UCO Cross Country Media Guide

www.bronchosports.com

Sept. 10 UCO Land Run Edmond 8:00 a.m.

Sept. 17 Southern Stampede Joplin, Mo. 9:00 a.m.

Sept. 24 Cowboy Jamboree Stillwater, Okla. 8:00 a.m.

Oct. 8 Bison Invitational Shawnee, Okla. 9:00 a.m.

Oct. 15 Chili Pepper Classic Fayeteville, Ark. 10:00 a.m.

Nov. 5 NCAA Division II Wichita Falls, Texas 10:00 a.m.

South Central Regional

2011 BRONCHOCROSS COUNTRY

2 0 1 1 M E D I A G U I D E

2011 ScheduleDate Event Site TimeSept. 10 UCO Land Run Edmond 8:00 a.m.Sept. 17 Southern Stampede Joplin, Mo. 9:00 a.m.Sept. 24 Cowboy Jamboree Stillwater, Okla. 8:00 a.m.Oct. 8 Midwestern State Invitational Wichita Falls, Texas 9:00 a.m.Oct. 15 Chili Pepper Classic Fayetteville, Ark. 10:00 a.m.Nov. 5 NCAA Division II Regional Warrensburg, Mo. 10:00 a.m.

School NickName“Bronchos” was the nickname selected

for Central Oklahoma in 1922 by Mrs. C.W. Wantland, wife of long-time UCO football coach C.W. Wantland. The name was chosen from a number of suggestions for the name of UCO’s football team and became the nickname for all athletic teams at the school.

Mrs. Wantland was made an honorary member of the Letterman’s Club as a result of selecting the nickname, becoming the first woman admitted to that organization. School colorS

Bronze and blue were chosen as Central Oklahoma’s school colors in 1895 by school president Edmund Dandridge Murdaugh.

The first public display of the bronze and blue was in Guthrie when a student repre-sented UCO in the first oratorical contest ever held in Oklahoma. ProductioN creditS

The 2011 Central Oklahoma women’s cross country media guide was written, edited and designed by Mike Kirk of the UCO Athletic Media Relations Office.

Cover design was done by UCO Art Director Craig Beuchaw.

Photographs were provided by Dan Smith, director of UCO Photographic Services Department.

The 2011 media guide was printed at the UCO printCentral, NUC 146.

The Central Oklahoma Athletic Media Relations Office is under the direction of Mike Kirk, whose main duty is to keep local, state and national media informed about UCO’s 14 varsity sports.

Kirk is in his 24th year at UCO, coming to Edmond in November 1987.

Mike was a student assistant in the sports information office at Oklahoma State for four years, graduating in 1982 with a journalism degree.

He was a sports writer at newspapers in McAlester and Lawton for five years before coming to UCO in 1987.

An active member of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) who has served on several committees during his career, Kirk worked as the Press Information Manager for wrestling at the 1996 Olympic Games.

He is in his second year as a member of the NCAA Wrestling Championships Committee.Kirk has received 56 CoSIDA publication awards at UCO, including 25 Best in the

Nation citations.Mike is married (Debbie) and has two children (Alex and Jessica).

uco athletic media relatioNS

Mike Kirk

Director of compliance monitoring

collin WalkerIn his first year with the Central Oklahoma athletic department is Collin Walker, who

serves as the director of compliance monitoring for the Bronchos.Walker worked as an intern for senior associate athletic director Scott Williams in the

spring of 2010. He was also an intern for the Oklahoma City Thunder prior to earning his Juris Doctorate from Oklahoma City University in May, 2010.

A native of Stillwater, Collin earned an associate’s degree from Central Christian College (Kan.) before going to Oklahoma State. He served as a manager for the OSU

men’s basketball team from 2002-05 before earning his bachelor’s degree and then worked as a graduate assistant with the OSU team in 2006-07. He was also an intern in the OSU compliance office.

Walker earned his master’s in sports science from the United States Sport Academy in Daphne, Ala. in 2007.

Director of athletic compliance

Darnell SmithServing as Central Oklahoma’s Director of Athletic Compliance is Darnell Smith,

who took over the position in June of 2010 after serving in the same capacity at the University of New Mexico.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Smith was a four-year member of the Oklahoma State football team from 2002-06 at defensive end. He was a three-time recipient of the Arthur Ashe Scholar award at OSU and also earned second-team honors on the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America Team.

Darnell was named OSU’s Outstanding Senior and earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from there. He served as a graduate assistant in the OSU compliance office in 2007-08 and worked as a management development trainee for the United States Olympic Committee from June 2008 to February 2009.

Smith went to New Mexico in February of 2009 and was there until coming to UCO.He is married (Candace).

aSSiStant athletic Director/BuSineSS

tina kurtenBachIn her fourth year as the assistant athletic director for business is Tina Kurtenbach,

who came to UCO from the University of Oklahoma.Kurtenbach manages more than 130 budgets in handling the day-to-day financial

operations of the UCO Athletic Department while also taking care of human resource duties for athletics.

Tina served as the financial accountant for the College of Medicine at OU before coming to Edmond. She previously worked in the Redlands Community College Athletic

Department, in the bursar office for financial aid at Oklahoma State and as financial manager for the Broken Arrow High School Athletic Department.

Kurtenbach received her associates degree from Redlands and her bachelor’s from Northeastern State.Tina is married (Dan) and has two sons (D.J. and Josh).

coorDinator of athletic ticketS

gunnar poffGunnar Poff is in his second year with the Central Oklahoma Athletic Department,

coordinating ticket sales for the Bronchos while also assisting in a host of other roles related to the game-day operations.

A native of Sayre, Poff earned his bachelor’s degree in health and physical educa-tion from Southwestern Oklahoma in 2007. Gunnar was a pitcher on the baseball team while at SWOSU.

He went on to earn a master’s of education in intercollegiate athletics administration in 2009 from the University of Oklahoma, working in the office of athletics event management while there.

Poff is married (Tessa) and has two daughters (Presley and Piper).

athletic aDminiStration

2011 uco croSS couNtry2011 uco croSS couNtry 2011 uco croSS couNtry2011 uco croSS couNtry

1

2011 UCO CrOss COUntry2011 UCO CrOss COUntry

UCO QUiCk FaCtsMailing Address: 100 North University Edmond, OK 73034 Founded: Dec. 24, 1890 President: Dr. Don Betz Athletic Director: Joe MullerSenior Associate AD: Scott WilliamsAssistant AD/Business: Tina Kurtenbach Director of Compliance: Darnell SmithCompliance Coordinator: Collin WalkerTicket Coordinator: Gunnar PoffHead Athletic Trainer: Ed Kabrick Faculty Representative: Trey Cone National Affiliation: NCAA Division II Conference: IndependentNickname: Bronchos School Colors: Bronze and Blue Enrollment: 17,101

UCO CrOss COUntry staFF DireCtOry(405 Area Code) University of Central Oklahoma Switchboard ......................................................974-2000Athletic Department Fax ......................................................................................974-3820 OfficeAthletic Department ............................................................................................. 974-2501 Athletic Director .................................................................................................. 974-2502 Joe Muller ([email protected]) Senior Associate Athletic Director ....................................................................... 974-2137 Scott Williams ([email protected]) Head Cross Country Coach .................................................................................. 974-2165 J.D. Martin ([email protected])

Head Athletic Trainer ........................................................................................... 974-2188 Ed Kabrick ([email protected])

CrOss COUntry FaCtsHead Coach: J.D. MartinYears at UCO: SevenLettermen Returning/Lost: 4/3Conference Titles: One (2000)

athletiC MeDia relatiOnsDirector of Media Relations: Mike Kirk Office: (405) 974-2142 Home: (405) 348-4897 Cell: (405) 615-2233 Fax: (405) 974-3820 Email: [email protected] Website: www.bronchosports.com

table OF COntentsGeneral inFOrMatiOnUCO Quick Facts/Directory .......................1Head Coach .................................................2 seasOn OUtlOOk/Players2011 Season Outlook/Roster .......................4Player Profiles ........................................ 5-8

abOUt UCOThe University .......................................... 10President .................................................... 11Athletic Director/Associate AD ................ 12Athletic Administration ....................... I.B.C.

2


J.D. Martin

Now in his eighth year at the helm of the Central Okla-homa women’s cross country program is veteran coach J.D. Martin, who directed the University of Oklahoma to national prominence during a lenghty career with the Sooners.

Martin took over the UCO reigns in April of 2004 and led the Bronchos to top-four Lone Star Conference fin-ishes six times in seven years, highlighted by a runner-up showing in his first year en route to winning league Coach of the Year honors. J.D. coached six All-LSC performers

during UCO’s association with that league.Martin also serves as an assistant coach with the women’s track and field program

that resuming competing in 2010, working with distance runners and sprinters.A native of Erick and a graduate of OU, Martin served as track and field/cross

country coach for the Sooners for 33 years (1964-97) and was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

He coached 22 individual track and field national cham-pions and countless Big Eight and Big 12 winners at OU, lead-ing the Sooners to six top-five national finishes.

J.D. also coached two future Olympic gold medalists (Jason Rouser and Roxbert Martin) while at OU.

Martin was a three-time All-American in the pole vault as a competitor with the Sooners, winning the national title in 1960. He once owned the world record in the pole vault and was a gold medalist in the decathlon at the 1963 Pan American Games.

J.D. is married (Delma) and has two children (Stan and Mandy) and five grand-children.

heaD COaCh


OUtlOOk/Player PrOFiles

4


A veteran Central Oklahoma team that will benefit from the addition of sev-eral talented newcomers looks to make some noise in 2011 when the Bronchos compete as NCAA Division II inde-pendents.

UCO has back four runners from last year while also returning a senior coming off injury and a redshirt freshman. Add in a talented freshman and two junior college transfers and it’s easy to see the reason for optimism.

“I’m excited about the prospects of our team this year,” eighth-year head coach J.D. Martin said. “There’s no doubt we have the athletes and can have a very good team.”

Juniors Cara Cox, Angelica Martinez and Angel Vick and sophomore Katie Kerns are back from last year, with Kerns the top returner of that group after register-ing four top-25 finishes as a rookie.

Heather Braley is the lone se-nior on the team and is looking to bounce back strong after missing the last two years to injury and

seasOn OUtlOOk

2011 rOster Name Ht. Class Hometown (High School)Heather Braley 5-5 Sr. Enid (Chisholm) Cara Cox 5-6 Jr. Yukon (Yukon)Jerika Davis 5-5 So. Piedmont (Piedmont)Bailey Hawkins 5-6 Jr. Oklahoma City (Western Heights)Katie Kerns 5-5 So. Pryor (Pryor)Brooke Klimek 5-8 Fr. Purcell (Purcell)Angelica Martinez 5-4 Jr. Norman (High)Jacquelynn Skocik 5-9 Fr. (RS) Jenks (Jenks)Angel Vick 5-5 Jr. Broken Arrow (Broken Arrow)

Jacquelynn Skocik appears recovered from a hip injury that forced her to red-shirt last year.

The three newcomers all have the ability to step in and have an impact.

Freshman Brooke Klimek was one of the top distance runners in

the state last year and has been impressive in the early going.

Junior Bailey Hawkins and sophomore Jerika Davis picked up valu-able experience in junior

college, with Hawkins running on a national champi-onship team at Cowley County (Kan.) Community College.

“The key, as always, is stay-ing healthy throughout the year,” Martin said. “We’ve got a good group of girls who

are working hard and they’re determined to have a good year.”

The Bronchos will be with-out a conference this year, running as Division II inde-pendents before UCO joins the Mid-America Intercol-legiate Athletics Association in 2012-13.Cara Cox

5


Injury-plagued senior looking to get back in the lineup after missing the last two years . . . Was one of UCO’s top runners as a freshman in 2009 and will be a key contributor if she’s back to full speed.

2009: Competed in five meets for the Bronchos as a rookie . . . Best finish was a 16th-place tie in first-ever collegiate event at the UCO Land Run . . . Came in 32nd in the Lone Star Conference Championships.

High School: Four-year cross country star at Chisholm High School in Enid, earning All-State honors her final two years . . . Capped her career with a state championship as a senior after plac-ing seventh the previous year . . . Also a track standout, qualifying for the state meet in four events four straight years.

Personal: A psychology major who wants to be a lawyer . . . Names Lance Armstrong as her favorite athlete . . . Birthdate is June 29, 1989.

5-5 • Senior • JenkS

heather braley

Junior veteran ready to return to a full-time role this season after missing half of last year to injury . . . Had a solid freshman season in 2009 and should be a mainstay for the Bronchos.

2010: Finished 21st in the season-opening UCO Land Run and then missed the next four meets to injury . . . Returned for the post-season, running in both the Lone Star Conference Championships and the NCAA Division II South Central Regional.

2009: Competed in all seven meets as a rookie and registered a pair of top-20 finishes . . . Came in 19th in her first-ever collegiate race at the UCO Land Run and was also 19th in the LSC Championships.

High School: Cross country-track standout at Yukon High School . . . Won regional cham-pionships in the mile and two mile as a junior.

Personal: An art major . . . Birthdate is Feb. 23, 1991.

5-6 • Junior • Yukon

Cara COx

6


Junior college transfer who has a chance to step in and compete for a starting berth this season.

Juco: Ran at Butler County (Kan.) Community College, placing 31st in the Region VI meet to help the Grizzlies to a third-place team finish.

High School: Four-time cross country state qualifier at Piedmont High School . . . Finished third in the 1,600-meter run in the Class 4A state meet as a senior in track.

Personal: Undecided on a major . . . Enjoys drawing as a hobby . . . Birthdate is Jan. 16, 1992.

5-5 • Sophomore • piedmont

Jerika Davis

Transfer from junior college powerhouse Cowley County (Kan.) Community College who should have a big impact . . . Proven competitor with plenty of experience.

Juco: Ran two years at Cowley, helping the Tigers to the national championship last fall after a fourth-place finish in 2009 . . . Had back-to-back 16th-place showings in the regional meet.

High School: Cross country/track standout at Western Heights High School.

Personal: A criminal justice major looking to become a police officer . . . Names the Oklahoma City Thunder as her favorite professional team . . . Birthdate is April 9, 1991.

5-6 • Junior • oklahoma CitY

bailey hawkins

Sophomore standout expected to be a ringleader for the Bronchos this season . . . Stepped in last year as a true freshman and had an immediate impact in filling a starting role . . . Should be even better in 2011 with the experience and success gained and is poised for a banner year.

5-5 • Sophomore • prYor

katie kerns

7


2010: Was one of just two runners to compete in all seven meets and had four top-25 finishes . . . Opened her career in style with a third-place effort in the season-opening UCO Land Run . . . Came in 14th at the Midwestern State Invitational, was 24th at the Bison Invitational and 25th at the Lone Star Conference Championships.

High School: Enjoyed a stellar career at Pryor High School, earning cross country All-Conference honors four straight years and running on a state championship 3,200-meter relay team in track.

Personal: Undecided on a major . . . Father (Keith) played baseball at Northeastern State . . . Enjoys playing street hockey as a hobby . . . Birthdate is Dec. 27, 1991.

Highly-regarded rookie with the ability to contribute right away.

High School: Enjoyed a productive career at Purcell High School . . . Placed fourth in the Class 3A state cross country meet as a senior and then scored 20 of her team’s 52 points in the state track meet, winning the 3,200-meter title while placing second in the 1,600 and fifth in the 800.

Personal: A biology major . . . Shows horses on the side, having competed in the World Championships . . . Birthdate is May 12, 1993.

5-8 • FreShman • purCell

brOOke kliMek

Two-year starter ready to retain her position in the lineup . . . Took over a starting role as a true freshman and has held it ever since . . . Steady, consistent junior veteran with plenty of experience and is set for another solid season in 2011.

2010: Ran in six of seven meets and had a pair of top-25 finishes . . . Came in 16th at the season-opening UCO Land Ran and placed 23rd at the Midwestern State Invitational.

2009: Finished a career-best 10th in her first-ever college meet at the UCO Land Run and had two more top-20 showings while running in every meet . . . Came in 16th at the Bison

5-4 • Junior • norman

anGeliCa Martinez

8


Invitational and finished 20th in the Lone Star Conference Championships.

High School: Cross Country team captain and MVP at Norman High School . . . Also picked up All-Conference and All-State honors in track.

Personal: A nutrition major . . . Has 12 siblings . . . Birthdate is May 16, 1991.

Redshirt freshman looking to make an impact this season.

High School: Capped her career by winning the Class 6A state championship as a senior with the fastest time in the state.

Personal: A nutrition and fashion marketing major . . . Lists “Prefontaine” among her favorite sports movies . . . Has 10 siblings . . . Birthdate is Sept. 29, 1991.

5-9 • rS FreShman •JenkS

JaCQUelynn skOCik

Junior who figures to push for a starting spot in 2011 . . . Has seen extensive action the past two years and is ready to fill a key role this fall.

2010: Missed the first part of the season with injury before running in three of the last four meets, including the Lone Star Conference Championships and the NCAA Division II South Central Regional.

2009: Ran in all seven meets and had a pair of top-30 finishes . . . Finished 18th in the season-opening UCO Land Run and was 29th in the LSC meet.

High School: Four-year cross country/track letterwinner at Broken Arrow High School . . . Won state titles in the 400- and 800-meter dashes for the Tigers while also placing in the top five in the 1,600- and 3,200 runs.

Personal: A kinesiology major looking to become a fitness model or personal trainer . . . Birthdate is April 4, 1991.

5-5 • Junior • Broken arrow

anGel viCk


abOUt UCO

10


The University of Central Oklahoma prepares future leaders in an opportunity-rich environ-ment, ideally located in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

Central offers an innovative learning community where teaching comes first and students develop personal relationships with faculty and staff who are committed to transforming lives. With 114 undergraduate majors and 54 graduate programs, Central is a smart investment for students dedicated to their future success.

Central is home to students from throughout Oklahoma, as well as all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Among Central’s many unique and notable academic programs are Forensic Science, Accounting, Music Theater, Profes-sional Golf Management, Jazz Studies, Mass Communication, Nursing, and Funeral Science.

Central is:• Home to the world-renown Forensic Sci-

ence Institute, which attracts experts from throughout the world to teach students and law enforcement professionals the latest techniques in crime fighting.

• Rated by The Chronicle of Higher Educa-tion as one of the “2010 Great Colleges to Work For.”

• Winner of multiple national and statewide awards for sustainability efforts

• An official Olympic and Paralympic Train-ing Site, as designated by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

• Home to the Academy of Contemporary Music at UCO, located in Oklahoma City’s

Bricktown district.• Partnered with Chesapeake Energy to build the CHK-Central Boathouse on the Oklahoma

River, which will house Central’s rowing team as well as an entertainment venue and an art gallery.

• Home to 2008 Carnegie Foundation Professor of the Year, Dr. Wei Chen.• Ranked among the top universities nationally in residence life.In Fall 2010, Central opened the new state-of-the-art Center for Transformative Learning,

a classroom building designed intentionally to encourage collaboration and creativity in its learning spaces. In addition, Central’s appealing 210-acre campus is on track to become a certified botanical garden, offering both a pleasing learning and living environ-ment and a source of pride for students, employees and alumni.

Founded in 1890, the University of Central Oklahoma is the state’s first public institution of higher learning, and continues to cultivate creativ-ity and innovation in every corner of campus, bringing to life its core values of Character, Community and Civility each day.

The UniversiTy

11


PresidenT

dr. don BeTz Dr. Don Betz became Central Oklahoma’s 20th presi-

dent in August 2011 after having previously served as UCO’s Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs from 1999-2005, when he developed several initiatives and programs that have helped transform Central into one of the leading metropolitan universities in the nation.

President Betz has enjoyed a distinguished career in higher education that spans more than 40 years, develop-ing a reputation for teaching and encouraging students, leadership development and diplomacy through his

international activities, most notably with the United Nations and its affiliated non-government organizations.

Prior to returning to UCO, he served as president of Northeastern State, a post he held since July 2008. He also served as Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls from 2005 until his appointment at NSU and as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Palmer College (Iowa) from 1994-1999.

In the 23 years prior, he fulfilled various capacities at NSU, including the Vice President of University Relations and Professor of Political Science. While at NSU, he also was the Executive Director of the Educational Foundation, Assistant to the President, Dean of Continuing Education and Special Programs, Director of the Se-quoyah Institute/Center for Tribal Studies, the founder and advisor of the university’s President’s Leadership Class and its Model United Nations program.

From 1982 through 2003, President Betz worked for and with the United Nations on Middle East issues. He founded and chaired the International Coordinating Committee on the Question of Palestine (ICCP), a UN-affiliated non-governmental organization (NGO) network pursuing peace in the Middle East based on UN resolutions.

A frequent writer and speaker, Dr. Betz has addressed international, educational, motivational topics, and has worked with newspapers, radio and television. His life-long interest in global issues and his passion for promoting cross-cultural un-derstanding has led him to more than 80 countries.

While president at NSU, he served as the chair of the Northeast Oklahoma Public Facility Authority, board member for BancFirst in Tahlequah, the Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce, Creative Oklahoma, Inc., and chair of the Regional Univer-sity System of Oklahoma Council of Presidents. He is a member of the Oklahoma Academy, Leadership Oklahoma, Universities and Colleges President’s Climate Commitment, International Association of University Presidents and has served as Chairman of AASCU’s International Education Committee.

President Betz received his B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of San Francisco and his M.A. and Ph.D. in International Studies from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver. He completed Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management.

AdminisTrATion

12


AThleTic AdminisTrATionAThleTic direcTor

Joe mUller Now in his fourth year as athletic director at Central Oklahoma

is Joe Muller, who brought a wealth of Division I experience to the position.

Muller became just the seventh athletic director in school history when he took over the position in July of 2008 after previous stints in the athletic departments at Oklahoma State and Purdue.

Joe served as senior associate athletic director for external rela-tions at Purdue for two years before coming to UCO. He oversaw all facets of external relations while at Purdue, including development, marketing and promotions and the John Purdue Club.

A graduate of Stillwater High School, Joe earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from OSU. He served as director of athletic marketing and promotions at OSU from 1985-90 and then was involved in the television industry for more than a decade.

Muller returned to Oklahoma State in 2002 as associate athletic director, serving in that capacity until going to Purdue. His duties at OSU included all development activities of the athletic department, including ticket operations, marketing and promotions and the OSU POSSE fund-raising operation.

Under Muller’s watch, OSU raised over $90 million to renovate its football stadium, set football attendance records in 2003, ’04 and ’05 and had all-sport ticket revenues increase more than 115 percent.

Joe is married (Julie) and has three sons (Jaxon, Brandon and Matthew).

senior AssociATe AThleTic direcTor

scoTT WilliAmsScott Williams is in his second year as Central Oklahoma’s senior

associate athletic director, coming to Edmond in December of 2009 after a nearly five-year stint at Oklahoma State.

Williams was associate athletic director for compliance at OSU for three years, overseeing the entire compliance program while also serving as tournament director for the 2008 NCAA Division I baseball regional and 2009 NCAA Division I men’s golf regional. He spent the previous two years at OSU as assistant athletic director for compliance, with the responsibility of seven varsity programs.

Scott went to OSU after seven years as assistant athletic director for compliance at Oral Roberts. While at ORU, he was responsible for all compliance-related matters in addition to supervising eight varsity programs and coordinating all event management activities for home athletic events.

A 1995 graduate of OSU, Williams earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma in 1998 and worked in the University of Kansas athletic department before going to ORU.

Scott, a product of Deer Creek High School outside Edmond, is married (Tammy) and has four children (J.R., Matthew, Hannah and Luke).

2011 ScheduleDate Event Site TimeSept. 10 UCO Land Run Edmond 8:00 a.m.Sept. 17 Southern Stampede Joplin, Mo. 9:00 a.m.Sept. 24 Cowboy Jamboree Stillwater, Okla. 8:00 a.m.Oct. 8 Midwestern State Invitational Wichita Falls, Texas 9:00 a.m.Oct. 15 Chili Pepper Classic Fayetteville, Ark. 10:00 a.m.Nov. 5 NCAA Division II Regional Warrensburg, Mo. 10:00 a.m.

School NickName“Bronchos” was the nickname selected

for Central Oklahoma in 1922 by Mrs. C.W. Wantland, wife of long-time UCO football coach C.W. Wantland. The name was chosen from a number of suggestions for the name of UCO’s football team and became the nickname for all athletic teams at the school.

Mrs. Wantland was made an honorary member of the Letterman’s Club as a result of selecting the nickname, becoming the first woman admitted to that organization. School colorS

Bronze and blue were chosen as Central Oklahoma’s school colors in 1895 by school president Edmund Dandridge Murdaugh.

The first public display of the bronze and blue was in Guthrie when a student repre-sented UCO in the first oratorical contest ever held in Oklahoma. ProductioN creditS

The 2011 Central Oklahoma women’s cross country media guide was written, edited and designed by Mike Kirk of the UCO Athletic Media Relations Office.

Cover design was done by UCO Art Director Craig Beuchaw.

Photographs were provided by Dan Smith, director of UCO Photographic Services Department.

The 2011 media guide was printed at the UCO printCentral, NUC 146.

The Central Oklahoma Athletic Media Relations Office is under the direction of Mike Kirk, whose main duty is to keep local, state and national media informed about UCO’s 14 varsity sports.

Kirk is in his 24th year at UCO, coming to Edmond in November 1987.

Mike was a student assistant in the sports information office at Oklahoma State for four years, graduating in 1982 with a journalism degree.

He was a sports writer at newspapers in McAlester and Lawton for five years before coming to UCO in 1987.

An active member of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) who has served on several committees during his career, Kirk worked as the Press Information Manager for wrestling at the 1996 Olympic Games.

He is in his second year as a member of the NCAA Wrestling Championships Committee.Kirk has received 56 CoSIDA publication awards at UCO, including 25 Best in the

Nation citations.Mike is married (Debbie) and has two children (Alex and Jessica).

uco athletic media relatioNS

Mike Kirk

Director of compliance monitoring

collin WalkerIn his first year with the Central Oklahoma athletic department is Collin Walker, who

serves as the director of compliance monitoring for the Bronchos.Walker worked as an intern for senior associate athletic director Scott Williams in the

spring of 2010. He was also an intern for the Oklahoma City Thunder prior to earning his Juris Doctorate from Oklahoma City University in May, 2010.

A native of Stillwater, Collin earned an associate’s degree from Central Christian College (Kan.) before going to Oklahoma State. He served as a manager for the OSU

men’s basketball team from 2002-05 before earning his bachelor’s degree and then worked as a graduate assistant with the OSU team in 2006-07. He was also an intern in the OSU compliance office.

Walker earned his master’s in sports science from the United States Sport Academy in Daphne, Ala. in 2007.

Director of athletic compliance

Darnell SmithServing as Central Oklahoma’s Director of Athletic Compliance is Darnell Smith,

who took over the position in June of 2010 after serving in the same capacity at the University of New Mexico.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Smith was a four-year member of the Oklahoma State football team from 2002-06 at defensive end. He was a three-time recipient of the Arthur Ashe Scholar award at OSU and also earned second-team honors on the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America Team.

Darnell was named OSU’s Outstanding Senior and earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from there. He served as a graduate assistant in the OSU compliance office in 2007-08 and worked as a management development trainee for the United States Olympic Committee from June 2008 to February 2009.

Smith went to New Mexico in February of 2009 and was there until coming to UCO.He is married (Candace).

aSSiStant athletic Director/BuSineSS

tina kurtenBachIn her fourth year as the assistant athletic director for business is Tina Kurtenbach,

who came to UCO from the University of Oklahoma.Kurtenbach manages more than 130 budgets in handling the day-to-day financial

operations of the UCO Athletic Department while also taking care of human resource duties for athletics.

Tina served as the financial accountant for the College of Medicine at OU before coming to Edmond. She previously worked in the Redlands Community College Athletic

Department, in the bursar office for financial aid at Oklahoma State and as financial manager for the Broken Arrow High School Athletic Department.

Kurtenbach received her associates degree from Redlands and her bachelor’s from Northeastern State.Tina is married (Dan) and has two sons (D.J. and Josh).

coorDinator of athletic ticketS

gunnar poffGunnar Poff is in his second year with the Central Oklahoma Athletic Department,

coordinating ticket sales for the Bronchos while also assisting in a host of other roles related to the game-day operations.

A native of Sayre, Poff earned his bachelor’s degree in health and physical educa-tion from Southwestern Oklahoma in 2007. Gunnar was a pitcher on the baseball team while at SWOSU.

He went on to earn a master’s of education in intercollegiate athletics administration in 2009 from the University of Oklahoma, working in the office of athletics event management while there.

Poff is married (Tessa) and has two daughters (Presley and Piper).

athletic aDminiStration

2011 uco croSS couNtry2011 uco croSS couNtry 2011 uco croSS couNtry2011 uco croSS couNtry

www.bronchosports.com

Sept. 10 UCO Land Run Edmond 8:00 a.m.

Sept. 17 Southern Stampede Joplin, Mo. 9:00 a.m.

Sept. 24 Cowboy Jamboree Stillwater, Okla. 8:00 a.m.

Oct. 8 Bison Invitational Shawnee, Okla. 9:00 a.m.

Oct. 15 Chili Pepper Classic Fayeteville, Ark. 10:00 a.m.

Nov. 5 NCAA Division II Wichita Falls, Texas 10:00 a.m.

South Central Regional

2011 BRONCHOCROSS COUNTRY

2 0 1 1 M E D I A G U I D E

Documents

UCO Cross Country Media Guide