As 2010 winds to a close and we prepare for the new year, I thought it appropriate to look back at the biggest happenings in the UCO sports world over the last 12 months.
And while there were certainly plenty of things that transpired around Broncho athletics in 2010, it seems clear that the two most noteworthy events during the past year didn’t happen on the field of play.
To me, the retirement of long-time baseball coach Wendell Simmons and the announcement that UCO would be leaving the Lone Star Conference for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association overshadowed anything else that happened in 2010.
Simmons was a coaching icon, not only at UCO but around the LSC and NCAA Division II. His accomplishments during his 19-year career with the Bronchos will not easily be surpassed, if indeed they can even be equaled.
Let’s see now. Wendell piled up 633 wins, averaging 33 a season. He directed the Bronchos to the eight best seasons in school history, including seven 40-win campaigns. He had seven national tournament teams, including a national runner-up squad in 1997 when a dropped fly ball in the ninth inning was the only thing between the Bronchos and the national championship.
Oh, and he coached 134 All-LSC players and 14 All-Americans.
Yeah, I’d say all that would be hard to duplicate.
The only story that could top Wendell’s leaving would be UCO’s impending move to the MIAA. The Bronchos will leave one great conference for another and it will definitely be an interesting transition.
UCO has been a part of the LSC since 1988 and will play as Division II independents next year before moving into the MIAA in 2012-13. MIAA schools have succeeded at an extremely high level in a variety of sports for many years and it is indeed one of the premier leagues in the nation.
The Bronchos have played many teams from the MIAA in several sports over the years, so a number of the schools we will be soon be competing with won’t be unknown to UCO fans. But there will definitely be some different faces and some new rivalries established in the coming years, which will be interesting for all involved.
It’s hard to believe 2010 is already over, but a new year is upon us and with it comes great anticipation for what lies ahead.
Happy New Year, Broncho fans.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Real Life
I’ve basically worked in athletics since I was 14 years old and started writing stories on Perry Junior High football games for the Perry Daily Journal. Which, by the way, is the smallest daily newspaper in the state of Oklahoma.
So since embarking on a profession that has kept me around sports on an almost daily basis since 1974, I have heard countless players and coaches talk about the “adversity” or “hardship” they or their team had to overcome during a particular game, tournament or season.
I actually never really gave those statements much thought, often times saying to myself that, yeah, those four lost fumbles sure did create a lot of adversity for the Bronchos, or whatever team it might have been.
And then last week I read a blog my good friend Lance Fleming from Abilene Christian wrote about his 8-year-old son, Rex. Here, in part, is what Lance said:
“Let me tell you what adversity is.
“Adversity is an 8-year-old boy finding out on Wednesday that the reason he's been having headaches and nausea is because he has a golf-ball size tumor in the middle of his brain and will undergo a potentially life-altering surgery less than 24 hours later.
“Adversity is that same 8-year-old boy lying in a hospital bed unable to voluntarily move his left arm or leg more than just a little bit while his brain and nerves recover from said surgery.
“Adversity is that 8-year-old boy screaming and crying in pain when physical therapists get him out of bed and begin the process of teaching him to walk again, or sit in a wheelchair because he doesn't yet have the strength to lift his left leg to walk on his own.
“Adversity is that 8-year-old boy throwing his left arm into a sling so it won't hang limp at his side, causing him shooting pain up and down that arm.
“And adversity is the road that 8-year-old boy faces over the coming days, weeks and months as he recovers from the surgery that saved his life, but also altered that life in ways he can't yet comprehend.”
Wow. Pretty powerful stuff. And amazingly eye opening, especially if you’re a parent.
In the world of athletics -- be it the high school, college or professional ranks -- we often get caught up in the games we play, follow or report on. And while it’s certainly okay to participate or watch or work these contests, Rex’s story reminds us that there’s so much more to life than who won what.
When I first wrote this blog on Dec. 9 I reported on Rex's fabulous progress. He was gaining more movement and was moved to the physical therapy floor at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth that day to begin rigorous treatment to regain full use of his limbs. And then Saturday, I got another update . . . Rex's tumor was finally classified as a Grade III malignant glioma that will have to be treated with both radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
More obstacles for Rex and his family as they prepare to embark on a journey I can't even begin to comprehend.
So the next time you hear an athlete or coach bragging about the “obstacles” they overcame on the field of play, remember Rex Fleming and the many others like him who fight real-life battles every day.
I know I will.
So since embarking on a profession that has kept me around sports on an almost daily basis since 1974, I have heard countless players and coaches talk about the “adversity” or “hardship” they or their team had to overcome during a particular game, tournament or season.
I actually never really gave those statements much thought, often times saying to myself that, yeah, those four lost fumbles sure did create a lot of adversity for the Bronchos, or whatever team it might have been.
And then last week I read a blog my good friend Lance Fleming from Abilene Christian wrote about his 8-year-old son, Rex. Here, in part, is what Lance said:
“Let me tell you what adversity is.
“Adversity is an 8-year-old boy finding out on Wednesday that the reason he's been having headaches and nausea is because he has a golf-ball size tumor in the middle of his brain and will undergo a potentially life-altering surgery less than 24 hours later.
“Adversity is that same 8-year-old boy lying in a hospital bed unable to voluntarily move his left arm or leg more than just a little bit while his brain and nerves recover from said surgery.
“Adversity is that 8-year-old boy screaming and crying in pain when physical therapists get him out of bed and begin the process of teaching him to walk again, or sit in a wheelchair because he doesn't yet have the strength to lift his left leg to walk on his own.
“Adversity is that 8-year-old boy throwing his left arm into a sling so it won't hang limp at his side, causing him shooting pain up and down that arm.
“And adversity is the road that 8-year-old boy faces over the coming days, weeks and months as he recovers from the surgery that saved his life, but also altered that life in ways he can't yet comprehend.”
Wow. Pretty powerful stuff. And amazingly eye opening, especially if you’re a parent.
In the world of athletics -- be it the high school, college or professional ranks -- we often get caught up in the games we play, follow or report on. And while it’s certainly okay to participate or watch or work these contests, Rex’s story reminds us that there’s so much more to life than who won what.
When I first wrote this blog on Dec. 9 I reported on Rex's fabulous progress. He was gaining more movement and was moved to the physical therapy floor at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth that day to begin rigorous treatment to regain full use of his limbs. And then Saturday, I got another update . . . Rex's tumor was finally classified as a Grade III malignant glioma that will have to be treated with both radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
More obstacles for Rex and his family as they prepare to embark on a journey I can't even begin to comprehend.
So the next time you hear an athlete or coach bragging about the “obstacles” they overcame on the field of play, remember Rex Fleming and the many others like him who fight real-life battles every day.
I know I will.
Friday, December 3, 2010
This 'N That
Good win for the UCO women, tough loss for the UCO men on the road Thursday night at Incarnate Word as both teams opened Lone Star Conference crossover play.
Guy Hardaker knew entering the season that his freshmen-dominated women's team would lean heavily on their three veterans -- senior Ashley Beckley and juniors Alyssa Fuxa and Courtney Allen -- and that was definitely the case against the Cardinals.
That trio combined for 44 of UCO's 71 points in a 71-61 victory, led by Beckley's dominating 19-point, 12-rebound effort despite being limited to just 23 minutes by foul trouble. Fuxa and Allen both played virtually the entire contest, with Alyssa getting two minutes off and Courtney just one.
Beckley has been amazing in a 3-1 start, averaging 23.0 points and 10.0 rebounds as she continues to stamp herself as one of UCO's all-time greats. But it's the consistency of Fuxa and Allen that has been just as important, with that threesome providing the leadership and steadying influence the Bronchos need while the youngsters get their feet under them.
UCO's men, meanwhile, came up just short in their bid at an 8-0 start that would have been the best in school history with a frustrating 75-73 setback. It's the third time -- including the second in three years -- that a Broncho team has opened the season 7-0 only to lose the eighth game on the road.
Shooting woes doomed the No. 8-ranked Bronchos against a very solid UIW team that improved to 6-0. UCO was just 3-of-19 from beyond the 3-point arc -- clanking its final 15 attempts -- and missed 16 free throws, including four in the final 30 seconds.
Still, the Bronchos rallied from a 14-point first-half deficit to give themselves a chance down the stretch only to come up short. This is a very good UCO team that has a chance to do some special things this season. Dauntae Williams is a returning All-American who showed he's returning to form with a 32-point, eight-rebound outing against UIW, junior Brent Friday is playing at an extremely high level and there's plenty of talent on the roster.
UCO's long-time powerhouse wrestling team made its home debut Thursday with a 23-13 win over Colorado State-Pueblo, taking the last three matches to break a 13-13 tie.
It was a step forward for a young Broncho team still trying to find its way, with youthful inexperience and a host of nagging injuries having combined to keep UCO from making more progress in the opening month of the season.
Several youngsters stepped up with key wins against the Thunderwolves. Sophomore Austin Standage had a big second-period fall at 157, sophomore Tanner Keck prevailed 3-2 at 184 to give UCO the lead for good and freshman heavyweight Cody Dauphin pulled out a 2-1 upset over a ranked opponent in the final match of the night.
This is a team that will continue to experience growing pains throughout the season, but don't be surprised to see the Bronchos making a strong push for a high national tournament finish come March.
Guy Hardaker knew entering the season that his freshmen-dominated women's team would lean heavily on their three veterans -- senior Ashley Beckley and juniors Alyssa Fuxa and Courtney Allen -- and that was definitely the case against the Cardinals.
That trio combined for 44 of UCO's 71 points in a 71-61 victory, led by Beckley's dominating 19-point, 12-rebound effort despite being limited to just 23 minutes by foul trouble. Fuxa and Allen both played virtually the entire contest, with Alyssa getting two minutes off and Courtney just one.
Beckley has been amazing in a 3-1 start, averaging 23.0 points and 10.0 rebounds as she continues to stamp herself as one of UCO's all-time greats. But it's the consistency of Fuxa and Allen that has been just as important, with that threesome providing the leadership and steadying influence the Bronchos need while the youngsters get their feet under them.
UCO's men, meanwhile, came up just short in their bid at an 8-0 start that would have been the best in school history with a frustrating 75-73 setback. It's the third time -- including the second in three years -- that a Broncho team has opened the season 7-0 only to lose the eighth game on the road.
Shooting woes doomed the No. 8-ranked Bronchos against a very solid UIW team that improved to 6-0. UCO was just 3-of-19 from beyond the 3-point arc -- clanking its final 15 attempts -- and missed 16 free throws, including four in the final 30 seconds.
Still, the Bronchos rallied from a 14-point first-half deficit to give themselves a chance down the stretch only to come up short. This is a very good UCO team that has a chance to do some special things this season. Dauntae Williams is a returning All-American who showed he's returning to form with a 32-point, eight-rebound outing against UIW, junior Brent Friday is playing at an extremely high level and there's plenty of talent on the roster.
UCO's long-time powerhouse wrestling team made its home debut Thursday with a 23-13 win over Colorado State-Pueblo, taking the last three matches to break a 13-13 tie.
It was a step forward for a young Broncho team still trying to find its way, with youthful inexperience and a host of nagging injuries having combined to keep UCO from making more progress in the opening month of the season.
Several youngsters stepped up with key wins against the Thunderwolves. Sophomore Austin Standage had a big second-period fall at 157, sophomore Tanner Keck prevailed 3-2 at 184 to give UCO the lead for good and freshman heavyweight Cody Dauphin pulled out a 2-1 upset over a ranked opponent in the final match of the night.
This is a team that will continue to experience growing pains throughout the season, but don't be surprised to see the Bronchos making a strong push for a high national tournament finish come March.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
A Lot To Be Thankful For
Thursday is Thanksgiving, which gives me pause to consider all that I am thankful for. The most important thing is, I'm very thankful for my family and to be able to live in these United States and a great place like Edmond, Oklahoma.
But I'm also VERY thankful - grateful even - to work at UCO. I've come to realize many things about working in athletics during my 23-year career here and the benefits far outweigh the negatives, despite the long hours that are often involved.
My main thing is, I basically get to watch games for a living. Sure, there's plenty to do before, during and after a contest -- from getting a program ready to keeping statistics to writing a post-game story -- but the gist of the matter is I watch sports. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it!
Obviously, I'm more involved than a casual fan who shows up just before a game and leaves right after it, but you get the idea. In a way, I'm the ultimate Broncho super fan.
I've been very fortunate with my choice of a profession and I can honestly say that there have been precious few times when I didn't want to come to work over the years. Most of that is because of the people I work with, as many of our coaches have become my best friends.
It's fun to be around young people like our student-athletes, who really do a great job of mixing their athletic interests with their academic endeavors. There are many former student-athletes on my cell phone speed dial and I am very thankful that relationships built with "kids" 10, 15 and 20 years ago are still there.
One of the main things I've always said when describing my job is that I know far too many people who can't wait for Friday because it means their work week is over, whereas if I can't wait for Friday it means we have a game on Saturday. And even though that means I have to work on that Saturday, is it really "work" when you're watching a game?
Well, technically, I guess the answer is yes. But not to me and for that I'm very thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving.
But I'm also VERY thankful - grateful even - to work at UCO. I've come to realize many things about working in athletics during my 23-year career here and the benefits far outweigh the negatives, despite the long hours that are often involved.
My main thing is, I basically get to watch games for a living. Sure, there's plenty to do before, during and after a contest -- from getting a program ready to keeping statistics to writing a post-game story -- but the gist of the matter is I watch sports. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it!
Obviously, I'm more involved than a casual fan who shows up just before a game and leaves right after it, but you get the idea. In a way, I'm the ultimate Broncho super fan.
I've been very fortunate with my choice of a profession and I can honestly say that there have been precious few times when I didn't want to come to work over the years. Most of that is because of the people I work with, as many of our coaches have become my best friends.
It's fun to be around young people like our student-athletes, who really do a great job of mixing their athletic interests with their academic endeavors. There are many former student-athletes on my cell phone speed dial and I am very thankful that relationships built with "kids" 10, 15 and 20 years ago are still there.
One of the main things I've always said when describing my job is that I know far too many people who can't wait for Friday because it means their work week is over, whereas if I can't wait for Friday it means we have a game on Saturday. And even though that means I have to work on that Saturday, is it really "work" when you're watching a game?
Well, technically, I guess the answer is yes. But not to me and for that I'm very thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Hole In One Appeal
When women's golf coach Michael Bond called Tuesday afternoon to tell me about the holes in one scored by UCO players and sisters Erica and Lindsey Bensch that day at KickingBird Golf Club I thought it was a pretty cool feat and hung up.
And then I started to think about it.
I mean, what are the odds? A quick google search let me know that the odds of a professional golfer making a hole in one are 3,000 to 1 and for an amateur it's 12,750 to 1. But what about two sisters doing it on the same day on the same course? How astronomical could those odds possibly be?
How about 15 million to 1! That's 15 with six zeros -- 15,000,000 -- to 1. Run those numbers around your head for a while.
It's really a pretty amazing story. Junior Erica aces the third hole at KickingBird and freshman Lindsey equals it less than two hours later on No. 11. Neither sister got to see the other one's unique accomplishment, but they were close enough to hear the ruckus and celebration that followed.
Great stuff. And with far-reaching appeal.
A story was sent out to numerous local, state and regional media outlets Tuesday afternoon, which was soon distributed nationally by the Oklahoma City Associate Press Office. The result? Newspapers and online publications from Connecticut to California to Florida to Washington and all places in between ran the story.
And Taiwan. Yes, that Taiwan. Oh, and Australia.
UCO head coach Michael Bond received calls from ESPN and a television station in San Francisco asking if he had any video. The AP Broadcast Center in Washington, D.C. wants to have the Bensch sisters on their radio show. Yes, I would say this unique story piqued the interest of people virtually around the world.
I played golf for 30 years before making my first and only ace a couple of years ago. My 84-year-old uncle waited 60 years before getting his lone hole in one. I know plenty of people who have played for years and years without making one.
Yet in the span of two hours on a fall afternoon in Edmond, Oklahoma, two sisters did what every golfer dreams of. Unbelievable.
And then I started to think about it.
I mean, what are the odds? A quick google search let me know that the odds of a professional golfer making a hole in one are 3,000 to 1 and for an amateur it's 12,750 to 1. But what about two sisters doing it on the same day on the same course? How astronomical could those odds possibly be?
How about 15 million to 1! That's 15 with six zeros -- 15,000,000 -- to 1. Run those numbers around your head for a while.
It's really a pretty amazing story. Junior Erica aces the third hole at KickingBird and freshman Lindsey equals it less than two hours later on No. 11. Neither sister got to see the other one's unique accomplishment, but they were close enough to hear the ruckus and celebration that followed.
Great stuff. And with far-reaching appeal.
A story was sent out to numerous local, state and regional media outlets Tuesday afternoon, which was soon distributed nationally by the Oklahoma City Associate Press Office. The result? Newspapers and online publications from Connecticut to California to Florida to Washington and all places in between ran the story.
And Taiwan. Yes, that Taiwan. Oh, and Australia.
UCO head coach Michael Bond received calls from ESPN and a television station in San Francisco asking if he had any video. The AP Broadcast Center in Washington, D.C. wants to have the Bensch sisters on their radio show. Yes, I would say this unique story piqued the interest of people virtually around the world.
I played golf for 30 years before making my first and only ace a couple of years ago. My 84-year-old uncle waited 60 years before getting his lone hole in one. I know plenty of people who have played for years and years without making one.
Yet in the span of two hours on a fall afternoon in Edmond, Oklahoma, two sisters did what every golfer dreams of. Unbelievable.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wrestling Around The Corner
The UCO wrestling progam has a long, storied history of success and it's almost time for another season to kick off, with the Bronchos set to show off the this year's team next Wednesday, Nov. 3, in the annual Bronze-Blue intrasquad dual.
UCO has captured 15 national championships since 1979 -- including 12 under current head coach David James -- and showcases one of the most successful programs in the country on any level in any sport. The Bronchos have had 62 individual national champions and 221 All-Americans, the majority of those numbers coming in the last 30 years.
I've been fortunate enough to have seen a large number of those great wrestlers in my 23 years at UCO. From the sheer want-to of Johnny Nimmo to the fierce intensity of Keith Cunningham to the amazing athleticism of Mo Lawal to the dogged determination of Cole Province, I've had the privilege of witnessing dozens of the best to ever step on the mat for the Bronchos.
The question as we enter a new season is, which of the current crop of UCO wrestlers will join the crowd of all-time greats? Coach James has assembled a talented group of youngsters and several appear to have the ability to be an All-American or a national champion, but who will actually step up and get it done?
It's an impossible question to answer, but the good thing about wrestling is everything will be determined on the mat.
Wrestling is a unique sport, unlike any I've been around. And I've been around wrestling a long time, which isn't unusually if you grow up in Perry, America as I did. My father wrestled at PHS and actually lettered at UCO back in the 1940s. My older brother Mark was a high school state runner-up and long-time wrestling coach in Oklahoma.
I wrestled all through grade school, junior high and high school and was, quite literally, horrible. Didn't have the toughness -- mental or physical -- required. Wasn't willing to pay the price of running the extra mile. Lacked the "killer" instinct that all great wrestlers have.
But I've always appreciated those who do have those traits and have always enjoyed watching them compete. It takes a special person to succeed in such a one-on-one sport and it's not for the weak or the weak of heart.
Win and get your hand raised for all to see. Lose and walk off, trying to figure out how to get your hand raised next time. Sounds simple, but wrestling is anything but simple.
So if you get a chance, get out and watch a wrestling match some time. Better yet, come out and see the Bronchos!
UCO has captured 15 national championships since 1979 -- including 12 under current head coach David James -- and showcases one of the most successful programs in the country on any level in any sport. The Bronchos have had 62 individual national champions and 221 All-Americans, the majority of those numbers coming in the last 30 years.
I've been fortunate enough to have seen a large number of those great wrestlers in my 23 years at UCO. From the sheer want-to of Johnny Nimmo to the fierce intensity of Keith Cunningham to the amazing athleticism of Mo Lawal to the dogged determination of Cole Province, I've had the privilege of witnessing dozens of the best to ever step on the mat for the Bronchos.
The question as we enter a new season is, which of the current crop of UCO wrestlers will join the crowd of all-time greats? Coach James has assembled a talented group of youngsters and several appear to have the ability to be an All-American or a national champion, but who will actually step up and get it done?
It's an impossible question to answer, but the good thing about wrestling is everything will be determined on the mat.
Wrestling is a unique sport, unlike any I've been around. And I've been around wrestling a long time, which isn't unusually if you grow up in Perry, America as I did. My father wrestled at PHS and actually lettered at UCO back in the 1940s. My older brother Mark was a high school state runner-up and long-time wrestling coach in Oklahoma.
I wrestled all through grade school, junior high and high school and was, quite literally, horrible. Didn't have the toughness -- mental or physical -- required. Wasn't willing to pay the price of running the extra mile. Lacked the "killer" instinct that all great wrestlers have.
But I've always appreciated those who do have those traits and have always enjoyed watching them compete. It takes a special person to succeed in such a one-on-one sport and it's not for the weak or the weak of heart.
Win and get your hand raised for all to see. Lose and walk off, trying to figure out how to get your hand raised next time. Sounds simple, but wrestling is anything but simple.
So if you get a chance, get out and watch a wrestling match some time. Better yet, come out and see the Bronchos!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Hoops Is Here
Friday is the first day that NCAA teams came begin basketball practice, which means the season is right around the corner for both UCO's men and women.
Terry Evans' men will get a jump on the proceedings as the Bronchos have slated their first practice for 12:01 a.m. Friday morning. Now that's a team eager to get going! Guy Hardaker's women will wait until a normal time to get underway.
It should be an interesting year on the hardwood for both squads. Coach Evans returns a veteran team, led by All-American Dauntae Williams, and the Bronchos have lofty goals for the 2010-11 campaign. Coach Hardaker has senior star Ashley Beckley and a bunch of young, mostly untested, talent.
Both teams have enjoyed great success the last few years and that will no doubt continue this winter. I can't wait, it should be a lot of fun.
I'm all about making lists and have done so many times on this blog and the start of basketball season made me start thinking about all the great players I've seen come through UCO since I arrived just before the start of the 1987-88 season.
It didn't take me long to come up with my top 10 players from 1987-10, for both the men and women. Both lists will be in alphabetical order 'cause ranking them would have been far too difficult.
First the women.
• Ashley Beckley (2008-10) - Tough inside presence.
• Courtney Berry (1997-99) - Slick shooter, one of the most intense competitors ever.
• Lizzie Brenner (2006-09) - Simply a stud, if I can say that.
• Ton'Nea Cox (1991-93) - Never met a rebound she didn't like.
• Meghan Craig (2005-06) - Could hurt a team in many ways.
• Jana Flanagan (1992-93) - Great shooter, team leader.
• Laura Hamilton (2003, '05) - Smooth.
• Christy Heavin (1995-98) - Perhaps the most consistent player I've ever seen.
• Keri Smith (1999-02) - Not big or tall but was hard to stop inside.
• Cristina Yarbrough (2007-10) - Cat quick, defensive demon.
Now the men.
• Sam Belt (2005-08) - Did about everything and did it very well.
• Tyrone Hopkins (1996-97) - Played incredibly hard, great scorer and rebounder.
• Zoderick Green (1994-95) - One of the best shooters I've seen and also one of the best passers.
• James Morris (1991-93) - Underrated. A bull inside, despite lack of size.
• Joe Newton (1997-98) - Fun to watch, quicker than quick.
• Eddie Robinson (1998-99) - Hmmm, played in the NBA. Enuf said. Okay, can't resist one story . . . E-Rob once got a steal at halfcourt, bounced the ball off the backboard while leaving the floor at the free throw line and flushed down a one-handed jam that left Hamilton Field House in awe.
• Junie Sanders (1994-95) - Played waaay bigger than he was.
• Fred Tyler (1991-93) - Never looked like he was playing hard, but he was.
• Dauntae Williams (2010) - Amazingly versatile. Amazing player, glad I've got one more year to watch him.
• Alex Wright (1992-93) - Still the best all-around player I've seen at UCO and I will never understand why he didn't get a chance in the NBA. Could do it all.
Terry Evans' men will get a jump on the proceedings as the Bronchos have slated their first practice for 12:01 a.m. Friday morning. Now that's a team eager to get going! Guy Hardaker's women will wait until a normal time to get underway.
It should be an interesting year on the hardwood for both squads. Coach Evans returns a veteran team, led by All-American Dauntae Williams, and the Bronchos have lofty goals for the 2010-11 campaign. Coach Hardaker has senior star Ashley Beckley and a bunch of young, mostly untested, talent.
Both teams have enjoyed great success the last few years and that will no doubt continue this winter. I can't wait, it should be a lot of fun.
I'm all about making lists and have done so many times on this blog and the start of basketball season made me start thinking about all the great players I've seen come through UCO since I arrived just before the start of the 1987-88 season.
It didn't take me long to come up with my top 10 players from 1987-10, for both the men and women. Both lists will be in alphabetical order 'cause ranking them would have been far too difficult.
First the women.
• Ashley Beckley (2008-10) - Tough inside presence.
• Courtney Berry (1997-99) - Slick shooter, one of the most intense competitors ever.
• Lizzie Brenner (2006-09) - Simply a stud, if I can say that.
• Ton'Nea Cox (1991-93) - Never met a rebound she didn't like.
• Meghan Craig (2005-06) - Could hurt a team in many ways.
• Jana Flanagan (1992-93) - Great shooter, team leader.
• Laura Hamilton (2003, '05) - Smooth.
• Christy Heavin (1995-98) - Perhaps the most consistent player I've ever seen.
• Keri Smith (1999-02) - Not big or tall but was hard to stop inside.
• Cristina Yarbrough (2007-10) - Cat quick, defensive demon.
Now the men.
• Sam Belt (2005-08) - Did about everything and did it very well.
• Tyrone Hopkins (1996-97) - Played incredibly hard, great scorer and rebounder.
• Zoderick Green (1994-95) - One of the best shooters I've seen and also one of the best passers.
• James Morris (1991-93) - Underrated. A bull inside, despite lack of size.
• Joe Newton (1997-98) - Fun to watch, quicker than quick.
• Eddie Robinson (1998-99) - Hmmm, played in the NBA. Enuf said. Okay, can't resist one story . . . E-Rob once got a steal at halfcourt, bounced the ball off the backboard while leaving the floor at the free throw line and flushed down a one-handed jam that left Hamilton Field House in awe.
• Junie Sanders (1994-95) - Played waaay bigger than he was.
• Fred Tyler (1991-93) - Never looked like he was playing hard, but he was.
• Dauntae Williams (2010) - Amazingly versatile. Amazing player, glad I've got one more year to watch him.
• Alex Wright (1992-93) - Still the best all-around player I've seen at UCO and I will never understand why he didn't get a chance in the NBA. Could do it all.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Record Setters
I talked a couple of weeks ago about how scary good the UCO men's golf team has been this fall and after spending parts of the past two days at Lincoln Park Golf Club in Oklahoma City it's obvious that the women can't be overlooked in 2010-11.
All Michael Bond's Bronchos did was win their own UCO/Mahogany Golf Classic with the two best rounds in school history on the par-70 East Course. UCO fired out a nifty 289 in Monday's opening round -- besting the previous school-record by seven shots -- and backed it up with a 293 Tuesday.
The Bronchos started women's golf in 2003-04 and had played 154 tournament rounds entering this week, with the previous best score a pair of 296s. Then this year's team goes out and beats that two days in a row. Impressive.
The high score for UCO's five players in the tournament was a 79, once. The remaining nine scores during the two days were between 71-75. Doubly impressive.
It's a good mix of experience and youth on this team, with two true freshmen, two juniors and a senior in the starting lineup.
Raelynn Farthing is the lone senior on the squad, a steadying influence who has started throughout her career. Emily Leahey showed her renewed focus this week with a runner-up individual finish after rounds of 73-71 and fellow junior Erica Bensch is a long-ball hitter ready for a breakout year.
Rookies Chaney Uhles and Taylor Neidy are the keys to this team, having quickly proven they will be forces to reckon with. Both show poise and composure beyond their years and they will just continue to get better.
The performance at Lincoln Park should do wonders for the confidence of this team and it will be fun to watch them continue to develop throughout the course of this year.
Speaking of golf . . . it was nice to see the men's team at Lincoln Park supporting the women Monday and Tuesday. I know Coach Bond and his players appreciated that, as well they should.
All Michael Bond's Bronchos did was win their own UCO/Mahogany Golf Classic with the two best rounds in school history on the par-70 East Course. UCO fired out a nifty 289 in Monday's opening round -- besting the previous school-record by seven shots -- and backed it up with a 293 Tuesday.
The Bronchos started women's golf in 2003-04 and had played 154 tournament rounds entering this week, with the previous best score a pair of 296s. Then this year's team goes out and beats that two days in a row. Impressive.
The high score for UCO's five players in the tournament was a 79, once. The remaining nine scores during the two days were between 71-75. Doubly impressive.
It's a good mix of experience and youth on this team, with two true freshmen, two juniors and a senior in the starting lineup.
Raelynn Farthing is the lone senior on the squad, a steadying influence who has started throughout her career. Emily Leahey showed her renewed focus this week with a runner-up individual finish after rounds of 73-71 and fellow junior Erica Bensch is a long-ball hitter ready for a breakout year.
Rookies Chaney Uhles and Taylor Neidy are the keys to this team, having quickly proven they will be forces to reckon with. Both show poise and composure beyond their years and they will just continue to get better.
The performance at Lincoln Park should do wonders for the confidence of this team and it will be fun to watch them continue to develop throughout the course of this year.
Speaking of golf . . . it was nice to see the men's team at Lincoln Park supporting the women Monday and Tuesday. I know Coach Bond and his players appreciated that, as well they should.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Random Ramblings
He's only four games into his UCO career, but redshirt freshman running back Josh Birmingham has already shown me -- and many others -- that he can be a special player. I had seen Josh in scrimmage situations during his redshirt year and it was pretty easy to see he had exceptional talent, which has been showcased in many ways already this season.
Quick feet, explosive speed, stronger than he might appear. Makes defenders miss, darts through creases in a blur and is capable of going the distance anytime he touches the ball, whether it be on a handoff or a reception or a kick return.
UCO has had dozens of great backs over the years and I've seen many of them in my 23-plus years. Pinkey Hurley from the late 1980s was under-rated, a tough inside runner with good speed who was a dangerous all-around threat. Joe Aska from '93 and '94 had amazing speed and was a third-round NFL draft pick. Reggie Donner from 1997-99 could run through a brick wall and still outrun most people, a player I felt could have played in the NFL if it weren't for the knee injury that curtailed his career.
It's early - just four games, remember - but Birmingham has a legitimate chance to rank among those all-time greats by the time he's done.
The UCO volleyball squad is off to a great start at 12-4 overall and 4-1 in the conference following Tuesday's road sweep of Southwestern Oklahoma. Senior outside hitters Zuela Adom and Kristen Wilson pace the Bronchos, but there are plenty of good, young players on this team and it will be interesting to see how they continue to progress throughout the rest of the season.
Next Monday and Tuesday will be the only chance for UCO golf fans to see the women's team in action close to home when the Bronchos host their own tournament at Lincoln Park East. The team has a good mix of young talent and veteran experience, with head coach Michael Bond harboring high hopes for his group.
Speaking of golf . . . the men's team had another strong outing this week in Lawton, finishing second at The Oklahoma Collegiate with a 33-under-par total. That's two wins and a second in three fall tournaments for the Bronchos, who have three individuals (Colby Shrum, Josh Creel and Dillon Rust) averaging under par.
Don't look now, but it's almost time for basketball and wrestling. The wrestling team got on the mat last week, while basketball is going through conditioning drills now and is just a couple of weeks away from starting practice.
Quick feet, explosive speed, stronger than he might appear. Makes defenders miss, darts through creases in a blur and is capable of going the distance anytime he touches the ball, whether it be on a handoff or a reception or a kick return.
UCO has had dozens of great backs over the years and I've seen many of them in my 23-plus years. Pinkey Hurley from the late 1980s was under-rated, a tough inside runner with good speed who was a dangerous all-around threat. Joe Aska from '93 and '94 had amazing speed and was a third-round NFL draft pick. Reggie Donner from 1997-99 could run through a brick wall and still outrun most people, a player I felt could have played in the NFL if it weren't for the knee injury that curtailed his career.
It's early - just four games, remember - but Birmingham has a legitimate chance to rank among those all-time greats by the time he's done.
The UCO volleyball squad is off to a great start at 12-4 overall and 4-1 in the conference following Tuesday's road sweep of Southwestern Oklahoma. Senior outside hitters Zuela Adom and Kristen Wilson pace the Bronchos, but there are plenty of good, young players on this team and it will be interesting to see how they continue to progress throughout the rest of the season.
Next Monday and Tuesday will be the only chance for UCO golf fans to see the women's team in action close to home when the Bronchos host their own tournament at Lincoln Park East. The team has a good mix of young talent and veteran experience, with head coach Michael Bond harboring high hopes for his group.
Speaking of golf . . . the men's team had another strong outing this week in Lawton, finishing second at The Oklahoma Collegiate with a 33-under-par total. That's two wins and a second in three fall tournaments for the Bronchos, who have three individuals (Colby Shrum, Josh Creel and Dillon Rust) averaging under par.
Don't look now, but it's almost time for basketball and wrestling. The wrestling team got on the mat last week, while basketball is going through conditioning drills now and is just a couple of weeks away from starting practice.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
On A Roll
Kudos to the UCO men's golf team, which captured its second straight tournament of the fall season Tuesday at the NSU Golf Classic in Muskogee. Head coach Dax Johnston has long told me that the fall campaign is just as important as the spring season and his team is rapidly building momentum for a storybook year.
Check out some of these numbers from the first two tournaments.
The Bronchos are 13-under-par as a team, having won their opening tournament on Abilene Christian's home course at minus-9 and at NSU's home-away-from-home at minus-4. UCO's five starters have been under par in 10 of their 20 combined rounds, with five rounds in the 60s. Three players are under par through four rounds -- Colby Shrum (minus-7), Dillon Rust (minus-4) and Josh Creel (minus-1).
Colby, a two-time All-American from the golfing mecca of Perry, Oklahoma that we both call home, has shown no rust from a self-imposed redshirt year taken in 2009-10. In fact, the senior star may be better, which is downright scary.
Dillon has taken his game to a new level after a successful redshirt freshman year that gave him additional confidence. Josh is a sophomore transfer from the University of Colorado who has already made a huge impact, having won the OGA stroke play title this summer and then tying for medalist honors at the NSU tourney in his second outing with the Bronchos.
And that's not even talking about Andrew Green, the extremely tall (6-7 or 6-8, depending on who you ask) and gifted junior who has scuffed along at two-over-par through the first two tournaments. Or junior Baer Aneshansley, who also redshirted last year after starting in 2008-09.
And this team has depth. UCO took two teams to Muskogee, one winning it and the other - with just four players instead of the normal five - finishing ahead of nine other teams in the huge 23-team field.
Dax has had incredible success during his tenure at UCO. The Division II national champion in 1996 while playing for the Bronchos, Dax has now won 39 titles and finished in the top-five in 91 of 116 tournaments as head coach. Remarkable numbers.
This has the makings of a special team at UCO, so keep an eye on this group as they go through the rest of their five-tournament fall schedule and into next spring. They have a big goal - that of winning the national championship in May 2011 - and I for one am not gonna bet against them.
Check out some of these numbers from the first two tournaments.
The Bronchos are 13-under-par as a team, having won their opening tournament on Abilene Christian's home course at minus-9 and at NSU's home-away-from-home at minus-4. UCO's five starters have been under par in 10 of their 20 combined rounds, with five rounds in the 60s. Three players are under par through four rounds -- Colby Shrum (minus-7), Dillon Rust (minus-4) and Josh Creel (minus-1).
Colby, a two-time All-American from the golfing mecca of Perry, Oklahoma that we both call home, has shown no rust from a self-imposed redshirt year taken in 2009-10. In fact, the senior star may be better, which is downright scary.
Dillon has taken his game to a new level after a successful redshirt freshman year that gave him additional confidence. Josh is a sophomore transfer from the University of Colorado who has already made a huge impact, having won the OGA stroke play title this summer and then tying for medalist honors at the NSU tourney in his second outing with the Bronchos.
And that's not even talking about Andrew Green, the extremely tall (6-7 or 6-8, depending on who you ask) and gifted junior who has scuffed along at two-over-par through the first two tournaments. Or junior Baer Aneshansley, who also redshirted last year after starting in 2008-09.
And this team has depth. UCO took two teams to Muskogee, one winning it and the other - with just four players instead of the normal five - finishing ahead of nine other teams in the huge 23-team field.
Dax has had incredible success during his tenure at UCO. The Division II national champion in 1996 while playing for the Bronchos, Dax has now won 39 titles and finished in the top-five in 91 of 116 tournaments as head coach. Remarkable numbers.
This has the makings of a special team at UCO, so keep an eye on this group as they go through the rest of their five-tournament fall schedule and into next spring. They have a big goal - that of winning the national championship in May 2011 - and I for one am not gonna bet against them.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Big Win For Bronchos
Last Saturday's 37-21 Lone Star Conference football win over Tarleton State was huge for the Bronchos in more ways than one.
Obviously, it was big to get in the win column after dropping the opener to Pittsburg State two weeks earlier when five turnovers doomed UCO. But, perhaps more importantly, the win gives the youthful Bronchos a shot in the arm confidence-wise and that could be an even bigger factor going forward.
I counted 34 underclassmen who played in Saturday's game against Tarleton. That's 34 of the 50 players who saw action on the field. And that's an amazing stat to me, especially when you look at how big a role some of those young guys played.
You want some examples? I've got plenty.
Redshirt freshman running back Josh Birmingham - 97 yards and two TDs rushing, 46 yards receiving. Sophomore quarterback Ethan Sharp - 19-of-24 passing for 190 yards and two TDs, 25 yards and one TD rushing. Sophomore receiver Dolphin Davis - three receptions, 49 yards, two TDs. Two sophomore linemen - Justin Pruitt and Cody Hughes - who helped a unit that didn't give up a sack for the second straight game.
Not enough? There's more on defense, which gave up just 295 yards in the win.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Kerry Wallace, making his first start - a team-high 10 tackles. Sophomore strong safety Keno Meadows - six tackles. Redshirt freshman cornerback Randy Stanley - four broken up passes. Sophomore Creadell Pennon - an interception and 32-yard return late in the game that led to UCO's clinching touchdown.
So now the Bronchos go on the road for the first time, with the team set to travel to San Antonio this Saturday for a first-ever meeting with Incarnate Word. It will be another challenge for a young team that doesn't have a lot of depth, but UCO is heading in the right direction with this squad.
And now a quick look at our other fall sports teams . . .
• UCO will finally play its first home volleyball match Tuesday at 7 p.m. when the Bronchos host Dallas Baptist. The Bronchos are off to a solid 6-3 start, including a big win last weekend at the Angelo State Invitational over a Lubbock Christian team that was ranked No. 12 in NAIA and had ended West Texas A&M's 46-match winning streak the week before. Look for this team to keep getting stronger as the season progresses.
• Alina Istrate breezed to the individual title to lead the Broncho cross country team to a championship in its own UCO Land Run last Saturday morning. The senior wasn't even breathing hard after her win and is ready to lead the Bronchos to a banner year as she rebounds from an injury-plagued junior season. A 3-4 finish by freshmen Katie Kerns and Tess Lackey in last week's meet was also a good sign of things to come.
• UCO evened its soccer record at 2-2 Sunday with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Oklahoma City at soggy Tom Thompson Field. The Bronchos are playing without several key players because of injury, but continue to battle hard and found a way to pick up a much-needed win over the Stars. UCO will be back at home again this week, with games Friday and Sunday afternoon.
• And finally, the fall golf season gets underway Monday and Tuesday for both the men and women. UCO's men expect to be national contenders next spring and are in Abilene, Texas to open their season, while the women have high hopes of their own and open up at a tournament in Springfield, Mo.
Obviously, it was big to get in the win column after dropping the opener to Pittsburg State two weeks earlier when five turnovers doomed UCO. But, perhaps more importantly, the win gives the youthful Bronchos a shot in the arm confidence-wise and that could be an even bigger factor going forward.
I counted 34 underclassmen who played in Saturday's game against Tarleton. That's 34 of the 50 players who saw action on the field. And that's an amazing stat to me, especially when you look at how big a role some of those young guys played.
You want some examples? I've got plenty.
Redshirt freshman running back Josh Birmingham - 97 yards and two TDs rushing, 46 yards receiving. Sophomore quarterback Ethan Sharp - 19-of-24 passing for 190 yards and two TDs, 25 yards and one TD rushing. Sophomore receiver Dolphin Davis - three receptions, 49 yards, two TDs. Two sophomore linemen - Justin Pruitt and Cody Hughes - who helped a unit that didn't give up a sack for the second straight game.
Not enough? There's more on defense, which gave up just 295 yards in the win.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Kerry Wallace, making his first start - a team-high 10 tackles. Sophomore strong safety Keno Meadows - six tackles. Redshirt freshman cornerback Randy Stanley - four broken up passes. Sophomore Creadell Pennon - an interception and 32-yard return late in the game that led to UCO's clinching touchdown.
So now the Bronchos go on the road for the first time, with the team set to travel to San Antonio this Saturday for a first-ever meeting with Incarnate Word. It will be another challenge for a young team that doesn't have a lot of depth, but UCO is heading in the right direction with this squad.
And now a quick look at our other fall sports teams . . .
• UCO will finally play its first home volleyball match Tuesday at 7 p.m. when the Bronchos host Dallas Baptist. The Bronchos are off to a solid 6-3 start, including a big win last weekend at the Angelo State Invitational over a Lubbock Christian team that was ranked No. 12 in NAIA and had ended West Texas A&M's 46-match winning streak the week before. Look for this team to keep getting stronger as the season progresses.
• Alina Istrate breezed to the individual title to lead the Broncho cross country team to a championship in its own UCO Land Run last Saturday morning. The senior wasn't even breathing hard after her win and is ready to lead the Bronchos to a banner year as she rebounds from an injury-plagued junior season. A 3-4 finish by freshmen Katie Kerns and Tess Lackey in last week's meet was also a good sign of things to come.
• UCO evened its soccer record at 2-2 Sunday with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Oklahoma City at soggy Tom Thompson Field. The Bronchos are playing without several key players because of injury, but continue to battle hard and found a way to pick up a much-needed win over the Stars. UCO will be back at home again this week, with games Friday and Sunday afternoon.
• And finally, the fall golf season gets underway Monday and Tuesday for both the men and women. UCO's men expect to be national contenders next spring and are in Abilene, Texas to open their season, while the women have high hopes of their own and open up at a tournament in Springfield, Mo.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Soccer, Volleyball On Deck
Football got the 2010-11 sports year started for Central Oklahoma last weekend and now it's time for soccer and volleyball to take center stage.
Both teams kick off their season this weekend, with soccer at home and volleyball on the road. Coach Mike Cook's squad hosts the Broncho Invitational, with UCO set to take on Nebraska-Omaha Friday and Truman State Saturday. Coach Jeff Boyland and his spikers go to the West Texas A&M Invitational for four matches, playing two each on Friday and Saturday.
There are no seniors on the soccer roster, but the Bronchos are brimming with young talent and should continue to build on a championship tradition. This weekend's games will also be a good indicator of where UCO stands in regards to the top teams in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Assocation, a league the Bronchos will join in 2012-13.
Look for an aggressive, pressing offensive attack and strong defensive play by UCO this weekend at Tom Thompson Field.
Four seniors are ready to lead the volleyball team that is looking to bounce back strong from two consecutive sub-par years. A rash of injuries in both 2008 and '09 severely limited the Bronchos, who are certainly capable of being one of the top teams in the LSC if they stay healthy.
UCO has plenty of offensive firepower and should get the season off to a good start in Texas.
A LOOK BACK: Though UCO lost its football season opener to Pitt State 31-20 last Saturday, there were a lot of positive things that went on at Wantland Stadium. First and foremost was the great crowd -- nearly 8,500 -- that ranks as the biggest in at least 10 years.
The retro uniforms worn by the Bronchos looked great, dozens of former players came from near and far for a pre-game cookout before being recognized at halftime and the game atmosphere was simply fantastic.
And on the field, the Bronchos showed many promising moments both offensively and defensively before losing out to Pitt State's fourth-quarter surge. A win would have obviously been the best topper to the night, but all in all it was a great start to the season.
Both teams kick off their season this weekend, with soccer at home and volleyball on the road. Coach Mike Cook's squad hosts the Broncho Invitational, with UCO set to take on Nebraska-Omaha Friday and Truman State Saturday. Coach Jeff Boyland and his spikers go to the West Texas A&M Invitational for four matches, playing two each on Friday and Saturday.
There are no seniors on the soccer roster, but the Bronchos are brimming with young talent and should continue to build on a championship tradition. This weekend's games will also be a good indicator of where UCO stands in regards to the top teams in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Assocation, a league the Bronchos will join in 2012-13.
Look for an aggressive, pressing offensive attack and strong defensive play by UCO this weekend at Tom Thompson Field.
Four seniors are ready to lead the volleyball team that is looking to bounce back strong from two consecutive sub-par years. A rash of injuries in both 2008 and '09 severely limited the Bronchos, who are certainly capable of being one of the top teams in the LSC if they stay healthy.
UCO has plenty of offensive firepower and should get the season off to a good start in Texas.
A LOOK BACK: Though UCO lost its football season opener to Pitt State 31-20 last Saturday, there were a lot of positive things that went on at Wantland Stadium. First and foremost was the great crowd -- nearly 8,500 -- that ranks as the biggest in at least 10 years.
The retro uniforms worn by the Bronchos looked great, dozens of former players came from near and far for a pre-game cookout before being recognized at halftime and the game atmosphere was simply fantastic.
And on the field, the Bronchos showed many promising moments both offensively and defensively before losing out to Pitt State's fourth-quarter surge. A win would have obviously been the best topper to the night, but all in all it was a great start to the season.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Game Week!
It may be hard to believe, but football season is upon us. Or it will be in a few short days when UCO opens the 2010 campaign Saturday against Pittsburg State.
The Gorillas invade Wantland Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff Saturday and it should be an interesting battle between two long-time powers looking for an identity. Pitt State ranks first and the Bronchos third in all-time wins on the Division II level, but both are coming off losing seasons.
UCO went 4-7 last year, winning three of the last four after a 1-6 start. The Gorillas finished 5-6, losing three of their last four. It will be the third straight time the two teams have opened the season against each other, with PSU having taken the past two meetings.
The Bronchos have an incredibly young team this season, with just 21 upperclassmen on the 86-player roster. Twenty-one!! That's amazing. Even more amazing is the fact that senior center Cody Ellett is the ONLY player remaining from the 2007 team.
UCO has talent, no doubt about that. Skill-position guys like running back Josh Birmingham, wide receivers Dolphin Davis, Daniel Morrell and Matt Jackson. Defenders like linebacker Tucker Cason and lineman Herbert Byrd. These players are among the best in the Lone Star Conference and there are others who are flying under the rader right now, ready and waiting to showcase their talents.
There are many questions as well -- especially with such a young squad -- and it may take awhile to find all the answers. But all signs point toward a bright future for the Bronchos, who are eager to get started.
It should be fun Saturday night at Wantland Stadium. There will be plenty of pre-game activities around the stadium, a large group of former players will be honored at halftime and the team will be wearing retro uniforms. It's a 7 p.m. kickoff, so come out early and join in the fun.
While we're on the subject of Broncho football . . . how about the early performance of former defensive line stud Jermelle Cudjo? A four-year star who signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Rams, Cudjo has been impressive in the first two preseason games with a pair of sacks and has a great shot of making the roster.
The Gorillas invade Wantland Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff Saturday and it should be an interesting battle between two long-time powers looking for an identity. Pitt State ranks first and the Bronchos third in all-time wins on the Division II level, but both are coming off losing seasons.
UCO went 4-7 last year, winning three of the last four after a 1-6 start. The Gorillas finished 5-6, losing three of their last four. It will be the third straight time the two teams have opened the season against each other, with PSU having taken the past two meetings.
The Bronchos have an incredibly young team this season, with just 21 upperclassmen on the 86-player roster. Twenty-one!! That's amazing. Even more amazing is the fact that senior center Cody Ellett is the ONLY player remaining from the 2007 team.
UCO has talent, no doubt about that. Skill-position guys like running back Josh Birmingham, wide receivers Dolphin Davis, Daniel Morrell and Matt Jackson. Defenders like linebacker Tucker Cason and lineman Herbert Byrd. These players are among the best in the Lone Star Conference and there are others who are flying under the rader right now, ready and waiting to showcase their talents.
There are many questions as well -- especially with such a young squad -- and it may take awhile to find all the answers. But all signs point toward a bright future for the Bronchos, who are eager to get started.
It should be fun Saturday night at Wantland Stadium. There will be plenty of pre-game activities around the stadium, a large group of former players will be honored at halftime and the team will be wearing retro uniforms. It's a 7 p.m. kickoff, so come out early and join in the fun.
While we're on the subject of Broncho football . . . how about the early performance of former defensive line stud Jermelle Cudjo? A four-year star who signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Rams, Cudjo has been impressive in the first two preseason games with a pair of sacks and has a great shot of making the roster.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Summer Is Over
It doesn't officially happen until Sept. 23, but to me summer is over.
You may not have noticed it, but the seasons changed on Saturday, Aug. 7 when UCO had its first football practice. The lazy days of summer are gone, replaced by a sudden flurry of activity as first one team and then several more begin preparing for their upcoming seasons.
Football was the first to get started, with the cross country, soccer and volleyball teams all set to open practice next Monday, Aug. 16.
The football team has been drilling in some brutal conditions with the current heat wave and the Bronchos have plenty of work to do in order to be ready for the Aug. 28 season opener. Coach Tracy Holland's team is loaded with young players and they will have to grow up in a hurry with Pittsburg State coming to Wantland Stadium for the first game.
It will be the first of six home games for the Bronchos in 2010, including four of the first five. That's a far cry from last year, when UCO had just four of its 11 games at Wantland Stadium.
Mike Cook's soccer club is also dominated by youth, with nary a single senior on the roster. But the Bronchos will again be a main contender for the Lone Star Conference title this fall, returning nine players who saw some starting duty last year.
UCO has a favorable schedule, starting the season with six straight home games, and the Bronchos will play 11 of their 18 games at Tom Thompson Field this season.
It won't be as good a home slate for the volleyball team, with Jeff Boyland's spikers set to play just eight of their 30 matches at Hamilton Field House.
This is a veteran squad, however, with five seniors leading a team that lost just one starter from last year and the Bronchos are ready to be a main challenger in the league race.
Likewise, the cross country team is hoping to make a move up the LSC standings this fall. J.D. Martin returns six runners from last year's squad that finished fourth in the conference, with the Bronchos set to make their lone home apperance with the UCO Land Run on Sept. 11.
You may not have noticed it, but the seasons changed on Saturday, Aug. 7 when UCO had its first football practice. The lazy days of summer are gone, replaced by a sudden flurry of activity as first one team and then several more begin preparing for their upcoming seasons.
Football was the first to get started, with the cross country, soccer and volleyball teams all set to open practice next Monday, Aug. 16.
The football team has been drilling in some brutal conditions with the current heat wave and the Bronchos have plenty of work to do in order to be ready for the Aug. 28 season opener. Coach Tracy Holland's team is loaded with young players and they will have to grow up in a hurry with Pittsburg State coming to Wantland Stadium for the first game.
It will be the first of six home games for the Bronchos in 2010, including four of the first five. That's a far cry from last year, when UCO had just four of its 11 games at Wantland Stadium.
Mike Cook's soccer club is also dominated by youth, with nary a single senior on the roster. But the Bronchos will again be a main contender for the Lone Star Conference title this fall, returning nine players who saw some starting duty last year.
UCO has a favorable schedule, starting the season with six straight home games, and the Bronchos will play 11 of their 18 games at Tom Thompson Field this season.
It won't be as good a home slate for the volleyball team, with Jeff Boyland's spikers set to play just eight of their 30 matches at Hamilton Field House.
This is a veteran squad, however, with five seniors leading a team that lost just one starter from last year and the Bronchos are ready to be a main challenger in the league race.
Likewise, the cross country team is hoping to make a move up the LSC standings this fall. J.D. Martin returns six runners from last year's squad that finished fourth in the conference, with the Bronchos set to make their lone home apperance with the UCO Land Run on Sept. 11.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Most Dramatic Wins of 2009-10
In looking back at the 2009-10 school year, I started thinking about all the heart-stopping wins various UCO teams had and - being a guy who likes lists - decided to come up with a ranking of the 10 Most Dramatic Wins.
There were plenty of big wins by several different teams, but my list consists of 10 contests that were all down-to-the-wire thrillers that ended up with the Bronchos coming out on top in dramatic fashion. Women's basketball coach Guy Hardaker undoubtedly gained a few gray hairs during his season as three of his team's games made my list.
So here's a look at one man's list of UCO's Most Dramatic Wins of 2009-10.
No. 10 - Volleyball wins in five sets over Arkansas Tech. The Bronchos had lost four previous five-set matches before finally breaking through against the Golden Suns, prevailing 17-15 in the final set on back-to-back kills by Taylor Summers and Meaghan Wedberg.
No. 9 - Women's basketball over Southeastern Oklahoma. UCO avenged a home loss to the Savage Storm with a 101-97 overtime triumph in Durant in the regular season finale. The Bronchos stayed alive when SOSU missed two free throws in the final seconds of regulation and then won it in the first extra session as Rose Anderson had a clutch 3-pointer with 22 seconds left en route to scoring a career-high 22 points.
No. 8 - Soccer prevails in overtime against Texas A&M-Commerce. UCO eked out a 1-0 victory at Wantland Stadium in a late-season contest with the Lions on a goal by Katelyn Cropp with just 1:17 left in overtime.
No. 7 - Softball pulls out 6-4 win over Midwestern State. The Mustangs were ranked No. 3 in the country when UCO won an extra-inning thriller in the Lone Star Conference Tournament, getting a two-run double from Kacie Edwards in the top of the 10th to break a tie. Molly Shivers then put MSU down in order in the bottom of the frame to clinch the upset.
No. 6 - Men's basketball over Cameron. The Bronchos won their 11th straight game when a Chris Rhymes layup crawled over the iron for a basket at the buzzer and a 71-69 win in Lawton. Dauntae Williams had 29 points and 10 rebounds for UCO.
No. 5 - Softball knocks off No. 8 Missouri Western. UCO scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to prevail 7-6. Kayce Raines tied it with a two-run single and Kacie Edwards followed with a game-winning single.
No. 4 - Soccer tops West Texas A&M in Lone Star Conference Tournament finals. The Bronchos had to win to earn a berth in the NCAA Division II national tournament and did it by the slimmest of margins with a penalty-kick victory. The two teams battled to a 1-1 tie through regulation and two overtime periods before UCO finally won it 4-2 in PKs, getting the go-ahead goal from Summer White and the clincher from Nathalie Bernigaud.
No. 3 - Women's basketball outlasts Texas Woman's in two overtimes. The Bronchos needed a miracle to even get to OT and Savannah Hamilton delivered when she drained a 3-point rainbow at the regulation buzzer to tie it. TWU forced another OT with a last-second shot of its own, but UCO finally claimed a 96-93 road victory in the second extra session. Ashley Beckley scored 22 points, Jordan Stark had 21 points and 14 rebounds and Hamilton finished with 13 points.
No. 2 - Men's basketball over Emporia State. In the home opener, UCO overcame a 16-point deficit and survived a 116-114 double-overtime nail-biter against the Hornets. The two teams combined to shot over 65 percent from 3-point range while making 32 treys in a scintillating shooting exhibition, with Shane Carroll hitting eight in career-high 33-point outing for the Bronchos. Tyler Phillips made two free throws with 10 seconds left in the second OT to break a 114-all tie and ESU couldn't get off a potential winning shot at the end.
And No. 1 - Women's basketball - again - in an amazing 111-105 triple-overtime win over Abilene Christian in the first round of the Lone Star Conference Tournament. Wow is all I can say about this game, which I still have a hard time believing the Bronchos won. Clutch shots on both sides, amazing individual performances, big-time blunders . . . this game had it all. ACU appeared to have won when it scored with less than a second to play in the first OT to take a two-point lead, but the Wildcats were called for a technical when several players stormed the court as UCO was trying to inbound the ball. Jordan Stark drilled the two resulting free throws to tie it again and the Bronchos pulled away in the third extra period.
There you have it, my list of the 10 Most Dramatic Wins of 2009-10.
There were several other contests that nearly made the cut, like the football team's 24-17 road win over No. 13-ranked West Texas A&M and a 5-4 tennis victory over Arkansas-Fort Smith when Lacy Caldwell rallied for a three-set win in the final match, but in the end these 10 were the best.
Any arguments?
There were plenty of big wins by several different teams, but my list consists of 10 contests that were all down-to-the-wire thrillers that ended up with the Bronchos coming out on top in dramatic fashion. Women's basketball coach Guy Hardaker undoubtedly gained a few gray hairs during his season as three of his team's games made my list.
So here's a look at one man's list of UCO's Most Dramatic Wins of 2009-10.
No. 10 - Volleyball wins in five sets over Arkansas Tech. The Bronchos had lost four previous five-set matches before finally breaking through against the Golden Suns, prevailing 17-15 in the final set on back-to-back kills by Taylor Summers and Meaghan Wedberg.
No. 9 - Women's basketball over Southeastern Oklahoma. UCO avenged a home loss to the Savage Storm with a 101-97 overtime triumph in Durant in the regular season finale. The Bronchos stayed alive when SOSU missed two free throws in the final seconds of regulation and then won it in the first extra session as Rose Anderson had a clutch 3-pointer with 22 seconds left en route to scoring a career-high 22 points.
No. 8 - Soccer prevails in overtime against Texas A&M-Commerce. UCO eked out a 1-0 victory at Wantland Stadium in a late-season contest with the Lions on a goal by Katelyn Cropp with just 1:17 left in overtime.
No. 7 - Softball pulls out 6-4 win over Midwestern State. The Mustangs were ranked No. 3 in the country when UCO won an extra-inning thriller in the Lone Star Conference Tournament, getting a two-run double from Kacie Edwards in the top of the 10th to break a tie. Molly Shivers then put MSU down in order in the bottom of the frame to clinch the upset.
No. 6 - Men's basketball over Cameron. The Bronchos won their 11th straight game when a Chris Rhymes layup crawled over the iron for a basket at the buzzer and a 71-69 win in Lawton. Dauntae Williams had 29 points and 10 rebounds for UCO.
No. 5 - Softball knocks off No. 8 Missouri Western. UCO scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to prevail 7-6. Kayce Raines tied it with a two-run single and Kacie Edwards followed with a game-winning single.
No. 4 - Soccer tops West Texas A&M in Lone Star Conference Tournament finals. The Bronchos had to win to earn a berth in the NCAA Division II national tournament and did it by the slimmest of margins with a penalty-kick victory. The two teams battled to a 1-1 tie through regulation and two overtime periods before UCO finally won it 4-2 in PKs, getting the go-ahead goal from Summer White and the clincher from Nathalie Bernigaud.
No. 3 - Women's basketball outlasts Texas Woman's in two overtimes. The Bronchos needed a miracle to even get to OT and Savannah Hamilton delivered when she drained a 3-point rainbow at the regulation buzzer to tie it. TWU forced another OT with a last-second shot of its own, but UCO finally claimed a 96-93 road victory in the second extra session. Ashley Beckley scored 22 points, Jordan Stark had 21 points and 14 rebounds and Hamilton finished with 13 points.
No. 2 - Men's basketball over Emporia State. In the home opener, UCO overcame a 16-point deficit and survived a 116-114 double-overtime nail-biter against the Hornets. The two teams combined to shot over 65 percent from 3-point range while making 32 treys in a scintillating shooting exhibition, with Shane Carroll hitting eight in career-high 33-point outing for the Bronchos. Tyler Phillips made two free throws with 10 seconds left in the second OT to break a 114-all tie and ESU couldn't get off a potential winning shot at the end.
And No. 1 - Women's basketball - again - in an amazing 111-105 triple-overtime win over Abilene Christian in the first round of the Lone Star Conference Tournament. Wow is all I can say about this game, which I still have a hard time believing the Bronchos won. Clutch shots on both sides, amazing individual performances, big-time blunders . . . this game had it all. ACU appeared to have won when it scored with less than a second to play in the first OT to take a two-point lead, but the Wildcats were called for a technical when several players stormed the court as UCO was trying to inbound the ball. Jordan Stark drilled the two resulting free throws to tie it again and the Bronchos pulled away in the third extra period.
There you have it, my list of the 10 Most Dramatic Wins of 2009-10.
There were several other contests that nearly made the cut, like the football team's 24-17 road win over No. 13-ranked West Texas A&M and a 5-4 tennis victory over Arkansas-Fort Smith when Lacy Caldwell rallied for a three-set win in the final match, but in the end these 10 were the best.
Any arguments?
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Overachievers
I listened to UCO softball coach Genny Stidham throughout the fall and winter talk about her team and their prospects for 2010. The talent was there, but it was a young squad and she never could get a feel on how good they could be.
Well, I'd say the answer is in . . . they're pretty good. Seven freshmen and sophomores play key roles on a team that finished as Lone Star Conference North Division runner-up and Monday earned the program's sixth NCAA Division II national tournament berth since 2002.
And while there's no doubt the youngsters have played an instrumental role this spring, the heart and soul of this team -- at least to me -- are seniors Kelsey Tiger and Molly Shivers. Two of the most competitive players to ever come through UCO, that dynamic duo has led the way through their play on the field and their leadership off it.
Tiger will go down as one of the best all-around players in a school history. Remarkably, she's started EVERY game (189 and counting) of her career, having seen action at catcher, second base and shortstop. An excellent defender at whatever position she's played, Kelsey will also finish at or near the top in a bunch of all-time school statistical categories, including hits and RBI.
Shivers also ranks among UCO's finest-ever players. She's been a workhorse in the pitching circle the past four four years, shines defensively in right field when not pitching and showcases offensively versatility at all times. Molly ranks among the school's career leaders in wins and strikeouts as a pitcher and home runs and stolen bases as a batter.
But Tiger and Shivers haven't done it by themselves. Far from it.
Rachael Steverson came into her own as a sophomore pitcher. Kacie Edwards stepped in as a freshman catcher and has been a terror at the plate all season. Sophomore Brittany Weaver came up with one big play after another at second base. Junior Megan Bentley became an offensive threat after struggling with injuries her first two years. Sophomore Rachel Lowery took over at first base to provide the stability needed there. And so on.
Hats off to Coach Stidham for molding this team together . . . and congrats to Genny for reaching the 350-win mark for her UCO career late in the regular season. Good luck to the Bronchos in the South Central Regional this weekend in Emporia, Kan.
Well, I'd say the answer is in . . . they're pretty good. Seven freshmen and sophomores play key roles on a team that finished as Lone Star Conference North Division runner-up and Monday earned the program's sixth NCAA Division II national tournament berth since 2002.
And while there's no doubt the youngsters have played an instrumental role this spring, the heart and soul of this team -- at least to me -- are seniors Kelsey Tiger and Molly Shivers. Two of the most competitive players to ever come through UCO, that dynamic duo has led the way through their play on the field and their leadership off it.
Tiger will go down as one of the best all-around players in a school history. Remarkably, she's started EVERY game (189 and counting) of her career, having seen action at catcher, second base and shortstop. An excellent defender at whatever position she's played, Kelsey will also finish at or near the top in a bunch of all-time school statistical categories, including hits and RBI.
Shivers also ranks among UCO's finest-ever players. She's been a workhorse in the pitching circle the past four four years, shines defensively in right field when not pitching and showcases offensively versatility at all times. Molly ranks among the school's career leaders in wins and strikeouts as a pitcher and home runs and stolen bases as a batter.
But Tiger and Shivers haven't done it by themselves. Far from it.
Rachael Steverson came into her own as a sophomore pitcher. Kacie Edwards stepped in as a freshman catcher and has been a terror at the plate all season. Sophomore Brittany Weaver came up with one big play after another at second base. Junior Megan Bentley became an offensive threat after struggling with injuries her first two years. Sophomore Rachel Lowery took over at first base to provide the stability needed there. And so on.
Hats off to Coach Stidham for molding this team together . . . and congrats to Genny for reaching the 350-win mark for her UCO career late in the regular season. Good luck to the Bronchos in the South Central Regional this weekend in Emporia, Kan.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Golfers Shine
Fresh off a three-day stint at the WinStar Golf Course near the Oklahoma-Texas border for the Lone Star Conference Men's and Women's Golf Championships and congratulations are in order for both UCO teams.
Hats off in particular to Cassy Knight for capturing her second straight individual league title. The senior improved by two strokes every round and used a brilliant final-nine rally to win by two shots with an even-par 216 total.
Cassy somehow managed a 74 in Sunday's opening round that was contested in horrible conditions, with rain, wind and cold making every shot an adventure. An even-par 72 in Monday's second round left Cassy one shot behind in the medalist race and a so-so front-nine Tuesday had that deficit up to three.
But down the stretch, Cassy was determined and dominating. Four straight pars, then laser-like approaches that led to tap-in birdies. A third straight birdie on No. 16 to take the lead, followed by a pair of routine pars. All that resulted in a back-nine 33 and a final-round 70 for perhaps the best feel-good win of the year for any UCO student-athlete or team.
The Bronchos also got steady play from Raelynn Farthing, who ended up tying for seventh with rounds of 76-75-74. And sophomore Erica Bensch, still smiling despite struggling mightly the first two days, posted an even-par 72 on the final day to help the Bronchos to their best score of the year (296) in finishing fourth.
UCO's men tied their best outing of the year with a third-place showing, firing their two low rounds of 2009-10 the last two days.
Leading that charge was the twosome of Andrew Green and Zach Cleland, who ended up finished 3-4 in the individual standings while going a combined 17-under-par! That dynamic duo was minus-15 the last two days, with A.G. shooting 67-66 and Zach 69-67.
A sophomore playing at an incredibly high level right now, A.G. blistered the par-5s at WinStar. At 6-foot-7 probably the tallest player in college golf, Andrew was 10-under on the 12 par-5s during the three-day tournament and ended up just a stroke off the lead. He's finished second, third, first and third in the last four tournaments.
Zach had his best tournament of the year by far and went the last two days without a bogey on his card, making eight birdies and 28 pars. Now that's consistency. And that's something the Bronchos will badly need again in two weeks when they go to The Territory Golf Club in Duncan for the South Central Regional.
Hats off in particular to Cassy Knight for capturing her second straight individual league title. The senior improved by two strokes every round and used a brilliant final-nine rally to win by two shots with an even-par 216 total.
Cassy somehow managed a 74 in Sunday's opening round that was contested in horrible conditions, with rain, wind and cold making every shot an adventure. An even-par 72 in Monday's second round left Cassy one shot behind in the medalist race and a so-so front-nine Tuesday had that deficit up to three.
But down the stretch, Cassy was determined and dominating. Four straight pars, then laser-like approaches that led to tap-in birdies. A third straight birdie on No. 16 to take the lead, followed by a pair of routine pars. All that resulted in a back-nine 33 and a final-round 70 for perhaps the best feel-good win of the year for any UCO student-athlete or team.
The Bronchos also got steady play from Raelynn Farthing, who ended up tying for seventh with rounds of 76-75-74. And sophomore Erica Bensch, still smiling despite struggling mightly the first two days, posted an even-par 72 on the final day to help the Bronchos to their best score of the year (296) in finishing fourth.
UCO's men tied their best outing of the year with a third-place showing, firing their two low rounds of 2009-10 the last two days.
Leading that charge was the twosome of Andrew Green and Zach Cleland, who ended up finished 3-4 in the individual standings while going a combined 17-under-par! That dynamic duo was minus-15 the last two days, with A.G. shooting 67-66 and Zach 69-67.
A sophomore playing at an incredibly high level right now, A.G. blistered the par-5s at WinStar. At 6-foot-7 probably the tallest player in college golf, Andrew was 10-under on the 12 par-5s during the three-day tournament and ended up just a stroke off the lead. He's finished second, third, first and third in the last four tournaments.
Zach had his best tournament of the year by far and went the last two days without a bogey on his card, making eight birdies and 28 pars. Now that's consistency. And that's something the Bronchos will badly need again in two weeks when they go to The Territory Golf Club in Duncan for the South Central Regional.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Quick Spring
Amazingly enough, the home season for two spring sports will end this weekend (April 17-18). Doesn't seem possible that most of our spring sports teams will be winding their seasons down soon, but such is the case.
The UCO women's tennis team wraps up its home schedule Saturday, hosting Newman for an 11 a.m. match on the UCO Courts located next to Hamilton Field House. Natalya Smith's Bronchos are 14-4 on the year heading into a Tuesday match at Northeastern State and ranked 24th in NCAA Division II.
UCO is the host school for the Lone Star Conference Championships April 23-24, but that tournament will be held at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center so the Bronchos will be making the final appearance on their home court Saturday.
Hats off to Natalya and her team for their performance this spring. The Bronchos have no seniors on the roster, but ripped off 10 straight wins during one stretch and have made remarkable progress.
This is definitely an up-and-coming program that should easily qualify for the national tournament, so come check out the Bronchos Saturday morning . . . and again next week in OKC at the conference tournament.
Also set to play their home finale this weekend is the baseball team, which will host league rival West Texas A&M for 1 p.m. doubleheaders both days.
Sunday's games will be the final home appearance for several seniors as well as 19-year head coach Wendell Simmons, who is retiring at the end of the season. The Bronchos enjoyed amazing success under Wendell's guidance and he deserves to have a good crowd on hand Sunday afternoon when he bids goodbye.
The UCO women's tennis team wraps up its home schedule Saturday, hosting Newman for an 11 a.m. match on the UCO Courts located next to Hamilton Field House. Natalya Smith's Bronchos are 14-4 on the year heading into a Tuesday match at Northeastern State and ranked 24th in NCAA Division II.
UCO is the host school for the Lone Star Conference Championships April 23-24, but that tournament will be held at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center so the Bronchos will be making the final appearance on their home court Saturday.
Hats off to Natalya and her team for their performance this spring. The Bronchos have no seniors on the roster, but ripped off 10 straight wins during one stretch and have made remarkable progress.
This is definitely an up-and-coming program that should easily qualify for the national tournament, so come check out the Bronchos Saturday morning . . . and again next week in OKC at the conference tournament.
Also set to play their home finale this weekend is the baseball team, which will host league rival West Texas A&M for 1 p.m. doubleheaders both days.
Sunday's games will be the final home appearance for several seniors as well as 19-year head coach Wendell Simmons, who is retiring at the end of the season. The Bronchos enjoyed amazing success under Wendell's guidance and he deserves to have a good crowd on hand Sunday afternoon when he bids goodbye.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
End of an Era
I could tell there was something on Wendell Simmons' mind when he sat down in my office last week. Sure enough, Wendell soon spilled the news that he had decided to retire at the end of the 2010 baseball season.
So sometime soon -- probably in late April unless the Bronchos mount a late charge to qualify for the Lone Star Conference Tournament in early May -- a UCO coaching icon will move to the sidelines. The end of an era.
Wendell came to UCO in 1992 after a lengthy high school career spent mostly at Edmond Memorial High School. A Central graduate, it didn't take him long to turn the Bronchos into a conference and national power.
UCO had five straight losing seasons before Wendell took over in 1992 and the Bronchos made it to the national tournament in just his third year at the helm. That 1994 team won the program's first-ever Lone Star Conference title and finished 39-14 in establishing UCO as a legitimate national threat.
The Bronchos upset No. 1 seed Delta State in the first round of the South Central Regional and then pulled off one of the most remarkable comebacks I've ever seen in any sport at any level, overcoming a 15-2 deficit to beat Southern Colorado 19-17.
UCO lost twice to Delta State in coming up short of a Division II World Series berth, but three years later Wendell would get his team to that event in Montgomery, Ala. That was indeed a memorable time and we made it all the way to the finals in 1997, taking a lead into the bottom of the ninth inning before two errors prevented us from winning the national championship.
It was a crushing loss, even for me. But I'll never forget going up to Wendell after the game and him saying "I've won games like that and lost 'em the same way. That's baseball." I know he had to be hurting inside, but he showed incredible grace and humility in the face of such a devastating defeat.
Wendell won hundreds of more games and took numerous teams to the national playoffs, winning 40-plus games seven times. He'll leave UCO with nearly 650 wins and he's won well over 1,000 games in a remarkable 34-year coaching career.
I know he'll miss being around the sport he loves and invested so much of his life to, but hopefully he'll come back from time to time and walk through my office to check on me like he does most mornings.
Thanks, Wendell, from one Broncho to another.
So sometime soon -- probably in late April unless the Bronchos mount a late charge to qualify for the Lone Star Conference Tournament in early May -- a UCO coaching icon will move to the sidelines. The end of an era.
Wendell came to UCO in 1992 after a lengthy high school career spent mostly at Edmond Memorial High School. A Central graduate, it didn't take him long to turn the Bronchos into a conference and national power.
UCO had five straight losing seasons before Wendell took over in 1992 and the Bronchos made it to the national tournament in just his third year at the helm. That 1994 team won the program's first-ever Lone Star Conference title and finished 39-14 in establishing UCO as a legitimate national threat.
The Bronchos upset No. 1 seed Delta State in the first round of the South Central Regional and then pulled off one of the most remarkable comebacks I've ever seen in any sport at any level, overcoming a 15-2 deficit to beat Southern Colorado 19-17.
UCO lost twice to Delta State in coming up short of a Division II World Series berth, but three years later Wendell would get his team to that event in Montgomery, Ala. That was indeed a memorable time and we made it all the way to the finals in 1997, taking a lead into the bottom of the ninth inning before two errors prevented us from winning the national championship.
It was a crushing loss, even for me. But I'll never forget going up to Wendell after the game and him saying "I've won games like that and lost 'em the same way. That's baseball." I know he had to be hurting inside, but he showed incredible grace and humility in the face of such a devastating defeat.
Wendell won hundreds of more games and took numerous teams to the national playoffs, winning 40-plus games seven times. He'll leave UCO with nearly 650 wins and he's won well over 1,000 games in a remarkable 34-year coaching career.
I know he'll miss being around the sport he loves and invested so much of his life to, but hopefully he'll come back from time to time and walk through my office to check on me like he does most mornings.
Thanks, Wendell, from one Broncho to another.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
This and That
The UCO spring sports season is in full bloom, even if the weather isn't.
But before we bid goodbye to winter - which is tough to do when it snows on March 20! - we must first offer congrats to four recent All-Americans. Dauntae Williams earned the distinction for men's basketball, while Dustin Finn, Cody Rowell and Scott Berens did the same in wrestling.
Williams put together one of the finest all-around seasons I've seen in 20-plus years at UCO and was a pleasure to watch. From jumping center to running the Bronchos' potent offense, Dauntae could virtually do it all and he should contend for Division II Player of the Year honors as a senior next season.
Finn capped an amazing grappling career with a third-place finish in the national tournament as he became UCO's first-ever three-time heavyweight All-American. And that's saying something with our school's tremendous wrestling legacy. Hats off to Dustin for a fabulous career.
Berens and Rowell both finished their careers with All-America finishes, Scott doing so for the second straight time and Cody for the first as he ended his five-year stay at UCO on a high note.
Congrats, also, to both basketball teams for making it to the national tournament once again, third straight year for both clubs to qualify for the Division II dance. Wrestling came in an uncharacteristic 15th in the national tournament, but look for the Bronchos to bounce back quickly.
Our spring sports are already well into their seasons, with baseball having played 22 games and softball 24. Both sports have big weekends coming up in Durant, with baseball taking on Southeastern Oklahoma for a four-game league season while softball plays six games in the LSC Crossover Tournament.
Women's tennis is currently on a roll, having won nine straight matches after a season-opening defeat to Division I Oklahoma State and both golf programs have played in two tournaments. Erica Bensch led the Broncho women in their last outing by winning her first collegiate title.
The women's track program is scheduled to start its season this weekend as UCO resumes that sport after an eighth-year hiatus, while the rowing team goes to San Diego for its second week of competition.
But before we bid goodbye to winter - which is tough to do when it snows on March 20! - we must first offer congrats to four recent All-Americans. Dauntae Williams earned the distinction for men's basketball, while Dustin Finn, Cody Rowell and Scott Berens did the same in wrestling.
Williams put together one of the finest all-around seasons I've seen in 20-plus years at UCO and was a pleasure to watch. From jumping center to running the Bronchos' potent offense, Dauntae could virtually do it all and he should contend for Division II Player of the Year honors as a senior next season.
Finn capped an amazing grappling career with a third-place finish in the national tournament as he became UCO's first-ever three-time heavyweight All-American. And that's saying something with our school's tremendous wrestling legacy. Hats off to Dustin for a fabulous career.
Berens and Rowell both finished their careers with All-America finishes, Scott doing so for the second straight time and Cody for the first as he ended his five-year stay at UCO on a high note.
Congrats, also, to both basketball teams for making it to the national tournament once again, third straight year for both clubs to qualify for the Division II dance. Wrestling came in an uncharacteristic 15th in the national tournament, but look for the Bronchos to bounce back quickly.
Our spring sports are already well into their seasons, with baseball having played 22 games and softball 24. Both sports have big weekends coming up in Durant, with baseball taking on Southeastern Oklahoma for a four-game league season while softball plays six games in the LSC Crossover Tournament.
Women's tennis is currently on a roll, having won nine straight matches after a season-opening defeat to Division I Oklahoma State and both golf programs have played in two tournaments. Erica Bensch led the Broncho women in their last outing by winning her first collegiate title.
The women's track program is scheduled to start its season this weekend as UCO resumes that sport after an eighth-year hiatus, while the rowing team goes to San Diego for its second week of competition.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Postseason Is Here
The NCAA Division II postseason is here, so congrats and good luck to the Broncho teams and individuals who will be competing this weekend.
UCO's wrestling team will journey to Omaha, Neb. for their national tournament, which runs Friday and Saturday on the Nebraska-Omaha campus. The Bronchos have six qualifiers in Scott Berens, Derrick Adkins, Cody Rowell, Tanner Keck, Jarrett Edison and Dustin Finn.
David James' crew would pretty much need a perfect weekend to be a threat in the team race, but every one of those qualifiers is capable of placing in the top eight and earning All-America honors. Finn has the best chance at an individual title and he certainly should be motivated after coming up just short the past two years with runner-up finishes.
What a story Dustin has been in coming back from a serious back injury suffered in early January that kept him off the mat for several weeks. He didn't return to competition until the regional tournament on Feb. 28, losing a last-second decision in the finals there, and he's ready to go.
And congrats to Cody Rowell, a fifth-year senior who persevered through an up-and-down career to earn a national tournament berth in his final season. It would be quite the storybook finish for him if he could pull a few more surprises and earn All-America honors in Omaha.
Both UCO basketball teams will be in South Central Regional play this weekend in the big state of Texas, with the women in Canyon and the men in Wichita Falls. The teams are identical in a lot of ways, with both having won 22 games and both the No. 6 seeds in their respective regional.
UCO's women will face a familiar foe in the first round in Northeastern State and it will definitely be a tall task, but the Bronchos are obviously capable of knocking off the RiverHawks after the teams split their two regular season meetings.
UCO's men are looking to bounce back from a disappointing performance in last week's league tournament that saw the Bronchos fall to a West Texas A&M team that had routed by 30-some points two months early. UCO goes against Fort Hays State in what should be an interesting battle between a pair of clubs who like to hoist up a lot of 3-pointers.
Both regional tournaments require three wins in a four-day span to win a championship and each UCO team has shown during the season what they're capable of.
UCO's wrestling team will journey to Omaha, Neb. for their national tournament, which runs Friday and Saturday on the Nebraska-Omaha campus. The Bronchos have six qualifiers in Scott Berens, Derrick Adkins, Cody Rowell, Tanner Keck, Jarrett Edison and Dustin Finn.
David James' crew would pretty much need a perfect weekend to be a threat in the team race, but every one of those qualifiers is capable of placing in the top eight and earning All-America honors. Finn has the best chance at an individual title and he certainly should be motivated after coming up just short the past two years with runner-up finishes.
What a story Dustin has been in coming back from a serious back injury suffered in early January that kept him off the mat for several weeks. He didn't return to competition until the regional tournament on Feb. 28, losing a last-second decision in the finals there, and he's ready to go.
And congrats to Cody Rowell, a fifth-year senior who persevered through an up-and-down career to earn a national tournament berth in his final season. It would be quite the storybook finish for him if he could pull a few more surprises and earn All-America honors in Omaha.
Both UCO basketball teams will be in South Central Regional play this weekend in the big state of Texas, with the women in Canyon and the men in Wichita Falls. The teams are identical in a lot of ways, with both having won 22 games and both the No. 6 seeds in their respective regional.
UCO's women will face a familiar foe in the first round in Northeastern State and it will definitely be a tall task, but the Bronchos are obviously capable of knocking off the RiverHawks after the teams split their two regular season meetings.
UCO's men are looking to bounce back from a disappointing performance in last week's league tournament that saw the Bronchos fall to a West Texas A&M team that had routed by 30-some points two months early. UCO goes against Fort Hays State in what should be an interesting battle between a pair of clubs who like to hoist up a lot of 3-pointers.
Both regional tournaments require three wins in a four-day span to win a championship and each UCO team has shown during the season what they're capable of.
Monday, February 22, 2010
A Little About A Lot
February is a busy time with basketball and wrestling in the meat of their schedule while the spring sports all get their seasons started . . . when Mother Nature cooperates anyway.
Both basketball teams had lengthy winning streaks stopped last Saturday at Northeastern State, though both continue to have great seasons. UCO's women had won nine in a row -- tied for the best winning streak in school history -- before falling to NSU, while the men had their school-record 16-game streak stopped by the RiverHawks.
Each team is already assured a spot in the LSC Tournament, which will be held in Bartlesville for the third straight year. The men will tie for the North Division title and earn the No. 1 seed with wins in their last two games, while the women will finish anywhere from first to third depending on what happens this week.
The final home games are Wednesday night against East Central, so come on out to Hamilton Field House to see two fine Broncho teams in action.
UCO's wrestling team begins post-season competition Sunday at the Super Regional Two Tournament in Warrensburg, Mo. The top-four placers at each of the 10 weights advance to the national tournament, with the Bronchos hoping to qualify all 10 individuals.
That will be a tough chore in a regional that includes top-ranked Nebraska-Omaha and No. 4 Wisconsin-Parkside, but UCO has been getting primed for a late-season push with two-a-day practices.
The Bronchos are off to their best start since 1989 on the softball diamond at 7-1, including a pair of one-run wins last week over No. 8-ranked Missouri Western. UCO has yet to play a game that was on its regular season schedule, having had to scramble around to find games the last two weeks after having two tournaments and a three-game series cancelled by weather.
Cold, rain and snow has also plagued the baseball team, with the Bronchos having played just four of the 13 games scheduled to this point. UCO's early schedule has been brutal, starting with four games at No. 10-ranked Abilene Christian and to open the season and then hosting No. 1 Emporia State in the home opener last week.
The Bronchos lost three of four to ACU despite leading early on in every game, but then bounced back with an impressive 10-8 upset of the top-rated Hornets.
Women's tennis also got their season underway with a pair of matches, one indoor and one outdoor. The Bronchos fell to Oklahoma State on the indoor courts at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club before routing Cowley County CC last week at home.
Both basketball teams had lengthy winning streaks stopped last Saturday at Northeastern State, though both continue to have great seasons. UCO's women had won nine in a row -- tied for the best winning streak in school history -- before falling to NSU, while the men had their school-record 16-game streak stopped by the RiverHawks.
Each team is already assured a spot in the LSC Tournament, which will be held in Bartlesville for the third straight year. The men will tie for the North Division title and earn the No. 1 seed with wins in their last two games, while the women will finish anywhere from first to third depending on what happens this week.
The final home games are Wednesday night against East Central, so come on out to Hamilton Field House to see two fine Broncho teams in action.
UCO's wrestling team begins post-season competition Sunday at the Super Regional Two Tournament in Warrensburg, Mo. The top-four placers at each of the 10 weights advance to the national tournament, with the Bronchos hoping to qualify all 10 individuals.
That will be a tough chore in a regional that includes top-ranked Nebraska-Omaha and No. 4 Wisconsin-Parkside, but UCO has been getting primed for a late-season push with two-a-day practices.
The Bronchos are off to their best start since 1989 on the softball diamond at 7-1, including a pair of one-run wins last week over No. 8-ranked Missouri Western. UCO has yet to play a game that was on its regular season schedule, having had to scramble around to find games the last two weeks after having two tournaments and a three-game series cancelled by weather.
Cold, rain and snow has also plagued the baseball team, with the Bronchos having played just four of the 13 games scheduled to this point. UCO's early schedule has been brutal, starting with four games at No. 10-ranked Abilene Christian and to open the season and then hosting No. 1 Emporia State in the home opener last week.
The Bronchos lost three of four to ACU despite leading early on in every game, but then bounced back with an impressive 10-8 upset of the top-rated Hornets.
Women's tennis also got their season underway with a pair of matches, one indoor and one outdoor. The Bronchos fell to Oklahoma State on the indoor courts at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club before routing Cowley County CC last week at home.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Basketball Teams On A Roll
Both UCO basketball teams are on a roll heading into Wednesday night's Lone Star Conference North Division doubleheader at Southwestern Oklahoma and each has a chance to set a school record for consecutive wins in the next few days.
UCO's men are riding an impressive 13-game winning streak and Terry Evans' Bronchos can tie the school record of 14 straight wins with a victory over the Bulldogs. So a win tonight would set UCO up with a chance to break the record that was set way back during the 1963-64 season at home Saturday when Cameron invades Hamilton Field House.
The Bronchos have seldom been tested in their current streak, one of the exceptions being an overtime win over Cameron a couple of weeks ago in Lawton when UCO needed a Chris Rhymes layup at the buzzer to escape, 71-69.
UCO has shown great balance this year, though Dauntae Williams has proven he's probably the best all-around player in the league and one of the best in Division II. He's a do-everything player who not only jumps center for the Bronchos but also plays point guard.
The six-game winning streak by UCO's women is modest when compared to the men's 13-gamer, but Guy Hardaker's squad needs just three wins to equal the school record for most consecutive wins.
The Bronchos can get close to that with wins tonight and Saturday against Cameron and could tie that nine-game mark next Wednesday at home against East Central.
UCO had three close games last week in moving into a tie for the LSC North lead, knocking off previously unbeaten Northeastern State by three before beating Texas Woman's by a combined eight points in two consecutive meetings. The first of those TWU wins was a 96-93 double-overtime thriller in Denton when Savannah Hamilton kept the Bronchos alive with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from way downtown that tied the game at the end of regulation and forced overtime.
UCO's men are riding an impressive 13-game winning streak and Terry Evans' Bronchos can tie the school record of 14 straight wins with a victory over the Bulldogs. So a win tonight would set UCO up with a chance to break the record that was set way back during the 1963-64 season at home Saturday when Cameron invades Hamilton Field House.
The Bronchos have seldom been tested in their current streak, one of the exceptions being an overtime win over Cameron a couple of weeks ago in Lawton when UCO needed a Chris Rhymes layup at the buzzer to escape, 71-69.
UCO has shown great balance this year, though Dauntae Williams has proven he's probably the best all-around player in the league and one of the best in Division II. He's a do-everything player who not only jumps center for the Bronchos but also plays point guard.
The six-game winning streak by UCO's women is modest when compared to the men's 13-gamer, but Guy Hardaker's squad needs just three wins to equal the school record for most consecutive wins.
The Bronchos can get close to that with wins tonight and Saturday against Cameron and could tie that nine-game mark next Wednesday at home against East Central.
UCO had three close games last week in moving into a tie for the LSC North lead, knocking off previously unbeaten Northeastern State by three before beating Texas Woman's by a combined eight points in two consecutive meetings. The first of those TWU wins was a 96-93 double-overtime thriller in Denton when Savannah Hamilton kept the Bronchos alive with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from way downtown that tied the game at the end of regulation and forced overtime.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Winter Is Still Here
The second major winter storm in a month invaded Oklahoma Thursday, with the snow and ice playing havoc not only with roads and schools but with sports schedules. UCO was forced to cancel Friday's wrestling showdown with Nebraska-Omaha and Saturday's big basketball doubleheader with Northeastern State has been postponed.
There's probably no way to reschedule the dual with UNO, the Bronchos' biggest rival on the mat in NCAA Division II. Finding another date that fits into both teams' schedule the rest of the way appears unlikely, meaning UCO misses out on a rare home date.
No such problem exists in the basketball postponement, with the teams now set to play Monday night at Hamilton Field House. Monday's games are huge for everybody involved as the Lone Star Conference North Division race heats up.
UCO's women have won three straight to get to 13-5 overall and 4-1 in the league, one game behind NSU in the division standings. UCO's men are on a much bigger roll, having won 12 straight -- the third-longest winning streak in school history -- to get to 16-4 and 5-0 while NSU is also unbeaten in the North at 4-0.
Monday's game will start a busy week for the women, who must play three games in six days now. Home with NSU on Monday, on the road at Texas Woman's on Wednesday and home again Saturday with TWU.
And don't look now, but baseball and softball is set to start next week. Both teams open at home on Feb. 5, with baseball hosting perennial Division II powerhouse Central Missouri and softball entertaining Missouri Western.
There's probably no way to reschedule the dual with UNO, the Bronchos' biggest rival on the mat in NCAA Division II. Finding another date that fits into both teams' schedule the rest of the way appears unlikely, meaning UCO misses out on a rare home date.
No such problem exists in the basketball postponement, with the teams now set to play Monday night at Hamilton Field House. Monday's games are huge for everybody involved as the Lone Star Conference North Division race heats up.
UCO's women have won three straight to get to 13-5 overall and 4-1 in the league, one game behind NSU in the division standings. UCO's men are on a much bigger roll, having won 12 straight -- the third-longest winning streak in school history -- to get to 16-4 and 5-0 while NSU is also unbeaten in the North at 4-0.
Monday's game will start a busy week for the women, who must play three games in six days now. Home with NSU on Monday, on the road at Texas Woman's on Wednesday and home again Saturday with TWU.
And don't look now, but baseball and softball is set to start next week. Both teams open at home on Feb. 5, with baseball hosting perennial Division II powerhouse Central Missouri and softball entertaining Missouri Western.
Monday, January 18, 2010
All-Decade Football Team
Time for the last of my Central Oklahoma all-decade teams of the 2000s and we'll finish up with football. Once again, some tough choices here and I'm sure some may disagree with my picks, but here's what I came up with.
I picked 11 players on offense, 11 on defense and four on special teams.
On the defensive line I went with Claude Davis, Danny Nephew, Ryan Cooper and Jermelle Cudjo.
Big Claude played just one year (2000) in this decade, but he was an All-American that season and is the most dominating d-lineman I've seen in 22-plus years of following the Bronchos. Nephew played in 2002-03 and was a two-time All-LSC North Division pick, while Coop had a steady -- and sometimes spectacular -- career from 2000-03. Jermelle finished his four-year tour with UCO last fall as a three-time All-LSC North performer and could often overwhelm an offense with his strength and quickness.
At linebacker we've got K.C. Asiodu, Terry Hardeman and Will Clewis, a superb trio of tacklers who all shared an intense competitive fire on the field.
Asiodu played at UCO just one year, but he made a number of huge plays in 2008 to win LSC North Linebacker of the Year and showed just how good he really is by making the St. Louis Rams roster this past fall. Terry ended his three-year career in 2009 and was the emotional leader of the Broncho defense his final two seasons. Will was an amazing talent who earned All-America recognition both seasons (2006 and '07) at UCO, racking up 230 tackles with 26 for loss in those two years.
Filling out the secondary is Anthony Byrd, Giorgio Durham, Fred Shaw and Brandon Smith.
A.B. (2002-05) started throughout his stellar four-year career and was as consistent a defensive back as I've seen at UCO. Durham just finished his sophomore season for the Bronchos last fall, but he was the LSC North Division Defensive Back of the Year and an All-American after picking off a conference-high eight passes. Shaw (2004-05) was a tremendous athlete, earning All-LSC North honors at defensive back as a junior and then making it as a receiver the following year despite not switching to offense until mid-way through the season. Smith was an excellent cover corner and a two-time All-LSC North selection in 2006 and '07.
On the offensive side we'll also start with the line and taking up my five spots are John Fitzgerald, Dustin Finn, Luke Sapolu, B.J. Bender and Bobby Brooks.
Fitz made it just one year in this decade (2000), but he was an All-American that season for the third straight time in finishing off one of the most decorated careers in school history. Dustin (2005-08) moved from defense to offense after his sophomore year and missed just a handful of snaps his last two seasons, earning LSC North Lineman of the Year accolades as a senior. He also has the distinction of making two all-decade teams as he was also my pick at heavyweight on the wrestling squad. Sapolu was UCO's starting guard in 2008 and switched to center last year, performing well enough to pick up LSC North Lineman of the Year honors in spearheading a prolific offensive attack. B.J. was a three-time All-LSC North peformer during his career from 2000-03, serving as a vocal team leader on UCO's last playoff team in his final season. Brooks (2003-06) earned All-LSC North recognition twice during his productive career.
My receivers are Dee Dee Carter, Zach Edwards and Brandon Whiteley.
Dee Dee (2000-03) burst on the national scene as a sophomore in 2001 when he set a school-record with 1,469 receiving yards in earning All-America honors. A big-play threat throughout his career, he averaged an astounding 19.4 yards a catch for his CAREER and owns school marks for all-time catches (173) and yards (3,357). Edwards caught seemingly every ball that got close to him during his two years (2003-04) with the Bronchos. He set a school record with 79 catches in '04 and had 126 receptions for 1,940 yards in just two years. Brandon (2000-03) was a two-time All-LSC pick at tight end who was a fierce blocker and clutch receiver throughout his career.
In the backfield is Alex Aguilar, Greg Briley and Brandon Noohi.
Aguilar is our blocking back who could also see action at tailback if needed. Alex is one of just four players in school history to earn all-conference honors four times and he was one tough cookie during his time with the Bronchos from 2003-06. Greg is perhaps the most under-rated running back in school history, even though he rolled up 3,263 rushing yards -- third on UCO's career list -- from 1998-01. Not as flashy or as fast or others who have carried the ball for the Bronchos, all Briley did was get the job done. Brandon got the nod at quarterback with his unique run-pass ability as he set nine school records while directing the offense in 2008 and '09. Noohi amassed 5,433 yards total offense in just two years, including 3,301 last fall when he passed for 2,757 and ran for 544.
Rounding out the all-decade team is our special teams unit of Jason Dixon, A.J. Haglund, Brent Ingram and Ryan Gallimore.
Dixon made the squad at punter, though he did those duties just one season while also serving as UCO's place-kicker in 2005-06. Jason had 22 punts downed inside the 20 during his one year as punter and he also made 22 career field goals. A.J. was a no-brainer pick as the kicker after setting school records for single-game (five), season (15) and career (40) field goals during his time from 2001-04. He ranks second in all-time scoring at UCO with 259 points and has been an ultra-successful kicker in the indoor professional ranks since leaving the Bronchos. Brent doubled as a wide receiver and was dangerous running back both punts and kickoffs during his career from 2000-02. Ryan is also a wide receiver of soon note -- having already caught 130 career passes with the 2010 season still to go -- and he can do damage as a kick returner on the side, having scored on a 95-yard runback.
There it is, the all-decade football team. Let the debate begin.
I picked 11 players on offense, 11 on defense and four on special teams.
On the defensive line I went with Claude Davis, Danny Nephew, Ryan Cooper and Jermelle Cudjo.
Big Claude played just one year (2000) in this decade, but he was an All-American that season and is the most dominating d-lineman I've seen in 22-plus years of following the Bronchos. Nephew played in 2002-03 and was a two-time All-LSC North Division pick, while Coop had a steady -- and sometimes spectacular -- career from 2000-03. Jermelle finished his four-year tour with UCO last fall as a three-time All-LSC North performer and could often overwhelm an offense with his strength and quickness.
At linebacker we've got K.C. Asiodu, Terry Hardeman and Will Clewis, a superb trio of tacklers who all shared an intense competitive fire on the field.
Asiodu played at UCO just one year, but he made a number of huge plays in 2008 to win LSC North Linebacker of the Year and showed just how good he really is by making the St. Louis Rams roster this past fall. Terry ended his three-year career in 2009 and was the emotional leader of the Broncho defense his final two seasons. Will was an amazing talent who earned All-America recognition both seasons (2006 and '07) at UCO, racking up 230 tackles with 26 for loss in those two years.
Filling out the secondary is Anthony Byrd, Giorgio Durham, Fred Shaw and Brandon Smith.
A.B. (2002-05) started throughout his stellar four-year career and was as consistent a defensive back as I've seen at UCO. Durham just finished his sophomore season for the Bronchos last fall, but he was the LSC North Division Defensive Back of the Year and an All-American after picking off a conference-high eight passes. Shaw (2004-05) was a tremendous athlete, earning All-LSC North honors at defensive back as a junior and then making it as a receiver the following year despite not switching to offense until mid-way through the season. Smith was an excellent cover corner and a two-time All-LSC North selection in 2006 and '07.
On the offensive side we'll also start with the line and taking up my five spots are John Fitzgerald, Dustin Finn, Luke Sapolu, B.J. Bender and Bobby Brooks.
Fitz made it just one year in this decade (2000), but he was an All-American that season for the third straight time in finishing off one of the most decorated careers in school history. Dustin (2005-08) moved from defense to offense after his sophomore year and missed just a handful of snaps his last two seasons, earning LSC North Lineman of the Year accolades as a senior. He also has the distinction of making two all-decade teams as he was also my pick at heavyweight on the wrestling squad. Sapolu was UCO's starting guard in 2008 and switched to center last year, performing well enough to pick up LSC North Lineman of the Year honors in spearheading a prolific offensive attack. B.J. was a three-time All-LSC North peformer during his career from 2000-03, serving as a vocal team leader on UCO's last playoff team in his final season. Brooks (2003-06) earned All-LSC North recognition twice during his productive career.
My receivers are Dee Dee Carter, Zach Edwards and Brandon Whiteley.
Dee Dee (2000-03) burst on the national scene as a sophomore in 2001 when he set a school-record with 1,469 receiving yards in earning All-America honors. A big-play threat throughout his career, he averaged an astounding 19.4 yards a catch for his CAREER and owns school marks for all-time catches (173) and yards (3,357). Edwards caught seemingly every ball that got close to him during his two years (2003-04) with the Bronchos. He set a school record with 79 catches in '04 and had 126 receptions for 1,940 yards in just two years. Brandon (2000-03) was a two-time All-LSC pick at tight end who was a fierce blocker and clutch receiver throughout his career.
In the backfield is Alex Aguilar, Greg Briley and Brandon Noohi.
Aguilar is our blocking back who could also see action at tailback if needed. Alex is one of just four players in school history to earn all-conference honors four times and he was one tough cookie during his time with the Bronchos from 2003-06. Greg is perhaps the most under-rated running back in school history, even though he rolled up 3,263 rushing yards -- third on UCO's career list -- from 1998-01. Not as flashy or as fast or others who have carried the ball for the Bronchos, all Briley did was get the job done. Brandon got the nod at quarterback with his unique run-pass ability as he set nine school records while directing the offense in 2008 and '09. Noohi amassed 5,433 yards total offense in just two years, including 3,301 last fall when he passed for 2,757 and ran for 544.
Rounding out the all-decade team is our special teams unit of Jason Dixon, A.J. Haglund, Brent Ingram and Ryan Gallimore.
Dixon made the squad at punter, though he did those duties just one season while also serving as UCO's place-kicker in 2005-06. Jason had 22 punts downed inside the 20 during his one year as punter and he also made 22 career field goals. A.J. was a no-brainer pick as the kicker after setting school records for single-game (five), season (15) and career (40) field goals during his time from 2001-04. He ranks second in all-time scoring at UCO with 259 points and has been an ultra-successful kicker in the indoor professional ranks since leaving the Bronchos. Brent doubled as a wide receiver and was dangerous running back both punts and kickoffs during his career from 2000-02. Ryan is also a wide receiver of soon note -- having already caught 130 career passes with the 2010 season still to go -- and he can do damage as a kick returner on the side, having scored on a 95-yard runback.
There it is, the all-decade football team. Let the debate begin.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
All-Decade Soccer Team
Today is the day for the Central Oklahoma all-decade women's soccer team and, man, were there some great candidates to choose from! The Bronchos enjoyed tremendous success in the 2000s, winning six regular season Lone Star Conference championships, five LSC tournament titles and making seven NCAA Division II national tournament appearances.
Some great players had to be left off, but this is a powerful team that has it all -- great scorers, suffocating defenders and excellent passers.
My three forwards are Carmen Davis, Sally Holmes and Kim Brown.
Davis played from 2005-07, earning LSC Offensive Player of the Year and All-America honors as a senior while finishing her career with 26 goals. Holmes was with UCO just one year in this decade, but she was a scoring machine as a senior in 2000 when she punched in a school-record 35 goals while adding 11 assists to garner LSC Offensive Player of the Year and All-Region acclaim. Brown had a remarkable career from 1999-02 as a four-time All-LSC and three-time All-Region performer, setting school marks for career goals (91) and points (209). She was also one of the toughest players I've seen at UCO, leaving a game once to go to the hospital and then coming back to play the second half after having a number of stitches put in her head.
In the midfield is Joy Hagemann, Jeorgia McGinty, Lindsey Hull and Valerie Gutierrez.
Hagemann (2002-05) had an under-appreciated career and was a tremendous field leader for the Bronchos who was an All-Region selection as a senior. McGinty was part of UCO's first-ever team in 1998, played through 2001 and is probably the fastest player I've seen in a Broncho uniform. She really opened things up for UCO with her passing ability, setting school records for single-season (14, twice) and career (48) assists while adding 26 goals. Hull (2003-06) was a two-time All-Region pick who was an All-American in 2005 and she finished her career with 29 goals, 14 assists and 72 points. Gutierrez was a creative offensive threat with great speed who earned first-team All-LSC honors three times from 2000-03 and ranks among the top five in all-time goals (38) and assists (37).
My defenders are Lisa Hansen, Stephanie Gulisao and Alli Miller, a terrific trio who helped shut down countless opponents during their sensational careers.
Hansen (1999-02) was a three-time first-team All-LSC selection who could mark up any team's top offensive player and started UCO's tradition of great fullbacks. Gulisao (2001-04) was one tough cookie and didn't back down from any challenge. She also earned first-team All-LSC honors three times, claiming Defensive Player of the Year acclaim twice, and was an All-American as a senior. Miller ended her career last fall as a a four-time first-team All-LSC pick, nabbing Defensive Player of the Year honors twice. Alli was, simply put, a stud.
At goalkeeper I've got to go with Carly Fischer. A model of consistency throughout her career from 2004-07, Carly finished with a career-record 252 saves, earning All-LSC and All-Region recognition three times.
There it is, the UCO all-decade women's soccer team. Next up is football.
Some great players had to be left off, but this is a powerful team that has it all -- great scorers, suffocating defenders and excellent passers.
My three forwards are Carmen Davis, Sally Holmes and Kim Brown.
Davis played from 2005-07, earning LSC Offensive Player of the Year and All-America honors as a senior while finishing her career with 26 goals. Holmes was with UCO just one year in this decade, but she was a scoring machine as a senior in 2000 when she punched in a school-record 35 goals while adding 11 assists to garner LSC Offensive Player of the Year and All-Region acclaim. Brown had a remarkable career from 1999-02 as a four-time All-LSC and three-time All-Region performer, setting school marks for career goals (91) and points (209). She was also one of the toughest players I've seen at UCO, leaving a game once to go to the hospital and then coming back to play the second half after having a number of stitches put in her head.
In the midfield is Joy Hagemann, Jeorgia McGinty, Lindsey Hull and Valerie Gutierrez.
Hagemann (2002-05) had an under-appreciated career and was a tremendous field leader for the Bronchos who was an All-Region selection as a senior. McGinty was part of UCO's first-ever team in 1998, played through 2001 and is probably the fastest player I've seen in a Broncho uniform. She really opened things up for UCO with her passing ability, setting school records for single-season (14, twice) and career (48) assists while adding 26 goals. Hull (2003-06) was a two-time All-Region pick who was an All-American in 2005 and she finished her career with 29 goals, 14 assists and 72 points. Gutierrez was a creative offensive threat with great speed who earned first-team All-LSC honors three times from 2000-03 and ranks among the top five in all-time goals (38) and assists (37).
My defenders are Lisa Hansen, Stephanie Gulisao and Alli Miller, a terrific trio who helped shut down countless opponents during their sensational careers.
Hansen (1999-02) was a three-time first-team All-LSC selection who could mark up any team's top offensive player and started UCO's tradition of great fullbacks. Gulisao (2001-04) was one tough cookie and didn't back down from any challenge. She also earned first-team All-LSC honors three times, claiming Defensive Player of the Year acclaim twice, and was an All-American as a senior. Miller ended her career last fall as a a four-time first-team All-LSC pick, nabbing Defensive Player of the Year honors twice. Alli was, simply put, a stud.
At goalkeeper I've got to go with Carly Fischer. A model of consistency throughout her career from 2004-07, Carly finished with a career-record 252 saves, earning All-LSC and All-Region recognition three times.
There it is, the UCO all-decade women's soccer team. Next up is football.
Monday, January 11, 2010
All-Decade Volleyball Team
A new week, a new Central Oklahoma all-decade team. Today, it's the volleyball squad of the 2000s.
The majority of this team comes from the early 2000s and five of my seven players actually played together in 2002. And that unit, not coincidently, was on my list of top 10 teams of the decade.
Leading the way and the runaway MVP in my mind is Alma Brahimaj, one of three outside hitters on my team. A four-time first-team All-Lone Star Conference North Division pick from 1999-02, Alma was -- quite simply -- amazing. Just a great, great player who owns school records for single-match (46), single-season (644) and career (2,404) kills, with the all-time mark also an LSC record. She had 600-plus kills in three of our four seasons and also ranks second in career digs at UCO with 1,833.
Another outside hitter who played the same years as Alma is Lexy Fortner. A three-time first-team All-LSC North performer in her own right, Lexy and Alma created quite a pair in spearheading a potent UCO offense and they led the Bronchos to 56 wins and back-to-back LSC North titles their last two years. Lexy finished with 1,555 career kills, fourth on the school's list.
My final outside hitter played only one year for the Bronchos, but what a sensational player Mari Araujo was. A remarkable athlete who could virtually do it all on the court, Mari collected 629 kills and 536 years in leading UCO to a school-record 32 wins and the second round of the national tournament in 2007.
My two middle blockers are Tori Walker and Katy Wallace, who played together a couple of years. Tori was at UCO from 2001-03 and Katy from 1999-02 and both were terrific blockers at the net who also had high attack percentages. Tori was a two-time first-team All-LSC North performer and had 337 career assisted blocks, while Katy earned second-team All-LSC North honors three times and ended with 366 career assisted blocks.
At setter I went with Stacey Meek, who owns school records for single-season (1,660) and career assists (5,604). Another great all-around athlete, Stacey received All-LSC North Division recognition all four years during her stellar stay from 2000-03.
Rounding out the team at libero/defensive specialist is Lacie Allen, who played from 2004-07. Lacie was incredible after being moved to libero her final two years, making some of the most unbelievable digs I've ever seen. She capped her career with a magical senior season, becoming UCO's first-ever NCAA Division II volleyball All-American while collecting a national-record 996 digs and she finished her career with a school- and LSC-record 2,765 digs.
So there it is, my all-decade volleyball team. Coming tomorrow, women's soccer.
The majority of this team comes from the early 2000s and five of my seven players actually played together in 2002. And that unit, not coincidently, was on my list of top 10 teams of the decade.
Leading the way and the runaway MVP in my mind is Alma Brahimaj, one of three outside hitters on my team. A four-time first-team All-Lone Star Conference North Division pick from 1999-02, Alma was -- quite simply -- amazing. Just a great, great player who owns school records for single-match (46), single-season (644) and career (2,404) kills, with the all-time mark also an LSC record. She had 600-plus kills in three of our four seasons and also ranks second in career digs at UCO with 1,833.
Another outside hitter who played the same years as Alma is Lexy Fortner. A three-time first-team All-LSC North performer in her own right, Lexy and Alma created quite a pair in spearheading a potent UCO offense and they led the Bronchos to 56 wins and back-to-back LSC North titles their last two years. Lexy finished with 1,555 career kills, fourth on the school's list.
My final outside hitter played only one year for the Bronchos, but what a sensational player Mari Araujo was. A remarkable athlete who could virtually do it all on the court, Mari collected 629 kills and 536 years in leading UCO to a school-record 32 wins and the second round of the national tournament in 2007.
My two middle blockers are Tori Walker and Katy Wallace, who played together a couple of years. Tori was at UCO from 2001-03 and Katy from 1999-02 and both were terrific blockers at the net who also had high attack percentages. Tori was a two-time first-team All-LSC North performer and had 337 career assisted blocks, while Katy earned second-team All-LSC North honors three times and ended with 366 career assisted blocks.
At setter I went with Stacey Meek, who owns school records for single-season (1,660) and career assists (5,604). Another great all-around athlete, Stacey received All-LSC North Division recognition all four years during her stellar stay from 2000-03.
Rounding out the team at libero/defensive specialist is Lacie Allen, who played from 2004-07. Lacie was incredible after being moved to libero her final two years, making some of the most unbelievable digs I've ever seen. She capped her career with a magical senior season, becoming UCO's first-ever NCAA Division II volleyball All-American while collecting a national-record 996 digs and she finished her career with a school- and LSC-record 2,765 digs.
So there it is, my all-decade volleyball team. Coming tomorrow, women's soccer.
Friday, January 8, 2010
All-Decade Baseball Team
It's time for the UCO all-decade baseball team and what tough choices had to be made for this super squad! The Bronchos won a ton of games in the 2000s while featuring plenty of power-packed lineups along with some great pitching.
First Base - The one position that was seldom filled by the same player more than a year at time during the decade goes to Beau Sullivan, who had 15 homers and 68 RBI in winning Lone Star Conference North Division Player of the Year honors in 2005.
Second Base - Lots of good candidates here, but I went with Matt Wright (2000-01). Excellent defender and a tough out.
Shortstop - Hard to pass up Rothy Briggs and I didn't. A three-year stud for the Bronchos from 2000-02, Rothy made the tough plays look easy in the field while also yielding a mean bat. He batted .365 during his career and ranks second in all-time hits (194) at UCO.
Third Base - Didn't hesitate in going with John Rogers at the hot corner. A rare four-year player for the Bronchos from 2000-03, John was a three-time first-team All-LSC North Division selection and led UCO to 158 wins. He had a .368 career average and owns all-time school records for hits (227), runs (179), doubles (55), RBI (175) and at bats (617).
Outfield - I've got power and speed in the outfield with Bryan Coy, Ray Danzy and Nolan Randolph. An All-American as a senior, Coy (2001-02) was an amazing all-around talent at the plate with his ability to hit the ball out of the park or turn a gapper into a triple and he had a .392 career average. Danzy (2000-01) was also an All-American as a senior, rapping a school-record and NCAA Division II-leading 23 homers his final season. Randolph (2003-04) was a different kind of offensive threat with his base-stealing ability (64 career thefts) and he would definitely be in center with his ability to make plays all over the field.
Catcher - One of the best pure hitters I've seen at UCO will be behind the plate in Miguel Moctezuma, who also had a rifle of an arm. Miguel racked up 185 hits in three years (2006-08) despite playing just a few games in an injury-shortened sophomore season and hit .434 as a junior before leaving school after getting drafted.
Pitcher - I'll go with a three-man rotation of Ricky Belk (2001-02), Kyle Nevels (2003-04) and Jesse McGough (2005-06). Belk had the most dominating season in school history as a junior, going 14-0 in earning first-team All-America honors and he followed with an 11-win campaign his final year. Nevels was a two-time first-team All-LSC North pick and McGough won 18 games during his career.
Designated Hitter - Brandon Bacon saw a lot of action at third base during his two-year career (2006-06), but he also got plenty of time at DH and he's my pick here. The hard-hitting Bacon ranks second in career homes (33) and fifth in career RBI (140) at UCO.
Utility - Two players will fill utility roles, with Breck Draper (2007-08) and Barrett Whitney (2002-03) my picks. Draper played a number of different positions during his two years with the Bronchos -- earning All-America acclaim at catcher as a junior -- and is the best home run hitter in school history with 42 career dingers, slamming 20 as a junior and 22 as a senior. Whitney played first and second base and was a doubles machine, hitting a school-record 32 his final season.
There it is, the UCO all-decade baseball team for the 2000s. Coming next week -- volleyball, soccer and football.
First Base - The one position that was seldom filled by the same player more than a year at time during the decade goes to Beau Sullivan, who had 15 homers and 68 RBI in winning Lone Star Conference North Division Player of the Year honors in 2005.
Second Base - Lots of good candidates here, but I went with Matt Wright (2000-01). Excellent defender and a tough out.
Shortstop - Hard to pass up Rothy Briggs and I didn't. A three-year stud for the Bronchos from 2000-02, Rothy made the tough plays look easy in the field while also yielding a mean bat. He batted .365 during his career and ranks second in all-time hits (194) at UCO.
Third Base - Didn't hesitate in going with John Rogers at the hot corner. A rare four-year player for the Bronchos from 2000-03, John was a three-time first-team All-LSC North Division selection and led UCO to 158 wins. He had a .368 career average and owns all-time school records for hits (227), runs (179), doubles (55), RBI (175) and at bats (617).
Outfield - I've got power and speed in the outfield with Bryan Coy, Ray Danzy and Nolan Randolph. An All-American as a senior, Coy (2001-02) was an amazing all-around talent at the plate with his ability to hit the ball out of the park or turn a gapper into a triple and he had a .392 career average. Danzy (2000-01) was also an All-American as a senior, rapping a school-record and NCAA Division II-leading 23 homers his final season. Randolph (2003-04) was a different kind of offensive threat with his base-stealing ability (64 career thefts) and he would definitely be in center with his ability to make plays all over the field.
Catcher - One of the best pure hitters I've seen at UCO will be behind the plate in Miguel Moctezuma, who also had a rifle of an arm. Miguel racked up 185 hits in three years (2006-08) despite playing just a few games in an injury-shortened sophomore season and hit .434 as a junior before leaving school after getting drafted.
Pitcher - I'll go with a three-man rotation of Ricky Belk (2001-02), Kyle Nevels (2003-04) and Jesse McGough (2005-06). Belk had the most dominating season in school history as a junior, going 14-0 in earning first-team All-America honors and he followed with an 11-win campaign his final year. Nevels was a two-time first-team All-LSC North pick and McGough won 18 games during his career.
Designated Hitter - Brandon Bacon saw a lot of action at third base during his two-year career (2006-06), but he also got plenty of time at DH and he's my pick here. The hard-hitting Bacon ranks second in career homes (33) and fifth in career RBI (140) at UCO.
Utility - Two players will fill utility roles, with Breck Draper (2007-08) and Barrett Whitney (2002-03) my picks. Draper played a number of different positions during his two years with the Bronchos -- earning All-America acclaim at catcher as a junior -- and is the best home run hitter in school history with 42 career dingers, slamming 20 as a junior and 22 as a senior. Whitney played first and second base and was a doubles machine, hitting a school-record 32 his final season.
There it is, the UCO all-decade baseball team for the 2000s. Coming next week -- volleyball, soccer and football.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
All-Decade Softball Team
Okay, when I started this project, the plan was just to do all-decade teams for the winter sports as well as the top 10 teams. But, having heard from several ex-athletes in various sports, I'll forge ahead with my all-decade picks for the rest.
Today we'll go with the all-decade softball team and tomorrow it'll be baseball since those are spring sports coming up soon (well, maybe not if it stays 10-below with the wind chill like it is today!).
So here's my UCO softball team for the 2000s.
Catcher - April Ferrall. The 2003 Lone Star Conference North Division Player of the Year was an offensive force.
First Base - Tough choice, but I'm going with Lauren Moore from the mid-2000s for her defensive prowess.
Second Base - Lindsay Tripp was a four-year starter from 2003-06 and a fine all-around player.
Shortstop - Have to go with Stacy Walden here, another four-year starter from 2004-07 and a two-time first-team All-LSC North Division pick
Third Base - Jodi Craig gets the nod. A serious slugger who ranks second in both career homers (27) and RBI (112), Jodi was a two-time first-team All-South Central Regional selection while playing from 2004-08 with year off for injury.
Outfield - Not sure who would play where, but Meagan Campbell, Julie Cyr and Alley Roberts make up my outfield. The fleet-footed Campbell was a perfect lead-off hitter for the Bronchos during her four-year starting career and she holds career school records for hits (183) and at bats (555). Cyr was a three-year standout and two-time first-team All-LSC North pick in the early 2000s. Roberts could have gone anywhere after a sensational career from 2006-09 that saw her also play catcher, second base and shortstop, but I put her here to get others on the team. Fresh smashed a school-record 34 homers, hit .352 for her career and ranks in the top five in all-time runs (119), hits (179), doubles (32), RBI (109) and at bats (509).
Pitcher - The easiest pick on the team here in Alli Blake, a four-year stud from 2005-08. A.B. won 67 games -- going a phenomenal 20-3 during her fabulous freshman campaign -- and she was the main reason UCO had the success it did during her career. I picked one other pitcher who could be used as either a starter or reliever, with Jennifer Chavira getting the nod despite playing for the Bronchos only one season (2002).
Utility - I went with two utility players and both are seniors for the Bronchos this year -- Molly Shivers and Kelsey Tiger. Molly has won 31 games in the circle and starts in the outfield when not pitching, while Kelsey has started every game (138) the past three years at second base, shortstop and catcher.
No designated player on this squad, with someone already on the team able to be used in that role.
There you have it, the UCO softball all-decade team.
Today we'll go with the all-decade softball team and tomorrow it'll be baseball since those are spring sports coming up soon (well, maybe not if it stays 10-below with the wind chill like it is today!).
So here's my UCO softball team for the 2000s.
Catcher - April Ferrall. The 2003 Lone Star Conference North Division Player of the Year was an offensive force.
First Base - Tough choice, but I'm going with Lauren Moore from the mid-2000s for her defensive prowess.
Second Base - Lindsay Tripp was a four-year starter from 2003-06 and a fine all-around player.
Shortstop - Have to go with Stacy Walden here, another four-year starter from 2004-07 and a two-time first-team All-LSC North Division pick
Third Base - Jodi Craig gets the nod. A serious slugger who ranks second in both career homers (27) and RBI (112), Jodi was a two-time first-team All-South Central Regional selection while playing from 2004-08 with year off for injury.
Outfield - Not sure who would play where, but Meagan Campbell, Julie Cyr and Alley Roberts make up my outfield. The fleet-footed Campbell was a perfect lead-off hitter for the Bronchos during her four-year starting career and she holds career school records for hits (183) and at bats (555). Cyr was a three-year standout and two-time first-team All-LSC North pick in the early 2000s. Roberts could have gone anywhere after a sensational career from 2006-09 that saw her also play catcher, second base and shortstop, but I put her here to get others on the team. Fresh smashed a school-record 34 homers, hit .352 for her career and ranks in the top five in all-time runs (119), hits (179), doubles (32), RBI (109) and at bats (509).
Pitcher - The easiest pick on the team here in Alli Blake, a four-year stud from 2005-08. A.B. won 67 games -- going a phenomenal 20-3 during her fabulous freshman campaign -- and she was the main reason UCO had the success it did during her career. I picked one other pitcher who could be used as either a starter or reliever, with Jennifer Chavira getting the nod despite playing for the Bronchos only one season (2002).
Utility - I went with two utility players and both are seniors for the Bronchos this year -- Molly Shivers and Kelsey Tiger. Molly has won 31 games in the circle and starts in the outfield when not pitching, while Kelsey has started every game (138) the past three years at second base, shortstop and catcher.
No designated player on this squad, with someone already on the team able to be used in that role.
There you have it, the UCO softball all-decade team.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Top 10 Teams of the 2000s
Well, I just thought selecting UCO’s all-decade teams for men’s and women’s basketball and wrestling was tough. That was nothing compared to coming up with a list of the top 10 teams of the 2000s.
It took a lot of thought and I changed my mind on the order several times, but here’s what I came up with on UCO’s best teams of the past decade. And, man, where these teams fun to watch.
1. The 2001-02 wrestling team. What a powerhouse squad this was. The Bronchos rolled through a 15-1 dual season that included a title-winning effort in the Division II National Duals and captured the 13th national championship in school history with a dominating performance. Four individuals -- Matt Dodgen, Cole Province, Shawn Silvis and Muhammed Lawal – claimed national crowns.
2. The 2007-08 men’s basketball team. It was hard to pick this group over two other national championship wrestling teams, but in the end I went with a squad that set a school record for wins (28) and lost a double-overtime thriller in the national tournament quarterfinals. The Bronchos, led by senior star Sam Belt, won the Lone Star Conference North Division and LSC Tournament titles before pulling out a last-second decision in the South Central Regional finals to earn UCO’s first trip to the Elite Eight since 1992.
3. The 2002-03 wrestling team. UCO took a second straight Division II national title – and the 14th in school history – after going 18-1 in duals, setting a school record for wins. Province, Silvis and Mark Dodgen grabbed gold medals to lead the Bronchos.
4. The 2006-07 wrestling team. The Bronchos lost four duals, finishing 15-4, but a stirring national tournament performance resulted in the program’s 15th national crown. Kyle Evans was the lone individual champion, but UCO had four others in the finals – Tyler Zukerman, Jared Henning, Jason Leavitt and Josh LeadingFox.
5. The 2008-09 women’s basketball team. It was a record-setting season for the Bronchos, who were led by super senior leaders Lizzie Brenner and Mallory Markus. UCO set a record for wins (27), won its first outright LSC North Division championship and made it to the Sweet 16 in the national tournament before falling in the South Central Regional finals.
6. The 2002 women’s soccer team. Hard to ignore a team that posted 16 shutouts in 23 games. Sixteen! Lisa Hansen and Stephanie Gulisao led the defense and school career scoring leader Kim Brown paced the offense as the Bronchos went 20-3, winning the regular season and LSC tournament titles before dropping a heartbreaker in the national tournament.
7. The 2005 softball team. UCO won a school-record 44 games behind freshman pitching ace Alli Blake and senior slugger Tommie Mitts, rolled to the LSC North Division crown and then captured the LSC Tournament title before losing out in the regional finals.
8. The 2002 baseball team. The Bronchos overwhelmed teams with a formidable offense led by Bryan Coy, John Rogers, Rothy Briggs and Barrett Whitney in going an amazing 46-10, running away with the LSC North Division title before coming up short in a loaded South Central Regional.
9. The 2004-05 men’s golf team. UCO was a power on the links throughout the 2000s while winning dozens of tournament titles, but this group was the best of the bunch. All-American Todd Dayton led the way as the Bronchos won six tournaments, including the South Central Regional.
10. The 2002 volleyball team. Senior outside hitter Alma Brahimaj was the star, an unstoppable offensive force who led the Bronchos to a 30-7 record, the LSC North Division championship and the program’s first national tournament berth since 1994.
There were plenty of candidates for this list, but these were the best of the best, at least in my opinion. Some may disagree with my choices, or even my order, but that’s what lists are for – to get people talking!
It took a lot of thought and I changed my mind on the order several times, but here’s what I came up with on UCO’s best teams of the past decade. And, man, where these teams fun to watch.
1. The 2001-02 wrestling team. What a powerhouse squad this was. The Bronchos rolled through a 15-1 dual season that included a title-winning effort in the Division II National Duals and captured the 13th national championship in school history with a dominating performance. Four individuals -- Matt Dodgen, Cole Province, Shawn Silvis and Muhammed Lawal – claimed national crowns.
2. The 2007-08 men’s basketball team. It was hard to pick this group over two other national championship wrestling teams, but in the end I went with a squad that set a school record for wins (28) and lost a double-overtime thriller in the national tournament quarterfinals. The Bronchos, led by senior star Sam Belt, won the Lone Star Conference North Division and LSC Tournament titles before pulling out a last-second decision in the South Central Regional finals to earn UCO’s first trip to the Elite Eight since 1992.
3. The 2002-03 wrestling team. UCO took a second straight Division II national title – and the 14th in school history – after going 18-1 in duals, setting a school record for wins. Province, Silvis and Mark Dodgen grabbed gold medals to lead the Bronchos.
4. The 2006-07 wrestling team. The Bronchos lost four duals, finishing 15-4, but a stirring national tournament performance resulted in the program’s 15th national crown. Kyle Evans was the lone individual champion, but UCO had four others in the finals – Tyler Zukerman, Jared Henning, Jason Leavitt and Josh LeadingFox.
5. The 2008-09 women’s basketball team. It was a record-setting season for the Bronchos, who were led by super senior leaders Lizzie Brenner and Mallory Markus. UCO set a record for wins (27), won its first outright LSC North Division championship and made it to the Sweet 16 in the national tournament before falling in the South Central Regional finals.
6. The 2002 women’s soccer team. Hard to ignore a team that posted 16 shutouts in 23 games. Sixteen! Lisa Hansen and Stephanie Gulisao led the defense and school career scoring leader Kim Brown paced the offense as the Bronchos went 20-3, winning the regular season and LSC tournament titles before dropping a heartbreaker in the national tournament.
7. The 2005 softball team. UCO won a school-record 44 games behind freshman pitching ace Alli Blake and senior slugger Tommie Mitts, rolled to the LSC North Division crown and then captured the LSC Tournament title before losing out in the regional finals.
8. The 2002 baseball team. The Bronchos overwhelmed teams with a formidable offense led by Bryan Coy, John Rogers, Rothy Briggs and Barrett Whitney in going an amazing 46-10, running away with the LSC North Division title before coming up short in a loaded South Central Regional.
9. The 2004-05 men’s golf team. UCO was a power on the links throughout the 2000s while winning dozens of tournament titles, but this group was the best of the bunch. All-American Todd Dayton led the way as the Bronchos won six tournaments, including the South Central Regional.
10. The 2002 volleyball team. Senior outside hitter Alma Brahimaj was the star, an unstoppable offensive force who led the Bronchos to a 30-7 record, the LSC North Division championship and the program’s first national tournament berth since 1994.
There were plenty of candidates for this list, but these were the best of the best, at least in my opinion. Some may disagree with my choices, or even my order, but that’s what lists are for – to get people talking!
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