Friday, April 28, 2023

Don’t miss Calf Fry 2023

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The 31st anniversarsy of the Red Dirt and Country Music Festival, Calf Fry, will take place May 4-6. This year’s festival will host 16 acts.

Editorial board

Editor-in-Chief Adam Engel editorinchief@ocolly.com

Sports editor Gabriel Trevino sports.ed@ocolly.com

Assistant sports editor Braden Bush sports.ed@ocolly.com

Design editor Ben Holieway design.ed@ocolly.com

News & Life editor Luisa Clausen news.ed@ocolly.com entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Assistant News & Life editor Kennedy Thomason news.ed@ocolly.com entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Photo editor Jaiden Daughty photo.ed@ocolly.com

Adviser John Helsley john.helsley@okstate.edu

News & Lifestyle reporters:

Payton Little

Baylor Bryant

Michael Clark

Jaycee Hampton

Isaac Terry

Bella Casey

Hayden Alexander

Olivia Lane

Stephanie Landaverde

Taylor Carroll

Newsroom

108 Paul Miller Stillwater, OK 74078 (405)-744-6365

The O’Colly Staff

Kendall McGhee

Sports reporters: Photographers & Designers:

Sam Hutchens

Braden Bush

Davis Cordova

Ashton Slaughter

Daniel Allen

Rowdy Baribeau

Payton Little

PJ Tikalsky

Parker Gerl

Gina Foster

Calif Poncy

Bradley Cook

Ivan White

Ben Hutchens

Tessa Dorrel

Rebekah Cleary

Kendall McGhee

Molly Jolliff

Karlie Boothe

Ethan Hilbert

Paul Houston

Carson Toulouse

Jaycee Hampton

Cassius Davis

Ava Whistler

Euphoria fashion show highlights students’ collections

Olivia Lane Staff Reporter

The 12th annual Euphoria fashion show, presented by the Department of Design and Merchandising, took place Saturday at the ConocoPhillips Alumni Center. The show highlighted five senior fashion designer’s personal collections.

Diane Limbaugh, director of the show, introduced the night. She explained that students in her Fashion Show Production course planned the show.

“Each year we try to make the show bigger and better, and this year is no exception,” Limbaugh said.

The producers of the show, Taylor Greene and Presley Turner, were introduced. Then the judges: Clair Kennedy, Crystal Bland, Hannah Joe Thompson and Karen David. Each judge has credentials and experience within the design department.

The Herb and Succulent Festival brings vendors and community

Plant lovers unite at the Herb and Succulent Festival for Earth Day.

The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University held its annual Herb and Succulent Festival on Saturday, getting everyone in the spirit for Earth Day.

Despite the clouds and chilly weather, vendors, volunteers and garden management kept the event alive, offering unique handmade treasures and plants they spent time cultivating over the last year. Garden manager for the Botanic Garden, Connor Schmitz, graduated from OSU with a degree in public horticulture. Schmitz said he is passionate about plants and people and enjoys bringing the two together by putting events like this into action for a memorable collaboration.

“My interest is in public gardens and that’s kind of the interface between plants and people, a public place like a public garden,” Schmitz said. “That’s really evident today where we have everyone showing up and everyone really seeing that we have a place out here. A lot of people call the gardens a hidden gem because they don’t know that it exists out here.”

This year’s festival was the largest event the garden has put together so far, and Schmitz said volunteers at the Botanic Garden, otherwise known as ambassadors, are the main reason the event was possible.

“Our volunteers just really coordinate almost everything out here,” Schmitz said. “They come up with special projects, children’s activities. We have a volunteer who runs our nature play area, and mud kitchen that’s down on the south end. We have an ambassador who has helped us propagate all of our plants and has taken care of all that.

So, you know, I always say that our ambassadors are like the heart and soul of the garden.”

The Herb and Succulent Festival has grown to have everything from vendors to food trucks, the plant sale and children’s activities leaving multiple parking lots full this year.

Members of the Stillwater community, as well as vendors from different places, brought handmade trinkets and homegrown plants and herbs for the public to admire and give a new home.

A lot of good business opportunities for the vendors stem from the revolving door of trendy items regarding plant life and gardening as well as

jewelry and crystals. Kristen from Ponca (City) participated for her third time as a vendor at the festival and said she enjoys the traffic of people who come through the event.

“It’s such a cute event, the traffic’s always so good because they do so good putting it together,” Kristen said. “It really helps to get my name out there to the Stillwater people because it’s different traffic from what I get in Ponca [City] so it’s good marketing for me.”

The Herb and Succulent Festival at OSU’s Botanic Garden is able to come to life every spring because of donations and fundraisers that take place during these events. The money helps the event and also goes toward new improvements to the garden.

“A big opportunity is definitely to fundraise every dollar that we bring in from these events goes straight back into the garden,” Schmitz said. “We’re either buying plants or we’re able to prepare student workers for that, we’re able to have expansions of the gardens, things like that. It’s also really just a great way to get people out to see the gardens and know that they’re here, it brings a lot of attention and awareness.”

The first two segments of the show were Junior Class: Children’s Wear and Juniors and Seniors Fun Fashion. The Fun Fashion section was described as fashion that doesn’t fit into one category.

After this, the senior collections were presented. The seniors are Grace Goodrich, Anabelle Lindsey, Lauren Dickens, Leahna So and Carson Scott.

Each student spent all year preparing for the show. Scott said, the process begins with trend research, followed by market research, sketching, pattern drafting and finishes with fittings. The show is the chance for students to present their work.

“It’s a really great way to show the university and people outside the university that we have such a great program,” Scott said. “It’s kind of unbelievable that OSU has such a great program.”

Goodrich’s collection was titled Six Feet Above, inspired by the clouds.

“My inspiration is a lot about juxtaposition,” Goodrich said. “Basically the idea is a big fluffy cloud wearing a belt.”

Lindsey’s collection was titled Party of the Pride, inspired by unconventional brides.

“The collection represents a colorful, fun-loving person,” Lindsey said. “These girls aren’t just the bridal party - they’re the party of the bride.”

Dickens’ collection was titled Garden of Evergreen, inspired by fairytales and the cottagecore aesthetic.

“There’s a lot of flowery aspects and nature,” Dickens said. “Inspiration from my childhood and some of my favorite movies today.”

So’s collection was titled Singularity, inspired by women’s empowerment and individualism.

“Singularity is being an individual, you don’t fit into a box, you are your own person. I love that empowerment,” So said. “Women are still trying to accept body positivity and ourselves and love ourselves.”

Scott’s collection was titled Boheme, inspired by music, along with his desire to present suiting and tailoring.

“The musical “Rent,” one of their songs, ‘La Vie Boheme,’ is about being creative and an artist,” Scott said. “I was kind of inspired by that.”

After the collections were presented, awards were given out, including Best Models, Most Marketable Garment and Best Construction for Juniors. Then, awards for the senior collections were given out.

The Most Marketable Collection went to Lindsey’s collection, Outstanding Design for a Garment or Collection went to Goodrich and Best Construction for Seniors went to Scott.

The show finished with John Peterson, the Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences, congratulating the department and expressing his appreciation for everyone’s work.

Overall, the show was an opportunity for the design department to showcase their work and receive appreciation and recognition.

“I want to show others the work that OSU can do in fashion, and for people to get a taste of it,” So said.

Emi Norton

This year’s festival was the largest event the garden has put together so far because of the help from volunteers.

Courtesy of Zach Collett

Students who participate in the Euphoria Fashion Show prepare for the event all year, and the show is a chance to present their work.

Emi Norton Staff Reporter

Dancing for a dreamer

Money raised for undocumented students

“(DAO) helps advocate for people of undocumented status as a whole, but one of their biggest things that they do is advocate for undocumented students,” Hernandez said.

Stephanie Landaverde Staff Reporter

Bailando por un dreamer: dancing for a dreamer.

Last week, Sigma Lambda Beta, the Latin American Student Association and the Latin Dancing and Cultural Club hosted “Bailando por un dreamer,” a Latin dance fundraising event in the Student Union ballroom.

The goal of the event was to raise money to fund two scholarships for undocumented students at OSU: one undergraduate and one graduate student. A third $250 scholarship was given out randomly to someone who bought a presale ticket.

“I think everybody deserves to have an opportunity, especially undocumented people,” said Jorge Osuna, a photographer and community member who attended the event. “They deserve to have a chance to show who they really are and the chance to get something to achieve their dreams and goals.”

The event raised more than $1,400. Half went toward the scholarships and the remaining funds will be donated to Dream Act Oklahoma, a nonprofit organization based in Oklahoma City that educates and advocates for the local immigrant community.

Francisco Hernandez, membership educator of Sigma Lambda Beta and co-chair of the event, said while there are other organizations with similar goals in Oklahoma, Sigma Lambda Beta chose DAOK because it was the choice organization of a fellow alumnus of the fraternity.

Continued from 1A

Casey Shell, the university planner, said OSU will request proposals from the academic colleges. All OSU colleges will have the opportunity to apply to use the facility for their programmatic use. OSU administration will review the proposals and decide based on what it believes will be best for the university, Shell said.

Shell said the station will not be open for public tours, but the future tenant will not be allowed to rebuild the exterior in any way as to retain the historical significance. Because the future tenant is unknown, it is not yet known if the building will be open to the public and/or students, but Shell said he speculates it will be open the way any other academic building on campus is.

Caram said he is glad the historic building will remain as he will always be able to take his kids and future grandkids by and show them where he worked for several years.

“I think (it’s) really important to preserve that legacy,” Caram said.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Hernandez said DAOK helps undocumented students, familiarizing them with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival application as well as helping undocumented people contact immigration lawyers and take practice exams for the citizenship test.

The event opened its doors at 7:30 p.m. and had an hour of dance instruction beginning at 8 p.m. A live band, the Colao Band, played Latin music.

Around 10:45 p.m., Hernandez announced the winner of the undergraduate scholarship: Perla Rosales Avelar, junior in civil engineering.

Rosales Avelar learned about the scholarship opportunity from her OSU Mentor Collective mentor. She said opportunities for undocumented students are rare and paying for school is a big financial challenge.

“It’s been a little struggle,” Rosales Avelar said. “My dad kind of always told me, ‘No te rajes’, (don’t back down). So, for me, that’s kind of in the back of my head, even though I wanted to quit so many times, I just keep looking back like whoa, I made it this far. I can see the finish line.”

Hernandez announced the winner of the graduate scholarship around 12:45 a.m. Gerardo Rodriguez-Sariñana, a graphic design major, won.

“It’s a really good opportunity, I couldn’t be more happy,” RodriguezSariñana said. “I really wasn’t sure if I was going to get it, but I knew I had to at least try and apply because there’s limited opportunities. I have to take any opportunity that I can.”

Rodriguez-Sariñana said undocumented students face challenges through a lack of resources.

“A lot of times people just assume you know how to navigate through college and life because so many people have done it,” Rodriguez-Sariñana said. “But for dreamers, that’s just not the case at all. So just trying to find the right resources, there’s very limited opportunities. It’s very tricky, and not to mention the identity crisis that you have to deal with, wondering are you Mexican because you were born there, or are you American because that’s where you live.”

Messinah Peterman, a criminal justice sophomore, said she attended the event to support Sigma Lambda Beta.

“I think (the scholarship) really empowers students, and it gives them

a really good opportunity and something to be proud of,” Peterman said.

Hernandez said Sigma Lambda Beta have hosted this event independently in previous years as a masquerade ball, but by working with LASA and LDCC, they were able to receive more applicants and raise more funds.

“For those people who heard about this event, but were wondering if they should go or not, I just want them to know that all the profits will go towards undocumented students,” Hernandez said. “We hope to keep this tradition going for years to come. So next spring, I highly encourage everybody to come out so we can continue to let this event grow.”

Honoring Ceremony and pageant celebrate Native American students

Emi Norton Staff Reporter

The annual Native American Honoring Ceremony and crowning of Mr. and Miss American Indian will be on Saturday from 3-4 p.m. at the Student Union Theatre.

The Native American Student Association is sponsoring this event, where the Center for Sovereign Nations will celebrate the hard work and successes of their 2023 Native graduates. Included in the event will be the crowning of this year’s Mr. and Miss American Indian, as well as a speech from APA Featured Psychologist, Dr. John Chaney.

NASA holds the Honoring Ceremony every year to congratulate the Native graduates who have overcome obstacles, such as the overwhelmingly small percentage of Native Americans who attend college in the United States.

The student organization shows its pride for their academic accomplishments with a semi-private graduation ceremony to acknowledge their hard work in an intimate setting. The event is open to anyone from all ethnic backgrounds. They are encouraged to witness an afternoon of Native American heritage.

Junior political science major, former Miss American Indian and current president of the Native American Student Association, Kait Pinkerton, has assumed the role of organizing this important event. She emphasized the importance of the Honoring Ceremony to make sure Native students are recognized for their hard work.

“There are so many Native students who never get through college, so it’s really important to highlight their achievements because it’s a big achievement just to even be here in the first place,” Pinkerton said. Due to the lack of pageant participants in the past and no form of competition, the actual pageant process has been on pause.

Pinkerton is excited to bring this year’s pageant back and celebrate the cultures of the different tribes.

“It’s a place to show your culture and wear your regalia if you don’t get to wear it often, you know, show what you know,”

Pinkerton said. “And then also just share what you’re passionate about, and it’s really nice to have that space to share your culture with everybody.”

Last year’s Miss American Indian, Gabrielle Tiger, along with the 2022 Mr. American Indian, ran unopposed. Despite not taking part in what a normal pageant might entail, Tiger looks back on the experience as a fun and stress-free experience.

“I have a lot of pride getting to have that title for this last year and making my tribes proud,” Tiger said. As Miss American Indian, Tiger is in charge of orchestrating the pag-

eant at the Honoring Ceremony this year. As a proud member of the Chickasaw Nation, she hopes to see people from all backgrounds at Saturday’s event. She hopes they experience the diversity with an open heart.

“I wish to say that anyone and everyone is welcome to come to the Honoring Ceremony and pageant on Saturday, April 29 at 3 p.m.,” Tiger said. “Anyone can come but also anyone’s welcome to come to any NASA meetings, to come here to the Center for Sovereign Nations. Whether you’re tribal affiliated or not, we’re so welcoming,” Tiger said.

Jaiden Daughty

Stephanie Landaverde

Sigma Lambda Beta, the Latin American Student Association, and the Latin Dancing and Cultural Club hosted “Bailando por un dreamer,” a Latin dance fundraising event in the Student Union ballroom.

Courtesy of OSU

The Native American Student Association’s Honoring Ceremony celebrates the successes of Native American graduates.

Continued from 1A

Blue light emergency phones are available across campus for students to contact authorities in case of an emergency. Since December 2021, there have been 81 activations of blue phones. All were false calls, according to OSUPD.

OSUPD considers calls from the blue phones a priority. When a student picks up a phone and does not answer or uses it to prank call dispatch, it potentially distracts OSUPD from a person truly in need of assistance.

SGA’s bill recommends blue light emergency phones be replaced with a more sustainable system. Rice said everyone has a blue light phone in their pocket.

97% of people in the U.S. have a cell phone, according to a 2021 survey by Pew Research. If students download the RAVE Guardian App, an app that allows them to call or text with dispatch, the need for blue light phones is eliminated, as students no longer need the blue light phones to interact with dispatch.

Data from blue light phones and the RAVE Guardian App concluded that the RAVE Guardian App is more effective and more used in reporting incidents than the blue light phones.

From 2019 to 2021, blue light phone activations have decreased and reported one actual incident, while RAVE Guardian App activations have increased and reported two actual incidents.

SGA’s bill recommends an increase in the promotion of the RAVE Guardian App. The RAVE Guardian App currently has more than 6,800 users.

OSUPD said they plan to leave the blue light phones in place until they are no longer operational or require removal due to new construction. Removing one phone can cost between $700 and $5,000

depending on the phone’s location and the equipment needed to remove the phone.

SGA’s bill recommended OSU ensure areas that are not well-lit have adequate lighting and install higher-quality bulbs in existing lighting across campus.

Experiences such as walking home in the dark resonate with students within SGA.

Steele, one of the senators who helped produce the safety and security bill, lived in Village C as a freshman and described the nighttime walk from the parking lot west of the Villages back to her apartment as scary.

“There’s not a lot of lighting, and I definitely didn’t feel safe parking there and then having to walk all the way over to my building,” Steele said.

“I would always call my mom, or I had an app you would hold the button down until you’re safe.”

Rice said there is a lighting standard that measures the adequacy of lighting on campus and admits some areas on campus fall below the requirements. Although some bulbs may be in need of replacement, Rice said trees are to blame for unintentionally dim lighting on campus.

“Over time, a tree grows up, and now it’s encompassing a light that was covering a whole big area, and now it lights a little bitty space under a tree, and the rest of it’s dark,” Rice said.

Rice said OSU should be doing annual surveys of the lighting on campus, or at the beginning and end of each school year.

Rice said funding limits the immediate improvements OSUPD can bring to campus, and funding for improvements recommended by the bill is drawn from general funds and tuition.

“I know that administration will look at it and fully consider it and if it’s feasible,” Steele said. “I trust that they’ll make a change, so I’m really excited to see what they do with it.”

A pay increase for Housing and Residence Life night shift workers could be on its way.

Legislation regarding an increase in pay for Housing and Residence Life night shift workers passed during the Student Government Association meeting on April 19.

Written by Jake Williams, Senate bill S23RC0011 aims to increase hourly night wages $2.50. This would match, by percentage, what library desk workers make during the night shift.

“Oklahoma State University claims to prioritize mental health, the American Psychological Association has written about the various mental and physical health risks of night shift work, thus night shift work should be compensated accordingly,” the bill states.

Housing and Residence

Life night shift workers’ current minimum wage is $8.50 per hour. During the night shift, library desk workers make a minimum of $14.00 per hour. The bill also specifies a night shift to be between the hours of midnight and 8 a.m.

Celeste Stuart, who works library desk night shifts said working odd hours can affect academic performance.

“It affects your circadian rhythm and the way that the classes and the entire school is organized,” Stuart said. “It makes it harder to keep up with everybody else.”

During the meeting, senators calculated the difference in library workers’ day and night pay. They found that night shift workers make almost 30% more than their day shift counterparts. S23RC0011 recommends that this difference in pay is replicated for employees of Housing and Residential Life.

The bill will be passed on to advisers and other university officials for review. SGA can pass bills, but they do not automatically go into effect. Williams said SGA bills are like a recommendation to the university.

“I mean, faculty could ignore this,” Williams said. “They

could take parts of it. They could do it all completely and more. It’s completely up to faculty, from my understanding.”

Williams said this pay increase would cost Housing and Residential Life approximately $7,300. This number was calculated with the proposed $2.50 pay increase accounting for an eight-hour shift, 365 days a year.

He said the cost to Housing and Residential Life would be minimal.

“Part of why this bill works really well is because it is relatively very low cost,” Williams said. “When we talk about $6,000, $7,000, that is one or two student dorm payments for a whole year.”

This bill has the potential to impact OSU’s student employees.

An increase in night shift pay could mean a higher quality of life.

“If night workers receive a raise in pay, like anyone, it will make dealing with the current inflation rate a little easier,” said library night shift desk worker Bailey Nutter. “Potential staffing shortages may also decrease as there’s more of an incentive for people to apply for the job and take those shifts.”

Brewing buddies

Taylor Carroll Staff Reporter

Two sides of the same coin.

Friends Jerod Millirons and Dave Monks founded Iron Monk Brewery in 2014, with the goal of using local resources, such as local water, most grains and merchandise, to make OSU’s official beer.

Monks has two doctorate degrees in molecular biology and plant physiology and has been brewing since before he met Millirons. Millirons has a degree in biology. The pair works together running the brewing and business sides of the company.

The idea for the Iron Monk Brewery was born about 12 to 13 years ago when the owners were thinking about making their own brewery for the fun of it. Millirons said at the time, there were only three or four breweries in the state, and some were far away from Stillwater.

Millirons said he loves local businesses, and customers like to support local businesses.

Iron Monk has a partnership

with OSU and produces the 1890 Original craft beer as the official OSU beer. This beer has the Pistol Pete mascot on the can, and OSU provides it at sports events. The company also had a design competition for a beer can called “The Nine IPA,” and OSU student, Dallas Tidwell, won. Along with being local, the company has been trying to make their beer more accessible for people who are not in Stillwater.

“We want all of our stuff statewide,” Millirons said. “We have distributors in every part of the state that distributed here.”

Trenton Inselman is the head brewer, who is also in charge of production. He graduated from OSU with an agricultural economics degree in 2016 and started his career working for the Chamber of Commerce in Stillwater.

During COVID-19, Inselman said he wanted something different and asked his girlfriend at the time if he could go into brewing. She said no, but he decided to do it anyway. As soon as he interviewed with Millirons and Monk in 2021, he knew it was a good fit. He was taught “on the fly” with no experience with the business.

Inselman said he enjoys brewing the 1890 Original the most because he said it is fun, easy to make and was the first canned beer he made.

Inselman said the brewing process is complicated, and it can take from 10 to 14 days with some beers and up to four months with others to complete. Some beers take a long time to make, and he said there is a limited quantity of certain types because of that.

When Inselman was working for economic development, he said his previous job talked about how important breweries are to communities. He said people can work remotely, and families, not including 21-year-olds,

can spend time with one another there.

“It’s just a place that shows forward-thinking community members, it shows collaboration and what a community can do together, and you can do it around a pint of beer, and that’s really cool,” Inselman said.

“Communities that have breweries, I think are showing their future-minded selves and their and their wants for economic development and for a vibrant community.”

File Photo

Jerod Millirons and Dave Monks, both co-founders of the Iron Monk Brewery, stand in front of their equipment.

Flie Photo

SGA proposes increase in payment for Housing and Residence Life night shift desk workers. The proposed increase was $2.50 accounting for an eight hour shift.

SGA bill proposes pay increase for night shift workers

Kennedy Thomason Assistant News & Lifestyle Editor

Strawberry Blonde News

Student band takes center stage in Stillwater

car, and we’re all just screaming.”

Miller said he got lost in the music.

“I felt like I was playing for five minutes because when we were done, I was like, I could definitely play for another hour,” Miller said.

The night is young, the air is fresh and the energy in the crowd is electric. One by one, they take the stage.

First, lead guitarist Robert Paddack followed by the chemically activated man with the beat, drummer Alex Miller. Next, spouting flame from his bass guitar Andrew Rowley and the inspiration behind the name Aaron Williams. Together they are Strawberry Blonde.

Paddack struck a chord, and the band was off. Their music filled the concert venue at Coney Island, bleeding onto The Strip. Soon, passersby wandered into the crowd of friends and supporters. Williams sang as Millers’ steady beat laid the groundwork for the crowd.

Rowley created the bridge that melded the sound together; the rest is history.

Strawberry Blonde continued playing, showing off multiple originals with a few covers sprinkled in.

A mosh pit took shape to match the energy of the killer solos. Williams, Paddack, Rowley and Miller took a bow after giving their newly devoted fans an encore to play repeatedly in their heads for weeks.

Paddack said he couldn’t believe it.

“That was the most fun I’ve ever had in my entire life,” Paddock said. “It was honestly surreal going up onstage and having every one of my friends in the crowd cheering us on.”

Williams couldn’t contain his excitement.

“It was everything I wanted it to be,” Williams said. “Afterward, we got in the

Rowley hadn’t seen anything like it since hanging up his band uniform.

“It was awesome,” he said. “I haven’t been in front of a big crowd like that since marching band in high school.”

The night was over, but Strawberry Blonde is just getting started.

Strawberry Blonde is a student band taking the streets of Stillwater by storm. The indie rock group debuted at Coney Island, performing for students and friends. Since then, the group has played two other concerts, one at Coney’s and one for the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology.

Strawberry Blonde started at Release Radar, a club Oklahoma State students started to help local musicians build a network. Lead singer Aaron Williams and future lead guitarist Robert Paddack met and started the band’s formation. Robert brought in drummer Alex Miller and bassist Andrew Rowley to complete the lineup.

“We all just kind of got to chitchatting,” Paddack said. “Aaron suggested that we start a band, and Alex and I had been wanting to start a band for a while.”

Before the group established itself, it needed a name. Look no further than the lead singer. With his mixture of pink, red and blonde hues, there was only one option:

Strawberry Blonde.

“I’m a redhead, but I have darker and lighter roots,” Williams said. “Three or four people told me within a really short period of time ‘You’re strawberry blonde.’ I was like, that’s a cool name, so let’s roll with it.”

The band greenlit the idea, loving the simplicity and the Indie Rock vibe that followed.

“It just rolled off the tongue and was kind of fun,” Miller said. “We like Indie Rock, Indie Pop, so it was that style.”

Williams, Paddack and Miller held practice for about three months before taking the stage, with Paddack bringing Rowley in to complete the group. Each band member relied on their musical background to get the ball rolling.

Williams played in a band in high school and was inspired by his favorite band to take up guitar.

“I got into guitar just from my favorite band, Hippocampus; they are a huge inspiration to me,” Williams said. “I just listened to the music, and I was like, this is pretty sick.”

Paddack played French horn in junior high and high school before channeling his love of heavy metal into a passion for electric guitar.

“I’ve been an enthusiastic listener of heavy metal for a really long time,” Paddack

said. “So electric guitar was a natural choice.”

Rowley started his music career early in concert and jazz band before playing bass in his high school basketball band. He was looking for the perfect opportunity to get back into music.

“I’ve been playing guitar for a while, and when I got to college, I never really had a good reason to pick it up,” Rowley said. “I was itching for a reason to pick it back up and play for people.”

Miller played trombone for two years before exploring writing and producing his music. For him, music has the potential to be more than just a fun side gig.

“If I could choose anything to do as a career, it would be just doing music,” Miller said.

Their individual talent made combining their musical abilities into a stacked setlist easy. The band rehearsed twice a week for more than two hours to prep for their show, and as time passed, the band found their collective sound.

“It feels very natural to make music with them, and honestly, it felt like it came together really well,” Paddack said. “I think we all jive as musicians really well.”

“We’ve got some pretty talented people, and I’m not saying we didn’t have to work for it,” Rowley said.

The band is working on assembling an album of their original songs after debuting multiple at their shows.

“We’re planning on recording some music,” Paddack said. “Hopefully, we’ll have a single out by the beginning of summer and then maybe a five-or six-song EP this fall.”

A single and an EP are just the first steps for the band. They plan on playing multiple

shows over the summer and expanding their reach.

“As soon as the summer starts, we’re going to start going around OKC because that’s a bit bigger of a venue,” Williams said.

OKC is not the furthest their dreams stretch, as the band is looking to take it as far as they can.

“We’re going to try to take this as far as we can and just see where it goes,” Paddack said.

As the band prepares for their final show of the semester this Friday, they are finishing strong, knowing that this band has reignited their college experience.

“I just feel like I’m having way more fun,” Paddack said. “It’s really crazy to just go and play shows in front of my friends and then play music with a group of dudes I really like.”

Rowley has never loved practicing music more.

“Monday night rolls around, and it’s good time you just go jam with,” Rowley said. “You know, three of your buddies for two hours, and that’s a good time.”

Miller found a home for his love of music.

“It’s changed tenfold,” Williams said. “I finally was able to find people who are really committed to wanting to play.”

Williams is fulfilling a lifelong dream.

“It’s a realization of a dream that I’ve had for a long time, so it’s very fulfilling, and it’s very exciting,” Williams said. “We’re just on the very tip of what’s to come, so that’s awesome.”

Strawberry Blonde performs Friday at 9 p.m. at Coney Island. Plans are already in the works for a back-toschool bash, and updates can be found @strawberryblonde -

Courtesy of Strawberry Blonde Band

Lead singer Aaron Williams is the inspiration behind the band’s name Strawberry Blonde.

Hayden Alexander Staff Reporter

Courtesy of Strawberry Blonde Band

Strawberry Blonde is a local band made of four OSU students.

Continued from 1A

Throughout the day, she sat in her Miami house with food just feet away. It was her first time fasting, and it felt like she was being teased.

“Being home all day long, you’re home and you know you have food in the house,” Mickens-Malik said. “You have to wake up early, sit in the house and just think, ‘I have a bunch of groceries that I could just eat right now.’

“It’s kind of taunting, in a way.”

Growing up, observing Ramadan wasn’t much of an option for Mickens-Malik.

In the Quran, the primary Islam text, it spells out the regulations for who cannot participate in Ramadan. Fasting during Ramadan is required for healthy adult Muslims, meaning Islamfollowers that are ill, children (those that haven’t reached puberty), elderly, those that are traveling and pregnant women are a few examples of Muslims aren’t required to participate.

Since she hadn’t completed puberty, MickensMalik didn’t have to fast until she was 18.

It was difficult, she admits that.

“It was hard,” MickensMalik said. “I just had a really bad experience because I was home senior year.”

The following year presented another challenge: observing Ramadan while attending a Power Five university as an athlete.

OSU coach Dave Smith vaguely remembers the second day of Ramadan from 2022.

A routine 6x800 run in practice. It was just another practice in the most casual sense. Mickens-Malik remembers this practice, though. It was a struggle.

“I was dying after the second one,” Mickens-Malik recalled, laughing. “Usually, I die after the fourth one, but this time I was dying after the second one.”

Smith, director of track & field and cross country, strolled over to the drained, uneasy Mickens-Malik with pure confusion.

“Jinah, what’s going on?” That’s when she explained to her coach that she

was participating in Ramadan, which came as a surprise to Smith.

“I didn’t realize she was a practicing Muslim,” Smith said. “How I probably reacted was, ‘OK, well, that explains it.’”

Smith offered to change her practice times if needed, but Mickens-Malik declined. She did the same this year, too, when Giles McDonnell – assistant coach and her primary coach now – proposed a different practice schedule.

Since her schedule is already hectic during Ramadan, Mickens-Malik doesn’t want to adjust too much, that way her body can keep up with the changes.

“I just don’t want it to change because I’m only doing this for a month,” Mickens-Malik said. “So, when mid-April comes around and I get back into my regular eating schedule, there’s no point of working on my legs and muscles not filling in.

“I’d rather let my stomach go through the pain than my legs later on.”

Yanouri did change practice times. Usually, he’d train with Justin Duncan, assistant coach, at 2:30 in the afternoon. However, during Ramadan, they pushed practice back three hours to get him as close as possible to sunset, that way he could break his fast sooner after training.

Unlike Mickens-Malik, Yanouri didn’t have an experience where the training caught up with him during Ramdan. In fact, he said he feels better practicing during Ramadan than he does the other 11 months of the year.

“My body adjusts well,” Yanouri said. “I just feel so much better during Ramadan.”

This showed recently at the Tom Jones Invitational in Florida, where Yanouri broke a 37-year-old school record, finishing the outdoor 800-meter run in 1:46.96. Messaoudi also broke a school record during Ramadan, as he now holds the record for fastest 1500 meters, breaking the old mark by a two-second margin.

“I wish it was all year.”

Lauren Abbott has a system when Ramadan comes around.

Abbott, the nutritionist for the OSU football team was thrown for a loop last football season when two players were observing Ramadan. During Abbott’s track career at Tulsa

and OSU, she never had any first-hand experience with practicing Muslim athletes.

“The first thing I did was I texted a couple of other dietitians that I know,” Abbott said. “Then I also went to those particular athletes and asked what they have done in the past.

“We’re looking for a lot of (food) that gives you bank for your buck. I wasn’t necessarily promoting or encouraging tons of vegetables or types of foods that will fill you up and not really give you a lot of calories with it. We were really focusing on caloriedense, nutrient-dense foods.”

Abbott worked closely with the two players, keeping an eye on them in practice in case either looked dehydrated or needed a rest during spring ball practices.

A majority of OSU athlete’s diets revolve around Training Table, the nutrition facility located on the west end zone of Boone Pickens Stadium. Athletes are required to eat three meals at Training Table, that way they can stay on track with their macronutrients during training.

For practicing Muslims during Ramadan who can’t attend all three meals due to fasting, accommodations have been made for later meals and letting them opt-out of breakfast.

“The Training Table people knew that we were fasting so they would keep the training table open for us later,” Yanouri said. “That was really helpful, and we appreciate them.”

For athletes who follow Islam, nutrition can be difficult to maintain. Yet, with people like Abbott in their corner, it makes the month a lot less daunting and helps them focus on growing in their faith.

“The purpose of Ramadan is to get close to God and it’s for self-discipline and empathy for those who are less fortunate,” Yanouri said. “That’s the purpose cause when you’re not eating you’re thinking about people that don’t have food or water; you get to feel it.

“Once you break your fast, you’re thankful, you’re grateful.”

Mickens-Malik doesn’t stress over the exact times of the five daily prayers.

A schedule consisting of practice six times a week, weight lifting three times a week and 13 credit hours of schoolwork is restless. However, during the month of Ramadan, the five daily prayers – Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha – are required, no matter the schedule.

She said she believes Allah can make an exception.

“To make Dhuhr, it’s like midday, I’m already in class,” Mickens-Malik said. “So, for me, I can just come home and do it... the point of it is that you get your five prayers in, in my opinion.

“Sometimes you just don’t have the time to sit there

and do them at the times they want you to, but as long as you’re doing your five prayers possibly every day and you’re having your one-on-one session with Allah, it’s OK.”

Yanouri doesn’t find fitting these prayers into his schedule as difficult. He sees several positives in getting the prayers done in a timely manner.

“It’s like a routine,” Yanouri said. “It takes literally less than five minutes. It’s like good hygiene as well. You’re always washing your hands, washing your face (and) doing all this stuff while praying.”

Even outside of Ramadan, athletes schedules can conflict with attending mandatory prayers. Each Friday Muslims have Jummah, a midday prayer and worship session. Mickens-Malik cannot attend Jummah, since her Friday classes end at 2:20, then she trains at 2:30.

Although prayer may take just a few minutes, this marks yet another challenge Muslim athletes face with a loaded schedule. In the end, there’s only so much they can do.

“There’s certain limitations that I cannot do,” Mickens-Malik said. “God knows my schedule; he knows what I’m doing so it’s alright.” *****

It’s only right to cap Ramadan off with a celebration.

Eid al-Fitr is an Islam holiday celebrated worldwide by Muslims, marking the end of the ninth month of the Islamic year.

The three male Muslim teammates celebrated it together.

“The three of us, me, Fouad and Hafez, we went to the mosque and prayed,” Yanouri said. “We usually like to go visit family, like call each other, so I called all my uncles, my family, my parents back home; just like wishing them a happy Eid.

“And after that I just hung out with the guys.”

Despite the celebration, Mickens-Malik doesn’t want to receive praise for completing Ramadan. It’s not a task,

it’s a requirement, something that will benefit her spiritual journey.

“Don’t sit there and tell me you’re proud of me,” said Mickens-Malik on what she would tell non-Muslims about Ramadan. “It’s not an accomplishment.”

Mickens-Malik suggests Ramadan is the “only time” that Muslims are talked about, and even then, some of her own teammates didn’t know what the month represented, prompting questions.

“How are you going to do that?” And, “Oh my gosh, are you just not going to eat at all?” One teammate even thought it was a Jewish holiday.

“They’re people, they just don’t get it,” MickensMalik said. “And I think this is the only time when Muslims are actually talked about, cause you just don’t hear about it on a normal basis.”

The mosque that all four of the athletes attend, the Islamic Society of Stillwater, is a five-minute walk from Boone Pickens Stadium, an area that’s considered the most popular section of Stillwater.

During her freshman year at OSU, Mickens-Malik didn’t know the building was a mosque.

She ran past it every day.

“There’s no sign and it just looks like a regular building,” Mickens-Malik said. “I didn’t know until I put it in Google, and I was like, ‘We have a Mosque here?’

“Freshman year, I ran by that building almost every day and night. When it came to Ramadan time, I didn’t know that’s what that building was.”

Although a time for celebration, Eid al-Fitr is a time of reflection, for both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Mickens-Malik is just thrilled she doesn’t have to watch Bullet, her Rottweiler and Australian shepard mix dog, eat without her.

“I made a joke to my teammates,” Mickens-Malik said with a laugh, “and I was like, ‘If I’m fasting, he’s fasting too.”

Jaiden Daughty

Jinah Mickens-Malik standing in the lobby of the Islamic Society of Stillwater, the mosque that she ran past every day her freshman year without knowing what the building was. “Freshman year, I ran by that building almost every day and night.”

Jaiden Daughty

Jinah Mickens-Malik prays at Ed al-Fitr, a celebration marking the end of Ramadan. Mickens-Malik is a Muslim sophomore runner for the Cowgirls cross country and track team. This was the third Ramadan she observed.

‘Evil Dead Rise’

Film delivers violence and fun

Michael Clark Staff Reporter

and all the technical components are great.

When it comes to modern film, you’ll probably catch a fair share of snobby critics saying “they don’t make them like they used to.” Sure, movies have changed over the decades, as they are bound to, but movies are as good as they used to be years ago.

“Evil Dead Rise” is the exception. They really don’t make movies like this anymore, for better or worse. “Evil Dead Rise” is the kind of movie you’d find in the back of your local Blockbuster back in 2008, watch it, and immediately feel gross for even being in the same room as it. After seeing “Evil Dead Rise,” I felt like I had committed some terrible, unspoken sin and that’s a compliment. It’s an excessively violent, indulgently gory, yet extremely fun time for horror fans.

The movie strays away from the roots of Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” franchise and moves to a rural, apartment setting. Despite this, the setting works well for creating a dirty, gross and murky atmosphere as the film slowly descends into madness. The performances in this film are also shockingly good for horror standards. It’s well-directed, the editing and soundtrack are decent

If you’ve seen “Evil Dead” you know the plot isn’t what we’re looking for. It’s relatively straightforward, a family stumbles upon a cursed book that awakens unspeakable evil, then it gets worse from there. Where the movie really shines is in its grotesque horror sequences. There’s body horror, fight scenes, psychological insecurity and mommy issues.

The movie starts off slow but consistently accelerates in tension until a fantastic climax.

The clean 90-minute runtime makes for a well-paced film.

While the ending isn’t quite as good as the finale to 2013’s “Evil Dead” reboot, it still managed to make me clench my fists and feel both impressed and disgusted by the images on my screen. The entire film has a myriad of disgusting and memorable scenes that’ll stick with you long after the end credits.

Once “Evil Dead Rise” starts rising, there really are no issues to be had. It’s a great time if your stomach is able to handle it. While the disjointed opening and epilogue don’t do the film any favors, and the time it takes for the film to get going could lose a few people, your patience will be rewarded as “Evil Dead Rise” does more than deliver on its violent, gnarly premise. However, if you get queasy at the sight of blood, this is a movie you should probably pass on.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

‘Beau is Afraid’

‘Psychological odyssey’

Jaycee Hampton Staff Reporter

From his darkest fears, the greatest adventure was born. Director Ari Aster brings a different kind of horror to theaters with his third film, “Beau is Afraid” and it is surprisingly poignant. Differing from his other films, “Hereditary” (2018) and “Midsommar” (2019), Aster was able to display guilt and shame in new, torturous ways.

“Beau is Afraid” is not going to be a film everyone will like or understand as a psychological odyssey. There is nothing about the plot that can be shared without it taking away from the shock factor, aside from saying Beau is afraid of everything and his mommy issues are apparent. Quite frankly, it feels odd recommending it to others. There were various sequences that were uncomfortable and films

like this are something most people might have to brace for. The run time was three hours, and it definitely felt that long. There are moments where the plot goes in completely separate directions and it loses itself. It attempts to come back, but not everything comes together and viewers will probably feel confused and not fully understand how it gets from point A-to-B. Despite how infuriating that can be, it worked for this film. The story takes you on a mental mind bending adventure that is imaginative and highly creative. It’s almost like there’s not a concrete reality, and knowing that you can enjoy it for what it is.

Although the film is a three-hour long nightmare, it has funny moments and good structure. Many times people in the theater audibly laughed, and that’s another takeaway from Aster’s work that was surprising. The risks he took, paid off.

Joaquin Pheonix portrays Beau and he is undeniably one of the best actors of our time. The way he speaks is full of raw emotion and it will have your stomach turning. One of the most difficult parts to stomach about this film is how

relatable it might feel. Personally, it was shocking how real and depressing it felt. As unsettling as that is, it is pushing boundaries and creating a new kind of unsettling genre. Aster is brilliant for letting viewers see into his mind.

It has been reported that Aster does not want to comment on specific parts of the film, leaving it up to the audience to interpret. Common discourse in film communities often ask “What is going on in Ari Aster’s head?”, and “Is this dude alright?”

Regardless of these initial thoughts and questions, Aster has a proven track record of being able to pull people into the theater with his name alone and he does live up to the reputation with “Beau is Afraid.”

From brilliant story telling to visually stunning shots, it is a psychological mess that everyone should see once in their life. As time progresses and people process the film, it is certain to gain traction and a cult following like his previous films.

When you go watch “Beau is Afraid,” go in with as little knowledge as possible, it is the kind of experience you will never feel the same about twice.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy

Joaquin Phoenix in the movie “Beau Is Afraid.”

Courtesy of PluggedIn

‘Evil Dead Rise’ has Lily Sullivan as Beth, Alyssa Sutherland as Ellie, Morgan Davies as Danny, Gabrielle Echols as Bridget and Nell Fisher as Kassie.

Daughterly Love

OSU’s Ford donating kidney to mom

Will Ford, a jumper on the Cowgirls track team, celebrate her four-year, student-athlete experience at Oklahoma State with a walk across the stage to retrieve a diploma?

Depends on the doctors.

Sam

graduation. But this particular May, she prefers getting knocked out on an operating table.

Ford is scheduled to donate a kidney... to her mom.

“It feels so casual,” Ford said. “It’s my mom. Whether it was my kidney or anything, I was going to do it.”

In January 2022, doctors diagnosed Sanye’s mother, Rhonda, with stage-four kidney disease.

See Kidney on 6B

Wild Thing

New D highlights Spring developments

ing and learning the 3-3-5 style that has been effective in the Big 12. After many interviews, he found Bryan Nardo from Gannon, called him while he was in a recruiting meeting, interviewed for six hours and 10 days later Nardo became the defense coordinator.

Riggio’s flair launching stardom

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

With his chin up, eyes narrowed toward the visitor’s dugout, Roc Riggio nodded in the direction of the Texas Longhorns as he crossed home plate, making the end result apparent.

Roc’s father, Jayme, sat clustered in O’Brate Stadium, as the crowd erupted in celebration when Roc scored the winning run, clinching a series win.

Roc, in his second season at OSU, has cemented himself as a celebrity within the Cowboy baseball program. Elite defense, a superb offensive approach and an aerated personality is what molded him into an MLB prospect as a sophomore.

Usually, Jayme is unsettled about his son’s showboating. This was an exception.

“Roc does it to get his guys fired up,” Jayme said. “He always does it in a perfect manner.”

Jayme saw flashes of the Stillwater Regional in 2022, where Roc generated a rivalry with Arkansas fans. It was a time many of Roc’s teammates refer to as his “coming

out party,” where his .555 batting average through five games and 27 at-bats caught attention.

Given the circumstances, Jayme let his son celebrate without confrontation.

But to reach his current status of stardom, an abundance of self-growth was required.

The result is a fiery, in-your-face baseball player who prances on every opportunity presented.

As a draft eligible sophomore, Roc is likely in his last go-around with the Cowboys.

“He’s the kind of guy that you love to have on your team and one that you hate to play against,” an MLB scout said. “His

Becroft leading OSU after injuries, leaving New Zealand

Isaac Becroft has become a star for the Cowboys tennis team since his transfer to OSU. With his level of play not slowing down, and a couple more years left on his eligibility, Becroft and coach Dustin Taylor believe he could be the future of OSU men’s tennis team.

Becroft grew up in Wellington, New Zealand, and committed to play at Mississippi State. After injuries

plagued his 2021-22 season, Becroft looked for a fresh start. With a spot available on the Cowboys tennis team, Taylor reached out to former Cowboys, looking for someone to fill the spot.

“Yeah, I think he was an interesting case,” Taylor said.

“Joseph Chen was out training in California during his offseason, and he happened to be training with Isaac. I said, ‘Hey, guys, if you hear of anyone, please pass them along.’ And Joseph spoke up

and said, ‘I’m actually practicing with a player that’s going on the portal.’ And sure enough, it was Isaac.

Fortunate enough for myself that Dan had some good things to say about myself and the opportunity that he had here at Oklahoma State, and the rest is history. Isaac’s been a real bright spot for us this year.”

Taylor and Becroft’s interests met with one another, and Becroft joined the team shortly after.

flair, his overall persona, it’s unmatched. Opposing fans love booing him, but he doesn’t care. He just loves the attention.”

Throughout Roc’s baseball career, Jayme treated the values of sportsmanship like gospel.

Jayme doesn’t remember his precise reaction when Roc enacted the Captain Jack Sparrow dance after a home run against Arkansas, but he does recall holding mixed emotions afterward.

“I’m more of an old school guy and Roc knows that,” Jayme said.

See Wild on 6B

Mike Gundy and Co. had four weeks worth of spring practices to further evaluate OSU’s team, install new schemes and discover potential breakout players for 2023.

Here are key points and players discussed throughout the spring practices.

Key point No. 1: Bryan Nardo and a new defense

Gundy said he knew he wanted a change to OSU’s defense after the 2022 season and spent six weeks research-

Through a month of players getting to know Nardo and his defense, they have said they enjoy his energy and the change he brings to the defense that suits most players.

“I don’t want people to say, ‘Oh my God what a great call by Bryan Nardo,’ I want people to say, ‘What a great play by Oklahoma State’s defense,’” Nardo said. “It’s not about me, it’s about our players.”

See Spring on 2B

Courtesy Sanye Ford

Rhonda Ford (left) has always been close with her daughter Sanye (right) and rarely missed one of Sanye’s sporting events growing up.

Isaac Becroft became one of

Carson Toulouse

Sanye Ford wants to attend her OSU

Hutchens Staff Reporter

Gabriel Trevino Sports Editor

Chase Davis

Collin Oliver will switch to linebacker in Bryan Nardo’s defense.

Baylor Bryant Staff Reporter

OSU pitcher Ben Abram gave up blocking hockey pucks in Canada to throw baseballs in the U.S.

Heausler set to star for OSU after serious ankle injury

she was facing a serious injury and a debilitating one at that.

Cowboy Wrestling Club juniors

seek national titles in Las Vegas

But we still like chasing the goal. Nothing compared to what we wait for. We want NCAA titles. I think it was just time and patience.”

Ladarion “Dee” Lockett said he remembers watching Cowboy stars of the mid 2010s such as Caldwell and Jon Morrison. Those were Dee’s first wrestling memories.

Each spring, Zoheir El Ouarraqe leads a crew of baby-faced wrestlers through airports, gyms and interstates.

When he isn’t on the road, he steps onto the orange mats in OSU’s wrestling room and conducts practice.

Wannabe and current Cowboys labor toward their Olympic dreams in this humid, sweat-filled lab.

The wrestling never stops at this level. No offseason. The club takes participants, some from a family of CWC members, others new, from youth to college.

El Ourraque and fellow coaches such as Tyler Caldwell and Jasper Lockett will corner 10 guys at the USA Wrestling U.S. Open Championships this weekend in Las Vegas.

The club produced All-Americans Joe Smith and Kaid Brock, and OSU sophomore Carter Young, among others. Any wrestler from the Stillwater area who meets the qualifications of a USA Wrestling RTC can attend Cowboy Wrestling Club practices.

“Just put a lot of time and effort, time and effort and time and effort,” El Ourraque said. “Develop those kids into today. Pretty successful in high school.

Senior Nationals:

- Cowboy RTC

Soon, he wanted to be like them. He liked Caldwell’s defensive style and coach John Smith’s low single leg.

“Oklahoma State is always known for elbows, duck unders and things like that. I wanted to have an Oklahoma State style.”

So, his father, Jasper, enrolled him in the club years ago and the progress became natural.

It’s another step toward his ultimate wrestling goals.

The juniors have wrestled together for years, sharpening one another’s skills and progressing toward freestyle and collegiate goals. OSU signee Cael Hughes constantly battles high school teammates, Dee, Landyn Sommer and JJ McComas, among others.

“I remember going into practice and when I was younger, I didn’t like wrestling as much. I went in there,” Hughes said. “Me and Dee were always partners. I just remember scrapping with him and being pushed to my limits. I was like, ‘Man, this is a hard sport.’”

Now, Hughes will represent OSU in the fall after becoming the fifth Oklahoman with an undefeated high school career.

- CWC

MatScouts ranked him as the No. 1 132-pounder in 2022-23. One day, he hopes to win an NCAA title and earn a portrait drawing of himself that would hang on the wall in the OSU wrestling room. Every national champion in OSU’s program boasts one.

A Stillwater kid staying home. No reason to leave. The same guys he admired will coach him.

Why change?

“It’s cool,” Hughes said. “Some of the guys I looked up to my entire life are some of my coaches and I grew up watching this program and kinda dreaming of wrestling for the Cowboys. It’s kinda a dream come true for me. It’s a huge opportunity. Big shoes to fill but I’m excited to be here.”

Dee, a Stillwater High School sophomore, will likely become one of the country’s most sought-after recruits once he graduates. A double U15 national champion, Dee could represent Team USA on the U17 World Team with a win in Las Vegas. He finished third last year.

“Everywhere I bring him, he (Dee) is a favorite for me,” El Ourraqe said. “When we go to Super 32. I always think he’s the best guy because I saw him every day in the room. Now, he wants to accomplish something bigger than him. He was very involved the last couple of weeks on it. Training very hard, doing the right things so I just expect not even win but just dominate.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

- Cael Hughes (61 kg freestyle)

Injuries were not something Logan Heausler ever had to worry about.

Dating to her time as a toddler, tapping a ball around her yard in the Houston suburb of Clear Lake, Texas, the future OSU soccer budding star never dealt with a serious injury.

That all changed on Aug. 25, 2022. But it also wasn’t the first time she thought about quitting soccer, when she wanted to at 13. Now, after the 2023 spring season, she looks to lead the Cowgirl offense in the fall season.

It was a typical late-summer day in Tulsa, hovering around 90 degrees, with the wind blowing and the sun beating down.

Heausler’s excitement was palpable. It was the fourth game of her sophomore season, and following a strong spring season, she was ready to make a name for herself.

Her goals of becoming a regular player during her second season in Stillwater were quickly made impossible.

In the early second half, Heausler went to make a routine defensive play. As she planted her foot to stop a Tulsa defender from advancing the ball, her foot caught on the grass and she tumbled to the ground.

“My body kept going and my ankle stayed,” Heausler said. “I got up and tried to run and it didn’t work, and that’s when I knew it was done.”

Heausler damaged five ligaments in her ankle, rupturing two and partially tearing three others.

For the first time,

Amy and Adam Heausler were watching back in Clear Lake. They saw their middle daughter do almost everything a soccer player her age could do. They watched her fall in love with soccer, switch clubs, want to quit, rediscover her passion and eventually become a top-100 recruit, but they had never seen her go down like that.

“We saw it on the TV when it happened,” Amy said. “And it was like front and center, we saw it real-time.”

Heausler faced a long path to recovery, a path requiring several weeks just to begin rehab.

“There wasn’t much rehab at the beginning,” Heausler said. “(Her ankle) was the size of my calf and rainbow-colored, it was insane.”

When Heausler was finally able to begin her rehab, it started with getting the general range of motion in her ankle back, something that is critical in soccer for all positions, but especially for players who occupy the attacking position of the field, which Heausler does. Basic things such as running, jumping, and stepping with force were among the first things she had to work on.

Despite the rigors of her physical recovery, it wasn’t the goals, passes or playing she missed the most, it was the grind. The traveling, the intense schedule, the practicing with teammates, it was the seemingly undesirable things she began to long for.

“It was really hard (for her) to not be able to travel with the team or have a set schedule,” Amy said. “I mean her whole life, it’s been a set schedule because she’s one of three and we both work, it’s been 5 o’clock you do this, 5:30 mama told

you to do this, I remember her calling me saying ‘Mom, I can’t do this.’”

After five months of rehab, Heausler was finally able to return to action, and she didn’t look back.

Heausler was the star of the spring, scoring six goals in just five games, and putting herself atop the list of candidates to replace former Cowgirl stars Grace Yochum and Olyvia Dowell as the centerpiece of the OSU attack.

Heausler’s ability to score with ease with any part of her body makes her a potent and potentially special offensive player.

Despite Heausler’s explosive spring performance, she would willingly pass on being the team’s leading goal scorer. She said if scoring zero goals the whole season meant she could get back on the road, hanging out with her girls, she’d make the trade in a heartbeat.

“Just being at practice, laughing around, especially these weeks when we don’t have any games, we’re just having fun, I think I enjoyed it more than when I first got here,” Heausler said. “Now it’s like, don’t take anything for granted because it can be taken away from you, I think I have a little more love for the game than I did before I got injured.”

Despite the pressures of returning from serious injury, replacing a program legend, and becoming an upperclassman on an otherwise young team all bearing down on her simultaneously, you can bet Heausler will be enjoying every second of it.

“After having five months off, coming and just being out there with the girls was my plan, just have fun, enjoy myself, and whatever happens, happens,” Heausler said.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

- Teague Travis (70 kg freestyle)

- Dustin Plott (86 kg freestyle)

- CWC - Kyle Haas (92 kg freestyle)

U20 World Team Trials:

- CRTC

- JJ McComas-Rogers (61 kg freestyle)

- Kael Voinovich (65 kg freestyle)

- Cutter Sheets (70 kg freestyle)

- Jordan Williams (70 kg freestyle)

- Brayden Thompson (86 kg freestyle)

- Hayden Simpson (125 kg freestyle)

- Rhett Peak (61 kg freestyle & GR)

- Dax Hughes (86 kg freestyle)

U17 World Team Trials (CWC):

- Ladarion Lockett (71 kg freestyle)

- Ethan Teague (71 kg freestyle)

- Aydan Thomas (51 kg freestyle)

U15 Nationals (CWC):

- Revin Fipps (41 kg freestyle & GR)

- Maddox Fields (44 kg freestyle)

- Justus Heeg (52 kg freestyle)

Luke Tolbert

Cowboy Wrestling Club coach Zoheir El-Ouarraqe (left) moved from France several years ago and assists young wrestlers in achieving their Olympic goals.

Molly Jolliff

Logan Heausler scored one of four goals in OSU’s win against Tulsa in the spring season.

Adam Engel Editor-in-Chief

Calif Poncy Staff Reporter

Spring...

Continued from 1B

Key point No. 2: Changes to the offense, emphasizing run OSU ran the ball at a historic rate — a historic bad rate. Gundy said he thought his run schemes were somewhat outdated and the Cowboys did not run modern, common power and zone rushing attacks.

To fix this, he and the offensive staff began to implement more advanced run plays and train their running backs for an increased workload.

“Things don’t fix themselves, right?” Gundy said. “You drive down the road, you hear something clunking in the engine in your car, you turn the radio up so you don’t have to listen to it and make you feel better, and two or three days later you’re on the side of the road. We have to figure out what that is. So, that’s really the definition I gave them. This is what we have to do to become a better offense.”

Cowgirls, Gajewski not worried about recent offensive struggles

Parker Gerl Staff Reporter

Amid a fivegame losing streak and offensive slump, OSU coach Kenny Gajewski and his team aren’t sweating it.

Gajewski said Tuesday he informed his team of their stats and numbers on the season, and his players were satisfied.

“Yesterday, I read off all our stats to our team that we’re in the top 10 in the NCAA, over 300 teams,” Gajewski said. “I read off all those stats to them and said, ‘If I would have told you this in February, would you take it?’ And I think every one of them was like, ‘Of course,’ so what’s the problem?”

OSU has gotten great production from its pitching staff nearly all season, but its offense is struggling to get hits with runners on base.

“We just gotta score runs,” said Cowgirls’ outfielder Chyenne Factor. “We’ve gotta get a timely hit. We’re getting

runners on, a lot of runners on. But we’re leaving them on as well.”

Aside from breaking through at the plate and wanting to get back in the win column, the goal for Gajewski remains the same.

Hosting super regionals. “We’re trying to be in the top eight when the Big 12 tournament is done, that hasn’t changed,” Gajewski said. “Do we want to win the regular season conference championship and the tournament? Hell yeah. Like, we want to win that. But I will trade all of that to be in the top eight to host here, because I know how special this place is.”

OSU experienced a similar losing streak last season, losing its final five games of the regular season before rounding out an all-around successful season, including a late push at the College World Series.

“This happened last year, we lost five in a row and still did what we did,” Factor said. “So, it’s fine, it’s not that big of

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OSU’s five-game losing streak by the numbers

2: Most runs scored in a game

Against Iowa State and in two games vs Texas, the Cowgirls only scored two runs, compared to their seven runs per game average before the losing streak. OSU isn’t hitting for many extra bases and is slow to drive in runs.

5: Errors in two games

The Cowgirls, one of the better defensive teams in the country over the past three seasons, misplayed in the field five times in two games vs Texas.

-1: Cowgirls in the rankings

While rankings don’t mean anything to Gajewski and the Cowgirls, it does to the RPI, which determines what teams will host Super Regionals in the postseason. OSU dropped one spot in the RPI rankings.

a deal.

Currently sitting at No. 7 in the polls, OSU has seven regular season games remaining, including a three-game series with Texas Tech and No. 1 Oklahoma, respectively. Gajewski iterated he wants his team to focus on the task ahead and not pay attention to distractions, like rankings.

“You’re never as good as

you think you are, and you’re never as bad as you think you are, I told our team that,” Gajewski said. “I said ‘Look, we’re really good,’ (but) I think we’re caught up in trying to protect our ranking. It means nothing, It’s purely opinion. There is no algorithm to the ranking at all.”

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Key point No. 3: Injuries

Rather than this being a rundown of who suffered injuries this spring, this is about who is returning, and the depth OSU is able to utilize. In past spring

seasons, the Cowboys have had a number of players miss most if not all four weeks of practice. This sets them back for summer practice, which sets them back for the fall season.

This year, OSU didn’t deal with that problem as much.

Returning to the field are wide receivers

Jaden Bray and Blaine Green, who missed most or all of last season, but are now back and competing for starting spots in OSU’s wide open wide receiver room. Cole Birmingham is also back after a lost year and will likely start at left guard or tackle for the Cowboys in the fall.

“We’re further ahead than we were last year in the middle of the season,” Gundy said.

“I don’t think there’s any question about that. Knock on wood, we’re healthy. We haven’t been healthy in two years.”

Notable defensive player: Collin Oliver

OSU’s sack and tackle for loss leader for the past two seasons — with 16 1/2 and 23 — Oliver will find a new role as a standup outside linebacker in Nardo’s defense.

Entering his junior season, Oliver is preparing for a versatile role, most likely behind the line on first and second downs, and on the line rushing on third down.

“It’s a good change

for me,” Oliver said.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love pass rushing and I love being on the (defensive) line. But this is good for me. It’s really comfortable for me though, being back at linebacker.

“I’m very comfortable right now. Change, it’s gonna be tough for anybody, but I’m adjusting really well. It’s coming natural for me.”

Notable offensive player: Arland Bruce IV

Bruce, a former four-star and transfer from Iowa and is related to Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Isaac Bruce. At 5-foot-10, Bruce will likely be in the slot for the Cowboys offense in a four-wide look.

At Iowa, he wasn’t a big play threat, but was a reliable target and was used as a runner for the Hawkeyes.

In the offseason, an OSU slot receiver and versatile playmaker John Paul Richardson entered the transfer portal. Richardson only averaged 10 yards per reception, but many came on third downs.

Bruce could replace that production for OSU. “His feet are amazing,” Presley said. “He got them sticks. He can stop on a dime. He’s made some cuts and stuff that have made some people miss. He’s a very shifty dude.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Jaiden Daughty

Arland Bruce IV is related to Pro Football Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce, whom won a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams in 2000.

Luke Tolbert

The Cowgirls only scored four runs in three games in last week’s series vs Texas.

sports

Puck Drop

Cowboys pitcher gave up hockey for baseball

outmatched most of his peers.

Ben Abram was hooked.

At 11, Abram took the mound for the first time, pitched nearly five innings and recorded multiple strikeouts in his initial start. That’s when he decided maybe he wasn’t so bad.

Especially for a Canadian.

Abram quickly sprouted a conversation with his parents and coach Ian McLaughlin about a future in baseball. How could he play baseball yearround?

“(McLaughlin) kinda laughed and said, ‘Buddy, you live in Canada,’” Sandy said.

Ben’s hometown of Georgetown, Ontario, hardly represented baseball heaven. So, he had to hustle. It took hustle just to play year-round and gain recognition as a baseball player in hockey country. He had to reevaluate in college to better his career.

Now, he’s a weekend starter pitching for OSU.

Baseball started on the hockey rink for Ben.

McLaughlin, first Ben’s hockey coach, one day after practice approached Ben about joining his baseball team, too. Ben had just played his first year of house league baseball as a 9-year-old, and McLaughlin was interested in him for his recreational team.

“You didn’t have to be a genius to realize a kid of Ben’s size, even at 8 or 9, would be able to be a pretty effective ballplayer,” McLaughlin said.

As with most young kids, Ben tried many positions, looking for a fit. Brett – Ben’s

father – and his mother Sandy said when he first started, he was scared to throw the ball very hard in fear of hurting someone. Ben tried outfield for a while. Then shortstop, which didn’t last long. He even tried first base because he was tall. His parents were hopeful one of those positions would work out. He played as a goalie in soccer and as a defenseman and goalie in hockey, so they were glad to see him play in positions without as much pressure.

“We were like, ‘Great, outfield. No problem. That’s fantastic – that’s a low-stress position,’” Brett said. “And then… he became a pitcher.” *****

Hockey lingered until Ben was 13. Then, his baseball team faced another local team that had dominated all the others. That day, Ben put an end to the dominance.

“They beat the brains out of everybody in our league for years, and we beat them that day because Ben was just unhittable,” McLaughlin said. “That just didn’t happen.”

That’s when McLaughlin knew how good Ben could be. Ben’s parents weren’t baseball people, so they didn’t have a reference point for how good their son was becoming.

That’s when McLaughlin sat them down and told them Ben had a future in baseball.

“He’s the fifth-best defenseman on the third-best hockey team in town, or he’s one of the top three pitchers in the province right now,” McLaughlin said. “Where do you want to direct your energy in terms of what your future looks like?”

So, Ben decided to focus on baseball. He played for McLaughlin’s team for six years and then at Georgetown High School. It was clear that Ben

For one, he was 6-4, 170 pounds as a 14-year-old. Coaches would accuse Ben of being a ringer, and he was always the kid parents challenged to see his birth certificate.

“They thought he was driving the bus,” Sandy said.

Second, it was a big deal for a pitcher to be throwing 75 miles per hour in Canadian high school baseball. Ben became known for his pitch speed, and parents on opposing teams would yell out “Better start swinging now,” before Ben began his windup. It became an achievement for a batter to make contact with his pitches.

But high school baseball in Canada wasn’t much of anything. Georgetown District High School played about eight games in a season, which didn’t start until April. Eight games in a sport where players can go eight games without a hit isn’t much of a showcase opportunity.

So, Ben took the next step and joined Terriers Baseball, a travel team that practiced all fall and winter. He was then able to play nearly year-round in an indoor practice facility, for an organization that made a trip to Florida every March to play other high-school aged programs – which was good for exposure.

“If you’re not doing any sort of travel baseball (in Canada), you’re just doing it for fun,” Ben said.

At 15, Ben joined the Canada Junior National Baseball Team (U18), allowing him to spread his name internationally and get more experience against world-class athletes on minor league teams.

His second year with the team, Ben started against the Toronto Blue Jays, where they played a mix of young prospects and major leaguers. He pitched to Bo Bichette, a 2021 MLB All-Star shortstop, and Russell Martin, a four-time AllStar catcher.

McLaughlin said he watched Bichette hit a homer on Ben, yet maintains it was those games that gave Ben the confidence and maturity he needed.

The junior national team helped him adjust to playing opponents more his caliber, experience traveling and being part of a locker room.

“As much as it helped him as a baseball player, it developed him as a young man,” Sandy said.

This was a spot Ben hadn’t found himself in before –lost and without confidence.

His first few years with the Oklahoma Sooners were promising. A Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection in 2019 with a 4.24 ERA showed he could perform at the DivisionI level. COVID shut down his

sophomore season, in which he gave up only one run in 10 innings across four games.

After that, things changed, for the worse.

He pitched only 28 innings in 2021, nearly 40 less than his freshman year, and his ERA grew to 6.43. In 2022, it was more of the same. His innings dipped to 22, and his ERA flirted with 10.

After building his game through the local leagues, travel teams and the national team to make it to major college baseball in the U.S., Ben said he didn’t know what he was doing anymore.

“There’s ups and downs throughout seasons where you kinda lose it, you kinda gain it back. It’s like that. But I had never experienced two years of it just being bad,” Ben said. “Like just not being anywhere close to the pitcher that I knew I could be.

“It was tough. Every day I’m looking in the mirror like, ‘What the hell is going on? Like, I don’t understand. I can’t figure this out.’” Ben needed a change, so he entered the transfer portal. That’s when a welcome face came calling.

“I was actually kinda like a closeted OSU fan my whole high school career,” Ben said.

Ben’s aunt Karen lived in Guthrie and was part of the reason he chose OU. Having family nearby was a plus. But Karen was an OSU fan. Ben would come visit when he was young, and he’d check out OSU’s campus. Playing there was always in the back of his mind. He even wore OSU gear back in Georgetown.

Ben hoped OSU would reach out in high school, but it never happened. So, when OSU called and offered in the portal, there was no hesitation. He wanted to be a Cowboy.

Better yet, things improved at OSU. Ben said he went into the “lab” with pitching coach Rob Walton to figure

out how to get back on track.

Walton knew what Ben was capable of – he gave up 12 hits in 15 innings in his career against the Cowboys.

“Some guys lose confidence, and some guys lose a little feel,” Walton said. “I think it’s more feel for him than confidence.”

It didn’t take long for Walton to fix him. Ben said he developed a better plan and approach, which helped mentally. Walton pushed him to find better rhythm and a more consistent delivery.

“Within two weeks I’m like, ‘Damn, this is exactly what’s going on,’” Abram said. “And all it took was 30 minutes of Rob to figure that out.”

It took a few outings to settle in, but now Ben is a weekend starter approaching 50 innings pitched with 55 strikeouts.

“Honestly, it’s light years ahead of where I was before,” Ben said.

It hasn’t always been easy, but Ben carved out a path in baseball. And he’s shown that it’s possible to make it big in baseball in a country where snow covers the ground deep into spring.

Now, his little cousin Nash plays baseball in Oklahoma. Pitcher, of course.

“The fact that Nash is also now pursuing baseball and seems to be a pretty decent pitcher in his own right, I think to keep the wheels turning on that is exciting,” Sandy said.

“The whole family has been through it once, so we all kinda know the deal and we can just get behind him.”

Ben’s family hadn’t had a baseball player until him. The newly self-proclaimed baseball family now has two. And Ben wants to keep the trend going.

“I’m hoping I can start a little dynasty within the family,” Ben said. “That would be kinda fun.”

Braden Bush Assistant

Sports Editor

Courtesy of Abram family

Courtesy of Abram family

High school baseball wasn’t much of an option in Canada. Ben Abram’s hometown of Georgetown, Ontario, played less than 10 games a season.

Chase Davis

Ben Abram went from being a back-end bullpen option at OU to a weekend starter when he transferred to OSU.

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

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Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black

Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (04/28/23). This year favors creativity, invention and organization. Coordination and teamwork can move mountains. Imagine and plot for a bold vision this spring. Summer changes require adjustments with your partner, energizing your autumn work and health. Winter inspires shedding outworn ideas. Make plans to realize dreams.

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 — Clarify misunderstandings or misinformation. Notice the bright side. Make lemonade from an abundance of lemons. Discover beauty hiding beneath changes. Focus on love.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 7 — Home improvement projects provide lasting family benefits. Put things away to clear space for what’s ahead. Share love, support and good food.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 7 — You may need to repeat your message until it gets through. Let others know they’ve been heard. Patiently manage surprising news or delays.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — A financial challenge requires adaptation. New possibilities stretch old boundaries. Generate the income to meet priorities and deadlines. Keep your eyes on the prize.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Imagine perfection. Build your vision, step by step. Listen carefully to avoid miscommunications. You’re especially strong. Use your power and confidence for good.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 7 — Finish old projects and process where you’ve been. Organize for what’s ahead. Notice hidden potential and options. Consider the situation from another angle.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 7 — Misinformation and misunderstandings abound in your social networks. Share support for a team goal despite obstacles. Patience and a sense of humor work wonders.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Don’t get too hasty with a professional project. Make sure all lines of communication are open, before launching. Get clear on the desired result.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — Adapt studies and research for changes. Discover a hidden mess or breakdown. Simplify and clarify. Find inventive solutions. Repeat conclusions. Patience and persistence pay off.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Provide reliable support. Miscommunications could affect shared accounts. Maintain a philosophical attitude about money. Patiently coordinate with your partner. Money saved is easier than earned.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is an 8 — Direct complaints to someone who can do something about them. Avoid automatic reactions, especially with your partner. Clarify misunderstandings right away. Focus on shared commitments.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — Nurture your health and energy. Patiently navigate a challenging situation. Physical action gets beautiful results. Keep doing what’s working. Eat and rest well.

Pam Amick Klawitter

Solution to Thursday’s puzzle

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk

“I’m more of an old school guy and Roc knows that,” Jayme said. “He’s obviously more new school and that’s fine. He loves (the attention).

I don’t necessarily like the pimping of the home runs or the taunting at the other team, though.”

Jayme found Roc postgame, expressing his thoughts for his son’s actions. Roc, distressed about OSU’s eventual 2012 loss to the Razorbacks, was all ears.

“Son, you know I don’t love those things and you’re gonna have to own that,” Jayme told Roc. “But never stop being yourself.”

Once Arkansas defeated OSU, Razorback fans flooded Roc’s personal and team’s twitter accounts. Photoshopped images of him in ballerina outfits as he danced around third base, flooded the comment sections.

Riggio ain’t dancing tonight, one Arkansas fan tweeted.

Let’s see that punk dance now, another commented.

The newfound reputation resonated within the Razorback fanbase, carrying over to OSU’s opening weekend in 2023.

Arkansas was the final team scheduled for the weekend.

In the bottom of the first inning with one out, Roc stepped up to bat.

As the public address announcer echoed Roc’s name through the sound system of Globe

Life Field, a herd of “boos” responded from the number of Razorback fans.

Roc casually glanced around the stadium, nodding in the direction of the cries of disdain, causing them to grow even louder.

“He just does what he does and opposing fans are never gonna like it, but it is who he is,” said Arkansas fan Joe Kelly.

“If he’s wearing your jersey, you’re gonna love him. If he’s wearing the other jersey, you’re probably gonna hate him. I learned to ignore him and talk crap after, but other (Arkansas) fans haven’t done the same unfortunately.”

Riggio jumped on a hanging breaking ball, singling down the right field line. As he rounded first base, he put one finger over his mout.

The jeers became even more apparent. His response? A subtle chuckle, then things were back to normal.

On his next at-bat, Arkansas pitcher Hunter Hollan drilled Roc in the back with a fastball in retaliation.

“He’s a very animated player and we’re a very animated fanbase,” said Razorback fan Dave Marks. “Sometimes it’s too much thought. Hopefully he’s learned his lesson.”

Two months later, in game two of a road series against TCU, more conflict arose.

Roc carried his bat to first base, then flung it in the air after a solo home run.

As he approached home, he skipped around. More jeers followed.

Cheers erupted from the ballpark the following day when he struck out.

Opposing fans hate him. Cowboy baseball fans love him.

“If you talk to anyone (Roc) competes with, they love each other,” Jayme said. “These guys are always hanging out with each other. They’ve played with each other for years.”

Then why do it?

“I do it for the boys,” Roc said. “I don’t do it to tick off the other

Hoyt adds two transfers

and collecting eight rebounds.

Langerman announced via her Twitter she is transferring to OSU.

Kidney...

Continued from 1B

Receiving a kidney transplant was the alternative. Rhonda’s husband Donald signed up to donate at first. Sanye insisted on registering, too, despite the lengthy registration process requiring 24 vials of blood to be drawn.

Sanye volunteered her kidney without being asked, just in case Donald’s was ruled out.

“I was like, ‘Well, when your doctor clears you for transplant, let me know when to sign up,’”

Sanye said.

The Ford family got bad news when results came back. Donald was ineligible to donate.

“When my husband was ruled out you know, I was like, ‘Oh, wow. OK, Sanye,’” Rhonda said.

Sanye qualified for a paired donation with a chain of people. She would donate her kidney to a stranger, and her mom would receive a

kidney from a stranger. It was the culmination of months of testing and a few up-and-back trips from Stillwater to Dallas.

Sanye has become accustomed to the procedure mash-up of X-Rays, EKG’s (electrocardiograms) and blood draws required before surgery. The surgery was initially scheduled for April 24 but had to be postponed due to one of the people in the chain getting ill.

“It’s been super tedious,” Sanye said.

“Especially last week. Right before surgery was (scheduled) I was at the hospital, like, every day doing different tests.”

The new date could collide with OSU’s graduation; not that it would change Sanye’s plans. She is more than happy to have a ceremony in her living room.

“I asked (Sanye) if she had reservations,” Rhonda said. “She said, ‘Mom, I have no reservations. I’m doing it. You’re my mom. I would do it all over again.’”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Davis Cordova Staff Reporter

Two Power Five transfers are coming to Stillwater.

OSU coach Jacie Hoyt added two new Cowgirls this week for next season’s roster.

On Thursday, Ioanna Chatzileonti committed to play at OSU via her Twitter. She’s the third transfer for OSU coach Jacie Hoyt in a week, joining North Texas transfer Quincy Noble and Arkansas transfer Rylee Langerman, who committed on Tuesday.

Chatzileonti comes in from Kansas, where she played three seasons. Chatzileonti averaged 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in her time as a Jayhawk and started 50 of the 62 games she appeared in.

Chatzileonti, 6-foot-3, played just 11 games last season due to an injury that cut her season short. She played her last game on Jan. 14 versus Oklahoma, scoring 10 points

“Rylee is the type of player and person who coaches dream of coaching,” OSU coach Jacie Hoyt said. “Her work ethic is off the charts and she’s a great teammate. She’s going to bring a tenacity on defense that our fans love.”

Langerman transfers from Arkansas where she played for three years. In her time as a Razorback, Langerman appeared in 87 games and averaged 2.5 points per game.

Langerman is from Christian Heritage High School in Norman and won two state championships.

“I believe her best basketball is still ahead of her,” Hoyt said.

“She has been an incredible ambassador for many things in her career in the SEC and I’m proud to say that she will be someone who represents everything we want to stand for at OSU. She’s one of Oklahoma’s finest and we can’t wait to have her back home.”

Hoyt has 11 players for next season, so a few more portal pickups or freshmen will be needed to fill the roster.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

fans, I do it for my boys. I’ll do anything for them.”

His teammates say almost every day, his flamboyant personality is on display.

It’s one of a number of factors that make Roc, Roc.

“Roc’s gonna Roc,” third baseman Tyler Wulfert said. “We’re all behind Roc. He does it for us. He does it to get us fired up and we’re all behind him.”

2023-24 Cowgirl Roster Outlook

Returning:

- Forward Hannah Gusters

- Guard Anna Gret Asi

- Forward Lior Garzon

- Forward Praise Egharevba

- Guard Landry Williams

Transfers:

- Guard Quincy Noble

- Guard Rylee Langerman

- Forward Ioanna Chatzileonti

Freshmen:

- Guard Stailee Heard

- Guard Mai Gailbraith

- Guard Brenna Butler

Courtesy@rylang2

Chase Davis

Roc Riggio gives the team high fives after scoring.

Courtesy OSU Athletics

Sanye Ford set her career-best long jump record of 5.88 meters in the 2021 outdoor season.

(left) and @ichatzileonti (right) on Twitter OSU coach Jacie Hoyt added Rylee Langerman (left) and Ioanna Chatzileonti (right) this week.

Becroft...

Continued from 1B

When recruiting Becroft, Taylor acknowledged his skills on the court, but there was another factor that really drew him to wanting Becroft representing OSU.

OSU coaches

Rowdy Baribeau Staff Reporter

Josh Holliday wasn’t encouraged to play at OSU. For Holliday, going to OSU was different than just playing baseball. Holliday is the son of Tom Holliday, who served as the coach from 199703 and was an assistant when Josh committed to play for the Cowboys.

Gary Ward, a former OSU coach, never said Josh didn’t have the talent to play, but wondered whether Josh could handle the pressure of being the “coach’s kid.” Josh said he remembers the emotions he felt at times when he played under his dad.

“As proud as I was to be Tom Holliday’s son, and as proud as I still am today, it also carried with it, a difficult thing to put into words,” Josh said. “The coach’s son has to hear everything being said on the team about their father. You have to deal with the group that’s good with what’s going on with the team and the group that’s not. Just trying to be one of the guys and be normal is not something you’re able to do.”

While it might have been challenging for Josh, Tom said it was equally difficult for him. Tom said coaching a son is a challenge because if he isn’t a good athlete, it can create controversy about playing time. Tom said he got lucky with Josh.

“The reference, ‘He only plays because he’s the son,’ that’s not a comfortable thing,” Tom said. “I’ve seen it happen to coaches; I’ve seen it happen to guys that try to coach their kids. It’s unfair, but it’s real.

“I enjoyed mine (experience), because my kid was a good player. He was a leader, and I didn’t have to coach him a whole lot, I just had to guide him. Maybe just a stroke of luck.”

In Stillwater, for some athletes, it is almost inevitable.

Stillwater High School has become a direct pipeline to OSU not only for prospective college students, but for high school athletes looking to advance their athletic careers.

Stillwater High’s Ethan

Holliday is the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2025, according to Perfect Game, and is committed to OSU. The Baltimore Orioles drafted Jackson Holliday, Ethan’s older brother, with the first pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Stillwater High. Jackson signed to play for the Cowboys but chose to forgo college for the big leagues.

For Josh, not only does he have to navigate NCAA recruiting rules when recruiting his nephews, but he has to prepare for the potential they might never play for him. Josh said it is not quite the same when recruiting family compared to a regular athlete, but in the end, he wants what is best for any athlete.

“Yeah, there are differences,” Josh said. “We tried with one of them, but he got too good too fast. Try on another one maybe, it’s case by case, it really is. I want every kid to have that peace to be joyful and not have to, when they walk in one section of the area, not to feel like they have to turn and walk away. Being a teammate and being part of a team is one of the most amazingly important pieces of the college sport experience you’ll ever have. You want that to be as pure as it can be for each kid.”

Some athletes in Stillwater have always been known as the “coach’s kid,” even though their father never coached them because their fathers are busy coaching college sports.

For OSU football coach Mike Gundy, he said it wasn’t a task getting his son Gunnar Gundy to play for the Cowboys, maybe because he had an advantage.

“Well, first off, I sleep with Gunnar’s mom, so that gives me a fighting chance, sometimes, if I’m allowed,” Mike said. “Gunnar was different. Gunnar from day one, said he wanted to come to Oklahoma State. He grew up here, wanted to be here, so there really wasn’t that much recruiting involved.”

Considering Gunnar plays quarterback, the same position his father played, the spotlight is even brighter on one of Stillwater’s most prominent names. In 2022, Gunnar faced adversity as he had criticism about his readiness after playing in four

games, throwing three touchdowns and four interceptions. Mike said seeing his son fail is a vital part of his and Gunnar’s growth.

“The difficulty of parenting is letting your kids fail,” Mike said. “And letting them grow from failure, which makes them better in the long run, but that’s not easy to do. I would say it’s the same thing here so far with Gunnar is, I stay out of it. I let him fail and then fix it and coach (Tim) Rattay helps him.”

The passive approach

Mike uses with his son in college was one that Cowboys wrestling coach John Smith used with his son Sam Smith.

Sam signed to wrestle for the Cowboys in December 2022 and will be on a team his dad coaches for the first time. Sam said his dad has always done a good job of coaching from afar.

“I mean, it’s cool, but he knows when to be my dad and when to be my coach,” Sam said. “But he tries not to overtake my high school coaches. He helps me on the side after practice and stuff like that. It’s been fun, but you know to me, it’s not much different than any other dad.”

John has experience coaching a lot of family members. He coached his brother Pat Smith, who became the first four-time NCAA champion. John also coached his oldest son, Joe, who became a threetime NCAA All-American.

John said that through his experience, there are differences to coaching his sons and brothers.

“I think coaching your brothers is way easier than coaching your son,” John said. “You grow up beating each other up and playing tough and running rough. It’s just different when it’s your brother and you don’t care about his feelings as much.

“When it’s the son, you gotta watch momma. You say something bad, you know you’re gonna get it from her. Anyway, it’s not easy coaching your son. Not easy, I think in anything. But we’ve had a good experience with Joe and I, and I’m sure that Sam’s going to have a good experience too.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

“Yeah, I think the first thing that stood out to us when we did recruit him was his character,” Taylor said. “His upbringing comes from a great family. His father’s a judge back in New Zealand, and he spoke with great maturity, great respect and great gratitude for the opportunity. So character was really the first thing that stood out to us when speaking to him. And then just his toughness. He didn’t get to play last year, which is not an easy role to be on the team. He certainly wanted to play and we were trying to get him eligible throughout the season and that’s never an easy process for a guy especially with the makeup that Isaac has. He loves to compete and he just wants to be in the arena as much as possible.”

Coming in as a transfer, Becroft had to adjust to the Cowboys locker room, but this was not a challenge for Becroft because he quickly became a vocal leader on and off the court. Throughout the season, Becroft found his role on the team.

“I feel like my role within the team is definitely to try and bring guys’ energy up,” Becroft said. “I know DT kind of refers to me as the spark plug. I talk a lot and I’m a bit chirpy. Just trying to bring the other guys up, and getting them in the environment of competing. Making practices more like matches, whether it’s getting in

the other guy’s face a little bit and just overall bringing a bit of energy towards the guys.”

Since Becroft joined the Cowboys, he has become a key player on the Cowboys roster. Over the season, Becorft climbed up the ranks to Court 2 in singles No. 91 in the ITA rankings. In doubles, Becroft has seen a mixture of court 1 and court 2 with doubles partners Alex Garcia and Chase Ferguson, and both agree that Becroft has made a huge impact on the team.

“He works a lot,” Garcia said. “I really identify with him because we live together, and we spend a lot of time together. And I feel like we have a similar mentality. And what is he like when he’s on the court? He’s very vocal, and especially when I was playing by his side. I just feel motivated because I feel like he’s playing for me, and I’m playing for him. That’s something that we have with Isaac is that he just keeps pushing you on.”

After entering the transfer portal, it can be hard to find a place that you can call home, especially when your first home is across the world in New Zealand. However, Becroft has been welcomed into the OSU family with open arms and has found a second home here in Stillwater.

“Couldn’t have been more, more welcomed by Michael and Anne Greenwood,” Becroft said. “They just welcomed me with open arms. A little bit older than your typical freshman just after transferring, but I couldn’t have been more welcomed. It instantly sort of felt like home and has been everything I’ve hoped for. So hopefully I’ve got a few more good years here to try and build the program and leave it in a better place that I found it.”

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Mia Ledbetter

In his first year with the Cowboys, Isaac Becroft has already become a vocal leader, according to his teammates and coaches.

Chase Davis

Josh Holliday is one of three coaches at OSU who have recrutied family members.

navigate, balance recruiting and teaching athletes within their family

sports

After injury last season, Wolfberg surging as senior for Cowgirl tennis

Gina Foster Staff Reporter

Alana Wolfberg performed substantially during her last season as a Cowgirl.

As a senior, there are many emotions that surface, but Wolfberg was focusing on the task at hand instead of postseason play or even her future after graduation. After being out most of her junior year with an injury, she came back this season with a new competitive fire that paid off and earned her Big 12 Tennis Player of the Week honors. However, she said her work ethic and mindset better express the type of player

she is.

“I think that you can never control the results, but you can prepare for the best possible outcome, which is what we’re doing,” Wolfberg said. “These are the moments that we live for. These are the moments we want to partake in.”

It may appear that yelling during a tennis match is unacceptable, however, at Greenwood Tennis Center, the Cowgirls love to hear the crowd riled up and cheering them on.

“When my opponent was better than me, I found a way because of the energy the crowd brings. It is so loud because of our fans and I think it is essential to this program,” Wolfberg said.

“I noticed that it’s more difficult to play

a more vocal opponent because you’re kind of playing someone with a lot of fire and passion.”

Four years ago, when Wolfberg came to OSU from her hometown of Orlando, she found it difficult to adjust. But grew as a person and is thankful of the lessons she learned in Stillwater.

“This is where I grew up individually and became my own person and found my passions,” Wolfberg said.

“I’m really thankful for the relationships. I’m thankful for the learning processes, some of which I found the hard way. I’m really glad I learned some of the lessons that I did and I’ll be able to take them into every part of my life moving forward.”

A person’s legacy is typically thought about when their time at a place is coming to an end. And Wolfberg thought of what hers was, too.

“Just the impact you can make as a teammate and a leadership role that you can take through example,” Wolfberg said. “Showing up every day and supporting one another. I hope girls realize that what you do and what you say to others on and off the court is how you make an example. I think that being on your team as you grow into those senior positions and leadership roles is essential.”

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HIMALAYAN GROCERY STORE

Mia Ledbetter

Alana Wolfberg leads the Cowgirls tennis team as OSU enters postseason play in two weeks.