The O'Colly, Feb. 27, 2026

Friday, February 27, 2026

Focused on community

Two students use film-making, engineering to change the culture

BY ALIYAH YOUNG I STAFF REPORTER

Black History Month at Oklahoma State University is special.

It is a time to show gratitude toward historic figures like Nancy Randolph Davis, the first Black person to enroll at OSU. February is also a moment to celebrate the OSU students who follow in Davis’s legacy, making history themselves.

This month, we’re applauding the success of

“I think Black creatives are what singlehandedly carried the community through generations...”

TONI PURRELL | FILM-MAKER

two Black students who are constantly pushing boundaries, breaking down walls and creating spaces for themselves

and their communities.

Engineering safety and community Olivia McKeever, a senior majoring in mechanical and aerospace engineering with a minor in aerospace security, is channeling her lifelong passion for engineering into community-centered innovation and dedication.

See HISTORY on page 3A

OSU sophomore wins Miss OSU

The auditorium lights lowered as the contestants stood hand in hand and the Miss Oklahoma State University crown sparkled under the spotlight.

The drumroll stopped and Jaidyn Poole’s name echoed through the auditorium.

Poole’s emerald green ballgown swept across the floor and her eyes wide in disbelief as the crown was placed on her head by Miss OSU 2025 Jaselyn Rossman. The first-time contestant had officially become Miss OSU 2026.

“I’m at a loss of words, this is an incredible opportunity,” Poole said. “I get to represent OSU and go to Miss Oklahoma. It’s my first pageant, so I totally wasn’t expecting it. I’m just in awe.”

Jaidyn Poole is an active member of the OSU Twirlers and Fashion Design Program. However, being a pageant girl is something she could have never imagined. With encouragement from her mentor and twirling coach Aly Akers-Meadors, Miss OSU 2012, Jaidyn began her pageant journey.

“There’s a lot of twirlers that I go on to do Miss America organizations,” Poole said. “So I’ve known a lot of people that have competed and a lot of people that have been like, oh, you should do pageants.”

MISS

Calf Fry singer, bands announced

Thadhani CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The full daily lineup for the 34th annual Calf Fry Music Festival is set, giving fans a clearer look at who will take the Tumbleweed stage April 30-May 2. Thursday, April 30, will open the weekend with performances by Waylon Wyatt, Bottomland, Cole Phillips and one of three winners of the Tumbleweed Battle of the Bands. Oklahoma native Josh Meloy is slated as Thursday’s headliner, topping off the first night of the three-day festival. On Friday, May 1, Flatland Cavalry will headline, bringing its West Texas brand of country back to Stillwater. Braxton Keith, Kaitlin Butts, Logan Ryan and another Battle of the Bands winner will round out the Friday bill. Calf Fry will close on

Saturday, May 2, with Charles Wesley Godwin at the top of the lineup. Ole 60, Tyler Nance, Fox N’ Vead and the final Battle of the Bands winner will perform earlier in the night before Godwin’s set. For more than three decades, Calf Fry has helped launch and showcase Red Dirt and country artists, cementing Tumbleweed’s place as a cornerstone venue for the genre. Organizers bill the 2026 edition as one of the festival’s biggest three-day lineups yet, continuing a tradition that draws thousands of Oklahoma State students and outof-town fans to Stillwater every spring. Single-day tickets, threeday passes, VIP packages, cabanas and RV spots for Calf Fry 2026 are on sale now through calffry.com, with quantities limited.

SPS takes steps to regulate AI use

The Stillwater Public School system has placed many restrictions on artificial intelligence, keeping it strictly academic and only allowing staff and grades six-12 to access their preapproved AI: Google’s Gemini and NotebookLM. Gemini and NotebookLM are closed AI programs and can only be used for brainstorming, essay help and scanning class materials to create paragraphs, podcasts or answer questions for studying.

Barry Fuxa, public relations and communication coordinator for SPS, explained why they chose to use closed AI.

“Because of limits we’ve imposed on student access, Gemini can’t generate images and is a closed system unlike OpenAI,” Fuxa said. “It gives us good control of what stays private and it remains creditable.”

Kira Frisby is the wellness, trauma and emergency coordinator for the SPS. She believes that with AI, the youth could be stripped of their creativity.

“From an art standpoint whether it is visual art, painting, band or orchestra, those are things that the beauty of them come from the personal vision behind that,” Frisby said. “Think of all the beauty of the world we had before AI. We have the potential to create amazing art and we can’t do that if a robot is creating it for us.”

She also expressed her concern for students accessing not only adult content such as pornography but also strangers looking to exploit them outside of school hours.

“We have so many things in place and tools that monitor what students are looking at so I am not as worried at school because it would be very difficult for a young person to access these things due to so many eyes on what they are doing,” Frisby said. “Outside of school is my main concern because younger people spend so much more time on devices.

“Would you let a stranger go into your kids’ room? Of course not, but when you have a kid that’s playing video games that’s kinda what they are doing.”

Fuxa tells parents with AI coming out and booming so fast why it is important to talk with their children about AI.

“As a parent, you don’t have the free time to explore these new technologies but our kids do,” Fuxa said. “They know how to navigate to find things and get around things or ask friends how to and that’s why it is important to talk to them.” Frisby recommends parents also be informed about actions to take to avoid their kid viewing pornography and how to stay one step ahead.

AI enters commercial, advertisement industry

Lillian Easter STAFF REPORTER

From Super Bowl commercials to viral social media videos, artificial intelligence is changing the way advertising and media content are created and how audiences consume it.

AI-generated images, scripts and videos are becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from human-made content. Major brands such as Coca-Cola have already experimented with and produced commercials using artificial intelligence. The company faced criticism after reimaging its 1995 holiday commercial “Holidays Are Coming” with AI-generated animals watching the iconic Coca-Cola trucks, with viewers debating online about authenticity in advertising.

During the Super Bowl, there were also multiple commercials that either talked about AI or used it. An ad from Anthropic aimed at ChatGPT, OpenAI’s plan to introduce ads, so at the end of the Anthropic commercial, the tagline was, “Ads are coming to AI, but not to Claude.” Meanwhile, Meta showed off its Oakley-branded AI glasses how wearable technology is merging with machine learning to help with your everyday life.

For marketing students preparing to enter the workforce, the rise of AI presents both opportunity and uncertainty.

Junior marketing major Kylie Hedge, who has a concentration in sales, said the rise of AI feels unsettling, but it has some advantages.

“I do see it as a good tool,” Hedge said. “It becomes bad when that’s all we rely on. That’s when it comes to the negative thing, but also I feel like we could live without it as well.”

One commercial that stood out to Hedge was from Ring, which made a commercial about their “Search Party” feature. The tool uses AI to tap into neighborhood camera networks to reunite lost pets with their owners.

“Yes, I saw that one; it scared me,” Hedge said. “That one is definitely the scariest because that’s just scary in so many ways, and I saw clips of like people getting rid of the Ring, cause what do you mean the Ring is giving people access to our cameras?”

Commercials, advertising and media can be creative, but is it coming from the human brain or a machine? Hedge said AI disclosure would help audiences better understand what they are watching.

With AI coming into the media, Hedge, a marketing major, is not worried about AI replacing entry-level marketing roles.

“I won’t say I’m worried per se,” Hedge said. “AI definitely does have some advantages for sailing and marketing even, but marketers will always be there, and AI won’t be able to replicate the personal relationships that you can have with actual people.”

Senior marketing major Aurora Irwin has a greater concern about AI’s impact on marketing and creativity.

“I kind of had to realize, AI can make a graphic design, make a post in like two seconds,” Irwin said. “They’re not going to need me anymore to think of these creative ideas of how a post should look or how an ad should look or what’s going to appeal to the audiences.”

Irwin said creativity is already being affected, but she does not reject AI entirely.

“I think AI can be used as a tool,” Irwin said. “AI is a great tool to figure out, like, ‘Hey, what’s going on in the world right now?’ You plug it in, and they will give you like 20 different articles, so I think absolutely we should use AI, but not abuse it.”

Beyond creativity, Irwin sees AI as a useful resource. She said its growing presence online has made it harder to separate fact from fabrication.

“We already have the mindset, as sad as it is, we already have

the mindset of we kind of all just believe what we see on the internet,” Irwin said. “Now, when fake stuff actually is going on, we don’t really know the difference because we’ve never been in a world where there is a bunch of AI.”

As concerns about misinformation grow, so does the future of AI’s capabilities. The technology can reduce production costs, generate campaigns that are engaging to the audience and analyze consumer data that makes it easy for you to access. Still, students alike say creativity and human judgment are important when having a successful career.

Irwin is a district manager with College Works Painting, and with that experience, she feels secure that AI won’t take over her job.

“I’m not worried about my job,” Irwin said. “If I did not have real-world hands-on experience, though, absolutely, I’d be worried about my job.”

She said that in-person skills cannot easily be automated.

“A robot can’t go door to door, a robot can’t hire painters to paint a house,” Irwin said. “A robot can’t go and paint a house.”

From her own experience, Irwin offers her advice to other students pursuing a marketing degree. Irwin said that hands-on work, internships and leadership opportunities can provide skills that artificial intelligence cannot easily replicate.

“Do not rely on your marketing degree,” Irwin said. “Get some real-world experience and not just sit in a classroom for 4 years.”

As AI continues to evolve, its role in media and advertising is likely to be identified. For students who are entering any career or field, the challenge may not be competing against AI, but learning to work with it as a tool. Balance the future of technology with human creativity.

“AI will only evolve. It’s just going to happen. It’s just inevitable.” Irwin said.

“I’ve done engineering-related things pretty much my entire life,” McKeever said. “I founded the robotics club at my first high school, and I was also on the robotics team at my second high school. So I knew engineering was something I always wanted to do.”

In May 2024, McKeever founded McKeever Horizon, a nonprofit security company focused on engineering-based safety solutions.

“I started the company in May of 2024, and something I’m really passionate about is helping out the community,” McKeever said. “So I wanted to figure out a way to help out the community, but from an engineering side.”

Her work centers on supporting vulnerable populations, focusing on the safety of children.

“What is the most vulnerable group of people in our community? And I felt like it was children,” McKeever said. “So what are some things that are happening with children that we can fix through engineering? I’m currently developing through my company security solutions that work with first responders and schools to minimize the downtime of securing a scene during school shootings.

“That’s kind of what I’m doing with my company, and how I tie engineering back into my passion for helping out the community.”

The development of the company bloomed in an unexpected way.

“I was at my summer internship, and I got really bored one day, and I started doing research, and that’s kind of where it came out of,” McKeever said. “And now it’s grown to multiple employees, a research lab at OSU, and it just keeps growing as the years go.”

She aims to expand her company in the future, with hopes to be fully supported financially, though its mission remains nonprofit.

“I hope for it to grow to a point where I can live off of the company, make enough money to support my living,” she said. “But it’s a nonprofit at the end of the day. I don’t care about the money. It’s about helping out the community.”

Nonprofit focus was influenced by her father’s work and her passion for serving the community.

“It wasn’t my original goal, but my dad always did nonprofit work growing up,” McKeever said. “He was the CFO of Habitat for Humanity when I was little, so I got to meet people through the nonprofit work they did, so I think nonprofit is something I’m really passionate about.”

By 2027, she hopes to see McKeever Horizon products implemented in schools.

“At the end of 2027, hopefully we have products rolled out within schools, but we’re still

Lifestyle

currently testing everything right now.”

Beyond her company, McKeever advocates for women in engineering. She serves on the board for the Society of Women Engineers and encourages young women who want to enter the field.

“Honestly, support for me is advocating for women in engineering,” McKeever said. “I am on the Society of Women Engineers board, so reaching out to the Society of Women Engineers, that’s how people can support me. Just getting the word out that engineering is a thing that young women can do.”

She hopes to continue working with her company while collaborating with government agencies in the future.

“I see myself in the future working with my company, but also working with government agencies, trying to figure out how I can help out the community,” McKeever said. “Being a part of something that’s bigger than me.”

Her broader goal is to make engineering spaces more accessible and welcoming to women.

“I want women to feel more confident speaking out about their ideas and their struggles,”

she said. “I went to a women in engineering conference over the weekend, and what I saw was a lot of well-spoken women, but you don’t see them in the workplace or in your classes.”

“So if we start young and get women more interested in engineering, by the time they’re in college, they’ll speak up for themselves.”

Storytelling through film and creativity

While McKeever advocates and engineers systems to provide protection to her communities, Purrell creates art designed to

represent, liberate and enlighten his.

Toni Purrell, a senior film major at OSU, is a filmmaker, photographer, model and all around creative, but finds his deepest connection in film.

“I was born and raised in Chicago, and then I moved to Broken Arrow when I was 10 years old, and that’s where I’ve been ever since,” Purrell said.

He sees Black creativity as vital to both culture and community.

“I believe that Black creativity is kind of the key to a lot of what makes the world go around, not only in the broader sense, but also in the sense of the community,” Purrell said. “I think Black creatives are what single-handedly carried the community through generations of trauma and revelation and stuff like that.”

When it comes to pushing for Black progress, Purrell finds his home in art.

“So that’s the spirit that I have latched onto,” Purrell said. “Of course, there’s also other ways in which Black excellence has been our liberation, but at the same time, creativity is where I find my calling is.”

“I’ve done the big three (filmmaking, photography and modeling),” Purrell said. “I don’t think there’s really any bounds to what I like to do with creativity… But my passion lies in film.”

He pointed to his involvement with OSU’s Modmuze Magazine as a major highlight.

“My consistent involvement with Modmuze Magazine was a highlight, something that I was in for the past couple of years,” he said.

Chauncie Sumner-Ball, a junior at OSU, has modeled in Purrell’s photography for ModMuze. Her experience has been nothing but positive.

“Toni is a very encouraging photographer.” Sumner-Ball said.

“ He helps with poses and give good feedback “ She admires Purrell’s craftsmanship and creative vision.

His editing skills are immaculate and does so good at setting the tone for his photos.

Although he is involved in many works, his current film project stands as his proudest work.

“But I’d say my most proud work is something I’m working on currently,” Purrell said. “The film that I plan to have done by the middle of March, ‘On the Edge of Greatness,’ is something that I feel is a cumulative effort of a lot of different parts and pieces that I’ve learned about filmmaking being put into this actualization that I’m very proud of.”

To Purrell, working on the project feels like second nature.

“I’m extremely excited to keep working on it. When I’m working on this project, I feel like I’m not working at all. I feel right at home with what I’m doing.”

Purrell emphasizes patience in his creative process.

“My process for creating, I really don’t like to do a lot of rushing,” he said. “I think the more time I have to think about something, the more time I have to sit and let something fester, make edits to it, and reflect upon it, then the better output I have.”

For Purrell, world-building is central to expression.

“I create for the world-building aspect of it,” Purrell said. “Every time I create something, I want a world to exist in the back of my head ,.. even if I don’t return back to it or even if I want to… there’s always a world that still lingers in my mind.”

He credits campus support, including the Filmmaker’s Association, for helping him grow.

“I feel a tremendous amount of support from a newfound

organization on campus, the Filmmaker’s Association,” Purrell said. “I’ve been able to have some pretty good experiences… getting onto sets, finding people and making connections in Oklahoma. I think Tulsa is one of the most up-and-coming film centers in America right now.”

After graduation, Purrell plans to continue creating and expanding his portfolio, ultimately to become a cinematographer.

“I’m excited to continue to grow my starter portfolio… That’s what I plan to do… I want to become a cinematographer,” Purrell said.

When it comes to art, he believes creative freedom is essential.

“We gotta step away from feeling like we’re failures, or that we look goofy,” Purrell said. “I feel like in the creative spaces, or Black spaces we are so monitored or so concerned with what’s gonna be popular… I think that holds us back. My new project, On The Edge of Greatness, is about that thought pattern… I think that needs to be revealed and discussed more… for us to really reach a place where we’re comfortable as Black creatives in any field, on any campus, especially this one.”

The initiative, artistry and determination of these two OSU students prove that Black History Month is not solely a time to appreciate the groundbreakers of the past. At OSU, Black History Month serves as a reminder to continually support, uplift and acknowledge the current and future changemakers dedicated to pursuing their passions.

The next generation of leaders can already be found in classrooms, labs and art studios across campus, hard at work.

Lifestyle

Baby Keem returns with ‘Ca$ino’

Chance Marick PHOTO EDITOR

Baby Keem, Hykeem Carter, is back with his second studio album after a five-year hiatus, and it’s a return well worth the wait.

The sound of a slot machine cranking opens “Ca$ino,” and from the first note, it’s clear: this isn’t just another rap album. It’s a high-stakes journey through wealth, trauma and survival. The Grammy-winning artist taps into his bag of uncut emotions with raw feelings. Each track is a roll of the dice, a calculated risk, some hits, some near misses but unapologetic. Baby Keem didn’t wait this long to not think before he drops. This isn’t just an album; it’s the emotional roulette, staking it all on past, present and future.

“No Security” - The opening 1:58 cut dives into his complex feelings toward his mother and other family members. With lines like “My mama look at me just like she goin’ to the bank,” and “Uncle Andre just passed, I can’t help but bear blame / Wish I got him help when the resources came.” He wrestles with guilt and resentment — feeling like his success has turned him into the family’s financial safety net, whether he wants that responsibility or not. As an opener, it strips away the glamour typically associated with wealth and fame, replacing it with pressure and grief, setting the emotional stakes for everything that follows. It closes with the sound of a slot machine winding down, signaling the emotional stakes of the album’s opening.

“Ca$ino” - This number opens with the sound of a slot machine hitting the jackpot symbolizing that song two is the jackpot of the album. The second longest song on the album comes with Keem’s more notable up-tempo sound and fast-paced approach to hip-hop. The track addresses the rapper’s personal struggles; the casino isn’t just winning money. It’s risk. It’s luck. It’s winning or losing people.

Lines like “Raised by the wolves, I grew up Ca$ino,” and “I’ll even cut my family off in this new life I’m livin’,” highlight his emotional isolation, framing success as both escape and gamble, a risk he’s willing to take even if it costs him relationships.

“Birds & the Bees” - This bouncy song is a weekly to-do list of Keem talking to a romantic partner with Saturday being the day that they are “practicin’ the birds and the bees.” Playful intimacy mixes with the pressures of fame, suggesting even romance can feel transactional. The first postrelease visual for the album, the music video amplifies the toxicity and excess where Katseye singer, Lara Raj, and Keem have a toxic relationship that unravels with jabs from both, a private jet escape, and a bankdraining robbery. The video showcases the theme of the album as he travels through Las Vegas to get his money back.

“Good Flirts” (featuring Kendrick Lamar & Momo Boyd) - Cousins Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar reunite for a smooth, R&B-leaning record that trades aggression for vulnerability. The song marks the first feature for soft-rock artist, Momo Boyd, who is a part of the group Infinity Song. In this record, Lamar steps into a softer, almost jolly emotional space,

a contrast to his typically calculated intensity, which complements Keem’s more youthful energy. This catchy song has a good hook and all three artists work together to make one of the stronger hitlike songs on the album.

“House Money” - The duo continues their collaboration with a hardcore rap song that can catch the listener off guard because of the past two songs. This track is hype and has a swagger that sets itself apart from others on this album. The rapper also spends time addressing his relationship with his mom during his childhood, “I’m holdin’ resentment, my mama so petty, she left me in back of the stash house.” By burying painful childhood memories under flex-heavy bars, he masks unresolved trauma with bravado, a recurring defense mechanism throughout the album.

“I am not a Lyricist” - Keem’s solo moment in the middle of the album forces the spotlight squarely onto his pen. Ironically, in rejecting the label of “lyricist,” he delivers one of the sharpest and most vulnerable performances of his career. Lines like “Drugs in my baby stroller, needles in the playground sand,” pull listeners into a childhood defined by instability and survival, reinforcing how deeply his environment shaped him. When he declares, “I am not a lyricist, I am just a bastard child, here to experiment,” and “I am not here to play off words, truly here for my voice to be heard,” he confronts himself chasing honesty over perfection. The record feels less like a flex

and more like a confession, sharpening the album’s larger meditation on identity, pressure and self-definition.

“$ex Appeal” (featuring Too $hort) - This song pairs two Southern California-born voices across generations as Keem and Too $hort trade bars about attraction, excess and the seductive pull of nightlife culture.

“Highway 95 Pt. 2” - The eighth song revisits a road he once traveled in his youth, turning a stretch of pavement into a route through memory. If this becomes a recurring series, similar to Kendrick Lamar’s reflective “The Heart” installments, it could serve as one of Keem’s most personal traditions. Where the original “Highway 95” focused on tension with his mother and instability at home, part two leans further into self-doubt and emotional isolation. In the second verse, the rapper confesses, “Momma at the door about three in the mornin’ / I wake up as a burden, I’m the kid that no one wanted / Abusers all around me, I’m lookin’ at ‘em sideways.” The picture is rough and unsettling, revealing a childhood shaped by rejection and fear. These lines are difficult to sit with, yet they make his present-day confidence feel earned rather than inherited.

“Circus Circus Free$tyle”

- The longest song on the album is a three-part freestyle, a three-part freestyle that embodies the unpredictability of the casino itself. While many of his freestyles lean heavily into money and women, this one layers lavish living with flashes of vulnerability. Part one

surges with nearly twenty uninterrupted bars of flexheavy imagery, presenting him as untouchable. Part two doubles down on that invincibility, shifting the focus toward romantic relations and ego. But part three subtly cracks that armor. Lines like “Uncle sold my Xbox just to buy some crack,” reintroduce the instability of his upbringing, while “I almost died when I took the vaccine / I was gone for two years, down bad, reflecting,” addresses both absence and survival. The constant beat switches and vocal inflections feel intentional, like Keem cycling through different versions of himself. It’s hype, confident and theatrical, but beneath the spectacle lies a reminder that even the loudest flexes are built on fragile foundations.

“Dramatic Girl” (featuring Che Ecru) - This song arrives as the album’s most unexpected detour. Sonically lighter and more melodic than anything surrounding it, the track feels almost weightless, like sunlight breaking through an otherwise tense atmosphere. The dream-like hook and production feel like the breezy romanticism of artists like Steve Lacy, with Keem drifting into softer territory as he searches for an emotional partner. Lyrically, he pleads for a love that understands him, insisting there’s “more than one way you should love me,” and urges the “dramatic girl,” to lean into her emotions rather than suppress them. Yet despite its charm, the song feels somewhat detached from the album’s central tension. On a project

built around risk, trauma, and calculated bravado, “Dramatic Girl” serves more as an intermission than a necessity.

“No Blame” - This track closes “Ca$ino” by peeling back the layers of the rapper’s fragile relationship with his late mother. From the opening line, “I don’t blame you, mama,” through sayings like “How could I blame you, mama?” and “I could never shame you, mama,” to the final, reaffirming “I still don’t blame you, mama,” the song tracks the complexity of grief, love and unresolved trauma. Keem reflects on the pain of losing his mother and the emotional weight of Mother’s Day, confessing that he sometimes runs away from the holiday because he doesn’t feel loved but still refuses to direct blame at his mother. In doing so, the song ends the album on a note of closure and emotional honesty. At just under 37 minutes, “Ca$ino” is a concise but revealing sophomore project. While it lacks the “playlistready” hits of “The Melodic Blue,” it offers deep insight into Baby Keem as a person rather than just a rapper. Fans expecting fast cars, flashy women, and loaded bank accouats might be surprised; instead, they encounter an album about introspection, risk and self-evaluation. It’s a gamble, but one that pays off in emotional resonance.

Rating: 8.8/10

For listeners seeking depth and honesty in modern hip-hop, “Ca$ino” delivers. Those looking for pure bangers might need to adjust expectations.

US battles injuries, makes history at Winter Olympics

Marcus Mesis STAFF REPORTER

The 2026 Winter Olympics have concluded and The United States managed to get 33 medals, including 12 gold medals.

The games took place in Italy and featured more than 90 countries competing in the games. The U.S. had the second-most total and gold medals with Norway having the most medals at 43.

The Olympics had many story lines from athletes and teams for the USA. Athletes such as Alysa Liu, Lindsey Vonn and Chloe Kim each had stories surrounding them. The men’s and women’s hockey teams had both dominated the news cycle.

Injuries are a constant in sports of all nature and athletes compete with major injures all of the time. Vonn has been no stranger to injuries in her time as a professional skier with multiple times injuring her ACL on three separate occasions.

In a warm up race, Vonn tore her ACL as well as suffering a bone bruise. In an Instagram post, Vonn said that it was devastating news to get before the Olympics but still plans on competing in the races.

“After extensive consultations with doctors, intense therapy, physical tests as well as skiing today, I have determined I am capable of competing in the Olympic Downhill on Sunday (Feb. 8),” Vonn said. “Of course I will still need to do one training run, as is required to race on Sunday, but… I am confident in my body’s ability to perform.”

Thirteen seconds into her race, Vonn would crash after clipping a slalom gate while being in the air. In the crash, Vonn suffered a broken left leg and also broke her right ankle. The injuries caused more issues that nearly resulted in her leg being amputated to save her life.

“Compartment syndrome is when you have so much trauma to one area of your body, that there’s too much blood, and it gets stuck, and it basically crushes everything in the compartment,” Vonn said. “All the muscle and nerves and tendons, it all kind of dies. And Dr. Tom Hackett saved my leg. He saved my leg from being amputated.”

Vonn, now 41, would be 45 at the next winter Olympics if she plans on competing after her long recovery process.

Vonn was not the only athlete who the U.S. had competing injured. In a pre-Olympic competition snowboarder Chloe Kim took what she described as a “silly fall” and that caused her to dislocate her shoulder. Kim still chose to compete with the injury but had to wear a shoulder brace throughout the competition.

Kim did not get surgery before the Olympics so she had to find ways to deal with the injury.

“You just have to keep putting it back in and I didn’t have time to get surgery, which is the only way to repair it,” Kim said Despite the injury, Kim was able

to take first place in the qualifying halfpipe runs. This would set her up to possibly be the first female snowboarder to win gold in three straight Olympics. She would come just short of this goal, taking silver to South Korean Choi Ga-on.

“I think that there was a lot of conversation happening about the three-peat,” Kim told AP. “I was thinking about it before, but I think the minute I injured myself, I was like, that doesn’t matter anymore. So this feels like a win to me because a month ago it didn’t seem too possible.”

Injuries were the only reason that athletes made the headlines while competing. Figure skater Liu made the news after winning gold after unretiring from figure skating.

Liu retired after the 2022 Beijing Olympics where she finished seventh place. She had won multiple national championships, a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championship and was the youngest athlete to compete for U.S. figure skating champion. She also was the first woman to land a quadruple jump.

Liu retired to be able live a mostly normal life after having been a figure skater for most of her life.

“I started skating when I was 5 so that’s about 11 years on the ice and it’s been an insane 11 years,” Liu said in a now-deleted Instagram post. “I honestly never thought I would’ve accomplished as much as I did LMAOO iIm so happy. I feel so satisfied with how my skating career has gone.”

Liu in her return to figure skating wanted to do things her was and have more control over what was happening. She has more control over her routine, practice amounts and what she eats now.

“Protecting my identity is my main goal,” Liu said. “I know exactly what it’s like to not have that. My experience with it before has taught me how I should guard myself. I don’t go online that much. I hang out with my friends and family as much as possible. Being grounded is really what keeps me. I love exploring other hobbies, doing side-quests and what not. It keeps me curious and I’m protecting that.”

For the first time since 2014, NHL players were allowed to play for the national teams in hockey.

In 2014, Canada had won the gold medal and had become the first team to defend an Olympic title since 1988 and the first to remain unbeaten in the tournament since 1984.

With NHL players present the U.S. men’s team would end up taking gold with the golden goal being scored by Jack Hughes in overtime.

The men’s team wasn’t the only hockey team to take home a gold medal for the USA. The women’s team went on a dominant run at the Olympics. The women recorded five straight shutouts and only allowed two goals throughout the tournament. The team would win gold against Canada in overtime off a goal scored by Megan Keller.

Pack‑A‑Critter draws long lines, lightens midterm stress

Bryson Thadhani CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Students packed the Student Union Ballroom on Wednesday evening for Pack-A- Critter: Bear Edition, lining up early to build their own stuffed animals before supplies ran out.

Hosted by the Student Union Activities Board, the 5 p.m. event invited students to choose, stuff and take home a critter, complete with tongue‑in‑cheek “birth certificates” for their new companions.

Pack-A- Critter is held almost every two semesters, but this edition stood out to host James Stevenson because it offered more options and more bears than usual. Looking over the crowd, he said he hadn’t expected the line to stretch as far as it did and believes the turnout shows the event could run every semester.

For some students, the promise of a free, customizable bear was enough to leave class early. Senior Jesus Ramirez said he heard from his girlfriend that SUAB would be giving away bears and decided to come. He arrived about 4:20 p.m. to beat the rush, only to find the line already long and said he hadn’t expected to see that many people waiting. Ramirez planned to pick out a shirt, stuff his bear, add a heart and fill out a birth certificate before giving the bear a name and jokingly calling it their “imaginary child.”

Freshmen used the event as both a first-year outing and an easy way to plug into campus life. Freshman Kate Myers said she and her roommate decided to come after seeing a sign for Pack-A- Critter earlier in the week and were surprised by how long the line was when they arrived about 5 p.m. She admitted she came mostly because she thought the bears were cute and hadn’t realized she could add designs or name her bear. Fellow freshman Brinkley Niles said the long line gave her “high hopes” for the experience and joked that she might give her bear an inanimate - object name just because it would be funny.

Friends also used the event as a way to unwind together before midterms. Stacy Dawson said she came because “the teddy bears were really cute” and heard about the event through Instagram, where SUAB had promoted Pack-A- Critter. She picked a “funky” - looking bear she called “the special one” and planned to keep him in her dorm, saying the long line showed students needed something to lighten the mood. Her friend Anya Mustonen, who learned about the event from Dawson, said making a bear in college “is fun forever” and that events like Pack-A- Critter help with stress because they give students something playful to look forward to. Other students found the event through campus channels and appreciated both the organization and the price point. Katelyn Gainey, who works at Lasso, said she first heard about the event from promotional spots playing on the TVs at work and thought it would make a “cute little bonding experience” with friends. She said the lines were well organized and easy to move through and that having a small, squeezable stuffed animal helps with stress as midterms approach. Gainey added that the fact the bears were free to students who might not otherwise spend money on a stuffed animal and said the T‑shirt and patch options made the event more appealing because they allowed everyone to accessorize and customize their critter.

For Stevenson, that mix of free gifts, personalization and simple fun is the point. As students filtered through tables of bears, shirts, patches and stuffing, he said his favorite part of Pack-A- Critter is watching students leave their dorms, smile, meet new people and walk away with something they built themselves. He said the crowd in the ballroom showed that, in the middle of the semester, sometimes all students need is a free stuffed bear and a chance to feel like kids again for an hour.

Lifestyle

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Becoming Miss America is only part of Poole’s larger mission. Poole said she hopes to use her Miss OSU Community Service Initiative platform and her fashion industry knowledge to actively challenge fast fashion culture and inspire college students to purchase less fashion.

“I think it resonates a lot with college students because we always have a new event and you need to buy a new outfit,” Poole said. “You’re always scrolling on TikTok Shop, Temu, Shein and all the things that feed into over consumption. So spreading awareness of donation centers and thrift stores and not buying when we don’t have to buy.” Poole said this is only the beginning for her platform to fight fast fashion. Poole hopes to use her time in the Miss America program to continue influencing college students to think

about their disposable purchases, she said.

“I’m sure campus will hear a lot more about my community service initiative, but really just think before you buy and think if you really need something,” Poole said. “You don’t always have to buy something new.”

For Miss OSU Co-Director Amanda Kemme, the competition is more than just a pageant, it’s rooted in transformation and connection.

“It’s helping girls grow in a lot of different areas, such as confidence, and just growing their personalities,” Kemme said. “We’re connecting girls who would probably never meet one another if it wasn’t for this competition.”

Immediately after her Miss OSU win, Poole is already planning her steps to becoming Miss Oklahoma and Miss America.

“We’re already starting to plan things and getting paperwork turned in for Miss Oklahoma,” Poole said. “I’m super excited about the whole thing; the pageant community just seems so great.

I REMEMBERED THE LORD!

“When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.” (Jonah 2:7NIV)

This was one of the most hopeless situations found in the Bible. Jonah had been running from God. He had boarded a ship and a great storm came up on the sea. He admitted to the sailors that he was fleeing from God and he was the cause of the storm. The crew threw him overboard, and he had been swallowed by a large fish. What a mess! What a hopeless mess caused by his own disobedience. Maybe you can relate to Jonah?

Another translation reads; “When my heart fainted within me, I remembered the Lord.” There seem to be no way out. He was completely helpless, and he had caused the whole thing. When all hope was gone; when my heart was fainting; when my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord.

Listen to me! God is ruler over hopeless situations. He is ruler over our self made problems. He is God no matter what the situation. I want you to remember the Lord. No matter how terrible your sins, the magnitude of your failure or the greatness of your difficulty, God is bigger. There is hope,for the hopeless, in Him.

“...the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.”(2:10) Everything turned around for Jonah when he remembered God, humbled himself and began praying. God has put these true stories in the Bible to encourage us all and give us hope. He wants us to come to him; admit our hopeless condition and call on him for help. Be serious about it, and look to the Lord. This is the time of his grace; his unmerited favor. Christ gave his life for the ungodly, the weak, the needy. So reach out to him, call on him and hold on to the Lord. See what he will do!

I’m really looking forward to everything working on campus, events, traveling around and going to different pageants.”

Similar to Poole, Miss Oklahoma and OSU alumna Tessa Dorell didn’t grow up in the world of crowns and high heels. After competing in Miss OSU her junior year, Dorell went on to win Miss Oklahoma in 2025.

“With Miss OSU being my first pageant, I had all these expectations of what I wanted to come out of it,” Dorrell said. “All I’ve told the girls today is that it truly was my Disney World because I never thought I’d have this opportunity. So the whole day of Miss OSU, I cried. I loved it. This is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

In addition to her pageant preparation, Poole also plans to continue her studies in Fashion Design at OSU.

“I’m also still learning and there’s so many roles in the fashion industry, so that could change by the time I graduate,” Poole said. “I have two more years left and a lot left to learn, but I’m really excited.”

The impact of Miss OSU can be seen across all professions. Miss OSU 2023 and current Oklahoma City Thunder Girl Tatum Shelton believes that Miss OSU was the best preparation she could get for the real world.

“Miss OSU helped me get my job that I currently have today with the interview skills that I learned being Miss OSU,” Shelton said. “We talk to a lot of fans every single day, so I think that being Miss OSU and getting to grow my conversation skills has really helped me become a Thunder Girl.”

For Shelton, Miss OSU was not just a year-long commitment, it’s a lifelong title she carries.

When asked for her advice for any girls who want to follow in her footsteps, Poole offered her words of wisdom for girls who might not think they are pageant material.

“Step out of your comfort zone and try new things,” Poole said. “I never thought that I would have competed in a pageant, much less Miss OSU, so don’t be scared to do it.”

news.ed@ocolly.com

Cowboy country polar plunge

Friday, February 27, 2026

Then vs Now

How OSU wrestling evolved heading into postseason

Weston Wertzberger STAFF REPORTER

At the start of the season, Oklahoma State wrestling knew it was talented — but how everything would fit together remained uncertain.

That uncertainty surfaced early at the National Duals Invitational, when the Cowboys were tested against elite competition with

one of the youngest lineups in the country.

“I think that tournament as a whole, we stepped in there with a young team and maybe we didn’t really know what this season was going to look like,” OSU coach David Taylor said to the media last week. “You really had one returning starter; the lineup looked very different. Guys were getting tested for the very first time. But

they’ve all rebounded well, we’ve continued to make progress, and I think our team is definitely better now.”

That growth has been evident not only in results but also in how the Cowboys’ lineup has evolved over the course of the season. What began as experimentation has turned into stability as March approaches.

See EVOLVED on page 2B

Cowgirls seek sweep over Kansas at GIA

Gallagher-Iba Arena was nearly empty the last time Oklahoma State defeated Kansas in Stillwater.

Coaches and referees were in masks, the benches extended behind the baseline and cardboard cutouts filled the stands.

That was the scene inside GIA on Feb. 2, 2021, when the Cowgirls defeated the Jayhawks 82-55.

On Saturday, OSU has the opportunity to defeat KU for the first time in the post-COVID 19 era, when it hosts the Jayhawks at 5 p.m. in its season finale.

The five-year drought has not come without its opportunity for the Cowgirls. They have suffered three straight losses to the Jayhawks at home, including a 75-66 defeat last season, the lone blemish OSU had on its way to a 17-1 record on the white maple.

This season, the Cowgirls have already notched a win over the Jayhawks, when they defeated KU 85-76 in Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 14.

In that contest, OSU continued its trend of a balanced scoring attack, with four players scoring double-digits.

See KANSAS on page 6B

Confidence fuels Vega in 15-0 breakout season

Weston Wertzberger STAFF REPORTER

Early in the season, Sergio Vega was still learning what it meant to wrestle at Oklahoma State.

Now, he expects to dominate.

“I just expect to go out there and dominate now,” Vega said to the media last week. “At National Duals, I was kind of okay with winning close matches, just getting it done. But now I expect to go and whoop dudes.”

That shift in mindset has mirrored Vega’s rapid rise through the college wrestling ranks.

After opening the season unranked by InterMat, the freshman has surged to No. 2 at 141 pounds, putting together an undefeated campaign that has quickly made him one of the Cowboys’ most reliable pieces. Vega enters the postseason with a 15–0 record, including eight wins against ranked opponents.

He has earned bonus points in eight of those victories, collecting three falls, three major decisions and two technical falls, while still yet to allow a takedown in his collegiate career.

On Sunday, Vega added another exclamation point to his season, pinning Iowa’s Kale Petersen at 6:31.

The results, however, didn’t come without adjustment.

When Vega arrived in Stillwater, confidence wasn’t always automatic. Despite a decorated high school résumé that included four state championships in Arizona and a 140–2 career record, the transition to college wrestling required a recalibration — both physically and mentally.

“We’re all just brothers, so it’s like we’re all super close,” Vega said. “When I first got here, I didn’t really have the same mentality as Landon (Robideau) or Dee (Lockett) because I was kind of doing good. But now I expect it.

“Just adopting their mentality and

knowing that I’m one of the guys. It’s just being with them all the time, seeing them do good is helping me a lot.”

That shared mentality became especially important early in the season, when Vega was adjusting to the grind of college practices and consistently facing bigger bodies in the room.

“When I first got here, I had a weird style, so I was having trouble. I was getting beat up by bigger guys, and I’m pretty big,” Vega said. “I was going with a lot of bigger guys and getting thumped in the room. I realized I could take it one way, negatively or positively, and I’ve just been a lot more positive with everything, being grateful to compete.”

That reframing proved pivotal.

Rather than viewing early struggles as setbacks, Vega leaned into gratitude, a concept that reshaped how he approached both practice and competition.

“I saw a TikTok video (about being grateful) and I realized maybe sometimes I wasn’t being as grateful as I should be,” Vega said. “Just staying humble and not seeing anybody like taking them too lightly or anything. Just grateful to compete every time I get.”

As the season progressed, the wins followed — and so did belief.

That belief has translated directly onto the mat. Vega’s progression from winning close decisions early in the season to piling up bonus points has helped swing momentum in duals and stabilize OSU’s lineup through the heart of the order.

“I thought I could win a national title; I always think that,” Vega said. “It’s every kid’s dream, but now I believe I can. And I feel like at first I wasn’t as confident, but now I’m confident that I could win nationals.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Perhaps no weight class reflects that evolution more clearly than 133 pounds.

OSU opened the season with redshirt senior Richard Figueroa as its starter, leaning on experience as the lineup settled in. After two duals, freshman Ronnie Ramirez was inserted, signaling early flexibility as the staff searched for the right fit. Figueroa would go on to wrestle four total duals, finishing 1–3. By January, the position changed again.

Freshman Jax Forrest arrived early from high school and quickly seized the role, becoming the Cowboys’ starter in all but one dual since. Now, Forrest will represent OSU at 133 pounds in the postseason.

“For Jax, it’s been a crash course,” Taylor said after Sunday’s dual against Iowa. “It’s just him believing in what he wants to do. He’s got a lot of skills, and he’s learning how to kind of put them all together… He’s just learning how to navigate things, how to have that balance of calmness and a little bit of chaos. That’s what makes him unique.”

The changes at 133 were part of a broader recalibration that began early in the year and has since paid off.

The Cowboys opened the season ranked No. 5 in the NWCA Coaches Poll and remained there for much of the year before recently jumping to No. 3. Individually, the contrast from preseason expectations to now is even more striking.

Entering the season, OSU had just five wrestlers ranked inside the InterMat top 10. Several experienced starters — including Cael Hughes, Tagen Jamison and Teague Travis — never appeared in a dual this season, with Travis transferring midyear to Missouri. Now, all 10 starters are ranked inside the top 10.

The rise has been fueled by breakout performances across the lineup, including Sergio Vega’s surge from unranked to No. 2 at 141 pounds, Landon Robideau’s

“We have a lot of ways to go to get (to nationals) and that’s what we’re working towards. This is all just a step in the process, but our goal is th be the best program in the country. We just have to keep working on that.”

DAVID TAYLOR OSU WRESTLING COACH

emergence at 157 and LaDarion Lockett establishing himself among the nation’s best at 165.

With the Big 12 Wrestling Championships one week away in Tulsa, OSU’s progress now turns toward postseason expectations.

While official seedings have yet to be released, the Cowboys are positioned to send all 10 starters into the conference tournament with aspirations of qualifying for the NCAA Championships, reflecting the lineup’s solidification throughout the season.

“I think every day is a measuring stick,” Taylor said. “We really just kind of focus on being a little bit better each day. That’s the focus... I just think this group is a very light group. They joke around. They’re pretty calm and they’re confident and we just got to keep focus on getting better.

“We have a lot of ways to go to get (to nationals) and that’s what we’re working towards. This is all just a step in the process, but our goal is to be the best program in the country. We just have to keep working on that.”

Cowboys relying on offense, pitching staff still adjusting

Cayden Cox STAFF REPORTER

Josh Holliday has needed to adjust when it comes to his pitching staff this season, but there is one thing he hasn’t had to worry about.

His offense.

In Oklahoma State’s first eight games, the Cowboys had just one quality start, and only twice has a starter pitched five innings.

In addition to the starters not pitching deep into games, the Cowboys have used a pair of bullpen games. In OSU’s game against Central Arkansas on Tuesday, it used five pitchers in seven innings. Five pitchers also toed the rubber in the series opener against Grand Canyon on Feb. 19.

While Holliday has rotated through arms, the middle of his order has remained steady.

Aside from the season opener, the Cowboys have had the same three, four and five hitters — Kollin Ritchie, Aidan Meola and Collin Brueggemann.

With Ritchie, Meola and Brueggemann in the middle of the lineup, the Cowboys have exploded offensively. The trio has combined for 12 home runs and 39 RBIs, as OSU has run-ruled its opponent in three of its five wins.

Ritchie has slugged six of those homers and is tied for the NCAA lead. While the center fielder is getting the ball over the fence, the guys hitting in front of him have reached base consistently, allowing him to record 19 RBIs. Four of his homers have been multi-RBI, and OSU’s leadoff and two-hole hitters have an on-base percentage of .448, filling the bases ahead of Ritchie’s dangerous bat.

“Getting on base is key,” Holliday said. “The guys in front of Kollin have done a good job at doing that. Brock Thompson’s been a very steady onbase guy. When you can get guys on base for Kollin, he’s tough to pitch to.” Behind Ritchie is Meola, and his bat is hotter than anyone in the country.

The fifth-year has hit a homer in his last five games and serves as a power bat that protects Ritchie.

With a veteran behind him, Ritchie has taken a more patient approach at the plate, drawing four walks and trusting the bat behind him.

“Aiden is protecting him,” Holliday said. “If you pitch around Kollin, there’s a very skilled, experienced, dangerous hitter behind him.”

While Ritchie and Meola have been the leaders for the Cowboy offense, they have also had a balanced attack from freshmen.

The Cowboys have started six freshmen this season. Both Sebastian Norman and Terrance Bowen have been mainstays in OSU’s lineup.

Norman has started in six games and joins Ritchie and Meola with an OPS over 1.000. He is hitting .348 and his speed has been a threat, as he’s hit three doubles and stolen two bases.

Like Norman, Bowen has played in six games, starting in five. He is slashing .313/.476/.313 and has taken advantage of an opportunity, with an opening in the lineup after the injury to Avery Ortiz.

With Norman and Bowen making constant appearances in the lineup, the Cowboys are currently leading all Power Four schools with freshman innings, and Holliday said that it is by design.

“We’re playing a lot of young players,” Holliday said. “We chose not to be a roster of 24-year-olds. We chose to be a roster of homegrown players. The young kids are doing a good job, but the veteran leaders are carrying us.”

Averaging 8.5 runs and 9.8 hits, the Cowboys’ offense has picked up the slack from a pitching staff still looking for its footing and looks like a threat as the season progresses.

“We’re really good offensively,” Ritchie said. “We have a lot of good starters, then everyone off the bench is really good. It’s really exciting when we get going.”

How Barrett uniquely dealt with Tommy John

Will Thorogood STAFF REPORTER

When Hudson Barrett first searched YouTube for information about Tommy John surgery, he didn’t find much.

So, he decided to document his own recovery.

As a freshman at UC Santa Barbara in 2023, Barrett was tabbed as an All-American after pitching 61 innings and striking out 82 batters. He finished the season 5-1 with a 1.92 ERA.

In 2024, Barrett looked to pick up where he left off the previous year, but was unable to do so as he suffered a season-ending arm injury six games into the season. Before the injury, Barrett pitched 2 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs.

“It was really tough,” Barrett said. “It was the hardest part of the team aspect. The team looked up to me as this is our guy. If we’re winning, this is our guy we’re putting in, and I wasn’t able to be there for my team.”

One month after the injury, he uploaded a YouTube video that began his road to recovery, from the surgery to the next first pitch.

Barrett said he was motivated to document the recovery from the surgery because it has many negative aspects, and he wanted to show some of the positive aspects.

“When I first found out that I was getting (Tommy John), I looked it up on YouTube, and there wasn’t really anything online,” Barrett said. “... So I thought, ‘What if I just document how I’m feeling, how it actually works?’ I made that channel and then quickly realized you don’t really do much for the first three months. It sort of turned into a vlog, and then it turned into more of a behind-the-scenes of what D1 Baseball really looks like.”

Barrett’s recovery from the surgery created a long timetable for him. He underwent Tommy John reconstruction in March 2024, which took about 13 to 14 months before he returned to the mound.

Barrett spent the first three months in a bionic arm cast with limited arm

movement. After that, he started light throwing in the training room with lightweight plyometric balls up until month seven of the recovery process. Finally, Barrett was able to throw a normal baseball in bullpen sessions.

“Some days you’d think about hanging up the cleats,” Barrett said. “It’ll just bring you down.”

Barrett pitched in three games for UCSB in 2025. He allowed one run, three hits, no walks and struck out five batters.

Barrett then went to the MLB combine after the season finished but was not picked up by any team. A day later, he notified the UCSB coach of his intent to enter the transfer portal and waited a week for the paperwork to be processed.

Once he entered the portal, he received many phone calls.

“One of the first ones was (from OSU pitching coach) Blake Hawksworth,” Barrett said. “He was in the area for area codes in Santa Barbara, and he wanted to go get smoothies. We went, and we clicked right away. He was very awesome, it was one of the main reasons that I committed here.”

Barrett said Hawksworth has impacted his performance on the mound, especially in his first two starts, where he compiled 15 strikeouts and allowed four walks, six runs and eight hits with a 2.53 ERA.

“We have all the tech,” Barrett said. “He understands it and is able to implement that in my bullpens and sessions. Just working on pitch grips and then also mechanics. Another thing that we worked on was the mentality side. I credit my success to my ability to have the best mentality on the field, and he is on that same wavelength.”

As he learned from experience, Barrett offered this advice to anyone in recovery from Tommy John.

“Good luck, that’s what I would tell them,” Barrett said. “It’s brutal, but if you keep having that same mentality every day and limit the days where you’re in the dumps mentally. Keep going, just go set tiny goals.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

‘Dream come true’

rushing touchdowns with 25.

Tests reveal Fallah has torn left ACL

Luke Mazza STAFF REPORTER

Parsa Fallah has been the engine driving Oklahoma State this season.

But unfourtanetly for the Cowboys, they won’t have his services for the remainder of the season.

In OSU’s 91-84 win against West Virginia, Fallah threw down a dunk in overtime and quickly fell to the ground in pain. He left the contest in a wheelchair, and announced on Instagram Wednesday morning that tests revealed he tore the ACL in his left knee.

“When I went down, I wasn’t crying because of the pain,” Fallah posted to Instagram. “I was crying because I knew it might’ve been the last time I played on (the GallagherIba Arena) court... Oklahoma State changed my life. Stillwater changed my life.”

Statistically, Fallah, a transfer from Oregon State, has delivered everything coach Steve Lutz hoped for. He’s the team’s second-leading scorer with 14.8 points and provided consistency in the post.

Fallah ranks tied at 25th nationally in field-goal percentage at 59.8% and scored in single digits only five times.

In an emotional postgame news conference after the win over WVU, Fallah said his senior season in Stillwater has been an unforgettable experience.

“I’m really, really grateful for this year that I had here,” Fallah said. “Oklahoma State was the best year that I had in my college career. And (to) the fans, sorry. I just hope they know how much I really care about them. It was a great experience, so I just wanted to say thank you to everyone.”

The Cowboys (17-11, 5-10) started with a thin frontcourt. Lefteris Mantzoukas left the team due to health concerns and now with Fallah sidelined, two underclassmen will split the workload.

First among those options is sophomore Andrija Vukovic, who has played in 24 games and averages 14 minutes. Vukovic turned in one of his best performances versus the Mountaineers, scoring a season-high 12 points and grabbing five rebounds in just 13 minutes.

“When I went down, I wasn’t crying because of the pain. I was crying because I knew it might’ve been the last time I played on (the Gallagher-Iba Arena) court.”

Vukovic, a Serbian native, said he was grateful for a teammate like Fallah, who helped him navigate uncharted territory.

“It’s tough; nobody deserves it, especially him,” Vukovic said. “He’s such a good leader in this team, on the court and off the court, (he’s) such a good person. I learned a lot on the court and off the court. He helped me a lot, and I wish him a speedy recovery.”

Freshman Benjamin Ahmed will also see more opportunity. Ahmed has played in only 14 games, averaging 2.6 points in under eight minutes per game.

As of Thursday, the Cowboys will travel to face the Cincinnati Bearcats without Fallah for the first time since mid-December and for the first time in Big 12 play. The Cowboys managed two nonconference wins without him, but neither performance inspired confidence.

They edged past Kansas City and Cal State Fullerton in games expected to be lopsided, exposing flaws that later surfaced in league competition.

“We’ll see how it works out with Fallah, but it was an exclamation dunk, and not necessarily landing,” Lutz said. “But I’m sure that Parsa is an unbelievable human being, he’s an unbelievable person, an unbelievable teammate, and good things happen to good people, so I’ve got to believe that something great is going to come out of this for this young guy.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Caleb Hawkins was once just a regular ‘ole Oklahoma State fan.

He paid hard-earned money to get into football games at Boone Pickens Stadium, idolized the great former Cowboy athletes and was rooted in the Bedlam rivalry growing up 58 miles south of Stillwater in Shawnee. Hawkins was even lucky enough to attend the final Bedlam game in November 2023. When OSU defeated Oklahoma 27-24, and all those Cowboys stormed the field, Hawkins couldn’t resist. He too jumped the wall and ran all over the field to celebrate.

“I’ve wanted to go here since I was little,” Hawkins said. “I grew up watching people at Boone Pickens (Stadium). All the greats; all the wonderful people that have (come) out of here.”

Now, Hawkins will get another opportunity to run all over the BPS field. And it will come in the fashion in which he always hoped it would.

After putting up a terrific freshman season at North Texas, Hawkins was one of 17 Mean Green players to follow coach Eric Morris to Stillwater. Hawkins now has the keys to OSU’s backfield and has the chance to be the next great Cowboy running back, a full-circle moment.

“This is my dream school,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins’ journey has been unique. He was overlooked coming out of North Rock Creek High School, holding offers from UNT, Emporia State and Central Oklahoma, but opted to go to Denton without knowing what his role would be.

Then after rushing for only 68 yards in UNT’s first two games last season, Hawkins burst onto the scene and became one of the best true freshmen in college football. He ran for 1,434 yards, averaged 6.2 yards per carry and led the NCAA in

The Mean Green finished 12-2, and Hawkins and new Cowboys quarterback Drew Mestemaker lead an offense that ranked No. 1 in the FBS in scoring. Now they’ll look to continue that magic in Stillwater for a program that badly needs to return to winning form.

“(Hawkins) would just kind of go and get in the end zone somehow,” Mestemaker said. “You would look at the box score at the end of the game, and you’re like, ‘Holy crap. He had 200 yards rushing and three touchdowns.’ He was just consistent the whole time.”

When Hawkins entered the transfer portal, he was one of the top running backs available and could have been highly sought-after on the open market with teams like OU, Texas, Clemson and Florida State searching for tailbacks.

But in the end, Hawkins didn’t open his recruitment, and was set on sticking with the coaches who put him in this position: Morris and former UNT running backs coach Patrick Cobbs, who’s now on staff at OSU.

Cobbs and Hawkins have a tightknit relationship, as Cobbs took a chance on Hawkins early, and their respective stories are similar. Cobbs is also a Shawnee native and was a lightly-recruited prospect who went on to overachieve at UNT.

Hawkins said once Cobbs told him he could join the Cowboys, he thought, “Wow. Dream come true.” Now, they’ll continue their partnership and look to rebuild OSU’s rushing game after two poor seasons.

“I wasn’t too worried about anyone else,” Hawkins said. “... I was set on, in my mind, going with Coach Cobbs and Coach Morris. I loved how they (stuck by me) at UNT, so I knew that was the perfect decision to (stay with them).”

Sports

The Oklahoma State Cowgirl golf team secured the championship at the North Florida Collegiate tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, on Tuesday.

After finishing in the lead on Monday, the Cowgirls remained steady under pressure, as they held onto the lead through the end and four top 10 individual spots at Jacksonville Golf and Country Club.

This is the 107th team tournament title in program history, the second this season and the fifth under coach Annie Young’s leadership.

“The team fought hard in difficult conditions,” Young said. “It was great to see Marta (Silchenko) finish second. There was a lot of good golf that we can build on for the rest of the season.”

Here are three takeaways from the Cowgirls’ spring season so far.

Roster depth stands out

In each tournament this season, multiple Cowgirls have had significant placing, but the UNF Collegiate win proved just how important this team’s depth is to its success.

Four Cowgirls placed in the top 10 this week, and Grace Kilcrease and Lucy Darr each finished tied at 15th and 39th. Three Cowgirls finished in the top 20. The team’s below-average placing at the Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate proves to be an outlier. This pattern ties into how well the team has been playing. This depth will be the key to compete in the postseason.

THURSDAYS IN MARCH

6PM - 9PM

Silchenko’s emergence as difference-maker

Silchenko has made a positive impact as a Cowgirl since her collegiate start as a freshman. She held a top-three spot in the first two rounds of the Puerto Rico Classic and finished tied for 16th, carting 12 birdies.

Silchenko also placed second at 1-over par in her season debut at the UNF Collegiate. Her placement ultimately helped OSU win the championship. Her contribution to the team is prominent. She has consistently risen to the challenge when the stakes are high, as they were this week.

Cowgirls building toward milestone season

With two wins under their belt this season, the Cowgirls are heading in the right direction to reach their goal of earning a photo on the championship wall in Karsten Creek Golf Club. With the team earning their 107th tournament title, they continue to reach additional goals. The team has maintained a strong national presence and ranked third in the Big 12.

The program has 31 NCAA Championship appearances, and between the depth and perseverance, the team is looking to add another. Individually, Ellie Bushnell is nearing 250 career birdies, and is close to becoming the first player since 2024 with 100 career rounds if she reaches the Big 12 Championship.

Meanwhile, KU was led by Jailya Davis and S’mya Nichols, two players Jacie Hoyt praised after the game.

“KU has some of the best talent not just in the conference but in the country,” Hoyt said. “Jailya Davis is a really special talent, and it’s really awesome that she’s in the Big 12, because I know she could be (at) a lot of other places. S’mya (Nichols) is an incredible talent.”

On that night in Lawrence, Davis gave the Cowgirls problems. She scored a career-high 30 points and drew nine fouls, as both Amari Whiting and Achol Akot fouled out.

In her freshman season, Davis has taken the Big 12 by storm. The former five-star recruit is averaging 20.8 points and 6.4 rebounds, while shooting 63% from the field and has tied an all-time power conference record, earning Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors in eight-consecutive weeks.

With Davis on the court, KU is able to confuse opposing defenses. Davis is yet to attempt a 3-pointer this season, but both Nichols and Elle Evans are shooting better than 40% from behind the arc.

“I think KU is so hard to play against because they run a million different sets, and they’re really good at executing them,” Hoyt said. “You go into each game not knowing what you’re going to see because the playbook is so big.”

Like Davis, Nichols also stuffs the stat sheet. The junior guard leads the Jayhawks in assists with 141 on the season and is second to Davis in points, scoring 18 points per game. Nichols is also well-known across the conference for her physical playstyle. In her three years in Lawrence, she has already shattered the KU record for most free-throw makes in a career, and broke the record against the Cowgirls on Jan. 14, drawing eight fouls and making six free throws.

“I’m pretty sure every coach knows that’s probably the biggest part of her game,” Hoyt said. “She’s so physical, she’s so aggressive, you know your team is going to foul because she’s so good at drawing them. You just hope that it’s not more than what you want it to be. She’s automatic when she gets there. Free throws are like layups for her and she’s incredible at getting there.”

While Davis and Nichols are two plays atop the scouting report for Hoyt and Co., there is uncertainty behind them for KU. They are the only two players on KU’s roster that consistently score double-digits, and if the Cowgirls can keep one of them at bay, OSU could be well on its way to a season sweep over the Jayhawks.

The team effort that the Cowgirls played with had a major effect when the two teams met earlier this season, and could again be a factor against KU’s stars.

“We don’t have a Jaliya, we don’t have a S’mya, but we do have a whole squad of really good players,” Hoyt said.

Sorsby, Mestemaker headline Big 12’s 2026 passers

Contracts were broken. Buyouts were negotiated. Lawsuits were filed. Some players stayed put, some sought out new homes.

College football’s quarterback market seems to get more crazy each offseason. But ultimately, it’s what drives each team’s path to a deep postseason run.

Here’s a look at O’Colly-Co-Editorin-Chief Parker Gerl’s way-too-early quarterback rankings for the 2026 season.

Arch Manning, Texas

Manning got off to an underwhelming start through the first three games of the 2025 campaign, but still managed to put together a good season in his first as a starter. He finished with 3,163 passing yards and 32 total touchdowns and guided the Longhorns to a 10-3 season behind an offensive line that allowed him to be sacked 23 times. Manning is also the projected No. 1 overall pick for the 2027 NFL Draft.

Dante Moore, Oregon Moore needs to cut down on his turnovers after throwing 10 interceptions and losing six fumbles. Nonetheless, he’s as talented as any quarterback in the country, and the Ducks will be a top contender in the College Football Playoff because of him. He completed 71.8% of his passes and threw 30 touchdowns in 2025.

Julian Sayin, Ohio State Sayin was a Heisman Trophy finalist and quarterbacked the Buckeyes to a 12-0 regular season before their 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship game and 24-14 loss to Miami in the CFP. He finished top 10 in passing yards (3,610) and touchdowns (32), and nearly reached the NCAA’s pass completion record of 77.4% after completing 77% of his attempts.

Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech

The Red Raiders paid a pretty penny to land Sorsby after he totaled 3,380 yards of offense and 36 touchdowns for a Cincinnati team that overachieved because of his play. He’s a terrific dualthreat playmaker, and TTU believes he will elevate its offense a step above what it accomplished with Beheren Morton.

Sam Leavitt, LSU

Leavitt’s 2025 season with Arizona State was cut short due to a foot injury. But in 2024, he led ASU to a Big 12 Championship after the Sun Devils were picked to finish last in the conference, and nearly completed an upset win against Texas in the CFP. Leavitt has quick feet, can make off-platform throws and is a solid downfield passer. Now he’s looking to take another step under Lane Kiffin in Baton Rouge.

Jayden Maiava, USC

Maiava finished in the top five in the country in passing yards (3,711) and QBR (89.9), which is why the Trojans were able to go 9-3 in the regular season with an inconsistent defense that gave up the sixth-most yards per game in the Big Ten.

There seemingly isn’t a throw that’s too much for Maiava to make, and he’s still got plenty of room for growth after a strong first season as a starter.

Gunner Stockton, Georgia

In his first full season as the Bulldogs’ starter, Stockton used his arm and legs to help UGA average 31.9 points and go 12-2 with an SEC title. He performed well in the clutch and completed 69.7% of his passes with the sixth-best QBR in the country (84.9).

Darian Mensah, Miami Mensah created headlines when he broke his multi-year contract with Duke to transfer to Miami. The Blue Devils sued to prevent him from departing, but ultimately reached a deal on a contract buyout.

Now, Mensah will look to keep the Hurricanes in the mix for a national championship after finishing second in the NCAA in passing yards (3,973) and touchdowns (34), and helping Duke win the ACC title.

Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss Chambliss will officially return to Oxford next season after a Mississippi judge granted him a preliminary injunction against the NCAA, ruling that he met the criteria to receive a medical redshirt for a sixth season. Chambliss had transferred to Ole Miss last season expecting to be a backup. But after starter Austin Simmons dealt with injuries, Chambliss took over and was one of the SEC’s best players, leading the conference with 3,937 passing yards. He led the Rebels to two CFP victories and passed for 362 yards in a win against Georgia.

Demond Williams Jr., Washington

One of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in all of college football, Williams passed for 3,065 yards and was the Huskies’ secondleading rusher with 611 yards. He quarterbacked UW to a 9-4 season and has the talent to be a dark-horse contender for the Heisman Trophy if the proper development occurs.

Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State

The Cowboys are looking to pull off one of college football’s biggest turnarounds in 2026, and they believe Mestemaker is the one to help them do so.

Mestemaker led the nation in passing at North Texas last season with 4,379 yards and worked with new OSU coach Eric Morris to guide the Mean Green to a 12-win season. Mestemaker would have had several options had he opened up his recruitment more, but chose to stay loyal to Morris and go to Stillwater.

Marcel Reed, Texas A&M Reed had a rough finish to last season, throwing four interceptions with no touchdowns in the Aggies’ final two losses of the season — a rivalry loss to Texas and a close defeat in the CFP to Miami.

But what did Reed do before that? He quarterbacked Texas A&M to an 11-0 start with three wins against ranked opponents. If he can sharpen his decision-making and cut down on turnovers, he’ll build on an impressive first season as the Aggies’ starter.

CJ Carr, Notre Dame Marcus Freeman gave the keys to Carr after a close quarterback battle in preseason camp. That worked out well, as Carr threw 24 touchdowns and finished with the eighth-best QBR in college football (83.4). The Fighting Irish barely missed the CFP, but won 10 straight games to end the season and enter 2026 as a top contender.

Josh Hoover, Indiana Hoover is a true gunslinger and has finished with a top-five QBR in the Big 12 in each of his three seasons as a starter. The next step for Hoover? Limiting turnovers — he compiled 33 interceptions and nine fumbles in his time in Fort Worth.

If any coach is going to get the most out of Hoover, Curt Cignetti makes the most sense. Hoover is definitely one to keep an eye on in 2026.

John Mateer, Oklahoma Mateer got off to a hot start in Norman and found himself in early Heisman Trophy talks after the Sooners started 4-0 with two ranked wins. But after breaking a bone in his hand in Week 4, he was never quite as sharp once he returned.

He’s a great dual-threat playmaker and can carry OU’s offense on any day. The next step for Mateer is improving his consistency and decision-making.

Wooten’s return key to Cowgirls’ offense

Winner, elite and powerful are all words Big 12 coaches have used to describe Jadyn Wooten.

The Oklahoma State sophomore impressed as she got out to a hot start in conference play, emerging as one of the Cowgirls’ go-to scoring options. To go along with her scoring, she has been one of OSU’s most efficient players, with her terrific facilitating ability. Wooten is leading the team in assists and is averaging a plus/minus of 12.5.

Her performances in Big 12 games, including a 25-point outing against No. 13 TCU, have led to many coaches praising her.

“She’s a great basketball player,” TCU coach Mark Campbell said. “She’s a competitor. She’s a tough, hard-nosed kid (that is) really skilled. She’s strong and powerful. Her range game is as good as anybody in college basketball. (OSU) does a great job putting her in the right spot, so she gets to attack and make plays for the team.”

However, in recent outings, her numbers have dipped. Wooten was held scoreless in a Feb. 10 outing against Kansas State and has had more turnovers than assists in two of her last four games.

Although her efficiency has dropped, her return from injury boosts the Cowgirls’ lineup as postseason play nears.

Wooten suffered an upperbody injury in the Cowgirls’ win over Utah on Feb. 16, and missed OSU’s game against No. 19 West Virginia.

In the contest against the Mountaineers, she did not make the trip to Morgantown, and the Cowgirls deeply

missed her in a 32-point loss against WVU. With Wooten off the court, Stailee Heard, who normally plays in the post, ran the Cowgirls’ offense from the point guard position and Amari Whiting had to shy away from her defensive first approach. With multiple players in roles they haven’t played this season, the Cowgirls’ offense was out of sorts.

They were held to seasonlows in points and assists, scoring 40 points and recording only six assists.

After the game, OSU coach Jacie Hoyt said that Wooten’s absence was a major blow to the Cowgirls’ lineup against a press-heavy team in WVU.

“I thought to myself, there couldn’t be a worse team to play against without Jadyn,” Hoyt said. “I thought we had a great week of practice without her, hoping that we were going to have her. She’s a great ball handler for us, she’s got a swagger and confidence to her that we were missing today.”

Wooten returned in the Cowgirls’ penultimate regular

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season game against Iowa State on Wednesday. With her back on the court, OSU’s offense was back to its explosive ways.

The Cowgirls scored 88 points, the most they’ve scored in a Big 12 contest. Whiting was back to her defensive ways, holding Cyclone star Addy Brown to 11 points and Heard returned to the post and recorded her first doubledouble since a Feb. 1 contest against Arizona.

As for Wooten, she was back to running the Cowgirls’ offense, oozing confidence

to her teammates, scoring 13 points and adding five assists.

With OSU’s offensive leader back, the Cowgirls picked up their first Quad One win and her presence was felt not only by her teammates, but also her coaches.

“Jadyn is a crucial player for us to play the style and execute the way we want offensively,” Hoyt said. “Her ability to facilitate and score is something we rely heavily on. She also has a swagger that our team feeds off of.”