Friday 3/25

Friday, March 25, 2022

Double Time Collins taught while getting master’s degree

students where they feel loved and comforted,” Collins said. “I never really saw myself as a teacher, but I was that student coming in with all that baggage, and my Teyte Holcomb teachers are the ones Lifestyle Editor who made me feel safe at school.”

As a master’s stuOn top of her masdent and full-time algebra ter’s degree and teaching, teacher, Tameko Collins Collins also recently placed has not slowed down second in the university’s when it comes to her 3-minute thesis competieducation. tion. Her thesis, titled Collins began her “Ditching the Lecture: Can master’s degree at OSU while still a full-time al- Blended Learning Affect gebra I teacher at Broken Motivation” addressed students’ cognitive needs Arrow Freshman Academy in Broken Arrow. and the need for a blended Though Collins said she learning model in classnever considered teaching rooms where students can as a full-time career, she learn at their own pace. has always wanted to help students.

“I wanted to create an environment for See Tameko on 10A

Food for thought

Food insecurity affects students was the most controllable Morgan Malet O’Colly Contributor expenditure,” the student

Courtesy of Derick Dillard

Beloved mascot unites father, son After the death of his father, Derick Dillard returned to OSU to follow his dad's legacy of becoming Pistol Pete.

Luisa Clausen Staff Reporter For OSU students, Pistol Pete is the school mascot; but for Rick and Derick Dillard, Pistol Pete is a family tradition.

Derick Dillard graduated

from OSU in 2011 with a degree in accounting, and was a member of the marching band during his freshman and junior years.

Derick's dad, Rick, represented the school as Pistol Pete in 1978-1979, and took pride in that. After graduating, Rick would come back to OSU and watch the new generations of Pete doing what he once did: make OSU a happier place.

When Derick was deciding which college to attend, OSU felt familiar. He knew this is where

he needed to be. In 2008, Derick auditioned to be Pistol Pete his freshman year, without much hope he would get it, but knowing it would be great to surprise his dad, a former Pistol Pete.

Derick said he told his mom, and they were excited to hear the results; hopeful to see Derick’s name listed as the beloved mascot. However, the future had other plans.

See Pete on 8A

said. “I think a lot of people don’t know that they are food insecure or they think it’s normal to skip meals and eat like crap in college.”

There are resources on campus combatting food insecurity for students. These resources include the Pete’s Pantry food pantry network, Our Daily Bread Food and Resource Center mobile markets and Pete’s Eats notification program, which allows students to sign up to be notified when leftover meals are available after OSU dining locations close.

A senior at Oklahoma State was food insecure during her sophomore year, but she said never knew it.

Although the majority of OSU students don’t worry about where its next meal will come from, there is a large percentage of students who do. About 43% of OSU students are experiencing some level of food insecurity, according to OSU alumnus Nick Forrest’s study on food insecurity done in 2021.

Although there is a high percentage of food insecure students at OSU, they are often unaware of their situations.

“I thought I was just See Food on 5A saving money, and food

What's Inside

Aviation Finalists Page 4A

A group of student OSU pilots have been named finalists in a national competition.

Interview Tips Page 5A

From horror stories to tips the best ways to interview for jobs.

SlutWalk Page 6A

Students marched through campus to bring awareness to sexual assault and rape culture.

Page 2A Friday, March 25, 2022

O’Colly

Page 2

Countdown to Finals Week

38

days

Photo of the week

By: Abby Cage

Cowboy Baseball and Cowgirl Softball hosted a tailgate for students, complete with grilling from Robin Ventura and free merch from both teams.

March 25 is International Waffle Day Ingredients: 2 cups (260g) all purpose flour 4 tsp baking powder 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter 2 large eggs

1/4 cup (52g) sugar 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups (480ml) milk 2 tsp vanilla extract

Stillwater is home to Just Wafflin’ open from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Tuesdays - Sundays. In case you can’t get out to celebrate, here is a homemade waffle recipe to make at home, in case you’re out of Eggo Toaster Waffles.

Directions: 1. Preheat your waffle iron and set aside.

2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, add the butter and few tablespoons of the milk. Melt the butter in the microwave and stir to combine it with the milk.

4. Add the butter mixture to the rest of the milk, then add the eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently whisk together to combine. Don’t over mix. A few lumps are fine.

6. Add waffle mix to your hot waffle iron and cook according to your waffles iron’s instructions.

7. Serve warm!

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Reporters/photographers

Editor-in-chief Chris Becker editorinchief@ocolly.com

Sports editor Dean Ruhl sports.ed@ocolly.com

News editor Dru Norton news.ed@ocolly.com

Design editor Sam Beebe design.ed@ocolly.com

Lifestyle editor Teyte Holcomb entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Photo editor Abby Cage photo.ed@ocolly.com

Assistant sports editor Sam Hutchens sports.ed@ocolly.com

Adviser John Helsley john.helsley@okstate.edu

News & Lifestyle reporters: Jake Sellers Sierra Walton Rachel Williamson Kylie Hammack Mak Vandruff Stephen Stumpf Ellen Slater Jaden Besteda Anna Pope Allie Putman

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O’Colly

Friday, March 25, 2022 Page 3A

Lifestyle

Kaitlin Ayers (left) Sebastian Arias (middle) Presley Turner (right)

Photos by Abby Smith

Dress it up, down this spring Caroline Skaggs (above)

Kaylie Sequira Staff Reporter

Students at OSU share their spring fashion tips and trends for the warmer weather.

touch with what consumers are shopping for.

Teel said her favorite fashion styles this spring are skinny jeans with Spring has officially sprung, and ankle slits and matching shorts and students around campus are sharing blazer sets. their spring fashion trends and styles “The pants are just a really cute for the upcoming months. twist on skinny jeans,” Teel said. “The From blazers to sundresses, there shorts set is so easy. You can dress it up are many options when choosing a new or down.” spring wardrobe.

Teel said her typical go-to outfit Fashion merchandising senior this spring is wide leg baggy jeans with Karynsa Teel is familiar with the ongo- a corset top complete with her staple ing fashion trends. When creating buyer Dr. Martens loafers. plans for her classes, it is crucial for While some people want to dress her to know what is on trend to keep in it up this spring season, others are

keeping it fresh and fun. Fashion design and production sophomore Kaitlin Ayers said she prefers wearing a tank top with jeans and a light cardigan.

Ayers’ favorite trends include bright colors, straight and wide leg jeans, colorful kitten heels and fun hair clips.

Ayers said she enjoys incorporating current trends into her projects.

“There is a lot of freedom in this major to create and design what you want as long as you stick to the criteria,” Ayers said. “I try to keep in mind the fundamental elements and create a temporary design incorporating the current trends.”

Fashion design and production sophomores Presley Turner and Sebastian Arias are also interested in the current spring fashion trends. Turner said she is more into the fairy core aesthetic and the high waisted straight leg jean trend. Arias said he prefers to wear streetwear and designer brands.

Students all over OSU are gearing up for the warmer weather, and some are dressing to impress. From preppy-chic to streetwear, this year’s spring fashion is filled with bold styling choices. entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Page 4A Friday, March 25, 2022

O’Colly

Soaring success News

Students become finalists in aviation competition Dru Norton News Editor In 48 hours, four OSU students’ lives changed.

It started with a LinkedIn post.

Garrison Grimaud, a professional pilot senior, was perusing his profile Jan. 18 when he saw a post from the Federal Aviation Administration about a “Smart Connected Aviation Student Competition.”

This competition gave undergraduate and graduate students from any U.S. college an opportunity to design, build and test technology that could improve travelers’ transportation experiences and efficiency of the national aviation industry.

Grimaud said the post immediately piqued his interest and was more intrigued when he saw the team winners’ prize: $25,000. Grimaud said there were two problems: The deadline to submit the project was in two days, and he didn’t have a team. Other competitors had six months to work on the project, and he had 48 hours to gather an idea and submit a 15-page report.

To succeed, Grimaud said he knew he needed a team of smart and motivated individuals.

“I went to the GroupMe with all the other aviation students and said, ‘Hey, is anyone dumb enough to help me do this?’” Grimaud said. “And somehow, I got a message from a few guys who said, ‘Hey, yeah, I think we could knock this out.’”

Thus, a team of four students emerged: Will O’Hare, a professional pilot senior; Kamron Dildy, an aerospace administration and operations senior; Zachary Pennington, a mechanical engineering senior; and Grimaud.

Having a few of the same classes, Grimaud said he and O’Hare knew each other, but Grimaud had never met the rest of the team. Dildy saw Grimaud’s message and asked his friend, Pennington, to take on the challenge with him.

“When I saw Garrison’s message in the aviation GroupMe, I was immediately like, ‘You know what, I’ll go for it; why not try?’” Dildy said. “I also knew Zach from church, and we needed a team engineer, and he was up for it.”

Under Grimaud’s leadership, each team member had a specialized area in the project: O’Hare worked on the invention design; Dildy planned creative elements and edited the document; and Pennington worked on the mechanics and technical aspects of the project.

“I got so lucky to find people who fit perfectly with what we needed and wanted to attempt this challenge,” Grimaud said.

Grimaud and O’Hare met at a coffee shop to work, and Dildy and Pennington worked remotely.

With their team assembled and fewer than 48 hours left, the four members needed an idea. First, they picked one of the four categories to focus their idea: commercial air transportation, general aviation, emerging operations and traveling public. They decided on general aviation because of the broadness of the subject, Grimaud said.

Grimaud told his team to spend an hour thinking about an invention that could positively impact the aviation industry. While Grimaud and O’Hare spent their time brainstorming at a coffee shop, Dildy and Pennington worked remotely.

“At the end of the hour, we had nothing,” Grimaud said. “So, I said, ‘All right guys, I haven’t prayed about this. I prayed and said, ‘God, give me an idea.’

And then I had it.”

Grimaud’s idea was an emergency broadcasting system embedded in a software pilots commonly use, ForeFlight, that notifies air traffic controllers and local authorities of the pilot’s location and emergency in a button form, simplifying the process.

“A lot of the problem when pilots are having crashes is they’re really struggling to focus on what the important tasks are because they are afraid of crashing and not being found,” Grimaud said. “So, this button minimizes the workload for the pilot in case of an emergency and helps them use all their focus to land safely.”

A 15-page written project plan proposal was the next step for the team.

The proposal consisted of a cover letter, table of contents, summary statement, problem statement and background, in-depth project description, university support letter and a quad chart. The team members divided the workload and got started. Thus, their invention, “Squawk Foreflight” was born.

Grimaud spent 20 of the 48 hours writing the proposal, working until the early morning hours. Even when his

Courtesy of Garrison Grimaud (From left to right): Zachary Pennington, Garrison Grimaud, Will O’Hare, and Kameron Dildy are finalists in the Federal Aviation Administration competition.

hands were cramped and eyes got heavy, Grimaud said he continued writing.

“I believe that even if you fail, you can learn something,” Grimaud said. “My whole thought process was, if for some reason we don’t make it, then at least we can know we tried. I put in my best effort and I have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Matt Vance, an associate professor of aviation and aerospace, said this determination is common behavior for Grimaud. In his 37 years of teaching, Vance said he has never met a student like Grimaud.

“The difference in Garrison’s motivation from other students is he’s very hungry to be an entrepreneur, where most of us are just happy to be consumers,” Vance said. “He wants to develop his own way.”

When Grimaud asked Vance to be the team’s university sponsor for the competition, Vance immediately accepted.

To his knowledge, no other OSU students have attempted to enter this competition, Vance said.

Even with Vance’s support, it wasn’t over. The team had another hurdle to

Ph.D. students design sea ship simulator Jake Sellers Staff Reporter A sea ship simulator is being designed inside Bert Cooper Civil Engineering Lab. Mohamed Soliman, associate professor at the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology, said the design work began in 2018. The purpose of the simulation is to test the strength of stiffener found in large-scale ships in the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Stiffeners are metal sections used to support a metal plate. The large simulator puts pressure on the stiffeners, testing their lifespan.

Soliman said the man he calls the mastermind behind the project, Leon Shen, is in the fifth year of his Ph.D. civil engineering program at OSU. As an international student, Shen looks fondly on his time at OSU. “When I first came here, I thought everything was so new,” Shen said.

Shifting from a personal to a professional perspective, Shen said the Bert Cooper Lab has come far since he arrived.

“The lab didn’t always look like this,” Shen said.

During the last five years, their team has made the Cooper Lab a giant steel testing facility.

By the end of March, the group will receive a new specimen to adjust the gap between the stiffeners to test

overcome before submitting: getting the university to sign off on it. This was the hardest part, Grimaud said.

“We were only eight hours in,” Grimaud said. “It was a challenge trying to explain to Chad Depperschmidt, the head of the aviation department, what the project was about, when I barely knew myself and he didn’t know me. I didn’t have the details that he needed to trust it.”

When Grimaud was losing hope, Vance walked in, vouching for Grimaud and his team. Depperschmidt granted university support and the team submitted its project that afternoon, Jan. 20.

“We went from not knowing that the competition existed to having it fully sponsored by OSU and submitted in 48 hours,” Grimaud said. “And the craziest part, we won.”

Across the state, Dildy was sitting in the passenger seat of a U-Haul when he heard his phone ding. On his screen a message from Grimaud read in all capitals, ‘GUYS WE WON! WE WON!’ See Soaring on 8A

Corral Cookout

Courtesy of Leon Shen Leon Shen, a Ph.D. student and team member in the sea ship simulator project, stands next to the data collection program inside the Bert Cooper Civil Engineering Lab.

the fatigue. The current specimen was assembled in December 2020 and has been the source of data for the model for one year.

Shen said the group has had some challenges staying on schedule.

“COVID actually affected us a lot because (we have had a shortage of)people in the lab, and the manufacturing has been delayed as well,” Shen said.

Even with COVID setbacks, the group of engineers has managed to stay on schedule, and they are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“Another year for this whole project (to be completed),” Shen said.

Shen’s fellow team

member and civil engineering Ph.D. student Muhammad Tamimi, oversees running numerical tests simulating the behavior of the specimen to predict the fatigue propagation rate. Tamimi began his contributions to Dr. Soliman’s group in 2019 and is in the fourth year of his Ph.D. program.

“I remember when I first joined, I didn’t know much, but now I have experience and can do a lot,” Tamimi said.

The team withstood changes, challenges and witnessed immense progress.

With one year of testing left, the team of engineers have overcome the thick of the project.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Abby Cage

Cowboy baseball and Cowgirl softball hosted a tailgate on campus for students between classes on Thursday afternoon. Assistant coach Robin Ventura grilled some food, and lawn games were available to play like giant Jenga. The Cowboy baseball team enjoyed playing Jenga as students came by to say hi.

O’Colly

Friday, March 25, 2022 Page 5A

News

Horrors, successes of interviews

DIY Wednesday kites The OSU Student Arts Alliance hosts DIY Wednesdays at the end of every month.

This month, students had the chance to create their own kites on a windy day.

Photos by Jaiden Daughty

Branson Evans

Tuesday, at Spears Mock Interview Day, students prepared for internships and job interviews.

Kylee Sutherland O'Colly contributor

ued to insert side comments belittling her undergraduate research for the Department of Integrative Biology. Alternating Six feet tall and armed between feeling angry and emwith enough confidence to fill barrassed, Gore sat on the edge every inch of her frame, Jillian of her seat, face red, counting Gore is not easily intimidated. down the questions until she Yet a small-framed, could leave. white-haired veterinarian unTo end the interview, he settled her with one sentence: asked her to answer a scenario “You look like you’re walking as if she were a vet. on stilts.”

“He said, ‘Oh, no. If As a senior zoology you’re so smart, walk me pre-veterinarian major, Gore through your thought process,’” was in the thick of vet school Gore said. “I tried my best and interviews in early January. told him my conclusion, but it Although she is a seasoned inwasn’t what he wanted to hear. terviewee and doesn’t normally Then he said, ‘See, that’s the feel nervous, she felt shaken difference between average vets before she sat in front of the and good vets. Good vets are interview panel. able to come up with that conInterviews are a standard clusion. But if you want to be expectation for college students, average, go back to OSU.’” but nothing had prepared her Hiding her mortification for this interview horror story. and fury behind a smile and Once the interview began, handshake, Gore left the interthe vet school alumnus contin- view as soon as possible.

Food...

Continued from 1A The newest pantry in the Pete’s Pantry network opened Feb. 1. In the Student Union basement, it is stocked with food and resources from Our Daily Bread Food and Resources Center.

Leadership and Campus Life administration worked with Rachael Condley, executive director at Our Daily Bread Food and Resource Center, to get this pantry started.

“One of our commitments and our strategic priorities was to help address food insecurity on the OSU campus because that’s definitely part of our service area at Our Daily Bread,” Condley said. “We serve Payne County, so Oklahoma State is really important to us. We’ve got a lot of initiatives in place, but this pantry plan has been talked about and planned for a long time. To see it come to fruition has been super rewarding.”

In Student Union Room 042, right past the barbershop, there is what looks like a miniature grocery store stocked with balanced meal options. One aisle has canned vegetables and proteins, peanut butter, rice and pasta. The next aisle shoppers can find snack foods and single-serve items. In the middle of the makeshift store lies the produce section, and the refrigerated section is across from that. There is also a hygiene section in the store stocked with items such as toilet paper, shaving kits and shampoo.

Shoppers will see signs on every shelf telling them how many items to take. The sign reads “take 2” for the cans of tomatoes, but “3 = 1” for the oatmeal packets. Unlike a grocery store, once shoppers are done shopping, they don’t check out. They take what they need and head home. Brian Blevins, coordinator of Non-Traditional Student Services, said there have been about 20 students using the pantry every day.

“I have yet to see a day where our numbers have decreased,” Blevins said.

“I think as word gets out, more people will start to use it. I understand that numbers will plateau eventually, which is a good thing.”

Two of five Oklahoma State students experience some level of food insecurity, and Amarie Griffeth was one of the students who led the charge to create resources for students experiencing food insecurity. She was an intern for Vanessa Wiebe, student body vice president from 2018-19, and Griffeth and Wiebe shared a passion for alleviating food insecurity on campus. Jack Edwards, student body president, remembers when discussions began about

“I felt so undermined,” she said. “It was so demoralizing that he was brushing off all my undergraduate achievements.”

Whether for higher education institutions, part-time jobs or even full-time jobs after graduation, interviews loom over every college student. Not everyone has had an interview or is prepared to handle an inappropriate one.

Preparation builds confidence, said Amy Weaver, a career development graduate assistant at OSU. Although preparation doesn’t guarantee an unpleasant interview experience will never happen, it can help students navigate challenging interviews. A Career Services mock interview is one way students are able to prepare for interviews, Weaver said.

See Interview on 8A

food insecurity.

“The two of them decided to raise awareness for food insecurity, and they started opening the conversation about a food pantry,” Edwards said.

Griffeth’s passion for helping those experiencing food insecurity started when she was in middle school.

She was a member of 4-H, and buying Thanksgiving meals for students’ families in her school was one of the organization’s holiday projects. The 4-H students went grocery shopping and delivered the food to the families’ homes.

“I was front of the line with my arms full of groceries when we knocked on the door of a home, and the girl that sat next to me in English class answered the door,” Griffeth said. “That’s when food insecurity became real for me, and I realized that the person that sat next to me didn’t know where her next meal would come from. From that time on, I decided I wanted to work in food insecurity for the rest of my life.”

Griffeth said she wasn’t sure what that would look like for her in college, but when she had the opportunity to work with Wiebe, she jumped at the chance.

“Whenever I heard that Vanessa was so passionate about that, too, I knew that I needed to have a seat at her table,” Griffeth said.

When Wiebe graduated in 2019, she entrusted Griffeth with continuing the fight to alleviate food insecurity on campus. Wiebe asked Griffeth to

File Photo Our Daily Bread Food and Resource Center is stocked with food and resources for students suffering from food insecurity.

become the director of food insecurity for Student Government Association and to create a committee that would work on this issue full time.

Although there has been a steady number of students using the pantries, the OSU senior who was food insecure said she feels as if there are stigmas about being food insecure that cause students to not want to use the resources on campus or in Stillwater.

“The pantries are student run, and a lot of students volunteer at the [Our Daily Bread] pantry, so it can feel embarrassing to go shopping there,” the student said.

Along with students who know about the resources but choose not to use them, there is also a large number of students who don’t know about them.

About 78% of students with low food security don’t have enough food, but they don’t know about the resources on campus, according to Forrest’s study in 2021. Isabelle Posey, a nutritional sciences student at OSU, is working to increase awareness of resources on campus for her honors thesis.

Through social media and Aframes on campus, Posey has brought attention to the resources at OSU and at Our Daily Bread Food and Resource Center. Posey said this is important because from interviews with students for her thesis she learned many students are food insecure but don’t realize it or don’t know what their options are.

“We heard a lot of testimonials of people and about their friends saying they don’t have enough to eat or about their friends passing out at work,” Posey said. “It’s definitely something that touched everyone’s lives and they’ve known someone that experienced it.”

Although most people know someone who has experienced food insecurity, they are often not fully aware of that person’s situation. Griffeth said she thinks people never know whether someone is wondering where his or her next meal will come from, and there is a stigma if someone is food insecure, then he or she isn’t working hard enough. Griffeth had a member on her food insecurity committee who was dealing with food insecurity. She was an engineering major and worked the night shift at the gym Griffeth went to.

“I just thought she was a hardworking girl who was getting her engineering degree and working on the side,” Griffeth said. “Then one day we were in committee, but the pantry door had been left open, and in the middle of committee she got up and didn’t say anything, just left. I didn’t think twice about it, and when she came back she had a can, and she said, ‘I’m so sorry, but I don’t have enough food.’ That was just another reason of why we do this.

I know this girl’s patterns. I know how hard she works, and if people knew her

story, they would have so much more grace.”

Being food insecure in college can cause added stress to students, and the OSU senior who was food insecure said the extra planning that went into figuring out where her next meal would come from took time away from her course work. Not only did coordinating meals take extra time for the student, but also her limited options and lack of nutritious food was also a source of stress.

“It took a lot of extra planning to find out what campus events I could go to to get free food,” the student said.

“I didn’t always get to pick what I ate.

A lot of the food I ate was unhealthy, and I was also stressed about gaining weight.”

Students might not fully understand what food insecurity looks like, but Griffeth said she has seen how students care about other students. During the snow storm in February 2021, though campus was closed, members of Student Government Association were at the office so the pantry would be open. The vice president at the time, Luke Muller, also bought coats and blankets for the pantry. That day, a few international students came to the pantry with no coats on and snow on their shoes.

Griffeth stepped into the vice president’s office to give the students privacy in the pantry, and at the time Student Government Association had worked on a giveaway of gift cards to food places in Stillwater that students could enter by donating to Student Government Association. One of Muller’s friends won the giveaway and was in the office with them when the students came to use the pantry.

“She was like, ‘You know, I don’t really need any of this,’” Griffeth said. “‘I didn’t enter because I wanted to win.

Why don’t we just give it to the students in the pantry?’”

The student who won the giveaway gave every item she won to the students using the pantry, and Griffeth saw how thankful the students were.

Muller even drove the students home with their food, coats, blankets and items.

“I just think that that goes to show that students on this campus care about other students,” Griffeth said. “That moment was just one of my highlights of college because that act of kindness meant something to the students that received it all. I think that’s why I love the programs that we have on our campus because I talk about walking into the food pantry, and it’s like you’re getting a hug. It’s a happy space and it’s really cool to see that happiness play. news.ed@ocolly.com

Page 6A Friday, March 25, 2022

O’Colly

Lifestyle

Students gather outside Student Union to walk in OSU’s first ‘SlutWalk’ Teyte Holcomb Lifestyle Editor

they want,” Baxter-Luper said. “We are combating this idea that dressing a certain way makes you susceptible or to blame for violence.”

Along with personal experiences, the event featured flyers sharing information about objectification and victim blaming. Meg Clowers, the social media chair for Feminist Collective, said she thinks it’s important to understand these terms, and the importance of the walk.

“This is the age you’re going out and doing things,” Clowers said. “It is very easy to be taken advantage of in that situation, no matter what you do. It is really important for everyone to come into their own, and not be scared.”

Baxter-Luper and Clowers said although this is OSU’s first “SlutWalk,” they hope that this is just the beginning to spreading awareness and recognizing rape culture.

“I want students to embrace their body and express confidence,” BaxterLuper said.

“Being a victim can feel very isolating,” Clowers said. “My hope is that everybody who saw us out here today knows that they are not alone and that there is a group of people who are ready to fight for them.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual violence or sexual assault, visit rainn.org or call 1-800-656-4673

Thursday, OSU students and faculty gathered outside the Student Union for the first “OSU SlutWalk.”

The movement brought awareness to rape culture “slut-shaming” and sexual violence around campus. Students gathered to make signs and walked around campus to show support for victims of assault.

“SlutWalk” is an international movement seeking to end victim blaming for sexual assault and rape; specifically based on aspects of someones appearance. The movement was founded after a Toronto Police Officer made sexist and misogynistic remarks about rape rates across York University in Toronto, Canada.

Originally gaining traction in Canada, the movement saw growth across universities in the U.S. After walking around OSU’s campus, students shared stories and experiences about rape culture and sexual assault. Irissa Baxter-Luper, coordinator of Women’s and LGBTQ+ Affairs, said the event was planned to show how prevalent rape culture is on college campuses.

“SlutWalk is an international movement to really bring attention to allowing people to dress however entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

way! a e d i H inal g i r eO h t out k ec Ch

Allie Putman Students gathered outside the Student Union to take part in OSU’s first “SlutWalk” to bring attention to sexual assault and rape culture.

Allie Putman Meg Clowers is one of the coordinators for OSU’s first “SlutWalk.”

Allie Putman About 30 students gathered to participate in the “SlutWalk.”

SINCE 1957,

230 S. Knoblock St. Stillwater, OK 74074

Stop in for fresh Fried Mushrooms or Pizza made to your liking!

HIMALAYAN GROCERY STORE WHEN IS LITTLE MUCH?

There is a short chorus that has encouraged me many times. “Little is much if God is in it. Labor not for wealth or fame. There’s a crown and you can win it. If you go in Jesus’ name.”

The woman, who poured the precious ointment on Jesus just before he was crucified, was criticized for “wasting” this expensive item. Yet, Jesus said everywhere the gospel is preached this woman’s action would be told. (Mk 14:3-9) Little things mean a lot as we are willing to serve the Lord. Paul mentions many in Romans 16 who helped him. The Good Samaritan stopped to help the man beaten and robbed.

(Lu.10:30-37) Paul writes as you have opportunity, do good to all men, especially to other believers.(Gal.6:10) When the poor widow dropped the two pennies, all that she had, into the temple offering. Jesus said she gave more the large offerings given. Her “large giving” was in relation to what she had. (Mk.12:41-44)

Many people may plan to give when they receive a great amount of money, but that large amount of money may never come. We may plan to give time or talent to a project when we have more time, but that perfect time arrangement may never happen. Again, the apostle Paul encourages us “as you have opportunity, do good to all men.”

We never know when a little gesture of kindness, with money, or helping in an area of service, spending a little time with a person, a word of encouragement, will be just the action that will be a great help to someone. These can be practical ways of living out the Lord’s challenge to love one another. This is the fulfilling of the many commandments in the Bible: loving people by word and action.

O’Colly

Friday, March 25, 2022 Page 7A

Page 8A Friday, March 25, 2022

O’Colly

News Soaring...

Continued from 4A

Courtesy of Derick Dillard Rick Dillard was Pistol Pete in 1976-1978; 30 years before his son, Derick, auditioned for the role.

Pete...

Continued from 1A Not only did Derick not get the role as Pistol Pete, but he was met with heartbreaking news from his mother and brother: his father had died of an unknown heart condition as he was sleeping in 2008. After, Derick would never be the same.

With the indescribable pain of losing his father and mentor, Derick returned to school with two goals: to not only be Pistol Pete, but also to follow his dad’s legacy.

“Growing up I heard so many stories about being Pistol Pete, so to me it was something that came naturally,” Derick said. “After he passed away, being Pistol Pete to me just meant to have that

added connection with him.”

Along with the role of Pistol Pete, came the opportunity to give back and help others.

“I would go to hospitals to make people smile by seeing their dear mascot, you never know what position you’re going to find yourself as Pistol Pete, and it was fun to hang out and meet a lot of people and especially to honor my dad,” Derick said.

For Derick, knowing the events and charities his dad was involved with, and the stories he made as Pistol Pete, helped him power through the pain.

“The stories are all I had,” Derick said.

“I think if my dad was here when I found out I would be Pistol Pete, he would have more personal advice to give.

“If there’s one thing

Interview...

Continued from 5A Conducted virtually or in-person, mock interviews are one-hour appointments split into two sections. For the first 30 minutes, a career services professional and the student talk through logistics. What kind of interview they are planning for, if they have participated in an interview before, the student’s strengths and potential areas to grow in. For the last half of the appointment, students are asked five to seven questions typically asked in interviews with a feedback part at the end. Students are given feedback on what they can improve on and have a chance to ask questions.

One of Weaver’s favorite pieces of advice to give students at the end of mock interviews is simple: Be confident and be yourself.

“Since you made it to the interview portion, it’s clear that you’re wanted so you can relax into that,” Weaver said. “Plus, these are people you might be with for 40 hours a week. You want to have a genuine interview experience to see if it’s a good fit both ways.”

Although the hope is for every interview to be professional, there are some situations, like Gore’s, where interviewers can ask questions that are inappropriate or make the interviewee uncomfortable. Some interview questions may be considered illegal, such as any questions about country of origin, disability, gender or religion. Weaver’s advice is to be firm and use your answer to redirect the interview back to professional qualifications.

“For example, if I were asked if I was pregnant, I would answer, ‘I’m not sure how that relates to the job,’”

Branson Evans Kenneth Kern, director of graduate programs in the Watson Graduate School of Management, said interview preparation can make the difference between acceptance or denial into a program.

I would say to my dad about my time as Pistol Pete, I would thank him for the inspiration, and for setting an example not only as Pistol Pete, but in life in general.”

Derick said Rick’s love for OSU and his family made him a great Pistol Pete, one who inspired him, and could one day inspire Derick's two sons.

“There’s no pressure for my kids to be Pistol Pete, only if they want to, but it would be super cool to see our family represent OSU for the third time,” Derick said.

Whether a third generation of Dillard's will take the role as Pistol Pete in the future, it’s yet to be discovered. What is known is Rick and Derick Dillard made history together as Pistol Pete, even if decades apart. news.ed@ocolly.com

Weaver said. “‘I am able to fulfill all the requirements listed in the job description.’ And then I would move on.”

When it comes to recovering from inappropriate interviews, Gore said it takes time and talking. Sharing her experience with fellow students and her research professor helped remind her that the situation was unacceptable and not a reflection on her ability as a young professional.

Although Gore’s situation is unique, nerves can be a normal part of interviewing, another interview savvy student, Braylen Davenport, said. Even with six job and scholarship interviews, Davenport, a sophomore accounting and nonprofit management double major, said she feels nervous for every interview.

In recent interviews, Davenport faces a challenge more difficult to manage than her nerves: technology.

With Zoom interviews becoming more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, potential job candidates face the challenge of how to connect personally through a screen.

“I’m way more timid over Zoom than when I interact in person,” Davenport said. “I had to figure out how to connect with people when I wasn’t able to see below their neck. Learning how to adapt your personality to technology is something that’s important to learn.”

For virtual interview success, potential candidates should also think about logistics, Weaver said. Making sure they are in a location with stable and strong internet connection, a clean background (preferably not in a bedroom), good lighting and professional dress.

For future interviewees, the best way to adjust to virtual interviews is practice, Davenport said. Either with a friend or using campus resources, it’s important to know how to conduct multiple types of interviews.

“Everyone always says to practice, but it’s really important,” Davenport said. “It’s hard to know how you are being perceived over a camera, so to have professional feedback would be great.”

Practicing through universitywide Career Services or Spears specific Eastin Center resources is advice not only from a student who has been there, but also advice from a graduate school interviewer. Kenneth Kern, director of graduate programs in the Watson Graduate School of Management, said practice helps students be more comfortable and prepared for professional school interviews. This preparation can make the difference between acceptance or denial into a program.

“If a program is on the fence about you as an applicant, your performance can help push them over the edge,” Kern said.

A solid interview can help fill in resume or experience gaps, Kerns said,

“I was in disbelief,” Dildy said.

“I didn’t believe it until I clicked the link and saw our name with the other four finalists.”

As winner of the general aviation category, the team earned an all-expenses-paid trip to the final competition in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in late June to compete against the finalists in the other categories: Purdue University, Morgan State University and Hampton University. The winner of the competition will earn the top prize of $25,000. If the team wins, Grimaud said it intends to use the prize money to patent the invention or split the money evenly.

“If we don’t have to use the money for a patent, and could receive help from the university for that, that would be great,” Grimaud said.

“Then, each of us could spend the money on other expenses.”

A patent would protect the team’s invention and exclude others from making, using or selling it.

Vance said he believes ForeFlight will see potential value in the team’s idea and it can secure a relationship with the software company to implement the idea.

At the Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, the team will produce a 45-minute presentation about its invention, “Squawk ForeFlight,” and have a 30-minute Q&A session with a panel of nine judges from the Federal Aviation Administration.

“If we could come up with a winning idea for an invention in 48 hours, I can only imagine what we can do in two months,” Pennington said.

Pennington will take the lead on the technical paper due May 8 for the final competition. As a mechanical engineering major, he specializes in the technical aspects and design considerations of the invention.

“I didn’t expect [Pennington] to

Courtesy of Derick Dillard If they win the final competition in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the team will split the top prize of $25,000.

start the ground running so fast, but he’s already starting working on the technical paper and has some really great ideas,” Grimaud said.

Last week, the four team members, now good friends, met for the first time.

O’Hare said they immediately hit it off, reminiscing about the life-changing moment when they found out they had won. The team has started prepping for the coming competition, and O’Hare said he feels confident about its chances.

“Garrison and I had been friends for a while, but meeting the rest of the team got me so much more excited for the competition,” O’Hare said. “It’s a good group of guys. I think we have a good shot at winning this thing.”

Dildy said he is excited for the team’s future.

“You hear all of these big companies like Amazon that were created out of a garage; it’s cool to think this could go somewhere really big,” Dildy said. “And we’re just four guys that came up with an idea in 48 hours.” news.ed@ocolly.com

Branson Evans Kenneth Kern, director of graduate programs in the Watson Graduate School of Management, said interview preparation can make the difference between acceptance or denial into a program.

and show the interview team that even if the candidate isn’t 100% perfect on paper, he or she would be an asset to the program.

Another way for candidates to show off their skills and strength as applicants might not have anything to do with themselves, Kerns said, but the questions they ask at the end of the interview.

“You have to be inquisitive in the process,” he said. “The interview isn’t just about you. It’s about the program and what it will do for you. Really think through questions you want to bring, and not just token online questions, but questions that are specific.”

Other criteria for higher education candidates include undergraduate internships, interpersonal people skills, campus involvement and, of course, a strong academic background.

For full-time positions post graduation, some expectations shift. Much like a graduate program, companies look at applicants’ educational background. Many positions also look for job-specific qualifications and passion for the work, said Bo Gamble, Stillwater Public Schools director of human resources.

“For most individuals entering into teaching, there’s a reason for that,” Gamble said. “For a lot of new teachers, they come from a family of educators or found an interest working with kids. We look for those things since the job is all about working and engaging kids. It’s pretty demanding.”

Passion and a teacher’s certifications within a specific content area always receive prioritization, Gamble said, especially with so many future teachers who attend OSU able to

student teach or observe within the school district. With the lack of teachers in Oklahoma, alternative or emergency certifications are accepted.

When interviewing first-year teachers, Gamble said it’s as beneficial a learning experience for him as it is for the potential candidate. The interview helps him gain perspective from a younger generation just entering the workforce, and he is able to share experience he has from being in the profession for 25 years.

If an interviewee has any nerves, Gamble’s response is gracious.

“I’ve been doing this a long time, and when I interviewed for the position I’m in now, I was nervous,” he said.

“We all get nervous. That’s just being human.”

Weaver agreed nerves are normal and suggested if students are nervous before or even in an interview, they take a moment to pause. Nerves can cause a lot of potential candidates to ramble or lose their train of thought, she said.

“By pausing and giving yourself a few seconds to think between questions is so helpful,” Weaver said. “You have time to gather yourself and you aren’t talking while you’re thinking.”

Advice from a professional to potential candidates entering the work force is an echo of those before him: practice, Gamble said. Want to get rid of nerves? Practice. Want to wow future employers? Practice.

“Take advantage of any mock interview, ask questions in an interview,” he said. “Because those are going to be the things that prepare you for walking in the door and getting a job.” news.ed@ocolly.com

O’Colly

Friday, March 25, 2022 Page 9A

Lifestyle

Dua Lipa rocks BOK Center Jaiden Daughty Staff Reporter After the COVID-19 pandemic, artists like Dua Lipa are beginning to make their rounds around the world again.

She made her stop in Tulsa March 17 last week. The performance featured everyone from mainstream artists to niche singers, but the crowd was sure to bring the energy.

Caroline Polachek opened the concert by performing her No. 1 song on Spotify, “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings.” Center stage with a vibrant red silk-like dress, her voice echoed throughout the arena. Although she is fairly new and unknown to the pop artist scene, she began to gain the crowd’s attention with her unique vocal presence on the stage. Polachek will be a name to watch out for in years to come. Polachek announced “The Hot Girl Coach” Megan Thee Stallion was up next.

Most of the audience in the BOK Center was in attendance to see Megan Thee Stallion. Before coming on stage, fans were standing up in the arena chanting her name. Megan Thee Stallion started off her set by rapping the TikTok-famous song “Cry Baby.”

Almost effortlessly, Megan Thee Stallion was able to get the crowd exhilarated with her lively energy in her performance. In the transitions between her songs, Megan Thee Stallion constantly interacted with her fanbase by talking to fans or taking their phone to record herself on stage. Her eccentric personality left an impact on audience members of all ages.

With the arena lights dimming, fans screamed at the top of their lungs.

A distinct presence suddenly filled the air. Purple Disco Machines “Body Funk” slowly started fading through the speakers as a nostalgic-futuristic backdrop lit up the arena.

A video emerged on the backdrop where the Miami-vice style font read: “In Stereocolor: Future Nostalgia.” After the title of her show faded away, Dua Lipa made sure to give her dance and musical team their respects; giving them each a proper introduction before she came on stage.

With bright remarkable lights

Teyte Holcomb Dua Lipa performed hit songs at the BOK Center with Megan Thee Stallion and Caroline Polachek.

slowly starting to illuminate her neon green outfit center stage, Lipa began to sing her hit single “Physical.” With her background dancers emphasizing her lyrics as she sang, Lipa then went on to assert her stage presence by strutting down the key-shaped stage. The rest of her show featured stunning dance breaks, entertaining intermissions and breathtaking vocals.

Dua Lipa gave her fans something to remember, and the Future Nostalgia tour will run through the rest of 2022.

There was never a dull moment in this unforgettable performance, and fans and performers alike were sure to rock the BOK.

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Page 10A Friday, March 25, 2022

O’Colly

Lifestyle

DID YOU KNOW..

Tameko...

O'COLLY MEDIA GROUP

Continued from 1A “I replace lectures with instructional videos, which then allows students to work at their own pace based on their own cognitive needs,” Collins said. “The kids who need more time can take it and the ones who are ready to move on can, and all the while I’m not spending the whole time lecturing.”

Collins said she researched how motivation levels are increased when the three psychological needs are supported, which has increased learning in her classroom.

Although teaching might not have been on the radar as a full-time job, she said her master’s degree is helping her get one step closer to strengthening the relationship between her and students’ lives. Collins said that although she’s done with her master’s degree, she isn’t stopping yet.

“I definitely have plans to keep going,” Collins said. “My ultimate goal right now is to really revitalize the education system in Oklahoma, more specifically reshaping the teacher education program that our state’s teachers go through.”

Although Collins said she doesn’t plan on leaving teaching anytime soon, she hopes to bring greater awareness to the different types of learning environments that can help students become motivated and successful. Collins also received the Teacher of the Year award, largely due to her unique teaching style.

She said she doesn’t know the exact reason her colleagues voted for her, her studentcentered teaching focus

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and student-led perspective has created a focused and positive environment in her classroom.

Even though Collins has completed her master’s degree, she said she is just getting started.

Collins plans to further

her education by getting a Ph. D in educational psychology and said she hopes to change the way students learn in the classroom.

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Family Expansion

Abby Smith

Jacie Hoyt was introduced on Monday as the new coach of Cowgirl basketball.

Hoyt’s relationship-centered approach

Garcia building culture for OSU Baylor Bryant Staff Reporter

coaches and the team.

We are a whole new team and I feel like the environment practicing Alex Garcia has in is really good. I feel helped build a profesmyself growing every sional and welcoming week in and out.” culture.

Garcia reflected on Garcia transferred how much of an impact to Oklahoma State from Taylor had on his deciBaylor after the 2021 sion to transfer to OSU. season. In his brief “I feel like coach time at OSU, Garcia Taylor was one of the has proved himself on biggest reasons why I the court as one of the came here,” Garcia said.

Cowboys’ most reliable Garcia has been a tennis players. valuable player on the “I came here in Cowboys’ roster, leading January, so it was my them to many victories first semester with in the 2022 season in (coach) Dustin Taylor,” singles and in doubles.

Garcia said. “I feel like Since his arrival in Stillthe first few weeks we water, Taylor has been improved a lot. We didn’t impressed by Garcia’s play that much but, I feel ability on the court, and like every week I’m get- what he brings to the ting better and better. I Cowboys tennis team. feel comfortable with the See Garcia on 8B

ʼʼ

School in Kansas.

Hoyt and two of her sisters, Terran and Karena, all played alongside their cousins, aunts, uncles and parents.

“We get very heated,” Terran said, “Very competitive. But it’s always got to happen, every Christmas all the cousins, Ben Hutchens everyone is a part of it.”

Staff Reporter The teams are simple.

“We always play adults versus Team Hoyt got divided every fam- young kids and it gets even more intense ily reunion. because old people don’t call fouls,” Pickup basketball turned Team Terran said.

Hoyt, as the Hoyt family group chat is The atmosphere was always tense named, from family to enemies. as family members, sweaty, bruised and Jacie Hoyt is the new coach of the sore came back into the house.

Oklahoma State women’s basketball “When the games are done, we team. Hoyt, who arrived in Stillwater on don’t talk to each other for a couple Monday, still carries the same trait from hours after until everyone is kind of the family reunion basketball games: cooled off because there is always competitiveness and a love for family. people that get mad, but that’s just kind The pickup games were fierce. of how we roll,” Karena said.

Inside an otherwise empty gymnasium, It never surprised Shelly to see her the Hoyts would duke it out. Access to children fighting after the family games. the gym came courtesy of Jacie’s mom, Shelly, who coached at Hoxie High See Hoyt on 5B

Outside of my faith, the most important thing for me is family.

Family to me, I don’t take it lightly.

ʼʼ

Jacie Hoyt

Women’s basketball coach

Prime Time: Evans leading as freshman Chris Becker With a blossoming transfer portal, retaining quarterbacks for the longterm is becoming an issue in college football.

Quarterback depth could be thing of past

problems.

The Cowboys already took a hit this offseason. Secondstringer Shane Illingworth, who started three games over two seasons, Dean Ruhl ditched OSU’s posse for the Nevada Wolf Pack.

Sports Editor Quarterbacks continue to trailblaze the portal, and it Quarterback depth is showing in the Big 12. always worries Mike Oklahoma and Texas will Gundy. be playing with transfer The concern has only QBs this season. Kansas heightened with the always State will, too. daunting transfer portal – the cause, and solution, See Quarterback on 9B to all of college football’s

I’m like, ‘I probably shouldn’t say that word.’”

The pain of peeling off a couple bills to deposit in a mason jar isn’t what saves Gajewski from an uttering Sam Hutchens occasional profanity. It is Assistant Evans’ character.

Sports Editor “She’s a leader here,” Gajewski said. “I To Cowgirls softcan tell you that right ball coach Kenny Gajew- now. She is a kid that a ski, one player’s preslot of kids look up to. ence acts like a swear She is probably a bit jar inside the softball intimidating because she clubhouse. leads a life that is pretty Even in frustratgood.” ing situations, when Gajewski described Gajewski finds himself Evans at “put together” in proximity to Brianna and said he did not have Evans, his freshman sec- to babysit her during the ond baseman, Gajewski recruiting process. is dissuaded from letting “I don’t change a curse word fly. who I am when I’m “I have an ocaround certain people,” casional bad mouth,” Evans said. “I try to just Gajewski said. “When I be who I am.” want to say one of those See Evans on 4B words and she’s around

What's Inside

Dynasty drought Page 3B

Smith reflects on Cowboys’ season after second-worst finish in school history.

Stepping up Page 6B

Black assuming starting role this season.

Finding rhythm Page 8B

Cowgirls’ offense finding groove ahead of conference play.

Page 2B Friday, March 25, 2022

O’Colly

sports

Warren living unexpected dream

Top Pro Day Performers Top vertical: Devin Harper (40.5 inches) Broad jump: Christian Holmes (10 feet, 6 inches) Bench press: Malcolm Rodriguez (36 reps)

OSU linebacker, Devin Harper

Chris Becker

Courtesy of OSU Althletics OSU running back Jaylen Warren impressed at the Cowboys’ Pro Day, an accomplishment he didn’t expect to achieve a year ago.

Before Warren sought after an NFL career, he just wanted to be in the spotlight with OSU’s starters.

“I would watch the first strings and say, ‘Dang those are all the OSU starters,’” Warren Gabriel Trevino said. “It’s crazy to think I was Staff Reporter then one of those.”

The former junior college Jaylen Warren walked into player first transferred to Utah the Sherman E. Smith Training State, where he played for two Center nervous and distant. seasons, then OSU in 2021. WarHe had come a long way in ren entered the season as OSU’s his football career to end up in third-string running back, but Stillwater, but he felt as far away after a 218-yard performance in from his goals as possible. The week three against Boise State, Utah native entered his first day he ran away with the starting job. of practice on a summer day in Warren compiled 1,441 Oklahoma with the field divided. total yards and 11 touchdowns in Starters on the north end, back2021, and declared for the NFL ups on the south half. draft following the conclusion A year later, during OSU’s of the season. The NFL noticed, Pro Day, Warren would be on the inviting Warren to the national north side of the field, running scouting combine in early March, drills and showing off in front of but he did not expect to even play NFL scouts. high school football.

“I never saw myself at this big of a school,” Warren said.

“When I started playing football, I was just playing for fun and with my friends. I remember I didn’t even want to play high school football. My uncle told me to try it, so I did. Next thing you know I was going to the combine.”

There is still one month until the NFL draft, but Warren is more proud of his self growth during his short time as a Cowboy.

“Trust the process,” Warren said. “When I first got here I was the third string. I thought to myself ‘Oh man, I’m not playing,’ but we were winning. Then when I started contributing to winning it felt good. I trusted the process… This place has made me realize a lot about myself.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Tribune News Service

Rich Cheetah: On Wednesday, former OSU wide receiver Tyreek Hill became the highest paid receiver in NFL history after being traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins. Hill’s contract is a 4-year/$120 million deal.

O’Colly

sports

Friday, March 25, 2022 Page 3B

OSU’s season crumbled Adam Engel Staff Reporter The drought continues.

Sixteen years have passed since OSU won its last NCAA wrestling championship. The Cowboys remain the winningest team in college wrestling, but not in recent memory.

A once promising season crumbled with injuries. AJ Ferrari, the team’s emotional leader and defending national champion at 197 pounds, ended his season in a car crash. Ferrari’s crash paired with a left knee injury for Travis Wittlake, a returning All-American, resulted in a burntout squad.

As the schedule’s difficulty increased, the workload displayed flaws.

A few weeks ago, Missouri snapped OSU’s streak of nine consecutive Big 12 titles. On Sunday, OSU placed 14 at the NCAA Tournament — its second worst finish in program history.

After the team returned from the NCAA Tournament in Detroit, John Smith’s 32nd season as head coach automatically started.

“I think I’ve spent 12-hour days here just cleaning things up,” he said.

“Meetings after meetings and just being self-aware that it’s not where we want to be. For that reason, the next four months for me is going to be real important that we clean a lot of things up and we get people’s attitudes back in the right place.”

Entering the second half of the season, OSU consistently ranked No. 3, creeping behind Iowa and Penn State.

An undefeated first semester brought expectations and optimism for a 35th national title.

That all changed on Jan. 24.

Ferrari and cross-country runner Isai Rodriguez had been involved in a collision on Highway 33 near Perkins.

Neither sustained serious injuries but Smith decided to rest Ferrari for the majority of the season.

The team, lacking Ferrari, carried

on. Losses piled up. Four in a five dual stretch. Daton Fix, OSU’s 133-pounder and 174-pounder Dustin Plott nabbed All-American honors.

“It's no fun getting to celebrate by yourself,” Fix said after his semifinal win a week ago. “Having all those people with you and encouraging you and pushing you, it just makes it even sweeter in the end whenever you get to go back and celebrate with them.”

Someone had to step up. But no reinforcement could make up for Ferrari’s production. Anthony Montalvo, Ferrari’s backup, received right ACL surgery in November. Gavin Stika, a redshirt junior, bumped up a weight class and wrestled for Ferrari.

“He’s not a 97-pounder,” Smith said about Stika. “He’s an 84-pounder.

In today’s age of how competitive it is, you can’t bump someone up and put them in a position to have success. I have a lot of respect for Gavin."

Naturally, injuries were the main cause for OSU’s drop in production.

A sharp decline from the Cowboys’ third place finish at the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Recruiting isn’t a problem. According to FloWrestling, OSU’s recruiting class of 2020, which included Ferrari, was the nation’s best.

Health and execution lacked. A few fans, like Richard Clayton, understand the circumstances and accept the result of a poor season.

“I’m fine with this year’s results,” Clayton said. “I want to see us back in the championship hunt and think we’re just a few wrestlers from getting there.

People are failing to realize we left 20-plus team points on the board at 197.

You throw that on, we were in the top six or seven.”

But Smith keeps motivating.

“I think we all feel the pain of not performing like we hoped to perform,” he said. “When you feel that pain, sometimes your chin drops. We can’t let chins drop right now. We need to keep heads high, and we need to be the program that we’re capable of being.”

The frustration seeped into the Cowboy fanbase.

“Anxious is probably the righ word for me,” Matthew Keith of Stilwater said. “I’ve been optimistic about the future with all these recruits coming in, but I feel that Penn State will bring

Molly Jolliff Cowboy coach John Smith oversaw OSU second worst finish in school history.

even more transfers to load its roster.”

Penn State and its Big 10 counterparts have recently dominated college wrestling. OSU was the last non-Big 10 school to win it. Sixteen years ago.

“For that reason, it takes everybody now,” Smith said. “There ain’t no jacking around. It takes everything.

It takes everybody. I’ve made some mistakes and I’ll personally be responsible for it that allowed some things that probably shouldn’t happen, happen. My

fault. It’s not anyone else's fault. It’s my fault.”

Smith has achieved every possible accolade in wrestling. In turn, he’s created a meticulous recipe for success.

But on Wednesday, no one dissed Smith more than himself.

“I’m not a GOAT right now,” he said. “I feel like a mouse.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

Page 4B Friday, March 25, 2022

O’Colly

sports

Evans...

Continued from 1B

ʼʼ

Evans planned on studying applied exercise science at OSU and being a trainer. She has the athletic ability, but there is another side to her. After getting baptized about a year ago, Evans decided to major in philosophy. She has been known to read her Bible on bus rides and plans to serve Christ after college.

She is levelheaded and responsible and did not need to be bombarded with phone calls or checkups when she committed to OSU in eighth grade.

“It has an impact on adults, her peers, all kinds of people,” Gajewski said. “I think that probably tells you a lot about her.”

Minerva Evans, Brianna’s mom, backs up Gajewski.

“She’s a great kid,” Minerva said. “I’ve never had any issues. She’s just like literally like the perfect child. She does all her work. Like, I’ve never had to get onto her about anything. I don’t know how I got so lucky. But all my kids are actually really good like that.”

Minerva coached Brianna from age 3 to 10 on the Ferris Scorpions softball team. Brianna grew up in Red Oak, Texas, and her fierce love of sports was apparent from an early age.

“She’s just always been so athletic,” Minerva Evans said. “She started playing softball when she was 3 years old. She has an older brother. He played baseball. Every time we went to his practices or games, we literally had to drag her off the field crying and screaming because she wanted to hit or she wanted to run bases.”

It wasn’t the only time Minerva had trouble keeping her daughter off a field. Leroy Evans, Brianna’s dad, coached baseball and football. Being the only girl was never a strong enough deterrent to get Brianna away from the pull of competition.

In seventh grade, Brianna begged her mom for permission to play football.

She already played softball, baseball and basketball. She also competed in track and powerlifting.

Minerva was initially hesitant to OK football, but eventually relented and let her daughter play for the junior high Ferris Jackets.

“Whether it was the basketball court, the football field, the softball field or the baseball field, I don’t think I was looking too far ahead at the future of college,” Brianna said. “I was just living in the moment playing with my best friends. Girls I still call my sisters today. Even boys that I consider some of my brothers today.”

Brianna made one of her favorite sports memories in seventh grade football. She started off on the B-team, as a running back. Her school colors were red and white, and only the A-team got to wear the white jerseys. One day the coaches called her into the office and handed her a bundle.

A white jersey.

“I remember walking out with like a different color jersey,” Brianna said. “All the boys, they just went crazy. So it was just a cool experience.”

The talent that got Brianna the jersey also served to ease her mother’s fears.

“A lot of them couldn’t catch her,” Minerva said. “So it’s not like she got hit a lot.”

Brianna wields the politeness to impress a group of grandmothers at church, and the athletic ability to wow NFL Hall of Famers.

When Brianna was 8, she played baseball for the Ferris Rangers. She played a tournament game against TRUTH, a team NFL and MLB star Deion Sanders coached.

“He saw her when she played against his team,” Minerva said. “She had like five or six double plays against them because she was playing centerfield.”

Brianna would catch fly balls, something not all 8-year-old players could do consistently, and throw the ball back in to double up a tagging runner.

That’s right. Her skills and baseball IQ, demonstrated though the double plays, were enough to catch the attention the man who stars in an ESPN 30 for 30 called ‘Deion’s Double Play.’

After the game, Brianna wanted Sanders’ autograph. She fished around in her ball bag and grabbed a pink baseball that said “It’s a girl” that her uncle gave her when she was born. Even though teams were told not to seek autographs, Brianna walked into Sanders’ team’s dugout and greeted him.

“He had a huge entourage watching,” Minerva said. “And he turned to everyone and said, ‘Folks, I know I’ve turned on all of you away, because when I’m out here, I’m a dad. And I’m a coach. But this is special.’”

Sanders signed the ball, then asked Minerva a question.

“Can she play for me?”

They exchanged contact information and Sanders came to Minerva’s work a couple of days later in what essentially amounted to a recruiting visit.

“I have never, boy or girl, seen anyone know what to do with the ball at this age like she does,” Sanders told Minerva.

Brianna played for Sanders’ team when she could, and also played on Sanders’ basketball team with his daughter.

Playing as much as she can has been a common theme in Brianna’s life. Despite playing for sports icons, some of her most formative games came at a much more simple place. The house across the street where she grew up, with the big yard and only a couple trees.

Almost every day, Brianna and her brothers, Donovan, 22, and Jordan, 15, played outside after school. Their neighborhood was littered with kids their same age. For the 10 or 15 kids, the arrangement was simple.

“We didn’t even have phones yet,” Brianna said. “We all would get off the bus together, go home, change, get some food and meet back outside.”

Kickball, ultimate Frisbee, wiffleball, basketball, they played it all. When some of the kids got Airsoft guns for Christmas, low-powered weapons that shoot plastic BB’s, they even went through an Airsoft phase. They played with enough caution to keep their streak of never breaking a window intact.

“I think the best memories would be ultimate Frisbee at night,” Brianna said. “Light-up ultimate

Abby Cage

In her first 20 games, Brianna Evans has been a consistent starter, getting 21 hits and more walks (11) than strikeouts (10).

Every time we went

to his practices or games, we literally had to drag her off the field crying and screaming because she wanted to hit or she wanted to run bases.

Minerva Evans

Whether playing in the yard or Cowgirl Stadium, she tends to acclimate well to new situations.

Gajewski said Brianna has fit in well with the Cowgirls and has earned the respect of her teammates.

“Bri is my throwing partner,” third baseman Sydney Pennington said. “We play catch every day.

I’ve really grown close with her just with conversations and trying to help her…She’s just a great person. She’s superfun, supersweet, great on and off the field. She’s going to be a stud here.”

In nonconference play, Brianna batted .389.

Despite being a newcomer on a talented team, she has established herself as a key hitter. Gajewski said he is maybe a little surprised she has found success so quickly, but he is not shocked.

“She’s meticulous in the way she gets her extra work,” Gajewski said. “She knows when she needs it and when she doesn’t. She’s just a really good softball player, and an even better person.”

Brianna has always been about hard work.

“It’s awesome to see her reaping the benefits of that,” senior pitcher Miranda Elish said. “She has my back on the infield and gets on base more times than not to help us push across runs. She’s awesome.”

Brianna said she hopes to go to seminary or a Bible college after OSU to pursue ministry.

“If I’m leading them I hope I’m leading them to Christ,” Brianna said.

ʼʼ

Frisbee. The whole neighborhood. All the kids would come out and we would have this light-up frisbee. We would just be out there for hours just playing it.

Brianna said even the kids who were not athletic came out and enjoyed playing.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Minerva Evans NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders recruited Brianna Evans to play baseball for his baseball team.

O’Colly

Friday, March 25, 2022 Page 5B

sports Big 12 deep heading into conference play Daniel Allen Staff Reporter This weekend, the stakes start to heat up.

On Friday, No. 9 Oklahoma State, will begin conference play with a threegame home series against Kansas.

With a heavy load of expectations tailing OSU into conference play, here’s a look at the Big 12 heading into this weekend.

The Big 12 saw six teams included in D1Baseball’s projected Field of 64.

Texas, OSU, TCU, Texas Tech, Baylor and Oklahoma. Three of those teams are expected to host regionals, OSU being one of them.

Texas was the undisputed preseason conference and national favorite, ranked No. 1 heading into the season.

This largely because the Longhorns returned over half of a starting roster that fell just short of a College World Series championship appearance, including preseason All-Americans Aaron Nixon, Ivan Melendez and Pete Hansen.

The hype was fitting, as UT started 11-0, but lost preseason first team All-Big 12 nominee Tanner Whitt.

He underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.

After a six-game stretch where the Longhorns lost four, Texas has since gotten back on track and holds an 18-5 overall record. UT won its last five games and outscored its opponents 6610 in that stretch.

TCU had uncertainties regarding how first-year coach Kirk Saarloos, who succeeding long time head coach Jim Schlossnagle. So far, the Horned Frogs haven’t missed a beat, boasting a 15-5 record as well as winning seven of its last nine games.

For Texas Tech, preseason first

team All-American Jace Jung, as expected, is a threat on both sides for any opponent with stout defense in the infield and elite batting, holding a .388 batting average.

It’s not just Jung that provided the early hot start for Texas Tech, but the Red Raider offense as a whole, which has scored 10 or more runs nine times so far this year. Texas Tech holds an 18-4 overall record, winning eight of their last nine matchups.

“Texas has played well,” OSU coach Josh Holliday said. “They, like us, have quite a very ambitious schedule, and they appear to be very good like everyone thought. Texas Tech looks like they’ve run out and strung together numerous big time wins already, and they’ve been doing that for 10 years.

“TCU is much the same. Those three teams I think are right on schedule with kind of where the preseason predictions were. They all appear to be off to good starts, playing good teams, and establishing really clubs.”

Outside of the three common national powerhouses, the Cowboys still have teams like Kansas State, spewed with a bevy of transfers this offseason, who were former highly touted recruits out of high school.

This includes two former OSU players, Dominic Johnson and Orlando Salinas. Johnson has made the most of his fresh start, holding a .457 batting average through 19 games, ranking him No. 2 in the conference and No. 6 nationally. The handful of raw talent brought into Manhattan, Kansas in the offseason took a while to get going, as KSU started 1-6 but has since posted a 10-2 record.

The remaining teams still have their fair share of hidden gems and star athletes. Peyton Graham and Jimmy Crooks from Oklahoma, or Austin Davis from West Virginia, or Maui Ahuna, who currently ranks at the top of the Big 12 in batting average and top 10 nationally.

OSU has its work cut out for it from this point on. Seven of the other

Braden King Ahead of conference play, OSU is one of seven Big 12 schools with a record above .500.

eight Big 12 schools have a record exceeding .500, highlighting the sheer difficulty of the conference and the bevy of talent within.

“There won’t be one game in the 24-game conference (schedule), that’ll be an easy game,” Holliday said.

“Everybody is up to point, prepared, (they have) good starting pitching across the conference for sure. And everybody is going after each other.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

Hoyt...

Continued from 1B “You always know there’s going to be fights afterward, it’s always going to end in a fight,” Shelly said. “So, as a parent, well No. 1, I was probably right there in the middle of it, but it’s just like let it go, let it go.”

After a couple hours, the uncalled fouls and swinging elbows were forgotten. Team old and team young went back to being one team, team Hoyt.

“Outside of my faith, the most important thing for me is family,” Hoyt said. “Family to me, I don’t take it lightly.”

Family is too important for the Hoyts to remain divided. Before Oklahoma State, Hoyt coached five seasons at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Her parents came to nearly every home game and traveled to away games.

Robyne Bostick, UMKC associate coach, came to Kansas City at the same time as Hoyt. The two hadn’t met but were connected by mutual friends in the coaching world.

Bostick said Hoyt draws lots of support from her family, and leans on it, knowing her family, will always be there for her. It is not just emotional support, Hoyt has the benefit of a mom who is a Kansas coaching legend.

Shelly has more than 550 career victories and a Kansas-record 107-game win-streak.

Hoyt calls her mom to talk basketball and share ideas. Hoyt said she would not be coaching at OSU without the blueprint her mom provided.

Hoyt has also leaned on her sister, Terran, who straddled the line of coworker and family working as graduate assistant on the UMKC women’s basketball team last season.

“We actually got to live together for the first year,” Terran said. “We were commuting to work together, at work together, at practice together then we go home and eat dinner together and just spending every second together, which you think would be a nightmare, right, but it was awesome.”

Hoyt’s family, her and her husband, Daniel Heflin, just got larger.

Kindred Orpin played at Kansas State University while Hoyt was an assistant coach there. Orpin is now an assistant coach at UMKC. “Family is everything to Jacie and her team is not a second family… it’s an addition to her family,” Orpin said.

Bostick said Hoyt is full of energy and the area her energy is most visible

Jacie Hoyt spent five seasons at UMKC, and was described as energetic.

in is the way she cultivates relationships.

“I can’t wait, that’s why I do what I do,” Hoyt said. “The relationships, just getting to know them and for them to get to know me.”

Bostick described Hoyt as a players’ coach. She said one of Hoyt’s strength is seeking input from the players, which builds trust and makes the team more inclusive.

At UMKC, Hoyt often asked how her team was feeling after a couple strenuous practices or let players pick which out of bounds play they felt most comfortable running. “(Hoyt) does seek input so I guess it’s not necessarily the old school way where it’s my way or the highway, she certainly will make the final decision and make sure that everybody is on board with that,” Bostick said.

Hoyt prioritizes pouring into her players.

“She really wants to empower her players, and not just on the basketball court, but in life and have them graduate and have them go out in the world and be great leaders and contribute a lot to society,” Bostick said.

At UMKC, Hoyt frequently met with her players, not only as athletes to talk schematics and plays, but as people.

“She’s a players’ coach,” Terran said. “She is so for you, if she’s in your corner man she’s going to go to bat for you. You can just feel her with you all the time and the time she puts into her players is second to none.”

As for Hoyt’s coaching style, it is something players tend to gravitate toward. Hoyt described her UMKC teams as fast, up-tempo that score a lot of points and shoot a lot of 3-pointers.

Hoyt played as an offensive-minded point guard for Wichita State from 2006-09, which Bostick said might be

Abby Smith

the reason Hoyt likes to see a lot of points on the scoreboard.

“I think that our players will really enjoy playing that style,” Hoyt said.

“They’ll have a lot of freedom to make plays on their own and have a green light if they’ve earned it, to shoot the ball. It’s going to be a fun style to watch and to play and to recruit to.”

Hoyt is going to install more than a new offensive scheme. She is bringing the family-first priority she learned playing pickup basketball against her aunts, uncles and cousins to Stillwater.

“Family to me, as you guys all know being a part of your own families, those are the people you go through the highs, the lows – the people who are always by your side, those are the people you will do anything for,” Hoyt said.

“That’s very important to me. That is the mindset and the culture that I want to have as I lead this program.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

Page 6B Friday, March 25, 2022

O’Colly

sports

Black elevating to starting role STILLWATER’S MATTRESS STORE 424 SOUTH MAIN STREET, STILLWATER,OK 74074

Chris Becker Korie Black (left) looks to leap into a starting role this season at cornerback.

that makes it comfortable to call plays on game day. Then he’ll adjust with our staff.”

Having new defensive coordinator Derek Mason has helped Black grow as a defensive back, with Mason’s background, early in the offseason.

Chris Becker “It’s been real fun,” Black said.

Editor-in-Chief “Him coming from Auburn and coaching (defensive backs), he’s got that DB Korie Black was in an unfamiliar mentality. He brings a lot of energy.” position Tuesday.

Playing time, unlike the role, Black, a junior cornerback, was isn’t new to Black, who played in all practicing as a starting defensive back 14 games for the Cowboys in 2021. along with Jabbar Muhammad.

Over the course of the season, Black With the two starting cornerbacks amassed 19 tackles, three fumble refor OSU departing the program after coveries and two pass breakups. the 2021-22 season, Black and Muham“Getting stronger is one of the mad have been thrusted into the start- biggest things I tried to focus on, and ing roles as spring practice begins. my technique,” Black said. “On the Jarrick Bernard-Converse trans- field getting better on my feet and beferred to LSU and Christian Holmes ing able to not just rely on me being exhausted his collegiate eligibility athletic, playing with more technique… leaving two holes open for the taking.

We got to prove that we can make Black will also have to adjust to a new plays.” defensive coordinator, but the team Getting a full spring and regular doesn’t expect too many changes. season, last year’s reps provide confi“The guys that are gonna be dence to the newly touted starter. out there played significant snaps last “Still working out and getting year,” coach Mike Gundy said. “We’re stronger, multiple ways to get better running Oklahoma State’s defense just that helped our confidence,” Black said. like we’ve always run Oklahoma State’s offense. We haven’t changed that in 12 years. He’s gonna put his twist on it sports.ed@ocolly.com

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O’Colly

Friday, March 25, 2022 Page 7B

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Daily Horoscope

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Earth, for one 4 Dred Scott decision Chief Justice 9 Leg section 13 Two-digit sign 14 Thrifty to begin with?

15 Central Plains tribe 16 “__ la vie” 17 *Guide for Smithsonian visitors, say 19 Food scrap 20 Hardly libertine 21 Pithy saying 22 *Ken Burns specialty 26 Fairy tale figures 27 Mother __ 28 Money with hits 29 Retreats 31 Word with bonds or games 34 Line holder 35 Barely detectable 36 Tiny particle 37 Future H.S. grads, probably 38 Volcanic eruption sight 39 Nested supermarket array 40 Nana 41 “Amen to that!”

42 *Southeast Asian colonial region dismantled in 1954 45 Earth’s volume?

47 Mandlikova of ’80s tennis 48 Mexican pinch?

49 Classic Looney Tunes tagline offering some “direction” in solving the starred clues 51 Office figure 52 Legends and such 53 Cloth-dyeing method 54 Pro using a siren, perhaps 55 Went after, in a way 56 Objects of worship 57 Earth opening?

3/25/22

By Jeffrey Wechsler

DOWN 1 With 3-Down, sportsbook option based on the final score 2 Game system turnoff options 3 See 1-Down 4 What a siren does 5 Lexus competitor 6 Polite denial 7 Combat demarcation point 8 “__ busy?”

9 Indulge 10 Starting players 11 Sleep-inducing, maybe, as a lecture 12 Fancy party 16 Eccentric old guys 18 “Downton Abbey” personnel 23 Man’s name that becomes a measurement when one letter is moved 24 Once called 25 The Alamo, e.g.

29 Starting point of many modern missions 30 Intention

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

31 Unsettling 32 Puts in sync with 33 Zips again, as a Ziploc bag 35 Rich dessert 36 Subject with shapes 38 First Amendment concern 39 Fish-and-chips fish 40 Like Romano, often

3/25/22

41 Chips, say 42 Emergency device 43 Couldn’t not 44 How tuna may be packed 45 Hole makers 46 “O Julius Caesar, __ art mighty yet!”: Brutus 50 Where, to Brutus 51 Entreat

Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency Linda Black Horoscopes Today’s Birthday (03/25/22). Connect with friends to grow this year. Build something wonderful together with discipline and time. Catching a rise in springtime income, and contributing to shared ventures this summer, allows an autumn surge for joint accounts that can cushion winter shortfalls. Develop shared passions.

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 — A formidable professional barrier blocks the path. Challenge your own beliefs. Listen to intuition. Monitor the situation. Unusual solutions can work. Try something new.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 7 — Review the map before forging ahead.

Monitor conditions in real time to avoid traffic, delays or pitfalls. Choose the simplest plan. Consider unusual ideas.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is an 8 — Contribute to a rainy-day fund. Grow a cushion for unexpected expenses. Collaborate to navigate tricky waters. Take advantage of a hidden opportunity.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Patience with your partner pays extra benefits. Let go of old baggage. Consider the bigger picture. A sense of humor is worth time and money.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 9 — Find ways to surpass a physical barrier.

Prioritize health and avoid risky business. Discover solutions from experts and advisors. Consider innovative ideas. Learn new tricks.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — A separation or other obstacle could prevent romance. Listen to intuition. Take advantage of an unexpected opportunity to connect with someone you love.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Domestic changes help you adapt with a challenge. Rearrange things so they work better. Try something new. Repairs and upgrades improve daily experiences.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — You can solve an intellectual puzzle.

Follow clues where they lead. The truth gets revealed. Discover solutions in unexpected places. Share discoveries far and wide.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 9 — Come up with innovative ways around financial delays or complications. Postpone unnecessary expenses for now.

Find unexpected savings and valuable solutions.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 9 — Self-doubt can creep in when least expected. Don’t indulge in your own negative monolog about yourself. Get into dialogue. Talk with people who love you.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 7 — Enjoy a pensive phase. Peaceful privacy supports you to process, study and contemplate. Old assumptions get challenged. Adjust plans. Strike out in a new direction.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is an 8 — Complications could change group plans. Reschedule meetings if needed, or go digital. Find an innovative solution around an unexpected deviation. Share with friends.

Level 1

2

3

4

3/25/22

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

© 2022 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

Page 8B Friday, March 25, 2022

O’Colly

sports

Offense finding rhythm ahead of conference play Gabriel Trevino Staff Reporter Kenny Gajewski doesn’t care who his first baseman is.

He has no concern for whether his infielders can connect with each other and deliver outs, or if feelings are hurt.

He’s looking for hitters.

OSU has 14 players on roster batting above the Mendoza line, .200 causing Gajewski and the staff to methodically choose who will be in the lineup. With only nine batting spots, sometimes changes must be made.

“If you’re not giving us quality at bats, then it’s best served to give someone else a chance,” Gajewski said.

“In any competition, if you’re not hungry to keep your job, then you should have a seat.”

A frequent change made this season has been at first base. Opening day first baseman, Morgyn Wynne, is one who has been lackluster compared to others on the roster, even those who are not infielders.

Wynne’s inconsistencies in the batter’s box caused Gajewski to place outfielder Hayley Busby at first base. Despite her lack of experience at the position, Busby has taken the opportunity in the lineup, after a slow start to the season.

“We have good players who can play

anywhere,” Gajewski said. “The method is offense. We’re trying to find that, more consistent offense. If we have more interchangeable parts we’re going to let them fight it out.”

Busby, like Wynne, struggled at the beginning of the season, which allowed younger players to enter the lineup.

Sophomore outfielder Katelynn Carwile replaced Busby in the lineup and never looked back, hitting .430 with a 1.128 OPS. Before a home series against Texas Tech, Gajewski said he thinks the start of Big 12 play could be a new beginning for struggling players and an extra push for stars.

“If you’re hitting like Katelynn then you want to keep going,” Gajewski said. “If you’re underperforming your goals like Busby or Wynne, then you’re ready for a fresh start. But there’s not much emphasis on this next game.”’

Another unlikely hot bat of the Cowgirls lineup is pitcher Miranda Elish. Elish’s left-handed swing in the middle of the order has produced a .323 average, .881 OPS and six RBIs. Gajewski did not expect Elish’s bat to shine this early in the season, especially after she took more than a year off from softball.

The unanticipated start to Elish’s season in at the plate forced Gajewski to place her into the lineup, but in the process taking a hitter out.

“She creates problems, good problems,” Gajewski said. “She

takes as good of at bats as anyone here. She’s starting to swing with confidence. It’s hard to take it out of the lineup.”

Behind their starstudded offense, the Cowgirls are ranked No. 8 in the NCAA in terms of RPI, a system that ranks teams based on record and strength of schedule. OSU will begin conference play with a 21-6 record, and with one of the toughest nonconference schedules behind them, players such as Elish expect the team to further grow.

“We learned a lot about ourselves,” Elish said. “We took some losses that maybe we should not have, but we grew from them. I think we’re rolling into conference play really well. I’m sure we’ll take another loss here and there but as long as we grow from them we’ll continue to improve.”

Although conference play is important to Gajewski, it is just one more step before reaching his end goal — the postseason. Based on its play this season, Gajewski believes OSU will host a super regional, but he said they still need to play up to standard if they want to reach their postseason aspirations.

“Conference play propels you into the postseason,” Gajewski said.

“We have set ourselves up really well for that. If the season ended today we’d be a super regional host. We’re doing the things we need to.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Branson Evans Alex Garcia has impressed coach Dustin Taylor with his maturity.

Garcia...

Continued from 1B

I know, and I think it helps a lot to translate on the tennis court and establish trust between the two of us.”

Bringing Nothhaft to OSU was huge for Garcia, because Joseph Chen and Garcia were able to complete the trio they had at Baylor the previous season. Garcia reflected on what it’s like to be able to bring his teammates into a new environment for them all to thrive in.

“It’s been really nice,” Garcia said. “We had this situation at Baylor with this extra year where I feel like we should have played, but our lineup was really good. There were 14 really good guys on the team, so it was really tough to get on court against really good teams.”

Garcia arrived at OSU to help improve his tennis game, but he puts the team before himself. Garcia’s goals with the Cowboys are to help the program improve in any way he can.

“Obviously getting ranked, and getting into the tournament,” Garcia said. “Every goal I have here is basically as a team. Trying to get to the NCAA Tournament. For myself, improving my tennis and trying to get better, and my goal is to play this summer in pro tournaments.”

Garcia said he is fortunate to be able to represent OSU on and off the court.

“It’s great to have the pride,” Garcia said. “You see other teams: wrestling, basketball, all the sports are really good. It’s always an honor to represent such an organization like this in every aspect.”

Garcia gives OSU credit for being a wonderful place for him to take his talents. He said what makes playing at OSU great, and why he wants to give it his all as a tennis player.

“The fans, the environment, and the people are really respectful,” Garcia said. “The facility is great.

Every sport supports each other. Golfers come here, we go over there. It’s such a nice play to play. Great teammates and great people. Everything is great.”

“With Garcia you know what you’re going to get day in and day out,” Taylor said. “He is very consistent. He owns his game and owns his shots. He competes really well. He’s a tough matchup for everyone and he can play with anybody in the world.”

Taylor is not only impressed by Garcia’s play on the court but also the person he is off the court.

“He’s a great student and great teammate,” Taylor said. “He comes from a great family back in Spain. He is a level headed guy. Garcia is well beyond his years wisdom-wise. That’s a lot of the time what you get with the Europeans. They’ve been traveling since they were 14 on their own.

They tend to mature a little bit earlier than a lot of Americans at least. I’d say Alex is one of the most mature juniors that I have come across in my time.”

Garcia has helped build the team up in any way he can. When Garcia’s former teammate, Sebastian Nothhaft, entered the transfer portal, Garcia took initiative to recruit him to OSU. “I remember the day I reached out to them,” Nothhaft said. “I was about to enter the transfer portal. I asked them what their thoughts were on different universities they talked to, and obviously they just committed to OSU, him and Joseph, and I talked to them a lot about their overall first couple months, about the university, and they spoke very highly of coach Taylor, and that really encouraged me to follow in their footsteps.”

Nothhaft is grateful he reunited with Garcia, and shares what is special about his teammate.

“He’s one of the most kindhearted people I know,” Nothhaft said. “He always wishes the best for people and wants people to do their best. Experiencing college right alongside Alex is a privilege for me. sports.ed@ocolly.com “He’s one of the most real people

Abby Smith Miranda Elish, OSU’s designated player/pitcher, is batting .323 ahead of Big 12 play starting.

O’Colly

sports

The OSU quarterback room returns its starter but will look for a new backup for next season.

Quarterback...

Continued from 1B

Friday, March 25, 2022 Page 9B

Chris Becker

But Sanders has yet to play in every game in a season, making the backup spot crucial. Illingworth used to fill the gaps, but now OSU doesn’t have the luxury of a bona fide secondstringer.

The search is on.

Gunnar Gundy is the only other quarterback to have played in a collegiate game – a couple handoffs late in the TCU blowout. Rangel, a four-star early enrollee from Texas, has received optimistic praise from Gundy and Sanders early in spring camp.

“I think (Rangel) brings good leadership,” Sanders said. “He’s always got a smile on his face. He brings his best.”

Gundy said the quarterback position has also become more difficult.

He can’t remember a time where it has been harder in his 30-plus years of experience in college.

The reason? Defensive linemen are evolving. They’re impacting games in the same way NFL d-linemen have the past 20 years. The athleticism is off the charts. The defensive systems have also increased in complexity. Compared to six years ago, pre-snap reads, disguises and blitzes are becoming harder for a quarterback to recognize and adjust to.

“I worry about that,” Gundy said.

The Cowboys retained their starter, Spencer Sanders, who enters his fourth year as the OSU signal caller but weren’t so lucky with their backups.

Gundy said having formidable depth at the position will only continue to become harder.

“I think this is going to be common,” Gundy said. “I don’t know that it will be easy to keep more than two to three quarterbacks on a scholarship at once, just based on the availability of the open market.”

Sixth-year quarterback Ethan Bullock was also marked off the roster after exhausting eligibility, leaving the Cowboys with four quarterbacks.

Sanders, Gunnar Gundy, Peyton Thompson and Garret Rangel. Only one of them have started a game.

Sanders, now in his fifth season overall with OSU, said having spent numerous years in one program has paid off for him.

“It just builds relationships,” Sanders said. “Obviously, being here so long, I’ve got a relationship with all of them. It is just like we know how each other think.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

Page 10B Friday, March 25, 2022

O’Colly

sports

Coach Mike Gundy and Cowboy football began spring practice on Tuesday. It marked the first practice for defensive coordinator Derek Mason.

Spring practice comes to an end with the spring game on April 23.

All photos by Chris Becker

spring (football) has sprung

Happening this weekend...

Baseball

Tennis

Softball

Friday @ 6 p.m. vs. Kansas Saturday @ 6 p.m. vs. Kansas Sunday @ 1 p.m. vs. Kansas

Friday @ 5 p.m. vs. Texas Sunday @ 1 p.m. vs. Baylor

Friday @ 6 p.m. vs. Texas Tech Saturday @ 2 p.m. vs. Texas Tech Sunday @ noon vs. Texas Tech

Photo by Karisa Sheely

Photo by Abby Cage

Photo by Abby Cage