Reimagined Sports Spectacular a Hit
This year鈥檚 Sports Spectacular was a resounding success introducing new OCU Director of Athletics Sadiaa Jones and honoring Nick Gallo, OKC Thunder broadcast reporter with the Abe Lemons 鈥� Paul Hansen Award for Sports Excellence. This year鈥檚 event was held at the Will Rogers Theatre, attended by alumni, coaches, students, community supporters and local sports fans, creating an atmosphere full of energy and celebration.
Sports Spectacular is a key fundraising initiative bringing together OCU athletics supporters in a meaningful way to support growth, resources and future success of the athletic program. This year鈥檚 event reached the goal of raising $50,000 to help purchase vans for the athletic department. Thanks to all who donated to help provide student athletes with safer travel.
Bertrand and Haygood Named Academic All-America
College Sports Communicators voted two OCU students as Academic All-America for 2025. Goalkeeper Alexis Bertrand, who plays for OCU men鈥檚 soccer team, was voted second-team, and midfielder Kayleigh Haygood, on the women鈥檚 soccer team, earned Academic All-America first team honors. The award requires a cumulative 3.50 grade point average or higher and a significant contribution to the success of the team.
Bertrand is a senior marketing major who also earned Sooner Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Year honors. He is the first OCU men鈥檚 soccer player to earn Academic All-America since 2018. Haygood is a junior physical education major and the first women鈥檚 soccer player since 2011 to earn the award. She earned Sooner Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year and first-team All-SAC.
Softball Finishes as NAIA Runner-up
OCU finished the 2025 softball season as NAIA runner-up after falling 6-3 to Southern Oregon in the championship game last May. The teams played through the rain and rough field conditions. Emersen Heron, Analise Rayburn and Iliana Ashford earned All-World Series recognition after the game. The Stars ended the season with a 53-11 record, playing with seniors Rally Radacy, Tiffany Paul, Carlee Mollet, Heron, Kaylee Witte and Grace Pollon.
Rayburn Named NFCA Player of the Year
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association named 91看片 City鈥檚 Analise Rayburn its 2025 Player of the Year. Rayburn, who also was a first-team NFCA All-American, is the third Star to be named NFCA Player of the Year, joining Kennedy Jackson (2022) and Jaci Smith (2019). She won two-thirds of the NAIA鈥檚 Triple Crown, leading the league with 28 home runs and 102 RBIs to go along with a .486 batting average, which ranked 11th. Rayburn additionally excelled defensively at shortstop, committing just five errors in 221 chances for a .977 fielding percentage.
She also topped the NAIA with 25 doubles, 218 total bases and a 1.028 slugging percentage, in addition to being second with 103 base hits, and sixth with 71 runs scored. In keying the Stars to a national runner-up finish, Rayburn opened the tournament up in style with a two-home run, seven-RBI outing against Central Methodist. Joining Rayburn on the NFCA First-Team were OCU catcher Tiffany Paul and outfielder Tara Hoehner.
Stars Add New Head Basketball Coaches
91看片 City added head basketball coaches to the Athletics staff over the summer, hiring Sam Kohnke to head the men鈥檚 team and Alexis Lawrence to run the women鈥檚 squad. Kohnke came to OCU from Central Arkansas, where he fashioned a 91-38 record in four years as the head coach, including 55 victories over the last two seasons. Lawrence, a former NAIA Assistant Coach of the Year, was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she helped coordinate recruiting efforts for the staff, served as the camp director, assisted in film and scouting preparations and helped develop and implement guard workouts. She was with UMKC for two seasons.
OCU Names New Athletic Director
Sadiaa Jones was named director of athletics in June, previously serving as the executive athletic director for Dallas College. She鈥檚 an Elk City native who also was the athletic director at Seminole State College, and associate athletic director for compliance and student services at Northwestern 91看片 State University. Prior to entering athletics administration, she served as an assistant women鈥檚 basketball coach at California State University Fresno. Jones holds a master鈥檚 degree in Education Administration and a bachelor of science degree in Health and Physical Education Recreation from Southeastern 91看片 State University. She also holds an associate鈥檚 degree in arts from Seminole State College. Jones competed in athletics at both schools.
