Remember

January 27, 2001 is not a date that I remembered specifically, until I attended grad school at Oklahoma State University. Even though I wasn't yet part of the OSU family at the time of this horrible tragedy, I am now and I will remember the ten who lost their lives that day in Colorado from the men's basketball team. Then the unthinkable happened, it happened again and even though I had already graduated I do remember this day. November 17, 2011, when the women's basketball team lost 4 of their own and again the entire OSU family shed tears.

This was supposed to be a day of Super Bowl revelry in this college town, with the only worry being whether stores would run out of popcorn, beer and peanuts.

Instead, the mood Sunday was as cold and dreary as the rain soaking the streets following the crash of a small airplane bringing people home from Oklahoma State's basketball game against Colorado.

"It's like a part of the school died," said Justin Battista, a freshman walking in the rain toward Sunday morning Mass.

Ten people were killed in Saturday's crash in a field 40 miles east of Denver, including two reserve basketball players and six staffers and broadcasters. The pilot and co-pilot also were killed.

 excerpt Jennifer Brown
Associated Press Writer

Kendall Durfey

Bjorn Fahlstrom

Nathan Fleming 

William Hancock III

Daniel Lawson  

Brian Luinstra

Denver Mills

Pat Noyes

William Tietgens 

 Jared Weibert

Oklahoma State, 10 months removed from commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the deaths of 10 men affiliated with its men's basketball program, was again struck with its "worst nightmare" Friday after learning women's coach Kurt Budke and assistant Miranda Serna died in a plane crash a day earlier.

Their plane went down in Perry County, Ark., also killing the pilot -- 82-year-old former Oklahoma state Sen. Olin Branstetter -- and his wife, Paula. There were no survivors.

"This is our worst nightmare. The entire OSU family is very close, very close indeed," OSU president Burns Hargis said at a news conference Friday. "To lose anyone, especially these two individuals who are incredible life forces in our family, it is worse beyond words.

excerpt ESPN

Kurt Budke

Miranda Serna

Paula Branstetter

Olin Branstetter

Last year Kelsey and I finished the Remember the Ten Memorial 10K held in Stillwater, OK. It was an amazing event and I am honored to be part of it. For more information on the runs click here.

 Forever Orange