Kansas Jayhawks

Q: You were raised in an athletic family. What sports were/are they involved in? A: Definitely. My parents just kind of put all three of us [kids] in everything pretty much. I remember playing baseball, soccer, football and basketball; I did it all. I loved baseball a lot, too. My sisters, they also played it all. It turned out that all three of us [siblings] kind of went our separate ways. I ended up in track somehow, basketball was Kelsey's main thing, and Megan ended up with soccer. Megan was actually supposed to play collegiate soccer, but she decided she didn't want to. Kelsey found her way in basketball and won a Division II National Championship [at Lubbock Christian University]. Our parents just kind of left it up to us to find what we loved the most.

Q: What’s it been like having such a big age gap between all of you and your siblings?

A: It was a lot of fun growing up because I’m very close with both my older siblings and my younger siblings. It’s really nice to have all of them coming to my games. Growing up, I was able to have my older siblings as role models who I could look up to and also be that annoying little sister who wanted to go hangout with them all the time. But it was also cool because I was able to watch my little sister grow up. Being older and watching her grow up was really fun.

Q: The doctors also said that you would have trouble performing in school without any help. Did you notice anything when you were growing up, or even now, that hinders you in your schoolwork?

A: No. I got really lucky because they said there were a lot of issues that I could have faced not only athletically, but academically, too. Nothing arose so I got through without any major disadvantages.

Q: Did you play any sports as a young kid?

A: Yes. I started playing softball when I was five.

Q: When you were younger, did you have any health issues or noticeable disadvantages that got in the way of you playing softball?

A: No. The doctors said that I was supposed to have a lot of potential issues, but I got really lucky and never had to deal with any of those, so nothing got in the way.

Q: When you were in high school, was playing softball in college something you always wanted to do?

A: Yes. It’s been a dream of mine to play college softball since I was little, even from when I started softball. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to play.

Q: What has it been like playing softball at a school like Kansas?

Q: You originally went to UMass to play quarterback. What made you decide to originally pursue football in college over basketball?

A: I really loved playing quarterback. It was my favorite position growing up. I had a really good relationship with the head coach there [UMass]. He was an ex-NFL quarterback coach, so I thought it was a really cool thing to go try to do. But I just didn’t really like the school. It wasn’t because of the football program, but I kind of wanted something different. Plus, I broke my foot and I just felt like it was time for me to get a new start.  

Q: While at UMass, did you join the basketball team?

A: No, like week eight of football the coach told me they wanted me to come play basketball. I said I would think about it, then after the season I wanted to go home for winter break, so I just decided not to do it. When I got back they asked me again, but I thought it was important for me to just get stronger for football since that was my main focus then.

Q: After your time at UMass, how did you decide to switch sports and play basketball for South Mountain Community College?

A: When I went back home [Arizona] I was still in a boot, so I couldn’t play football. Instead of going to a community college to play football I chose to go play basketball because I just wanted to get back in shape.

Q: How did you choose to leave your home state again and come play football for Kansas?

A: After the basketball season [at South Mountain], I had more offers to play basketball, but I missed football and I wanted to go back to it. Originally, I came back from UMass to play football. Basketball was more just to get back in shape and get healthy again. Since I didn’t play quarterback [at UMass] I knew it would be way harder to get football offers with no film, so I switched my whole focus to playing tight end. Coming out of high school, I had offers to play tight end and I didn’t take them. So, I just thought I could go back to it. Arizona State had a satellite camp and there were multiple schools there. ASU and Kansas showed interest in me. Then when I came up here [Kansas] on my visit, I committed.

Q: What drew you to the Jayhawks?

A: Right when I got here there was just something about the place I really liked. The coaches I met when I came up here were great. I just felt like it would be cool to come to Kansas. I had never really been to Kansas before this, but for some reason once I got the offer I thought it would be a good spot for me.

Q: Most people dream of being a Division I athlete for one sport. Did you ever imagine you’d have the opportunity to be a two-sport athlete at a Division I university?

A: No, I definitely didn’t. I never thought that I would be playing both football and basketball at Kansas.

Q: For those who don’t know, explain how joining the basketball team came about this season.

A: On Tuesday of the last week of football, Coach [David] Beaty pulled me aside and said he had received a call from one of the basketball coaches. He said they [basketball staff] heard about me and were needing a little bit of help. He asked if I wanted to go try it and I said I would think about it. Then on the following Sunday, Coach [Norm] Roberts called me and let me know what was going on. Coach [Bill] Self called, too, and asked me to come to his office. Then I just took it a day at a time until they told me I was on the team.

Q: Did you go through a tryout process?

A: It wasn’t really a tryout, I was just practicing with the team. I mean I guess it was kind of like a tryout, but they were just seeing how I could play and seeing if I could help them out.

Q: Has it been challenging to transition from the style of football to basketball?

A: It’s been long just going from seasons back-to-back. I’ve been “in season” for a long time now, but besides that it’s been great. They take great care of us, both football and basketball, so that’s made it a lot smoother. The biggest difference is the type of running. In football it’s more like stop and start and in basketball it’s continuous.

Q: How do you balance playing both a fall and winter sport with your academic schedule?

A: Now I have two academic counselors and they’ve been great. They make sure I’m staying on top of things and I go to tutoring. Whenever I’m on the road and I need help, there are always people there to help me. It’s definitely been challenging because I’ve been in season with school for a long time, but the help they’ve given me has made it easier.

Q: What has been your favorite part about playing two sports at KU?

A: Even though it’s hard being in season back-to-back, that’s also the most fun time of the year. The best thing about playing both is being able to play a bunch of games.

Q: Has it been difficult to adjust to being on the basketball team since they were all together in the summer and you didn’t join until later?

A: No, they’ve been great ever since I got here. I think Doke [Udoka Azubuike] likes it because I think he gets good work going against strong guys. Everyone sees his size and they want to put someone strong on him, so I think it’s helped him out a little bit going up against me. As a social thing, it’s also been great. Those guys are family for life now.

Q: There have been a few basketball games where you got to play. What was that experience like?

A: Playing in Allen Fieldhouse was definitely cool. Not many people can say that they’ve played for Kansas in the Fieldhouse. I like practice just because I feel like I’m helping the team out way more than the games and that’s really why I’m here. But playing was just a real bonus.

Q: Describe what it felt like to be part of the team that made history by winning a 14th-straight Big 12 Championship title.

A: That was the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of. I mean, it’s going to be hard to win something bigger just because that broke a record that probably many people thought would never get broken. It was special because we worked so hard all year. Everyone on the team worked hard. To finally see that all the hard work paid off was really special.

Q: Some of the other players have talked about the pressure of not being the team to break the streak. Did you feel any of that?

A: I felt the pressure, but since I don’t really play it was more like, “Dang, I need to get these guys ready.” That just had me always ready to go in practice because you know, they’re going through a season and playing many minutes and some days they may not be feeling it. So, I just always try to be there to keep them up.

Q: Do you plan to continue playing both sports next year?

Q: How have sports played a role in your family dynamic?

A: It was fun because we were always around sports even if we weren’t actually playing. If I had a game, my brothers would be there and if they had a game, I would be there. All of our free time was spent at a baseball or softball field growing up.

Q: How old were you when you first started playing sports?

A: I started playing softball and basketball when I was three or four. Then I started volleyball in fifth grade.

Q: What were the advantages of growing up in a baseball/softball family?

A: I definitely think that I learned from having my brothers around. Not so much from their mistakes, but also their successes. Like after my older brother went to college, he definitely helped me adapt going into my freshman year [at Butler]. I’ve always looked up to both my older brother and my younger brother and how they perceive the game. They’ve helped me perceive how softball should be played.

Q: Did you and your brothers practice together?

A: Oh yeah. Even now I still play catch with my brothers and I’ll have one of them toss to me when I hit. Obviously, when we grew up, we definitely did a lot of our practice stuff together even though we don’t play the same sport. We’d always go with my dad out to the field to play together.

Q: Did you play volleyball and basketball like your mom?

A: Yes. I played volleyball and basketball my entire life up until I decided I was going to play softball in college. I actually debated playing basketball in college instead of softball, but I ended up changing my mind.

Q: What made you change your mind?

A: I felt like I had a better grasp of the game of softball. I had a lot more growing to do with basketball. You approach softball differently than basketball and I just felt like I was more prepared to play college softball than I was to play college basketball.

Q: After playing at a community college, what has your transition to Division I been like? Are there any major differences you’ve noticed?

A: I think a lot of it is just time management. Our practices at Butler were set up a lot differently than they are here. So, just getting used to that has been a change, but it’s definitely been a lot smoother transition than I ever could’ve imagined.

Q: When you were looking at schools to transfer to, what made you choose KU?

A: The whole community is just a great atmosphere. Once I got here, I had a feeling that this was where I was going to call home and I felt like I could fit in with the team. I hadn’t even met any of the girls yet, but hearing what all the coaches had to say made me feel like I had a place here.

Q: As a native Kansan, did you grow up as a Jayhawk fan?

A: My mom has been a die-hard basketball fan since I was young, but other than that I never really pictured myself coming here, so it’s kind of crazy.

Q: What is it like to play for your home state?

A: It’s pretty surreal because not a lot of people can say that they get to represent the state they grew up in. There aren’t a lot of Kansas girls on our roster, so it’s pretty cool to be one of them.

Q: You are obviously a very decorated athlete, having won two national championships at Butler County and being named National Junior College Athletic Association’s National Player of the Year and Female Student-Athlete of the Year in 2017. Can you describe what it felt like to receive such prestigious awards?

A: Honestly, I didn’t even know that I had a shot at those awards going into the end of the season. I was just thinking that I was putting myself in a good position to be recruited to go play somewhere. Then I was on my way to the lake and I got an email saying I was selected. I didn’t believe it. I was like, ‘This is spam.’ But it just shows that if you work really hard, anything is possible.

Q: How was your experience competing in the 2017 Canada Cup as a member of the NJCAA Softball National Team?

A: That was a very, very cool experience. I never thought that I’d have the opportunity to represent our country, then I got to do it in a very special way. I met some of the greatest girls I think I’ll ever meet. I’m still friends with some of them and I talk to them on a monthly basis. They’re located all over the country, but we stay in touch. We got to play the No. 1 team in the world (Japan) and it was just really cool. That’s something I will get to tell my kids about.

Q: What has been your favorite softball memory so far?

A: Winning the two national championships was pretty cool. I never thought that I would do that – ever. So, having two is awesome. I had such a great experience at Butler that it just made it that much better to be able to go out in both seasons with a national championship.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge of your collegiate career?

A: I definitely think being a two-way player is very challenging. I’m not saying it’s not doable, but it’s a lot more work than you would expect – being a pitcher and a position player – because you have to put in so much extra work and it’s just a lot on your body. I think it makes you a stronger player as you get older, but it’s definitely a lot and that’s one of the biggest things that I’ve had to learn, especially coming here.

Q: What is it about this sport that makes you so passionate about it?

A: I think the biggest thing that my dad always said to me and my brothers was, ‘You’re never bigger than the game.’ You have to appreciate it for what it is. You’re never going to be as good as you think you are, so you always have to keep working.

Q: What is your proudest accomplishment – both on and off the diamond?

A: On the diamond, it would be fulfilling my dream of playing Division I softball. Growing up, that was always my goal and just knowing that I actually accomplished that I think is really big. Off the field, I think the relationships that I’ve built with the people around me and the academic success that I’ve had.

Q: Do you want to pursue a professional softball career?

A: I mean, whatever falls into my lap. I very much just go with the flow. If the opportunity presents itself I might have to take it, but we’ll just have to see. I definitely want to get into a graduate program in either dietetics or nutrition after my bachelor’s degree.

Q: Do you plan to get your future children involved in athletics?

A: Oh yeah. I definitely want to see my kids grow up and play the sport that I’ve grown up loving. That would be cool.

Q: What are you most looking forward to this season?

Q: Coming all the way from New Jersey, what was that like?

A: It was tough as far as the way people are and how I had to change things about myself. It was also tough as far as going from high school to college because that is always an adjustment. As far as the states, (Kansas and New Jersey) those were different. Definitely a change.

Q: Did you play any other sports growing up?

A: I played basketball a lot when I was younger, but I stopped that to do track. I also played football and stopped to do track.

Q: What made you decide on track & field, specifically jumping?

A: I started track (my) freshman year in high school because my two older brothers ran track. My oldest brother went to the University of South Carolina and I wanted to go Division I like he did, so I decided that’s what I was going to do.

Q: Your father ran track at Villanova. Was your dad your inspiration?

A: Not necessarily. He never really talked to us about running track. He would let us play any sport. It (my inspiration) is mostly my older brother. When I started going to watch him triple jump and started going to his meets and I met the coach at my high school, I kind of fell in love with it. I had never run track before and it so it was interesting to me.

Q: What was it like to only have four years of track & field experience before coming to KU?

A: What I’ve learned is that a lot of people who do track when they are younger, they often burn out. I don’t think starting in high school gives you an advantage over people who started early, but you learn different things from different coaches. Learning from just one coach, you can focus on one specific way of learning to jump or run.

Q: Your father ran track at Villanova and your brothers also ran Division I track & field. Is there friendly competition amongst your family?

A: It wasn’t really competition. It was more me trying to get to where my brothers were when they were my age. So, if my brother was touching the (basketball) rim in eighth grade, I would try to be able to touch the rim in eighth grade. It was a lot in basketball, like jumping ability, how far you can jump. I was always the slowest racing them and didn’t have as much bounce, but I would always try to get to where they were so I would be good.

Q: I’m curious about your thoughts on another athletically-oriented family. What’s your take on Lavar Ball and Big Baller Brand?

A: Their family is definitely succeeding. I don’t know why LaMelo went overseas, I think he could have just went to college. But they are succeeding. They kind of have the same structure as my family; where it’s three brothers and one went very far, while the others are following in his path. It really helps when you have someone that close to you who can tell you how to get there.

Q: One day, whenever it may be, what would you like to do when you no longer are competing competitively?

A: Hopefully I’d be able to coach somewhere. If I’m doing something that doesn’t involve track, I would like to become involved with law enforcement and be a state trooper. I don’t know where, but I am interested in law enforcement. My mother works in law. She works next to the police department and growing up, seeing that and their authority and what they do every day, it interests me.

Q: You mentioned “The Office” is your favorite TV show. If you were a character, who would you be?

A: I watch it every day. I laugh at every little thing that happens. I feel like Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) is like me because he says whatever he wants and always has the same attitude, even if the people around him don’t “get” him.

Q: Can you describe what it felt like to be named an All-American last year?

After showing people around the nation what he could do on the hardwood, Azubuike was named a McDonald’s All-American, the 40th to come to the University of Kansas to continue his basketball career at the collegiate level, under head coach Bill Self and his staff.

In his freshman season donning the Crimson and Blue for Kansas, Azubuike started in six of the 11 games he played in before suffering a season-ending wrist injury on Dec. 21, 2016. At the time of his injury, KU’s No. 35 had started six-straight games and led the Jayhawks with 18 blocked shots. In his (shortened) freshman season at KU, he ended up with averages of 12.9 minutes, 5.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and a 62.9 field goal percentage. 

After having to sit out most of his freshman campaign due to his injury, Azubuike worked hard in the offseason so that he could come back bigger, better and stronger than ever in 2017-18. Only 15 games into the season, he’s certainly made himself a household name in the frontcourt for Kansas, putting up big numbers in all areas of his game. KU’s big man is currently averaging 14.9 points per game, pulling down a team-best 7.9 rebounds per game, is second among Jayhawks with 20 blocked shots on the season and is shooting an astounding 76.5 percent from the field (104-of-136). His shooting percentage not only leads the Jayhawks, but the Big 12 Conference as well. In addition, he sits second among all players in NCAA Division I men’s basketball at this point in the 2017-18 season. And it seems as though this is where Azubuike’s collegiate basketball career has only just begun to take off. 

Q: How would you describe the culture adjustment from Nigeria to the United States?

It’s pretty different. Nigeria is pretty diverse, especially with languages. In the United States, pretty much everybody speaks only one language, which is English, most of the time. So that definitely makes it different. The culture, the way of life, the way they live over there ([in Nigeria] is also different).  

Q: Has it been easy for you to adjust?

In the beginning, I kind of found it difficult to adjust, but now I’ve gotten used to it. The more I’m here, the more I get used to the differences.

Q: What are the biggest differences country to country? 

Language, like I said before, is a major part of it. Religion is big too because everyone has their own religions and their own beliefs. All the different kinds of foods and then all the different seasons of the weather are also some big ones. Those were probably the biggest changes between Nigeria and the United States.  

Q: What were the biggest transitions for you from high school to college? 

Time management is a big part of it. In high school, everything is pretty much set for you during the day. But in college, you have things at certain times but you have to do a lot on your own; like waking up, you don’t have anyone doing that for you anymore. In high school, you have your parents around; but here you don’t, so you have to adjust to the settings and use your time wisely.  

Q: How would you explain the conditioning and nutritional efforts it has taken for you to get ready for playing NCAA Division I collegiate basketball? 

Nutrition is a big part of it because you have to eat right. For basketball, I have to eat the right things and stay healthy and fill my body the right way. You have to eat the right kinds of things before practices and games, too, to get you ready for it (those events).  

Q: Although you’re just in your sophomore year at KU, what do you envision leaving as your legacy here, as a true center under Bill Self? 

Q: Is your mom able to make it to many games? 

A: She is always coming to games. She has been to every game so far. She will try to make it to every game. That’s one benefit of staying close to home.  

Q: Basketball-wise, what about this team was appealing to you? 

A: Well what Coach (Schneider) said my role would be, was one that I thought I could fill well and make happen for him. Also, coming in and trying to make the program better.  

Q: If you could play any sport besides basketball, what would it be? 

A: It would be volleyball. Growing up, I played volleyball in middle school and high school. I had to choose between basketball and volleyball and I had played basketball longer. 

Q: When did you first fall in love with basketball? 

A: I started off dancing when I was younger. But my mom said it wasn’t enough contact for me so at seven-years-old I fell in love with basketball.  

Q: So from dancing to basketball? Do they ever overlap? 

A: Yeah, at Late Night! 

Q: Who is your favorite athlete, or someone you try to model your game after? 

A: I like a lot of players, but growing up people said I was like Kevin Durant because I was very lanky and because of the way I played … so I rolled with it. 

Q: So if you are KD, who is your Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson? 

A: Bri [Brianna Osorio] is Klay and Kylee [Kopatich] is Steph, of course … yeah I like it.

Q: So is there anyone who inspires you the most? 

A: My mom is my biggest critic and biggest fan. She is both in one package, so I would say she is my inspiration. 

Q: Are you caught up on the KU traditions despite joining the team as a junior? 

A: Yeah I can get a little lost when they explain some of that. They are always teaching the transfers though. I learned the fight song clap, but other than that I am still a little lost. 

Q: Okay last one, who are your top three favorite artists you’re listening to right now?

Q: What exactly is the role of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee?

A:  The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee consists of members from each athletic team. What we do is try to bridge the gap between student-athletes and the community, and student-athletes and the administration in the athletic department. We also work with the Big 12 Conference and NCAA on legislation. We’re the voice for the student-athletes.

Q: Does every school have a SAAC?

A:  Yes, each school in the NCAA has a SAAC. In the Big 12, every school has two Big 12 reps, so they communicate directly with the conference.

Q:  Can you give an example of something you worked with either the Big 12 or NCAA on?

A:  This year was the time demand changes that we had coming from the NCAA. We were able to work with the Big 12 to survey student-athletes about their opinions on these different formulas for what changes we should make. We were able to help give our opinion to the NCAA, which ultimately helped formulate what our time demand situation is right now.

Q:  How did you get involved with SAAC?

A:  I got involved my freshman year when I went to a meeting with a senior at the time. I just thought it was cool how you could see what’s going on behind the scenes in student athletics. I also really wanted to get involved in the community, so that’s what sparked me to join and now I’ve been on [the committee] all four years.

Q:  Can you tell me about the revamp with the kickoff party that you organized?

A:  We, the five members on the executive board, got together and wanted to revamp #OneTeam. We decided to have this kickoff party to explain what the #OneTeam goal is, which again is to show how diverse we are and come together as one Jayhawk student-athlete community. Then we also wanted to start the #OneTeam games.

Q: What are the #OneTeam games?

A:  There’s a schedule out and each team has one designated game on the schedule. That game is for the whole student-athlete body to go to and to show support for the team competing. In college athletics you can be isolated to (within) your team a lot. We thought it was important to get together outside of your sport commitment and go support fellow Jayhawks because it is really important that we do stay together, so we created the #OneTeam event to showcase that. It’s going to be fun because it’s a time for us to go support each other and we’ll have activities before the game, like a tailgate or some sort of small event to promote it.

Q: Being from out-of-state, did the #OneTeam concept help you transition to Kansas?

A:  Yes, it definitely did. Coming from out-of-state I didn’t know anybody. For me, that really helped make me so passionate about what this is because we have so many athletes who aren’t from this state or aren’t even from this country. Here, we’re all about family, so to be able to form a community-type feeling within student athletics is really important.

Q:  So the camaraderie helped once you got here, but what made you decide to come to Kansas in the first place?

A:  I was looking at schools primarily on the West Coast, where I’m from. Before I got a call from Kansas, I never even noticed Kansas on a map. Then when I came to KU, I just saw how it has a college-town feel and family atmosphere. Plus, with the facilities and the coaching staff we have, I couldn’t say no. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. It was the greatest opportunity I’ve ever received and honestly the greatest decision I’ve ever made.

Q:  How did you get into baseball?

A:  I started playing baseball as soon as I could hold a ball. I played all sports growing up, every sport I could. But baseball was really what I became passionate about. During high school I also played basketball and football, so I didn’t start playing only baseball until college.

Q: What are you most excited about for your senior season?

A:  I’m just really excited about the potential of our team. After concluding our first fall practice weekend this year, I think we are going to be an incredibly talented team. I’m really excited to see how far we’re going to go.

Q: Outside of baseball and the SAAC, what are your other hobbies?

Q: How did you get involved with speaking at KU?

A: Most of my experience has come from people who know my background and were interested in me sharing that with other people. I have addressed several sports management classes, graduate classes, and so forth over the years. As far as speaking at a public forum, the Welcome Club of Lawrence asked me to be a program speaker for them. I was very surprised because the only standing ovation and applause from that was usually some kind of theater or entertainment. When I was done speaking there, I received a standing ovation and I was overwhelmed thinking to myself, “I just told you my story.” When I taught at KU, the Kiwanis was a men’s service club. The department chair would take all of the men faculty out every Thursday afternoon but the women didn’t get to go. This was pre-Title IX, of course, but I don’t think it would have mattered because Title IX wouldn’t have covered that. It’s kind of a networking thing when it comes to speaking because people pass things on to other people, and so forth.

Q: What about your sports management speaker series?

A: My sports management speaker series started with my faculty at Illinois State. An alumnus who had passed away left a rather large grant and her estate to women’s education. We established a speaker series to honor her, who would always be a woman. We really liked this idea, and I brought this idea to Jordan Bass, who is the sports management program director. He loved this idea too so we decided to do it annually. It’s designed to bring a nationwide, notable scholar to KU to meet with classes and deliver a public address in the evening. It’s the second annual one in October and it will be Kathy Elias from the University of Michigan. She’s an expert in the social sciences in sports management. We intend for it to continue.

Q: You’re seen as a very influential and inspirational figure to a lot of people, so I’m wondering did you have your own “Marlene Mawson” growing up?

A: No, I didn’t. In terms of having a role model in women’s athletics, there weren’t any. My male physical education teacher in high school was the coach of every team because my high school was rather small. There were only 100 kids in high school, so there weren’t enough boys in high school to even field a football team. I grew up thinking girls could play the same sports as boys because we had an indoor sport in basketball, and an outdoor sport in softball. So I only had a coach who was a male, and he coached all the boys and girls’ teams. We all went on the same bus, and we didn’t know there was any discrimination until I went to college, where I learned they didn’t do this for girls after you got out of high school.

Q: What drives your competitive spirit?

A: I grew up as a twin. My twin was not competitive at all, and we were competitive with our sisters since I had seven siblings, who were all girls. My father always impressed on us that nobody was better than us, and that we could be the best we could be and that he expected that of us. It started with our older sister, he insisted that we would all go to college because funding for college is a better investment for us than him leaving us money. We all graduated from college, and my older sister was 20 years older than me, she went to school when women didn’t really go to school. My incentive and competitive spirit in sports and life is to always be striving to be the best that I can be. It may not be perfect, but I’m going to be as perfect as I can be.

Q: How far did your women’s budget of $2,000 go?

A: First of all, it sounds like just a penny now. You could buy a meal at a restaurant for $2.50, so you have to squeeze it into the time. We used it for uniforms, travel and entry fees into postseason tournaments. That’s basically what it covered and we borrowed equipment from the physical education department. Most of our expenses were turned in on travel allotment budgets, but we did have an initial expenditure for uniforms, which allowed us to purchase one set of uniforms for team members. Basketball, volleyball and softball were the only sports that used uniforms.

Q: Did you get the sense in 1972 that Title IX would be a groundbreaking moment?

A: I knew something big was happening. Across the country in 1972, there were workshops for the office of civil rights to explain the compliance rules to people who realized they would need to make major changes. Those major changes came in physical education and athletics as well as music. Generally, high schools and colleges had to be in compliance but it wasn’t until 1978 that this happened. So even though Title IX became law in 1972, the compliance regulations were written in 1973 so there were still five years where nobody had to be in compliance. There were basically gradual increments of compliance during those five years and in 1978 most universities weren’t in compliance. The women’s athletic director at K-State was the first to launch a lawsuit on her own university for not being in compliance. Fifty more colleges filed suit in that same month, July 1978. From there, the office of civil rights changed the compliance rules and said, “Well, I guess you don’t have to be in compliance this date. As long as you’re showing progress towards compliance, we won’t charge you with sending federal funds to your university.” It took almost decade for the law to be enforced for Title IX.

Q: What kind of bond was there between coach/student in the 1960s?

A: Well, you coached your own team. We didn’t have coaching meetings because we taught all day together. If there was a bond, it was a matter of being a part of a physical education department and the extra duty was the athletics part. When you took your team some place, you didn’t have room for more coaches to come along. You used to get compensation for the number of vehicles you could crowd your team into so you didn’t have an athletic trainer or equipment person to come along. There’s more people helping now than there are on the team. So, I was basically doing all of it.

Q: Who was your greatest male supporter at KU over the years?

A: Probably Henry Shenk. He was the department chair who hired me and the department chair of physical education. He agreed to put $2,000 into women’s athletics and whatever I asked him, he was willing to provide as long as there were budgeted funds for it. He took out funds from his own departmental budget to help me. There were men who didn’t oppose you up front, but they didn’t help either. As long as you weren’t in their way, go ahead and do it. When I started this program on campus, there were two gyms in Robinson and one court in Allen Fieldhouse and that was it on campus. The men and women’s intramural programs, as well as women’s athletics, had to use those Robinson courts. We’re talking about two courts and that’s why there was some confrontation when men used to be on the court when it was our time to practice. Sometimes I had to say, “Hey, your time’s up.”

Q: Would you say there was any outright discrimination toward you?

A: I wouldn’t say discrimination, it’s more of confrontation. More of, “We wanted to practice here, why is there gymnastics equipment on the floor?” So if I ever had confrontation, it was usually with Bob Lockwood, who is my great friend now. We were friends then and he was my colleague who taught in the same department as me. He needed the Robinson space and I needed the space, so that’s all it was.

Q: Can you describe the feeling of being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 and walking across James Naismith Court?

A: The first time it was rather overwhelming to me was when they inducted me into the KU Hall of Fame. I was standing out there and realizing that this happened a long time ago, but it’s just now becoming important. I’m thinking that when I did what I did, it wasn’t with the idea that I would be standing here. It was with the idea that women athletes would be on this court, not with the idea that it would be me. I guess that sums up how I felt. The first time I really was acknowledged was in 2008 when they started the Marlene Mawson Exemplary Student-Athlete Award and it showed me it’s all about the athlete.

Q: Do you consider yourself a pioneer in sports?

A: I don’t know if I thought about it that way back then, but then KU gave me the Emily Taylor Pioneer of the Year. So that’s when I first thought about that word, “Pioneer.”

Q: What do you think your role will be now in this modern age of collegiate sports and women’s athletics?

A: I think that maybe what you said earlier about a mentor is that if anything, I want to be an example or a (role) model for young women. I think of all the KU athletes who are greater in fame than me like Joan Wells, who went on to Lawrence High School and won 17 state championships in volleyball. She was one of the players who played when I coached and I always put her in the serving position because she was a steady, competitive person. She had a great influence as a captain on the team. At one time, I had three students I had in grad school who were coaching at the Division I level. People look at me as a mentor, but I look at them as the pros who went on after college.

Q: Do you go to a lot of KU sports during the school year?

A: Oh, I go to everything (laughs). I go to volleyball, basketball, soccer and softball. I try to sit up high enough in the stands so they don’t hear me coaching.

Q: Is that the coach in you who brings you back to these games?

A: Well, when you know the game and the strategies they’re using, you follow the players not even based on their numbers, but on the way they move. It’s the way you see the game as a coach and to get well-acquainted with them. It’s how you feel it, and you miss it when it’s not there.

Q: What are your thoughts on Rock Chalk Park?

Q:  Did you know anyone who was deaf before you decided to take that class?

A:  Before I took the class I didn’t know anyone who was deaf, but I have an uncle who is a sign language instructor. Before I got into that class, he and I never really communicated, but once I took that class we became a lot closer.

Q:  Did you ask your uncle for advice before you took the class?

A:  Yeah, when I was deciding, he was literally the first person I talked to. He was like, “Trust me, it might sound boring, but it’s a bigger community than what you know.”

Q:  In the class did you meet deaf people and converse with them?

A:  We had deaf guest speakers who would come in and bring an interpreter. We would try to communicate and we would learn different things from them.

Q: Have you used sign language since your classes?

A:  Yes. Right before the season started we (the KU football team) had a little event and a lady there happened to be deaf. I noticed her doing sign language and I ended up having a conversation with her while we were walking out. That was pretty cool.

Q:  You must still be fluent in it then, correct?

A:  It’s starting to fade on me now because I can’t really get into it as much. But once I start communicating with someone – you know how you have “slang”? – I kind of have my own slang with it. It’s a little off, but most people can still understand it.

Q:  Do you want to use sign language in a future career?

A:  Yeah, definitely. I was trying to get into some classes here, but the way they have it set up doesn’t really work into my schedule. But I’ve definitely been trying to keep in touch with it. I make sure I’m staying up to date when they come out with a new sign or something. It’s really popular, honestly more popular than I ever thought it would be, and the deaf community is growing.

Q:  How do you stay up to date with it?

A:  Sometimes I use Google. I also still talk to my uncle. Since I started sign language our relationship has grown, even though I don’t take the class anymore, he and I still communicate. We’ll get on FaceTime and sign back and forth with each other. That’s when I use it most right now. Other than that, I haven’t used it much. But when I talk to my uncle I make sure we’re communicating with sign language.

Q:  How does your uncle use his sign language?

A:  He is a professional interpreter. For example, if you go to any music event, he would be one of those people in the corner who signs and gets paid to do it.

Q:  Would you ever be interested in professional interpreting?

A:  Yeah, I would like to do it just to try and see if I could keep up. That’s the hardest part, just keeping up. Especially when someone is having a normal conversation in front of an audience in front of thousands of people, and you’re on the side trying to listen to what they’re saying and have it come out on your hands. I want to see if that’s a task I can accomplish.

Q:  How did you get started playing football?

A:  Growing up in Florida, football is a really big sport. It’s kind of like Texas, you know, they look at football as the state sport. When I was young, my mom just threw me into a bunch of different sports to see what I liked most. Football just kept my excitement throughout all these years.

Q: What makes you so passionate about football?

A:  One, it’s a stress reliever because you can get out there and just be free. You don’t have to worry about too much. Two, I like the excitement on big plays. Football is one of those sports where a big play doesn’t necessarily happen every play, but when it does it’s exciting.

Q: With your last name, was it natural for you to play defense?

A:  Pretty much. I played receiver and running back on offense first, but once I got into high school, I started to realize all the different opportunities on defense. So, I switched over to the defensive side and with my last name it just stuck.

Q:  At what point did you realize you would have the opportunity to play football at the collegiate level?

A:  Coming out of high school, I went to a junior college. That’s when I started to get my grades together and in the middle of the season I got an offer from Kansas.

Q: What made you choose Kansas?

A:  Kansas is a school that speaks for itself through the academics and the sports. So, I was like, “This has to be one of the best options, even if I don’t go on and play sports, I have a degree from Kansas that anybody can look at and be like, ‘Wow.’” Also, (throughout the recruiting process) my position coach, Kenny Perry, and I grew together and became close. I called Kansas “home” before I even got here.

Q: What is your favorite memory of playing football so far?

Q: What was it like growing up with your dad in another country?

A: My mom was the type of person that cared about our futures. She was the one who got me involved in sports. In my country, people don’t want to go to school, they just want to do alcohol, drugs, things like that. One of the first things my dad told my mom was to find some activity that would keep me busy the whole day. That’s why she (got me) involved in baseball. It was hard not having my dad around, every time I’d go to the games and see other kids with both of their parents it would make it harder.

Q: Was there anyone who filled the fatherly role for you?

A: My mom mostly did. I did have a coach when I started in baseball, I’m good friends with him now. He kept in contact with me and would ask how I was doing. It was pretty cool to have a coach in my life who supported me the whole way.

Q: Now that you’re in the U.S., the situation has flipped. When have you last seen your mother and older sister?

A: The last time I saw them was the summer of 2013 when I went on vacation. It was three years after I came to the States, so it was good to go back home and spend time with them. Now it’s hard to go back there because it’s pretty expensive to get tickets. I miss (my mom) because she was with me for the 15 years that I lived there. I’m kind of used to being away from one parent or another.

Q: How do you stay in contact with your family?

A: We use phone calls a lot on this thing called Magic Jack. That’s the easiest way to communicate.

Q: What was your experience with athletics growing up?

A: I started with baseball, then got out and went to soccer for like a month. It wasn’t my sport, so I stayed with baseball (starting) when I was five until now. I liked how kids got more involved with it, it was more fun. By the time I was eight, I got really involved in it. It was my dream to be in the Major Leagues.

Q: How is the baseball in Colombia?

A: It is organized. It’s pretty different in the U.S., because in Colombia we don’t have school teams. It’s pretty much a club that has every age. I stayed in my club from the point I started my baseball career until I came to the U.S. They have different tournaments, including the Little League.

Q: Did you do any international travel during your baseball career in Colombia?

A: My first international tournament was when I was 12 years old, we went to Venezuela. My second one was when I was 15 right before I came to the U.S. It was in Guatemala.

Q: Did you get a good sense that baseball would open different doors for you to take?

A: Yes, the last tournament I played with the Colombian team in Guatemala, I was one year away from being eligible to be drafted in Colombia. I was in an academy with the Tampa Bay Rays. I had a coach who coached me in a tournament team who was a scout with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He offered to help me go to the Dominican Republic and do workouts for a year until I was able to sign. I always knew (I wanted) to come to the U.S., because I wanted to be with my dad.

Q: What were the biggest differences between baseball in Colombia and the U.S.?

A: When I came to the U.S., it was very stressful because at that point I was ready to sign. I noticed that when I came here it wasn’t the same. You had to go to school to be able to play sports. I was upset because I had already graduated from high school in Colombia, so I had to go back to high school for four more years.

Q: During your first few months in the U.S., did you ever think you made the wrong choice and wanted to return to Colombia?

A: No, I knew the United States had so many opportunities to continue my education and baseball career. I think that was the best choice I made in my life.

Q: Where did the drive to be educated come from?

A: My dad was always strict about getting an education because he had an opportunity to go to college but he decided he didn’t want to study and quit. He’s seen all of these down points in his life where he didn’t have a good job because he didn’t have any education. He’s trying to drive me toward getting my degree so I can get a good job and support my family.

Q: What was your dad’s adjustment to the U.S. like?

A: When he first came, he was in the east coast for a little bit and then he noticed that it wasn’t the best economy down there. He decided to move to Oakland and then San Jose where he found a good job helping janitors find jobs.

Q: Your first stop out of high school was the University of San Francisco. How did you end up there?

A: I had a couple of offers, I took the University of San Francisco’s because it was close to home. I played there for a year on a full-ride (scholarship). My pitching coach at the time, he was the one who recruited me, was fired after I finished my freshman year. He was the guy who set everything up for me, including housing, so when I came back for my sophomore year they told me they didn’t have the money for me to pay for housing. I couldn’t afford it on my own because San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. I talked to the coaches and told them I couldn’t afford to stay, so I ended up leaving and going to West Valley Community College (in Saratoga, California).

Q: What were your goals at West Valley Community College?

A: It was something that happened in the moment. I had a tough season in San Francisco, my son was born during that season. Everything was hard because I had to support my son and girlfriend. After San Francisco, the best thing to do was to find a job. My dad was going to support me but he couldn’t provide all the support I needed. I talked to one of my good high school friends and he went to West Valley. He gave me the coach’s number and I called him and told him everything that happened. I told him I wanted to give it another try and hopefully get drafted after that year. He told me to go there and they’d help me, so that’s why I went to West Valley.

Q: How did you feel about your lone season at West Valley?

A: I think I did well. We didn’t have the best defense and offense, but I was happy with what I did to help the team. When I had visited Kansas, I was told by a Cleveland Indians scout that there was a chance I could get drafted in the 30-37th rounds. I decided to give it another chance and come to Kansas.

Q: How did Coach Price find you?

A: The first time he saw me was the Arizona Fall Classic at the start of my senior year in high school. I had a lot of scouts looking at me and he thought I would get drafted out of high school, which is why he didn’t contact me at that point. After the year ended he got in contact with my West Valley coach and came down and saw me pitch. I was also talking to Oklahoma but I felt Coach Price was a good man and coach. I trusted everything that he said to me and decided to come here.

Q: This past summer you worked at a Tesla plant.  How did that come about?

A: I got the job right after I was done with school. I worked for about two months at Tesla. It was good pay, $17 an hour for 12 hours a day. It wasn’t the best thing to experience but money-wise it was a good thing for me.

Q: How did you find out about that opportunity?

A: My dad had a friend at work who sent an email and I looked in to it. It was an agency that was finding workers to work for Tesla, so I went and talked to them then I went for an interview and got the job. I was working in the battery packing line. I was at the end of the line making sure everything was working well before they sent it to the leak section. It was very cool.

Q: Did you know anything about Tesla before you started?

A: I had no idea (about the company) when I started, but after working for the company I learned more things about the company.

Q: Do your teammates think it’s cool that you worked at Telsa?

A: Oh yeah they think it’s cool. Even one of my teachers this semester thinks it’s cool.

Q: How has the transition been from California to Kansas?

A: It’s a small town and it’s nice. Everything is quiet. The weather it’s… you know (laughs), it changes all the time so you don’t know what to expect on a daily basis but it’s been fine at this point.

Q: Have the other California guys helped you transition?

A: They’ve been great, they’ve been here two or three years and they all know the process. That helps because they tell me how things go here.

Q: How has your son, Jaden, changed you?

A: He’s the person who always gets me up and keeps me going at school and doing all of my business stuff. I just want to give him the best future and things I didn’t have, like having both of his parents together. I need to do my business, finish school and give him a better life.

Q: There’s a saying that to be a good baseball player you have to be able to forget the last play – to have a short-term memory. Being a normal college student who only goes to school and plays baseball that might be tough. Does Jaden help you forget that and comeback with a fresh mind?

A: Yeah, this year hasn’t been (as good) as I was hoping. Anytime I have a bad outing, I keep working hard and every time I go home, I talk with my girlfriend and she’s supported me the whole way and that’s kept me in the game this whole season.

Q: How has having your girlfriend, Armairany, move across five states with you helped?

A: It’s the best, she’s the best person to have by my side because she’s supported me through California and left family behind.

Q: When did you meet Amairany?

Q: Do you still play golf? A: “Yeah, I played in a couple of tournaments during the summer in high school, but I always play for fun.” Q: What’s your handicap? A: “I’m about a 1.” Q: What is the track & field history like at Pius X High School? A: “Coach (George) O’Boyle has been the coach of everybody. He is still coaching, he’s 76 maybe? He’s been there forever. We’ve all gone there.” Q: Do you ever think about how your family is full of track stars? A: “Yeah, we’ve talked about it. My mom has the speed, my dad was a basketball player. We got all the speed from my mom.” Q: Was it competitive within your household? A: “Yeah, we broke PJ’s 4x4 record -- it was 3:21. He held it for 16 years and we broke it by five seconds my freshman year at 3:16. It was nice. He was there, all of my siblings were there throughout high school. PJ and his wife and kids lived five minutes away from us in Lincoln. Tara lives in Lincoln and Danny lives in Omaha.” Q: Was it tough being so much younger? A: “I definitely got a lot of experience.” Q: Did you feel like there were expectation put on you because of your older siblings? A: “Yeah, being the last child and going to Pius, I wanted to be the best I possibly could, leave a good legacy.” Q: Did you feel the pressure from Coach O’Boyle? A: “At times, but he’s a great coach.” Q: When did you get your own identity? A: “(My) Freshman year when we won the 4x8 and ran really fast in the 4x4.”

Q: When you broke the record? A: “Yeah, that was the No. 2 time ever (run) in Nebraska. The team that beat us, we got second to at state, but we beat them at districts. And we would’ve had the fastest time any other year, but it was just that year. After that, I kind of felt like, ‘Yeah, I can do this.’” Q: So going back to the competition among the Grosserode family … A: “I can beat them all at golf. When I was in fourth or fifth grade, Nebraska used to open their indoor track, they don’t (do) anymore, but we went and had a race – me, PJ and Danny. PJ was still in pretty good shape, he was maybe 29, 30 and Danny was still in college and I was in fourth or fifth grade. Danny ended up winning. He didn’t run track, but he won.” Q: Touching on your brother, Matt … A: “I had just turned six years old. It was August 6, 2003. He played football at Iowa State and that was after his junior year. He actually wasn’t going to play his senior year. He had been hurt, he was done, and he was just going to go to school. He was driving down a one-way street and a lady ran a stop sign, so he swerved to miss her and a big moving truck, like a U-Haul, hit him head on. He died at the hospital.” Q: Do you have a lot of memories with him? A: “Not a ton, a few. But not a lot. I’ve seen videos, I’ve heard stories.” Q: How important is that to you? A: “All of his friends from Iowa State, we still stay in touch. I’ve heard stories. I don’t remember this, but he would take me in to the locker room after wins and they’d throw me around.” Q: How did he get in to football? A: “He was always a big, tough guy. He was my height (5-10) but like 230, 240 pounds.” Q: So he wasn’t the running type? A: “No. He threw the shot put and he made it to state in shot put. But he was a two-time state champ in football and he played fullback at Iowa State.”

Q: So when did you have the opportunity to start working at University of Kansas athletics events on the bench crew?

A: Those opportunities started because of my husband, Robbie. At the time, he was working for internal audit and was doing some audits in athletics. At the time, they needed a sub for the men’s JV (junior varsity) team back when they used to have JV teams.  He started on the men’s crew back then. Mark Turgeon was the JV head coach, so this was back in the early 1990s. Robbie then started to also work on the women’s bench crew and when he did that I started substituting on the women’s crew and eventually on the men’s crew.  Robbie also worked the on the “chain gang” for football and an opportunity came up to run the play clock for football.  He recommended that I do it because I love sports, but I love warmth too so this would get me out of the weather. I started doing the play clock at that time as well.

Q: Do you remember when you became a full-time member of all three crews instead of a sub?

A: Wow, I don’t really remember when that was. It just evolved. With football, I started working with the Big 12 in the early 2000s.  There was a situation that arose in a Big Ten football game where a home clock operator disadvantaged a visiting team (2001 Michigan vs. Michigan State football game, also known as Clockgate). (After that season), the Big Ten took over game operations and started using former referees (to run the clock). The Big 12 followed suit and brought in former officials to run the game clock and I was still running the play clock.  Then they decided they wanted to run the play clock as well, so (the Big 12) invited us to become independent contractors and I have been doing that since 2008. Then in 2010 or 2011, I was moved to game clock and that’s what I do.

Q: Working football and men’s and women’s basketball have you ever considered the number of games you have worked?

A: Oh my gosh, and I am one of the youngsters on the crew. No, I have not thought about that.

Q: Tell us how you were given the opportunity to run the game clock for the 2017 College Football Playoff Championship Game?

A: Walt Anderson, who is an NFL official, is the supervisor of the Big 12 officials. We obviously work with the Big 12 officiating crews. I was in Hobby Lobby looking for Christmas ornaments and my phone rings and it says “Walt Anderson.” Ten thousand things run through my head.  He said, “Madi, (you) had a pretty good season this year.”  I said, “Yeah, thank you for the opportunity to work Big 12 football games.” He followed with, “Well, the Big 12 was chosen to officiate the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Normally, the facility that hosts the game supplies a clock operator, but this year the Big 12 was asked to bring their own clock operator. I would like to check with you to see if you would be interested in that.” I said, “Of course I would, that would be great.” He said, “Well, I didn’t know about your schedule, so I wanted to make sure.” I said, “I don’t even have to look at my schedule – I’m going.” That’s how that went.

Q: This isn’t your first postseason experience is it?

A: No. The KU men’s crew used to do the postseason men’s games at Kemper (Arena).  The women’s crew also did a women’s Final Four at Kemper. And I also did the Big 12 Championship Games.

Q: That being said, where does the opportunity to work the College Football Playoff Championship Game rank for you?

A: This is probably the pinnacle. It will probably never happen again. It was totally out of the blue and totally unexpected. It is a rare and wonderful opportunity.

Q: Did you ever think that the journey you started back in the early 1990s would lead to this?

A: I have KU to thank for that, because KU gave me the opportunity to become a play clock operator. (Thinking back), I had a colleague tell me that when the crew I was going to be working with was first told I was going to be the new play clock operator at KU their reaction was, “A woman?” So, I’m glad that they gave me the opportunity and accepted me. I would also (like to thank) the Big 12 for allowing me to do this too, because back in the day when officials would come we would have to go meet with them before (the game). I would be the only one outside the locker room and (I would) knock on the door, the door would open and (the officials) would look out, see me, and close the door because I was not what they expected. I had to bite my tongue a lot (early in my career), because the officials would ask, “Have you done this before?”  I so wanted to say, “I can’t wait to see a home run hit” or something facetious like that. (For me), it has always been about doing your job and doing it well. It is more comfortable then.

Q: Are there any nerves heading into the big game?

A: It is kind of a “Hoosiers” movie-type moment. Because, this is the national championship game. The biggest stage. The field is the same size, the officials are the same, the rules are the same, so I just have to remind myself of that. Put it into context that way.

Q: What is the recurring nightmare of a game-clock operator?

A: That I will make a mistake and the officials will have to announce it and the clock will have to be reset because of an error I made. Sometimes other things happen that aren’t my fault where they reset the game clock, but my recurring nightmare is that I would make multiple errors in that vein.

Q: Since this story is being printed after the game, we will know if we did not hear that announcement during the game that you knocked it out of the park right?

A: Yes. I have to be there for my team, who are the field officials.

Q: Any more, there is so much at stake with the college game – they aren’t just games, do you think about that at all?

A: If I take care of my job, and focus, I don’t have to worry about that other stuff.

Q: Are there any regrets about getting involved in the bench crew?  

A: I have so much fun doing this, my only regret is that I don’t get to see KU football games. I obviously cannot work KU football games because I’m a graduate, I work here and I donate. I get to work one nonconference game at the beginning of the season. This year my off weekends were when KU football was out of town. That is my only regret, because I want to support our team – especially now, so that is my only regret.

Q: Who would have thought that watching sports with your dad would have led to this?

Q: So did you have a hoop at your house to shoot, or was it just dribbling?

A: I was just dribbling the ball. I didn’t have a basketball goal. We lived in apartments and there wasn’t like a community court out there.

Q: How were you exposed to basketball before that to know how to handle the ball and dribble between your legs?

A: My dad played (NBA) 2K a lot with his friends and we would see (games) on TV. I would watch North Carolina, Tennessee and LSU when they had Seimone Augustus. North Carolina was with Ivory Latta and other good players, and I looked up to Ivory Latta when I was starting to get involved in the game. I really got into watching the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and really dug deep into it. That is really when I started to love this game.

Q: How did your game evolve considering when you started you were “tall,” despite your 5-foot-4 stature now?

A: I was a post (with a big smile). Eventually, I stopped growing and other girls started to pass me up and then I had to learn the point guard position. I have to say, the first time I played it I hated it. I actually cried because I turned the ball over so much since I wasn’t used to it. But, again, after the game I talked to my dad and we agreed we were going to work at it and fix some things. It was just a way to broaden my game and make it more fun. I got to play both posts at one point in my life and the guard spots.

Q: When you were playing post, you were back to the basket and everything?

A: (Laughing). Yes, back to the basket. Mostly drop step and go up, at that point it wasn’t that disciplined.

Q: What were the workouts like with your dad?

A: My dad, before I even went out and picked up the ball, my dad was a football coach.  So he worked with kids around the Kansas City metro area who didn’t have families or that much support. After he realized he had an athlete of his own, he decided to invest his time in his daughter. In the beginning, it was just me and my dad (for the training). He would try to do everything he could. He would pay people to work me out if he wasn’t in town. He would cut stumps off of trees and they would be like two and half feet high and I would jump on that to work on my vertical. I would jump rope. I had the dribble goggles where I couldn’t see. We would be in the garage when we moved into our house and he would turn off the lights even though I had the goggles on and I couldn’t see anyway. I would just stay in there and dribble for like 10 minutes straight, just working on ball handling. It was pretty intense for a young girl, but I got through it and it paid off.

Q: Being a football coach, how did your dad know what drills and techniques to do to help you with the game of basketball?

A: I have a whole bunch of DVDs that my dad bought. Then once I started playing on teams, those parents would lend my dad videos that helped their daughters. He would want to watch them with me, but I would be stubborn and say, “But dad, I want to go outside and play.” Once I sat down and watched it with him I knew it was quality time with my dad and I knew it was something he enjoyed.  After a while, I began to enjoy it too and I wouldn’t even care about going outside anymore.

Q: Not only did those workouts with your dad help your game, but have you noticed the effect on your work ethic?

A: Definitely. Every time I go to practice I think about my dad. My dad and I had this thing we did before every game that we used to do.  It was kind of like a pump-up sesh (session). Before I would go out and warm up with the team, my dad and I would dap fists with each other. And then he would go, ‘Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready to get down?’ And I would say, ‘yeah, I’m ready to get down.’ Then he would ask, ‘Are you ready to get down, Timeka?’ I would answer, ‘Yes, I’m ready to get down Daddy.’ Then he would close with, ‘Well, go out there and play your game. We can beat these girls. You’re going to play good.’ We did a lot of that and it pumped me up for the game.

Q: You mentioned you were an only child, so you had a lot of attention?

A: (Laughing) Yes, I did. I’m actually the only child and the only granddaughter, so I definitely got a lot of attention. There was a lot of time and effort put into me. All the money and the travel. It was definitely fun. I got everything I wanted.

Q: Do you have regrets at all that you never had a sibling?

A: People ask that a lot. At first, I did. But, I had a lot of cousins. We have a big family. That just kind of substituted for not having a brother or sister. I had a lot of cousins spending the night, as we always had sleepovers.

Q: Going back to basketball, your high school career came to an end and what were your plans to continue your education and playing career?

A: I was definitely hoping to (play) Division I (basketball) right from high school, but I had some setbacks. That was my dream. That was my goal. I had a really good high school career, especially my senior year. My (recruiting) letters were hidden from me. My coach hid them from me. That set back a lot of opportunities for me because colleges would send questionnaires and if I don’t get those, I can’t reply and let them know that I am interested. So colleges thought I wasn’t interested, but that was not the case. That was a real frustrating point in my life, because I felt like I was stuck because a lot of my teammates had committed to colleges and I was sitting back thinking, ‘What am I going to do?’  I did have options like going far away, as Pepperdine was still interested in me, but I wasn’t ready to leave home. (During that time), Johnson County Community College gave me a call and they had been coming to all of my games. I had never heard of it and I wasn’t looking at it as a positive. At the end of the day, (going to JCCC) was probably the best decision I ever made. I learned a lot more than I thought I knew.

Q: What did you learn about yourself at Johnson County CC?

A: Life, basketball, all of that. I had a really, really good relationship with my coach, something I did not have in high school. I also learned that I wasn’t just playing for my teammates, I was also playing for my coach. That made it a lot more fun. I was playing point guard and I learned a lot more. I learned to facilitate the court, to look up the court. My vision was good. I just felt comfortable and relaxed. Also getting my grades (up) and being more aware of what I needed to get done. Plus, I was close to home so my family could come watch me play.

Q: While at JCCC, Kansas starts recruiting you. What was that process like and how did you end up at KU?

A: (Former assistant coach) Mahogany Green came to one of my games when I was playing at Johnson County. It was one of our final games and I still wasn’t sure where I was going to go. I guess I really had a good game that day, because you don’t really know who in the crowd is watching – that’s the beauty of it. I had just had a conversation with my mom and grandparents and they were saying. ‘This is almost it and we have really enjoyed watching you play.’ They still wanted to watch me play and were dropping hints that they didn’t want me to go far and then one of them said, ‘Wouldn’t it be awesome if you went to Kansas?’ I said, ‘Yeah, that would be nice.’ Two days later, I got a call from my coach at Johnson County and he said, ‘Okay, Meek, don’t freak out, but you got a call from Kansas.’ I said, ‘Are you serious?’ I hung up the phone and went and told my papa and then I started tearing up because things were finally working out and falling into place. It was always a dream to play (in the) Big 12.

Q: Walk us through your signing day, what was that day like?

A: Signing day was very special. It was sad too, because I was leaving a coach (Ben Conrad) I really cared about. My dad was there right by my side as I was signing. All the girls on the team who were signing were all lined up. I just remember when I had the paper in front of me and the pen in my hand, I looked at my dad and he just smiled.  I knew he was happy and satisfied. I looked at my mom and everyone else and I started to tear up and then I signed.

Q: Things were really happening for you, but then a couple of months before you start your career at Kansas, your life changed on May 27. What happened?

A: (When I was) growing up my dad lived right across the street from my grandparents. My dad worked early in the morning and most days when he had to work, I would sleep at my grandparents’ house. (This particular night) I spent the night with my dad and I don’t regret that I did. I was in my room (in the middle of the night) and it started getting really, really hot in there – it was like an angel. I had the window open and everything, but it wasn’t hot outside, it was cold outside. I had the fan on, but it was really hot.  I felt uncomfortable so I left my room and I felt like God telling me to get up and go stay with my dad. So, I went and stayed with him and slept with him that night. That next morning, all I heard was my dad talking on the phone about how he was going to go to work earlier. It was weird because I woke up, went downstairs and saw him, then I just kept following him throughout the house. He would go in the kitchen. I would go in the kitchen. He would go in the living room. I would go in the living room. Eventually he went back upstairs and I stayed downstairs and was about to fall back asleep. Then my dad started calling my name, ‘Timeka! Timeka! Timeka!’ I started getting up, but I was tired and moving slow. I wasn’t thinking anything (could be wrong). I start walking up the stairs, taking my time, and I see him lying on the floor. He had been working out before he went to work and had a heart attack. He said, “Meek it’s going to be okay, just call 911.’ I was getting nervous and I called 911.  Then I called my grandpa across the street and he came over.  My dad just kept saying he couldn’t breathe. Nothing was hurting, he said he just couldn’t breathe. Then he said something I will never forget, my dad said, ‘Lord, forgive me for my sins’ and he just kept repeating that. From that point on, I knew he wasn’t going to make because it just felt so surreal. After the ambulance came and got him, we got called by the doctor at the hospital and everyone was there: my grandparents, my mom, our pastor, and they said that they couldn’t get his heart working again. I lost a big chunk of my life and just threw everything (in that room). You would have thought a tornado had hit it. I was in disbelief that it had happened and to see my grandmother; my dad was her only child, and my mom; they were divorced but talking about getting back together, in that much pain. It just sucked.

Q: You had just lost your father, but you still had to get some things done at Johnson County before you come to KU. How did you stay focused?

A: I wasn’t even thinking about classes at that point. My grandpa, especially, is big on education and is always saying, ‘Meek, you have to get your degree and you can do anything you want to do in life.’ A lot of people were afraid I wasn’t going to be able to get it done.  But, I became really strong for my dad, I became really strong for my family, my mom and my grandparents. I knew my dad wanted me to go to Kansas and kept picturing his face smiling at me at my signing day. I didn’t want to disappoint him and I felt like I was obligated to get it done and finish it out. And I did, I finished with a 3.5 (grade-point average).

Q: You arrive at Kansas, but suffer a season-ending knee injury at the start of the season and then at the end of the year the team got a new head coach. How did you handle that year with the loss of your dad, your first major injury and a coaching change?

A: I didn’t even get hurt in a game, it was at a practice. As far as physically hurting, that was the worse feeling ever. I went into deep, deep depression after that. I had so many bad things happening at that time and I was like, ‘God, what else can you throw at me? I can’t take anymore at this point.’  I started to get really down on myself and I wasn’t talking to anybody. I was holding it all in because the only person I ever really talked to was my dad. I would talk to my mom, occasionally, but it wouldn’t be on that level. I would stay in my room and I had thoughts of suicide. I wanted to do all that because I felt like everything bad was happening and it wasn’t what I had planned.  But it didn’t stay that way. After a while, Ann (Wallace) our (athletic) trainer was helping me with my rehab. I had to look deep inside myself and see what I could do to make this year better, even though I wasn’t playing. I still had a purpose for the team and I could still be positive and a good teammate. I started writing a lot. Writing all my thoughts out and writing prayers to keep a positive vibe around me. I was tired of being so negative. I can’t even tell you how supportive Ann was through that process, because she knew … she knew that I had lost my dad and she knew what I was going through. During my rehab, Ann had her baby and Addie, she was like a rehab baby for me. She was like a little weight and she kept me happy. It wasn’t a boring rehab … it was uplifting.

Q: What is your relationship with Ann and Addie now?

A: Addie is a big girl now.  She doesn’t really talk to me that much (laughing). But that is still my girl though. I’m really close with Ann still.  Ann is a really, really good person.

Q: How cool is that for Addie, that she helped change a life before she could even talk?

A: Exactly. Exactly. Having a baby around you is like, ‘Ohhhh.’ It warms your heart. She definitely had an impact on my life.

Q: What was it like to finally get to put on that Kansas uniform, thinking about all the work it took to get there?

Q: How has that affected your relationship with him?

A: Looking back on it, I really liked it. I like to thank my dad a lot for pushing me to always stay motivated to run. It’s gotten me somewhere.

Q: You grew up in a big family (five siblings), what was that like?

A: Yes, I did.  When we were younger there were a lot of us in the house.  We had a small house with one bathroom, so that was the tough part about it. I liked having a big family. You always got to hang out with somebody at the house.

Q: Having such a large family, are you all really close?

A: Oh, yeah. (With a smile) Oh, yeah.

Q: Your older sister, Devanee, has been in the U.S. Air Force for four years as a staff sergeant. How has that been for you and your family having someone in your family on duty?

A: My grandpa on my mom’s side was in the Air Force too. I’m not sure for how long, but I think that kind of influenced my sister to go into the Air Force. She has travelled to a lot of places. She’s been in South Korea, Italy and was in Afghanistan for six months.

Q: How was that experience for your family, while she was stationed over in Afghanistan?

A: It was a little scary, worrying about how my sister is going to do every day. Is she okay? You hear about how situations happen over there.

Q: You have a pair of brothers, Chace and Jaiven, who are also avid runners. You are obviously from a running family. When did you know that cross country and track and field was the sport for you?

A: I would say about second grade. There was a running club in our small town and my dad got me in there. I liked it. It was pretty fun.

Q: You grew up in New Town, North Dakota which is located on the Fort Berthold Reservation. What was it like growing up there?

A: It is something unique I guess, but it’s not really different. I don’t know how to put it into words. There are a lot more people around me now (at KU, than where I grew up). I don’t know a lot of people here. At home, you pretty much knew everybody. I guess it’s the same for anyone who is from a small town. On the reservation, it is like family to everybody.

Q: How big is New Town?

A: I would say about 1,500. It’s a small place. My graduating class was 28.

Q: How was that transition for you coming from a class of 28, to a university of 22,000?

A: It was intimidating at first, through the first week of college. I just had to stick it out, because I knew something good was going to come out of it.

Q: Some of the goals you have mentioned for after graduation from KU is to be able to help young Native American athletes to achieve their goals. Can you talk about that?

A: I would like to go back to (New Town) and start out as a coach and coach other runners. Then I would like to start some sort of organization where, with enough money, we can help fund kids to be able to go to college to participate in sport. I just want to get the word out that, “Hey, you guys can do it too.”

Q: You are a member of several indigenous tribes, what is the breakdown on your family?

A: On my dad’s side, he is Mandan and Hidatsa and my mom is Apache and Pueblo.

Q: Were you aware of the strong Native American community in Lawrence with Haskell University in town, before arriving at Kansas?

A: Last year, I tried to see if there were any pow wows going on and I was able to find a couple. But, growing up, I was always around the culture. My little brother danced and we would almost go to pow wows every weekend in the summer.

Q: Now that you are here at KU, have you been able to bring that culture with you?

A: I went to the pow wow that KU held and brought a couple of my friends from my dorm with. They had never really seen anything like that. I wanted them to see what it was like, because I think it is pretty cool.

Q: Isn’t that really one of the great things about college, all these different backgrounds and walks of life coming together to learn and share?

A: Yes, indeed. I’ve had people ask me about what it is like being on the reservation and they are being serious when they ask me, “Do you still live in tepees or do you still have to hunt?” I thought they were joking around, but they were serious. I want them to know how it is and how it has changed.

Q: How did you get involved with Kansas track and field/cross country?

A: I was in school last year, but I didn’t make the team.  So I spent the year training and training so I could go to tryouts this year. I let coach (Michael Whittlesey) know that I was still training and I guess a spot opened up. I got the spot.

Q: When you got the news, what was that like for you?

A: I was so happy when I found out. It was like the greatest feeling ever.

Q: Not being a scholarship student-athlete, why did someone from North Dakota decide to come to Kansas?

A: I watched a movie called “Running Brave.” Have you heard about it?  With Billy Mills. I watched that when I was a young kid and that movie got me fired up to come run here. I watched it when I was in third or fourth grade. I watched it over 20 times. It’s a good movie. I always had the goal to come to (the University of Kansas).

Q: How did it feel to step foot on campus for the first time, knowing it was a goal for so long?

A: It was crazy. Thinking about it and how I got here. It’s a big school.

Q: That’s awesome. Have you ever had the chance to meet Billy or talk to him?

A: I did, but he probably won’t remember me. There was a race here in Lawrence, I think, junior nationals for cross country, (where he was at). He also came to my reservation too, at a pow wow. That was pretty cool to see him again. I look up to him.

Q: What is it like running out at Rim Rock Farm with the Billy Mills silhouette there?