Athletics Highlights 2021-2022

Always Soaring
2021-2022 Highlights

It was another great season on the athletic fields for the Eagles. In the fall, both the men’s and women’s soccer teams claimed KCAC championships and clinched a berth in the NAIA tournament. Between the men’s and women’s soccer teams, 8 OKWU players were named All-Americans. On the court, the volleyball squad went 15-12 in another winning season for Tracie Gillette (’98), who also coached the KCAC Freshman of the Year.

In the winter, both basketball teams posted winning seasons. The men’s squad, led by Donnie Bostwick, made another NAIA tournament and won the KCAC championship. On the women’s side, the Lady Eagles battled to an 18-15 record and advanced to the semifinals of the KCAC tournament. The young wrestling program, led by Tom Carr, put together a 10-5 team record and a second-place finish in the KCAC’s regular-season standings, with two wrestlers qualifying for nationals.

As the calendar turned to spring, the Eagles saw both the baseball and softball teams perform well. OKWU Baseball went 38-19 on the season, including an impressive 21-7 record at home, and clinched a spot in the conference tournament. OKWU Softball had a remarkable season that included 10 members of the team receiving All-KCAC recognition. The golf teams competed well, with the men’s team finishing 4th at the KCAC Championship, while the women earned 3rd place. The tennis team had 2 members earn All-KCAC nods, while OKWU Track had a national qualifier. And in the first year of competition, Beach Volleyball played a full season and had a duo finish 2nd at the Tri-State Conference Tournament.

Another Sweet Ride
The OKWU basketball squad had a strong season, with a 34-3 record, a KCAC championship, and a trip to the NAIA Quarterfinals. 5 members of the squad were named All-KCAC performers.

Team of Legacy
The OKWU men’s soccer team had another outstanding 2021 season, winning the KCAC regular season and tournament championships and advancing to the quarterfinals of the NAIA tournament. The Eagles had 5 players named NAIA All-Americans.

Breakout Wrestler
The 133-pound sophomore, Kolby Encinas, was one of the Eagles’ strongest wrestlers with a 20-6 season record. He placed 2nd at the KCAC Championships and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament, where he won his first-round matchup.

A New Standard
In one of the best seasons in program history, the Lady Eagles softball team went 35-16 and finished second in the conference standings. Shawn Woods coached 5 Lady Eagles towards All-Conference nods.