ALUMNI C CLUB NEWSLETTER March 2020 GREETINGS FROM C CLUB EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MESSAGE FROM C CLUB PRESIDENT – – KIMBIRLY ORR ANDREW VAN ESSEN As we share the latest First & foremost I would information about our alumni like to say how honored I am and student-athletes, we are to be given the opportunity to cognizant of the unique times lead the Alumni C Club and we are living in right now. The continue my contribution to Alumni C Club is following Colorado Athletics. I am very protocol established by CU, excited to be working with our NCAA and the PAC-12 new Executive Director, currently. While many events Kimbirly Orr, to improve and will be cancelled or postponed, your letterwinner’s create a sustainable club for all letterwinners to enjoy. By association will continue to engage and build being a dues paying member you can be a part of shaping membership. During my short time as Executive Director the C Clubs’ legacy and motto of “Athletes Helping I’ve enjoyed meeting many members at sports events, Athletes”. We are continuously listening to all your and truly enjoy learning about your passion for the C feedback, and as a result are planning to boost our Club. These conversations are driving my actions to communication through an email newsletter. For those increase volunteer service opportunities and engage as who don’t know much about me, I was fortunate to have many members as possible. Thank you for the time an outstanding academic and athletic career during my you’ve spent with me thus far. My office is always open, awesome time at CU. I came from Pomona High School as is my phone line, for new ideas and thoughts. My goal and walked-on to the Cheerleading team. Serving on the is to build the best letterwinner club in the country and board gave me an opportunity to give back to the your help is invited and appreciated. My office is in the University for the amazing opportunity they provided me. Champions Center, 5th Floor - 520D. Let’s talk: 303-492- I know my experiences have shaped who I am, and as a 0622 or by email at [email protected]. result, I am proud to help lead the Alumni C Club. ALUMNI C CLUB NEWSLETTER March 2020 WOMEN’S LACROSSE BANQUET The Buff Club is working through CU soccer’s donors and alumnae to raise money for lights. Night games are currently not possible as Prentup Field does not have lights, thus CU cannot be scheduled for night Kimbirly Orr, C Club Executive Director, was invited games. Everyone is working toward this goal which is a to attend the Women’s Lacrosse banquet and got to game-changer for the program! For more info or if you meet the newest alumnae from this exuberant team! would like to contribute, please contact Casey Gibson at Coach Whidden and her staff produced an engaging [email protected]. event which was packed with current student athletes, alumnae and parents. This is a close group of athletes and 1969 LIBERTY BOWL FOOTBALL TEAM REUNION letterwinners. It was great to see 1st-time letterwinners Continuing the theme receive their jackets – with the senior student-athletes of fall reunions, CU Athletics insisting the traditional wearing of your 1st letter to be hosted the 25th Anniversary of carried on! the 1969 Liberty Bowl. This team stormed into the deep south, breaking color barriers in 1969 whilst beating Alabama 47-33! In September, we saw an amazing gathering of men from all over the country. Special thanks to Ron Scott, John Emmerling, and Eric Harris for meeting with CU staff to ensure our outreach was broad. Following the banquet, alumnae of the Women’s The team enjoyed several events including the Lacrosse program worked together to raise $2,500 for a Annual Living Legends induction dinner, a luncheon, and sound system in their locker room, as well as other a lot of discussion and memories about the game itself. needed commodities. This group of dynamic women The attendees were welcomed to a special luncheon by honored their Coach, Ann Elliott Whidden, with a plaque the CU Football Head Coach, and CU Athletics Director to commemorate this occasion. Rick George. It was a special time for all WOMEN’S SOCCER ALUMNAE WEEKEND evidenced by the When the Women’s Soccer Alumnae get together, feedback and thank you it’s a non-stop activity of reunion, family and fun. This notes we’ve received. It spirited group gathered on Prentup Field for a pre-game was an honor to tailgate and viewing of our current women’s soccer welcome and serve each team’s match vs. Oregon State. of you! ALUMNI C CLUB NEWSLETTER March 2020 LIVING LEGENDS DINNER CU ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME The University of Colorado defines a living legend Congrats to the 10 members of the 2019 CU Athletics Hall of Fame class who were inducted on as one who earned their 1st varsity letter 50 years ago. On November 7th: Gary Barnett, Jenny (Barringer) Simpson, October 3rd, CU welcomed back 21 men who earned their Brian Cabral, Fred Folsom, Bruce Gamble, Barry Helton, first “C” in 1969. Ed Pudlik, Dan Reese, Jana (Rehemaa) Weinberger and Jane Wahl. Special note: Try as we did to find all potential recipients, we want to encourage everyone to keep their data updated through this link: https://cubuffs.com/sb_output.aspx?form=5. We can’t invite you to reunions, Living Legends, Hall of Fame or any event if we don’t know how to reach you. As your letterwinner association, we want you to stay in touch with us. The returned mail from our Living Legends outreach was staggering. If you know someone who says they don’t hear from the Alumni C Club, chances are we don’t know where they are. Feel free to share this link, or this newsletter, with CU alumni you stay in touch with on HONORARY C RECIPIENTS a regular basis. Congrats to our 10 Honorary C Recipients of 2020: Bruce & Marcy Benson, Yvonne DiStefano, Chuck Brega, Roy Edwards, Jamie Guy, Ryan Newman, Dan Riley, Tom Smith and Bill Taylor; who were all honored during the CU Vs. Washington Basketball game on January 25th. ALUMNI C CLUB NEWSLETTER March 2020 SOX WALSETH ERA HONORED AT REUNION By: Neill Woelk, CUBuffs.com The Walseth era is the sixth to be honored, joining former Buffs coaches Bill Blair, Tom Apke, Tom Miller, Joe Dozens of players Harrington and Ricardo Patton. "Sox's name is on the representing three decades court, he's in the (CU Sports) Hall of Fame," Boyle said. at Colorado gathered for the "He's the best to coach here and they always say save the Russell "Sox" Walseth best for last." reunion in Boulder as the era of CU's all-time Boyle is now second on CU's all-time win list with a winningest men's basketball 201-126 record. He welcomed the Walseth-era Buffs at a coach was recognized. Saturday (1-11) morning practice, introduced them to the current team and then hosted a luncheon for both Walseth, whose name groups. is emblazoned on the CU Events Center court, coached at CU for 20 years (1956-76), where he compiled a 261-245 record while playing in one of the nation's toughest conferences (Big Seven/Big Eight). In an era when only the regular season conference champions earned NCAA Tournament berths, Walseth won three Big Eight regular season titles (1961-62, '62-63 and '68-69), took his teams to three NCAA Tournaments, and was named the Big Eight Coach of the Year five times. Walseth also coached the CU women's team from Walseth no doubt had a big impact on CU's 1980-83, compiling a 77-21 record that included a perfect basketball tradition, but many of his players also 43-0 record at home in his tenure. mentioned the effect he had on them long after their playing careers were over. The annual reunions were started by current CU head coach Tad Boyle, who greatly values the Colorado "Sox taught more than basketball," said Ken program's tradition. It has been a point of emphasis Charlton, a two-time all-conference player from the 1962 throughout his 10-year tenure, and each year CU hosts a and '63 conference champions and NCAA Tournament reunion for former players. The reunions are open to all teams. "He taught us about families. We watched his kids Buffs, but each year, a coach from the past and players grow up and we saw how he treated them and how from that specific era are recognized. important family was. Those were the types of things that helped anybody who played for Sox. He had values that were important. Some of the kids that came here didn't come from great backgrounds, and that kind of environment was very valuable for them. Those kinds of things stuck with you for life. You learned how to live your life, and that's what Sox taught us along with basketball." Reunion attendees were celebrated at a Saturday (1-11) night reception in Boulder, and were recognized at the Colorado-Utah game at the Events Center on January 12th. ALUMNI C CLUB NEWSLETTER March 2020 MEN’S BASKETBALL FOOTBALL The team had some great wins The team ended the regular including defeating Nebraska & season at 21-10 and tied for fifth in the Arizona State when they were ranked, Pac-12 at 10-8.