A lifetime of memories at UCO and beyond
Editor's note: Retired University of Central Oklahoma assistant athletic director for media relations Mike Kirk tells The Oklahoman why he loves sports and the role it's played in his life.
Why do I love sports? For me it's the people and the moments — good and bad — that are weaved into the fabric of playing games.
I grew up in Perry with three older brothers and we all ended up with very diverse interests in regards to the field of play. Floyd gravitated to basketball, Lloyd was more into baseball, Mark was a natural on the wrestling mat and I ended up going with the easiest one — at least in terms of physical ability — in golf.
But as kids it was just about playing. Whether it was wiffle ball in the front yard, baseball games at Jay Dauman Park with whoever would show up or touch football at Daniels Field, it seemed liked there was always a ball involved. Unless Jeff Womack and I were on our bikes speeding down the sidewalk toward a board elevated by a stack of bricks trying to emulate Evel Knievel, which was never one of our smartest ideas.
But that was growing up during the 1960s and `70s and it was glorious.
It was playing little league baseball for the Jersey Queen Tigers and legendary coach Hector Tovar, who once made me run laps around the field between innings after dropping a fly ball in center field. But who also waited to envelop me in a big hug after I struck out — looking no less — with the winning run on third base in the bottom of the last inning.
It was spotting my good friend Lori Roth sprint into the stands just in time to see me take the mat for a junior varsity wrestling match during high school. And then smiling at me in encouragement as I trudged off the mat after yet another defeat.
It was me and four teammates (Kurt, Kirk, Randy and Joe) going to Alva to win the regional golf championship in qualifying for the state tournament. And then the next year missing out on state by one stroke when one of those
teammates was penalized two shots for hitting a range ball out of the way on the seventh fairway during the final round.
It was going to college at Oklahoma State during Jimmy Johnson's early days and the legend of Press On and Rick “Cowboy” Antle. Of losing my professionalism while working in the sports information office and jumping on the mat after Mitch Shelton pinned Dr. Death to give OSU a 20-17 win over the Sooners (a blown-up photo of which still hangs in my house). Of Eddie
“Halfcourt” Hannon beating defending national champion Louisville at the buzzer.
It was spending one year as a sports writer at McAlester and getting to watch Donnie Smitherman run wild in football and Donna Beed lead the girls basketball team to a state championship.
It was going to Lawton as a sports writer for four years and seeing some of the best high school athletes I've ever witnessed. Chris Nuncio. James Byrd. James Trapp. Charles Thompson. Stacey King. Tony
Page. Rodney Fisher.
It was getting lucky enough to be picked by the best boss (Skip Wagnon) a person could ever ask for to take over a dream job as sports information director at UCO and then spending nearly 30 years in that role.
It was seeing Johnny Nimmo score five points in the final five seconds to pull out an impossible win in capturing his fourth national wrestling championship. Of watching a No. 1-ranked football team win its first 12 games — and then losing a heartbreaking overtime game in the playoffs to a team that later forfeited for having 20-some ineligible players.
It was the joy of seeing Kim Brown, Kate O'Neill, Lizzie Brenner, JoBi Heath and untold others compete on the field of play with unbridled passion and fierce determination. Of watching Alex Wright lead a men's basketball team that averaged 114 points a game in making the Elite Eight — and then dropping a 127-124 double-overtime thriller in the national quarterfinals.
It was holding my breath before Kalynn Schrock struck out the final batter in the bottom of the ninth inning to clinch a national softball title. Of watching Michael Fox throw nearly 200 pitches to lead UCO into the national championship game — and then losing a bottom-of-theninth jaw-dropper the next night on a pair of errors.
It was witnessing David James win his 100th, 200th and 300th duals while also being there for seven of the 12 national wrestling championships UCO won with him at the helm. Of marveling at how Mike Cook started a soccer program from scratch and turned it into a perennial national contender.
It's playing golf and hanging out with so many of our coaches and former studentathletes, men and women I have grown to know and love.
Sports are all that and more, at least to me.