little bit more and not worrying about what’s going to happen a year from now, five years from now,” Boynton said.

Two days after Boynton said Newton lacked confidence, OSU center Moussa Cisse injured his ankle against Baylor. Cisse has returned intermittently and is still not back in full, forcing OSU to go to a smaller lineup.

After the 26-point shelling in Waco, Newton heard his name called in the starting lineup for the first time. Newton capitalized on the opportunity, scoring a careerhigh 12 points on just six shots. He also pulled down five rebounds. So, Boynton continued starting Newton.

OSU is 4-1 in

games Newton starts. In those games, OSU’s offensive production spiked to 72 points per game after averaging 59 through the first five games of Big 12 play. Newton may have triggered a muchneeded offensive revival.

“We’ve kind of reinvented ourselves a little bit, in terms of how we’ve played the last four games,” Boynton said. “Playing a little bit more small ball. And we say small ball, Woody is 6-foot-8 so he’s not that much smaller than Kalib (Boone) playing the four it’s just that we’re not playing with two traditional fives out there so our offense has gotten better in the last two weeks which is something that this team needed.”

Newton’s presence in the starting lineup makes teams defend OSU differently. Defenses have to respect Newton’s 3-point shot (he makes 36% of them), something they can forget about with Boone, Tyreek Smith or Cisse at the position.

“Woody being able to stretch the floor and make a three gives us a different look,” Boynton said. “Him being the most natural cutter and passer as a four also helps us in terms of our offensive flow.”

As defenses open up with better offensive play from Boone, Newton is finding the gaps. In the first half of the Ole Miss game, Newton found his way to the rim four times for layups. Newton said he thinks of himself as a diverse scorer, and scoring baskets at all three levels is part of the development he anticipated when coming to OSU. Against the Rebels, he matched his career-high with 12 points.

Sixteen days after Boynton said Newton lacked supreme confidence, Newton sat behind the same microphone, stared at a reporter and spoke with joy.

“My confidence is

through the roof right now,” Newton said. “Some of the best basketball I’ve played since I was in high school. Every day, it’s continuing to rise, my teammates are also a big part of that.

Avery (Anderson) for example telling me to shoot the ball whenever I’m open, stuff like that. Every day my confidence is rising higher and higher.” Harrison knew the physical tools were there all along, it was the mental side of the game Newton needed to catch up on to regain his confidence.

“It’s amazing what the mind does when you believe,” Harrison said. “A lot of times you can say you want to do things but until you truly believe in heart of hearts it’s tough. I think once he felt comfortable and gained that confidence this is what you get now. We wish it would have been a couple months earlier but no time like the present, right?”

Right now, Boynton is enjoying OSU’s increased offensive production and a newly confident Newton. Timelines are unclear, but Cisse’s ankle will fully heal, allowing him to return to a large capacity sometime this season.

Will OSU continue to run the four-guard lineup it has found success with or revert back to playing to post players?

Boynton said everybody likes the hypotheticals other than him. He doesn’t want to commit to anything because he prepares for each game differently. Injuries, illness and matchups can all change lineups.

But one thing is certain. It will be hard to take Newton out.

“I think you’re starting to see what he’s capable of and how he’s capable helping us moving forward,” Boynton said.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Continued from 2B

“Yeah, I think he did [take it personal],” Smith said “Let’s keep it personal and prepared for this week. I like that several of our guys got a rough road. I think the good thing about that is it’s not going to be that tough at nationals, what you have to go through.

That’s good, just get a feel and see where they’re at.”

Travis Wittlake will wrestle against Michigan and Missouri Wittlake was a no-go during the Iowa trip because of a “last-second” undisclosed injury in practice.

“Literally, the last second of practice and he was ready to go all week,” Smith said. “He would have went for us if we felt like we needed him and we did

at Iowa State. But in the end, it was best that we did keep him off and give him a better shot to be healthy for this weekend.”

Wittlake will wrestle No. 9 Matt Finesilver on Friday and take on No. 26 Colton Hawks on Sunday. Should Wittlake be held out for any reason, Gavin Stika will be the replacement at 184.

Witcraft back to 125

Blankenship has one dual to go before he burns his redshirt, and if it weren’t for NCAA rules on weight-cutting, Witcraft would have been the 125-pounder against Northern Iowa and Iowa State. Smith asked why he wasn’t out before and proceeded to answer his own question.

“Why haven’t we pulled him out?” Smith asked. “Because there’s a weight reduction with the NCAA, if you weigh in at a certain weight, you can

only lose so much weight per week: 1.5% of your body weight per week. Last week, he was literally onetenth away from wrestling. We’re talking less than a quarter of a pound.”

Smith stated how proud he was of the maturity that Witcraft has developed over the last three years after being in the lineup in 2019-20.

“He made a really big commitment for us,” Smith said. “Over the course of the last month, he’s done a nice job of just controlling things. It’s not the Reece Witcraft two years ago that was stumbling around and poorly taking care of his health and his weight. It really seems to be a mature kid that looks forward to this shot. So, I’m really proud to see him make that commitment and do things right.”

Davis Cordova

Carson Toulouse

Just weeks after OSU coach Mike Boynton said Newton lacked confidence, Newton has found it. He said he is playing some of his best basketball since high school.

Oklahoma State’s Reece Witcraft will start at 125 pounds this weekend after he spent the past few seasons at

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

Come check out the wide variety of elegant clothing at Formal Fantasy!

Located on 121 E. 9th Ave, Downtown Stillwater

The best selection of beer, wine and li quor that Stillwater has to offer! Perfect for all your game day needs, come to Brown’s Bottle Shop located on 128 N. Main

“The Original Hideaway, located on the corner of Knoblock and University. Serving quality pizza and more since 1957.”

Murphy’s Department Store

815 S Main, Downtown Open 10-6 Monday thru Saturday

Business Squares Business Squares Company Coming?

Check out “Cowboy Cabin”

550 steps east of Boone Pickens Stadium

Airbnb.com/h/cowboy-cabin

Katie Hale

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes (TNS)

Today’s Birthday (02/03/23). Communication builds success this year. Consistent disciplined steps realize your personal dreams. Adapt home and family for winter changes, before surging springtime creative productivity. Finding solutions around shifting markets with your work or industry this summer inspires fascinating autumn research. Build resilient networks to grow.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 7 — Household issues demand attention. Consider all possibilities. Clean and clear space. Postpone travel. Slow to avoid accidents. Enjoy domestic comforts.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — Monitor the news. Don’t make wild promises. Consider consequences. Ignore gossip, rumors or teasing. Notice potential underlying motivation and context. Share what you’re learning.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 9 — Generate the income to meet financial priorities and deadlines. Friends encourage you to try alternatives you hadn’t previously considered. New possibilities stretch old boundaries.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — You’re growing stronger. Keep objectives in mind. Distractions abound. Don’t take anything for granted. Listen to intuition. Learn new tricks. Prioritize a personal passion.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 7 — Don’t overextend yourself. Avoid burnout, misunderstandings and outbursts. Rest, recharge and review plans. Reassess options and choose for ease and simplicity. Reconnect with nature.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 7 — Redirect a team project around an obstacle. Pull together to handle immediate needs. Stick to tested routines. Don’t take things personally. Prioritize results.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 7 — A professional project seems stuck. Back to the drawing board. Imagine perfection. Can you use what you have? Rearrange things for a new perspective.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — Complications could deviate your exploration. Delays or traffic would frustrate travels. Discover hidden beauty nearby. Quietly listen and observe. Put puzzle pieces together.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — Take extra care with resources. Avoid waste. Mechanical or technical glitches could complicate shared finances. Patiently untangle any kinks. Monitor to maintain positive balances.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Keep a sense of humor, especially with your partner. Adapt around unforeseen events. Miscommunications abound; repeat and clarify. Turn a gaffe into a joke.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is an 8 — Slow and steady wins the race. Don’t chase an illusion. Keep your eye on the finish line, step after step. Sidestep pitfalls. Adapt with changes.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 7 — Relax, recharge and take it easy. Avoid traffic, conflict and arguments. Enjoy activities you love with your inner circle. Keep a low profile.

Solution

grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit,

Schedule analysis Cowboys catch needed break

This season’s Big 12 football schedule release garnered more anticipation than any in the league’s history.

And for good reason. First of all, the schedule was teased, then delayed before finally being released two months after the time it dropped last year. But the biggest reason fans eagerly waited for the schedule is the Big 12’s addition of Houston, BYU, Cincinnati and UCF. Conference membership balloons to 14 teams this season, meaning schools will not face every team in the conference.

From the biggest, most anticipated schedule release in Big 12 history, OSU caught a serious break. The Cowboys, entering a season more focused on regrouping than championship hunting, have already had something go right.

OSU completely avoids facing the defending national runnerup TCU Horned Frogs. Easily the strongest team in the conference last season, TCU won’t get an opportunity to beat OSU a second consecutive season.

Monday - Wednesday: 10:00am - 10:00pm

Thursday - Saturday: 10:00am - 11:00pm

128 N Main St. Stillwater, OK 74075

Although some may not like it because OSU has had success in the series, the Cowboys don’t play the Texas Longhorns, always an opponent to be reckoned with. Baylor, not far removed from a conference title, and Texas Tech are the other Big 12 teams OSU will miss.

Now look at the Big 12 opponents OSU does play.

Kansas State was the only team to finish above .500 last season. The other teams, Iowa State, Kansas, West Virginia and Oklahoma, went a combined 10-24 in Big 12 games last year. That’s not exactly a murderer’s row.

Another way the schedule smiles on the Cowboys is the location of OSU’s toughest games.

Coach Mike Gundy will welcome K-State, Cincinnati and OU to Boone Pickens Stadium. Travel in terms of distance will be a challenge (OSU’s doesn’t have a road game closer than 500 miles), but from an Xs and Os perspective, it works out nicely.

Even the timing of the games can be looked at favorably from an OSU perspective. The Cowboys have a bye week to prepare for the defending conference champion KSU Wildcats. OSU and West

Virginia are the only two veteran Big 12 teams that will face all four incoming teams.

But unlike WVU, the Cowboys play the new teams in four out of the final five weeks of the season, by which time coaches will know how the newcomers react to a steady diet of power five opponents. OSU limped home last season, finishing 7-6 overall. Quarterback Spencer Sanders departed, leaving OSU with questions at quarterback. Three of OSU’s top receivers, John Paul Richardson, Bryson Green and Stephon Johnson Jr. all joined Sanders in the portal.

Defensive coordinator Derek Mason announced he is taking a break from coaching, so Gundy brought in 37-year-old Bryan Nardo to help run the defense. Nardo won’t have the help of 2022 starters linebacker Mason Cobb, defensive end Trace Ford or corner Jabbar Muhammad, all found different schools.

To find success this season, OSU will need to catch some breaks. And the Cowboys just caught their first one.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Best road game: at UCF

When OSU travels to Orlando to take on the Knights, it will be the first regular season game OSU will play in Florida since 2005, Gundy’s first season as head coach.

UCF is coming off a 9-5 season, the team with the best record on OSU’s away schedule next season. The team also averaged 41,542 attending fans per game last season, which is 94% of FBC Mortgage Stadium’s capacity every Saturday.

Bedlam:

2023’s Bedlam will be the earliest on the calendar since 2017. It will also be the final game in Stillwater for the foreseeable future, as OU will leave to the SEC after the 2024 season. OSU has only won at home twice in the Gundy era; once in 2011, and another in 2021. Both teams won the Fiesta Bowl in those seasons and are regarded as the best teams in program history. Trap game: All of them With this schedule, and the uncertainty of many teams in the Big 12, OSU could either be much worse, or far better than last season. Iowa State can only improve, Kansas State retained all of its offensive line, Kansas has 85 scholarship players for the first time in decades and West Virginia beat the Cowboys in the last game of the regular season.

Cincinnati was a top 25 team, OU is, well, OU. Houston typically has strong offenses, and BYU added depth in the transfer portal.

Ben Hutchens

Staff Reporter

Collins...

Continued from 1B

Would she take fewer shots, play elite defense and be a weapon in the open floor to fit into her new coach’s fast-paced system, or would she stick to being a post player, who did most of her work late in the shot clock with her back to the basket?

Collins chose the first option, and she has become one of the most important players on the Cowgirls roster.

“I was so excited for her to stay here at OSU and continue to represent everything that we’re trying to do because she fits so perfectly into what we’re trying to do,” Hoyt said.

Collins and the Cowgirls have taken off during Hoyt’s first season, and Collins has been a perfect fit as

OSU’s Swiss Army knife.

Collins’ scoring has jumped to nine points per game, despite the fact she is taking two less shots per game, and she has evolved into a monster on the boards, reeling in nine per game, third in the Big 12 in that category.

But where Collins really thrives is in the open court. Her ability to tear down a rebound and take off in transition is an ode to her unique athletic ability and is something that Hoyt points to as a big reason as to why her fit in the fast-paced system Hoyt employs has been so seamless.

“Taylen is a huge part of what we do,” Hoyt said. “Running the court first and foremost.”

Collins has benefited from being surrounded with 3-point shooters and increased spacing from the defense, which leaves her with more room, and less double-teaming, to do work in the

paint.

“It’s a blessing to have threats all over the court,” Collins said. “It opens up everything for me.”

Collins’ role as a defender has also been a big part of why she has blossomed into one of the team’s best players this year. As Hoyt said, Collins ability as a shot blocker is one of her best assets, and while her 0.7 blocks per game average may not scream Olajuwon-like rim protection, Collins’ impact as a deterrent for opposing drivers is a big part of the Cowgirls’ defense.

For example, when the Cowgirls played Oklahoma, Collins struggled with foul trouble, fouling out in just five minutes. The Sooners scored 97 points, the most OSU has allowed in a game by a whopping 15 points this season.

Collins’ absence coinciding with

a complete defensive meltdown is not a coincidence, and Collins takes pride in the impact her defense has on the game.

“Defense is something I have always prided myself on,” Collins said.

Collins’ willingness to conform to a new role is one of the biggest reasons this year’s Cowgirls team is surprising people across the nation with its 14-7 record. And with a shot to have the chance to make waves in March back in their grasp, Collins plans to continue to impact the game any way she can.

“Doing the little extra things, whether it’s rebounding, whether it’s stealing the ball, whether it’s pushing the ball up the court, it’s all something I can do,” Collins said.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Mia Ledbetter and Carson Toulouse

Taylen Collins has improved her scoring percentages and defensive impact from last season to this season.