Rams remember—from 1950 to 2021
From the Classes of 1950 to 2021, Rams share their favorite memories of being a Cornell student-athlete.
The 1950s
Richard Small ’50
I went to a huge high school of more than 4,000 students. You had to be very good to make any team, which of course I did not. When I got to Cornell I decided that the only way I could get a letter was to be a manager, so I managed the cross country team. At the end of the season, Paul Scott ’29 invited me to join the wrestling team. I had never seen a wrestling match. In any event, Scotty would send the second string to the Midwest Conference. I went in ’49 and won at 165 lbs.
Merle Gaber ’57
I played on the 1955 conference basketball championship team. We lost only one game that year. Coach Gil Wilson was my mentor as I was all-conference and leading conference scorer for the 1956 and 1957 seasons. Scored 44 points at Knox in 1056. I had 16 for 25 and 12 free throws. Sad to say but most of those stats are not listed in the alumni athletic records for Cornell. I have a dear classmate who has kept a journal of our glory years. They joyfully remain as wonderful years and happy memories for me. I also remember our outstanding wrestling teams who were so excellent. They wrestled Division I schools and defeated most. They were always conference champions. Again fond memories. I would be remiss if I did not mention the many new friends I came to know as an athlete and as a Cornellian. Those were four precious years for me!
Ken McKinley ’57
Although I have lots of memories of sports in the 1950s, none are as vivid as the football game where the late Bob Funston ’55, probably the toughest football lineman or wrestler to ever participate in Cornell athletics, was hit in the face by an opponent and suffered a partially broken tooth after which he went to the sideline to obtain a pair of pliers, pulled the remainder of the tooth out, and returned to the game. None of our players were surprised by this feat since we knew the passion that Bob played every play in every game.
The 1960s
Keith “Turp” North ’60
I think it was the 1958 season. We were playing Monmouth, and our team had set up the perfect punt return play. The wall was in place. Bob Hilmer ’62 was motoring down the sideline behind the wall headed for the goal line when, out of nowhere, he was tackled! Come to find out a Monmouth player on the sidelines could not control himself, came off the bench, and made the tackle. This whole situation was published in the next issue of Sports Illustrated! My guess is Cornell College has only been in that publication twice—once as the 1947 NCAA Wrestling Champions and that play in 1958.
Another fond memory was at Knox College. The Rams had held Knox from scoring and we had the ball on their one-yard line. We called a fullback up the middle play in the huddle. Hall of famer in three sports George Phelps ’60 took the handoff and rambled those 99 yards for a Ram touchdown. That record of a touchdown from scrimmage still stands today!
My basketball memory is playing one year with the team that went on to be in the final four of D-III in 1960! That team had outstanding players and was well coached by Paul Maaske.
Track was a special experience for me as we were conference champions two of the four years. Several teammates from that team are in the Hall of Fame. Nationally recognized sprinter Ron Altenberg ’61, George Phelps ’60, and Dale Martin ’59 are three members that come to mind but there are more. In conclusion my athletic experience while attending Cornell College was as Richard Small ’50 so perfectly states it and I quote, “my years at Cornell were life changing.”
Bob Slater ’60
Baseball at Cornell was a comfort zone for me since I’d played in the Chicago Park League and high school. Fortunately, at Cornell it also served as a momentary break from hitting the books. Cornell teammates shared their experiences and coaches improved your skills. Repetition, competition, win/lose, etc. matures you along the way. There’s the obvious incentive and pride you feel in representing your college. So my thanks to Cornell, teammates, and Coaches Pflasterer and Maaske for your commitment and guidance. The wool uni’s were a bit much and the baseball infield behind the Field House had a few bad bounces, the outfield, a pothole or two. Baseball skills led later in life to tennis with wife Dixie Krantz Slater ’64 and fam. All good. The memories and relationships stay with you.
Lee Swanson ’60
Jim Dutcher and Lowell Reed ’46 sat in my mother’s living room and convinced me to go to Cornell and what was better yet is they convinced my mother that they would take care of me and offered enough grants and aid to make it possible, as we were quite poor. I never saw the school before the first day in September when an aunt and uncle dropped me off there. Our football team had an untied, undefeated, almost unscored upon season at Elgin (Illinois) High School. I had an opportunity to go to Northwestern on a scholarship but Mom said that school was for rich people and we didn’t fit and the University of Illinois was too big. I worked three meals a day at Bowman Hall and made some extra money selling milk and juice etc. at the dorm. I also got paid for doing work on the track. I made first team my sophomore year (freshmen weren’t eligible) and the rest is history. I was married my senior year and lived in the barracks. Football, wrestling, and track were all big sports at Cornell at the time. George Phelps ’60, Ron Altenberg ’61, Fred Wright ’62, Bill Robison ’60, and a number of other outstanding athletes were there at the same time. Son Mike Swanson ’83 went there as well and played football and got his degree.
Coach Pflasterer took me duck hunting on the Cedar River with his labrador retriever and I have had a lab ever since.
Bob Miller ’62
Playing football at Cornell over 50 years ago was easily the highlight of my college experience. Not only the thrill of the championships we won but the lifetime friendships I made all remain with me to this day. Maybe most important were the life lessons I learned from the hard work, discipline, and determination required to play football; they contributed significantly to my successful career as a lawyer.
Doug Kirkpatrick ’65
Without a doubt my favorite athletic experience was when our 1965 swim team won Cornell’s first conference swimming championship, and additionally had an undefeated season winning the prized Dilly The Duck award. We were coached by Bill Pflasterer and he was so intent on our team achieving success that we had swim practices seven days a week a month before the Conference Championship. I was the only senior on the team and also captain by default due to my seniority. However, with all the talented underclassman swimmers, they went on to win the Conference Swim Championship for two more years in 1966 and 1967. I continue to enjoy seeing these swimmates at our reunions on campus every five years.
Steve Miller ’65
This a really tough one for me because of all the experiences I have had as both a player and a coach with the Rams. I cannot pick one, or even two or three that stand out over the rest, but I’ll give it a try. My most cherished memories are the wonderful coaches I played for and worked with (Clark, Bremner, Maaske, and Pflasterer) and the shared experiences I had with all of the great young men I had the pleasure to coach (too many to name).
From a contest standpoint, as a player the second half comeback at Ripon to win the football championship in ’64 and winning our final two games at Knox and Monmouth in basketball in ’65 to win the basketball championship were so memorable. From a coaches’ standpoint the swimming championships in ’67 and ’69 were special, as was taking the Rams to their first conference championship playoff, even though we lost to St Olaf. Our big win at Coe 37-21 in ’92 followed by beating Beloit the next week to finish the year 10-0 was a great thrill for everyone, even though we were left out of the NCAA football playoffs. Our win over Ripon in the UNI Dome in ’95 ranks right up there as one of our best football years also. Also the 1993 golf championship, hosted by Ripon, was Cornell’s second title in 50 years and 25 years after the 1968 championship team. Those guys were a pretty special group and both teams had reunions in 2018 and Ruth (Keefe Miller ’66) and I hosted them and they played a match against each other. Interestingly, the older guys won.
Whenever you try to put together a list like this, I am always afraid of omitting someone, or some group and I can only say that actually some of my most meaningful experiences occurred on the practice fields with athletes who were not always our best players, but expressed their appreciation for just being a part of our great Ram tradition. I will forever cherish being a part of the lives of these young men in some small way.
Tom Herbert ’66
I have several vivid memories from my four years of running cross country and track at Cornell. I would guess that #1 would be Bill Pflasterer, our cross country coach. I still have a photo of him above my computer. He was not a “hands-on” coach. Instead he would tell us what our workout would be and then turn us loose while he went on to coach the backfield of the football team. It was the confidence he had in us to do all of the work that impressed me the most. That, and his willingness to drill out the blood blister that would always appear in one toe on one of my feet. He would heat up a needle, put the non-sharp end in a pencil eraser, and then drill down through the toenail until he hit the blood blister. He did this many times during my four years.
Another vivid memory is Arland Christ-Janer, then the college president, coming down to the locker room after one race to tell us what good job we had done. I also learned a lot about myself by running long distance. What I learned was that I could push myself further than I thought I could. This became the motto of ROPE, a modified Outward Bound class I taught for 25 years—Plus Est En Vous (More is in You). A final recollection (and I could go on and on) is of my teammates on our cross country team my senior year. There were three Toms: Jarom ’66, Mueller ’66, and me. Dave Newell ’68, Komei Go Kure ’68, Art Reis ’68, and Bob Blake ’66, and some others whose names escape me. We were a good group. I felt like we were a real team.
Phil Gibbs ’66
Winning Dilly The Duck (given for best team record) and first conference championship in swimming.
Tom Jarom ’66
When I came to Cornell in the fall of 1962, I did not advertise that I ran cross country and track in high school. I had decided that in my first semester at Cornell I would concentrate on my studies. By November I knew I could handle the course load and I was ready to get back to running. So I ventured down to the indoor track which was located directly below the basketball court. It consisted of 22 laps to the mile and was severely banked, so much so that if you ran too low on the curves your shoulders would hit the cement pillars holding up the basketball court! It was there that I first met Coach Bill Pflasterer, who would become one of the two most important people in my Cornell life. The other was my academic advisor and mentor, Dr. Eric Kollman.
As our track team was in small numbers I did quadruple duty. I ran the 440, the 880, the mile relay, and high-jumped. The next fall I went out for cross country at which I was mediocre at best. But each year I improved my times. It was not until my senior year that I started to win races in both cross country and track. The highlight of my cross country career at Cornell was on Parents’ Weekend. In the 1960s cross country races were held at Ash Park during the football games.
The four-minute races started approximately two minutes before halftime of the football game at the 50-yard line and would proceed around Ash Park four times, each lap crossing the 50-yard line and the race ending up there. My parents were able to make it to Cornell for this race. For the first time ever, I led the race after the first, second, and third miles. I was beaten by two runners from Carlton, but I was the No. 1 runner for Cornell for the first time in my life. I would finish first for Cornell the rest of the cross country season.
What I remember most of my senior track season was the last practice leading up to the MWC Championship Track Meet at Grinnell in June 1966. My best friend on the track team, David Newell ’68, and I had a special practice on a very hot Sunday before the meet later that week. Coach Pflasterer surprised us by having us run 10 consecutive quarter-miles in 60 seconds each with only 60 seconds rest between laps. David and I successfully met Coach Pflasterer’s challenge. The following Saturday at Grinnell, my last day as an athlete for Cornell, I ran the three fastest times of my life. I ran the quarter mile race in 50.6 seconds. I ran the half-mile race in 1:55.2 minutes. And I anchored the mile relay in 49.0 seconds. I credit my improvement solely to Coach Pflasterer’s terrific coaching style and his ability to press the right buttons to get the best out of yourself. Coach was always supportive and his sense of humor always put you in a great frame of mind to do your best. I attribute whatever leadership skills I have in large part to what I learned running track and cross country. Coach Pflasterer was a great role model for whom I will be forever indebted.
Norm Mills ’66
I started my college and football career at Dartmouth College playing for Bob Blackman who became the head coach at the University of Illinois. I was set to transfer to Northwestern when they changed coaches and withdrew my scholarship so I came to Cornell to play with three high school friends. My transfer papers were not filed correctly so the conference said I was not eligible for my final year. On appeal Coe had the deciding vote and the year before had voted me the player they least wanted to play against. Not eligible! The athletic department either felt sorry for me or needed a coach so I became the head freshman coach for football, basketball, and baseball. For football one of my professors was the assistant coach. So I think I was the lowest paid head coach in Cornell history. Room and board! All worked well and I have enjoyed a spectacular life as a pediatric dentist.
Tom Shillinglaw ’67
Basketball road trip ’64–’65 (with Cornell’s white station wagons, of course) to Northfield, Minnesota (home of Carleton and St. Olaf). Our hotel was in nearby Faribault, Minnesota. It was so cold that every couple of hours throughout that Friday night Coaches Maaske and Clark (alternating) would go out to start both station wagons—the jumper cables (from the station wagons) had been attached to each station wagon’s batteries and plugged into outlets in the coach’s hotel rooms (they had singles, the players were two to a room). Both of them were (as I recall) a bit cranky (uncharacteristically so) the following morning.
Jim Wallace ’68
During my years, we had only four football coaches on staff at a time with all four being elected to the Hall of Fame: Jerry Clark, Paul Maaske, Bill Pflasterer, and Barron Bremner, with Hall of Famer Steve Miller ’65 replacing Coach Pflasterer. Great mentorship from all. A couple of unique remembrances are Barron’s four-hour “story” with no plot or ending, which he told to the entire bus from front to back via walkie-talkie during a road trip to Northfield, Minnesota. This was in the pre-DVD era when no other “entertainment” was available. Another unique remembrance was a spring break baseball trip to Arizona as a senior when everyone individually car pooled and then camped in Coach Miller’s parents’ backyard with the next day’s pitcher getting to sleep in a bed. Both of these are things that I’m sure current athletes will no longer have the opportunity to experience.
The 1970s
Andy Applebee ’71
At the start of the swimming season, we were picked to finish fifth in the conference. The team was small in numbers, only eight swimmers and two divers competed at the conference meet, but we were a tight, dedicated group and had totally bought into Coach Steve Miller’s philosophy—winning is a whole lot better than losing. The night before the conference meet we shaved our heads. It wasn’t planned, in fact, Coach Miller described it as something like “a spontaneous act of hyped-up contagious lunacy.” After all, this wasn’t the NCAAs or the Olympics; Division III kids competing at this level just didn’t do that kind of thing. But something extraordinary happened the next day. Every time a bald swimmer got up on the blocks, he finished ahead of where he was seeded. Time and again our swimmers overachieved. When it was all over, Cornell outdistanced the field to claim the conference championship. Team Captain Tom Ames ’69 summed up our performance on the ride home, “Of course we were going to win; we deserved it. Plus, who would shave their head and come back to campus and say we finished 5th?”
David Howard ’71
In the fall of 1970 the NCAA trapshoot was held at the University of Iowa. I got permission from Athletic Director Paul Maaske to put together a five-man team to represent Cornell. I recruited four friends who had done some pheasant hunting but had very little experience with trapshooting. We looked very different shooting next to the Air Force team in their impressive uniforms and using the highest quality shotguns. We had a great experience. I expect that was the only time Cornell was represented in the NCAA trapshoot.
Coe vs. Cornell is the oldest football rivalry west of the Mississippi River. On October 25, 1970, Coe’s field was wet and muddy. I kicked a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter to lead 3-0. That remained the score until the last minute of play when we took a deliberate safety and then defended to win 3-2! An unusual score, but a great win.
Alan Rohrer ’71
I played basketball under Coach Paul Maaske. A great coach with a winning personality. I enjoyed every practice and the time I got to talk to and work with Coach Maaske. Fond memories. That said, probably my most vivid sports-related recollection was a football game (Coach Jerry Clark) during my senior year when I was acting as sports information director (SID). That year we traveled to Coe to take on the Kohawks on their home field. It was a rainy blustery day and even from my vantage point in the press box, you could see the field was a mud pit. Neither team could get anything going. Passes went awry because of the wind and runners were hindered by the slick mud. Even with all of that, the Rams were able to get a field goal and were able to hold the lead at 3-0 until deep into the 4th quarter. With around two minutes left, the Rams were stuck (literally) back around their own 10-yard line … 4th and too many. So with the clock running the Rams went into punt formation to try and punt the ball out of there. So we thought. But Coach Clark had a different idea—the snap, the punter caught the ball, and calmly waltzed back into the end zone and took a safety making the score 3-2. As you would expect, after the free kick from the 20-yard line, the clock ran out and Cornell was able to go back to Mount Vernon with a “solid” 3-2 win over Coe.
Back then the SID was not a full time job. As a senior I was no longer playing basketball (got married and lived off campus). I had done some photo work for the administration and when the job came up, they asked me if I would consider it. I did some reporting and stats work for the teams. I was the liaison with the local Cedar Rapids and Des Moines radio and newspapers, feeding them stats and game highlights. I did photos as there was a darkroom in the building. I also traveled to most games, mostly driving to cover the main sports of football and basketball. It was a different world back then.
Kim Luther ’72
Both my brother Pat Luther ’71 and I wrestled for Barron Bremner while at Cornell. For those who didn’t know Barron he was one of those people you rarely meet who was bigger than life itself. Barron was himself a heavyweight wrestler for the University of Iowa and a tackle on Iowa’s football team during his collegiate career. I will always remember that big warm smile and those huge hands. For those on the team who did not have a lot of extra cash, Barron was always willing to accommodate us by shaving our heads (and I mean that literally) when he decided it was time. If you were to ask any of my grandchildren today “What’s the difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut” they’d tell you “three weeks.” That’s the phrase Barron would always employ after he was finished. Barron was much more than simply a coach; he was a friend. I have never forgotten his words of encouragement. During my sophomore year Hofstra University’s wrestling team was touring the Midwest and we wrestled them the night after they’d wrestled Iowa State. I wrestled at the 142 weight class. Dan Gable from Iowa State had broken the ankle of Hofstra’s ’42 pounder the night before. As a result I wrestled one of the extra wrestlers Hofstra brought along. I won the match. When I came off the mat Barron shook my hand and challenged me by saying … “You’re better than you think you are.” Barron was a mentor to me on life and how it should be lived. During my lifetime I have had only a handful of people who I believe have had a profound influence on my life. Barron was one of those people.
Todd Ririe ’73
I remember when Coach Masonholder had Ted Van Dorn ’73 and I make up the schedule for our dual track meet with Coe, who had the best team in the conference that year. Ted and I put together a schedule that had their best runners in events that were back to back in a couple of races. When Coe Coach Fizz saw the schedule, I remember him telling Coach Masonholder it was some type of crazy schedule, and Coach Masonholder said, “I wouldn’t screw you, Fizz.” We ended up with a very close team score, but Coe did win the dual meet.
Dennis Goettsch ’76
During my freshman year, my good friend Dave Welter ’76 and I were on the sideline in a game against Monmouth College. That particular year they were huge—as big as many teams in the Big 10. On a running play toward our sideline, our 5-foot-8-inch running back got tackled very hard—so hard, in fact, his mouthpiece came flying out of his mouth. Dave points and shouts, “They knocked out his teeth!” I still laugh when I think about it some 45 years later.
In my senior year our final football game was vs. Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. They were 8-0 and we were 6-2. The night before the game Coach Jerry Clark informed me our first play on offense the next day was going to be a play action pass where after faking to the running back the QB would throw to the TE (me) on a deep route straight down the middle. Not only had we not run this play all year, but the next day was also going to be my 22nd birthday. True to his word our first play in the game was the aforementioned pass which went for an 86-yd touchdown. Not only that it set a school record at the time for the longest touchdown pass in school history. Most importantly we won the game by 3 points and gave Appleton their only loss for the year.
During our senior baseball season we were playing our final home game, a double header vs. Grinnell College. It was memorable for me because I hit a home run in each of the two games. That in and of itself doesn’t sound so extraordinary, however what made it remarkable was these were the first two home runs I had hit since I was 12 years old! Even more remarkable, it was the last time my parents, who watched well over 200 of my baseball games over the years, would see me play. Needless to say I felt quite blessed.
Dave Welter ’76
I have been very blessed in my educational career knowing both the frustration as well as the satisfaction of working with young people. My time at Cornell provided me with a world class education as I pursued a double major in U.S. and World History and Health and PE. It also provided me with a fantastic athletic experience while competing in both football and baseball for the Rams. My instructors and coaches at Cornell had a profound impact on me. Instructors such as William Heywood and Rev. Thomas, coaches such as John Paulsen, Merle Masonholder, and Jerry Clark all embedded in me not only a solid work ethic, perseverance, knowledge, and skills, but also the value and importance of relationships that have helped carry me through the years. My instructors and coaches at Cornell helped influence my lifelong motto: “Be ready because you may be the difference in someone’s life at any moment of the day.” I have tried my best to be there for my family, friends, students, and staff over the years just as my instructors and coaches at Cornell have been for me.
John Lohnes ’77
At swim meets there were always a significant number of participants that were studying between events. Truly student athletes. When the pool heater went out and the water temp was in the low 60s for over a week, the workouts—which usually would be 7,000-10,000 yards and a couple of hours in length—came down to a bunch of 50-yard sprints over about an hour max, usually less.
Steve Dean ’79
I played football from 1975 to ’78. The a.m. practice was early. It was humid and the grass was always wet, and we had to get down on the ground and warm up. Coach Merle Masonholder would say, isn’t it great to be alive? I just wanted to be back in bed, but it was a wonderful time at Cornell.
Dean Riesen ’79
For a couple of years (1978 and 1979), we sort of had a Cornell rugby team, its name was the Eastern Iowa Rugby Club. We practiced at Cornell and Cornell provided at least half of the players. Many of the players were football players. I was the captain; I had played rugby as an exchange student in Perth, Australia. We played a game inside the Anamosa prison as one of our players was the physical education director at the prison and we won the ‘B’ state rugby tournament one of the years.
The 1980s
Jim Moran ’81
My freshman year Coach Clark telling everyone to go easy on the Gatorade in the locker room at halftime against Iowa Wesleyan: “Men, we’re gonna send Coach Maaske down to the Piggly Wiggly to get some more … just go easy on it until he gets back.” We all looked at each other and about died laughing! Welcome to big-time college football!
Pam Nelson Seebach ’81
What I remember most about Cornell athletics can be summed up in one word: Opportunity. When I arrived at Cornell, I had played basketball, but in Iowa where we played half-court, 6-on-6. I was a defensive player in high school, so had never practiced shooting. Still, I was allowed to play on Cornell’s team and learned so much. Then, I was encouraged to join the track team. I had never participated in track before (and I still wasn’t very good), but it was a great experience. I remember running hills—again and again—then doing “LSA”—long slow distance. That was my favorite part of practice. Just the opportunity to run with other women, mile after mile. Participating in these two sports was a wonderful counterpoint to the classroom/homework area, and to my job with Saga Food Service. New people, new experiences, great memories. Thanks, Cornell!
Bill Keyser ’82
First and foremost whenever talking about Cornell athletics, it will always be about Barron Bremner for me. He was the primary reason I heard of Cornell, visited it for a summer wrestling tournament, and eventually enrolled. There are way too many stories to tell in this forum, many of which were shared at his memorial service, and some we wrestlers still keep close to our hearts, to list. He recruited an almost entirely new team when he moved back to Cornell from Coe in the fall of 1978. Our standing legacy is that we only won the conference wrestling tournament three of our four years, losing to Coe our junior year by 3/4 of a point. Coach had a couple of priorities and they were to bring back the Purple Pride (most uniforms had actually migrated to blue during his move to Cedar Rapids), instill his drive and values through team sportsmanship, even in an individual sport like wrestling, and have fun while doing it. Lastly, he was also my counselor and advisor, and ensured that I maintained my grades by practicing good study habits that I still utilize today, crucial in the early days of the One Course At A Time format.
Tom O’Kane ’82
What I remember most are my teammates. Being at a school the size of Cornell, I was able to play alongside some of my best friends, most of which are still friends to this day. We were able to have a little success along the way, but those road trips were the best! Great guys and great times!
Richard Carranza ’83
If you want to report on something good, it would be the combination of Jake Remes ’80, John Ward ’83, and Matt Dillon ’81. That was some of the greatest passing and catching that I have ever seen, back in 1979. Offense was directed by coach Ash. We should have won the conference that year.
Darren Hurt ’83
Being a part of a team that cared more about each other than themselves, 1979–1982 football teams with Head Coach Jerry Clark.
Mike “Bubba” Byrne ’89
What sticks out the most to me of my time at Cornell is the tremendous lifelong friendships I was able to forge through competing together and against one another in Ram football. From coaches to players, I now have lifelong friendships all across the United States. The satisfaction in giving your individual best to achieve team success is very gratifying and Cornell College allowed me the opportunity!
David J. McCammant ’84
I remember Coach Paul Maaske continuing to coach basketball my senior year in 1984, even after he was undergoing cancer treatments. Sometimes he showed up to practice wearing overalls and could only sit in the bleachers. He was very inspirational and showed incredible dedication to Cornell and his team.
Jay Helgren ’85
While I only attended one year, I played basketball and golf and really enjoyed my time in Cornell athletics. I totally remember our golf team picking up bag lunches from Saga before piling into the Cornell athletic department station wagon and driving ourselves to the course for daily afternoon practice. I doubt it would be that easy today!
Fred Holtz ’86
One of the memories that really sticks out for me on the swim team was the van rides to meets on Saturday mornings. The school had a couple extra-long Dodge vans and since we only had one coach, a student would typically drive one. Many times that was me. Swim season is in the middle of winter and on Saturday mornings driving through Iowa, Illinois, or Wisconsin, the roads were almost always empty and everything looked grey, even if the sun was out. The members of the swim team were made of people from all of the social groups and we did not typically hang out together outside of the pool. Therefore, the conversations inside the vans were often about getting to know each other better—one of the advantages of a small school. I can recall several times that someone in the back of the van would ask me to turn the volume up on the radio because their favorite song was on and then only a few seconds later, about the time it takes to pop open a beer can, later tell me to turn it back down. In the book “The Dream Team of 1947,” about the Cornell wrestling team, there were many references to the team’s International Harvester van with holes in the floor that they used to drive about the country. I was certainly able to relate to that.
Charles Boone ’88
I shared this story in my Commencement speech, and it remains one of my favorite memories: During our senior year, that fall we beat Coe in football 26-21. The next day, in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Bob Hilton’s summary of the game said that while Coe seemed to have all the advantages that day, Cornell had “an indomitable will to prevail.” That line stuck with me because I thought it was then, and remains today, an apt description of our class.
The 1990s
Jeff Lloyd ’99
I have so many great memories from Cornell football (winning a Conference Championship in my freshman year for starters), that it is tough to come up with one memory. I think it comes down to the cliché of comradery. Cornell football really helped me feel a part of something. When I came to Cornell I was able to connect right away to a lot of great teammates and coaches that had a lot of things in common with me and helped me fit in right away. The upperclassmen on the football team that year were amazing at taking us all in and setting high expectations (Barron R.B. Bremner ’96, Andy Reed ’96, Tim Lovell ’97, Mike Tressel ’96, Greg Kubert ’96, Health Allard ’96, Andy Ehresman ’96, to name a few). Along with Coach Steve Miller ’65, they built a culture of winning, but also respect and discipline. Some of those friendships remain today, despite only playing two years of football at Cornell, a decision I still regret to this day.
The 2000s
Lori Parks ’00
During softball team early spring practice 1997 (I think) we built a giant snowman in order to clear the field so we could practice!
Michael Burke ’01
There are so many things that I remember about my time playing football on the Hilltop. I think the biggest thing I always recall every August is the time spent with all of my teammates and coaches. Three-a-day practices, the humidity, the long hours, the soreness but also the lifelong relationships that were forged in the hot Iowa sun. So many of those relationships have continued 20-years plus. It doesn’t matter how long it has been since I have seen an old teammate, we pick right back up where we left off. There is something to be said about the “brotherhood” and “sisterhood” of college athletes regardless of division we played. So many skills I developed during my time at Cornell were a direct result of my time being a student-athlete. The wisdom instilled in me by coaches like Steve Miller ’65, Bob Thurness, Ray Reasland, Jim Wallace ’68, Tim Lovell ’97, and on and on. I learned not only how to be a better student of the game but also how to be a better human, husband, father and friend. I always reflect on the fact that my life would have not been as rich had I not been recruited by Coach Miller to go to Cornell, met some of my closest friends, mentors, professors, and my wife. I am eternally grateful that football brought people like Dick Peters, Christine McOmber Penn-Goetsch, Doug Hanson, Gayle Luck, John Harp, and Eddie Moore ’89 into my life. In short this is what I will always remember most about my time as an athlete at Cornell. Sure the wins and losses were important but not as important as the people I met because of Cornell football that made me the leader I am today.
Dale Biser ’02
I remember the family. Being a three-sport (football, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field) athlete all four years at Cornell, I spent a lot of time in the Sport Center. From the coaching staff to office staff to functional staff to the student-athletes, it always felt like a family that was constantly striving to get better. We all pushed each other all the time. Working out in the weight room or in the Field House, it was very common for other people from all different sports giving encouragement to others as we tried to make the Ram Family better as a whole. Many, many shouts of “Go Rams!” flew around that building from one sport to another. When you add the local community to the mix, it gets even better. People from Mount Vernon using the sports center just added some great encouragement. Being a lifeguard on the early morning shift allowed me to meet many people others didn’t know, and yet it still felt like family. Getting the new weight room as an upperclassman was pretty excellent as well. That was a great change, adding the feeling that we athletes were worth the investment. We worked hard in that space and it showed! I’m excited to see the whole building get renovated now.
Sarah Leavenworth ’04
The easy answer to what I most remember about Rams athletics is winning the conference championship in women’s tennis my freshman year. On a much deeper level, however, I still think about to this day the incredible women I was lucky enough to call my teammates; a truly dedicated coach in Fred Burke ’70; packing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for road matches; gritting teeth through sprints while Fred blasted “Raw Hide”; getting to represent Cornell proudly as part of a winning team.
The 2010s
Andy Harter ’13
I remember having some great experiences traveling with the track team down in Florida and Georgia. It was a welcome respite to my studies. Also I got all-conference in the 4×400 my sophomore year. Good times were had! We got to visit Emory University near Atlanta and competed at their beautiful facility and visited Tampa to compete in a track meet at USF where I got my PRs in the 400 and the 200M races and witnessed some world class D1 sprinters. Also, I got to meet the Olympian Tyson Gay at the Olympic training facility in Orlando during that trip.
Camille Marie ’13
Looking back on my time at Cornell as a basketball player, the things that stand out most are my experiences with my teammates, who quickly became family members. It is an amazing privilege to have such a unique, shared experience with people sharing the same goals and spending so much time together! Our bond off the court ultimately enhanced our chemistry on the court, which culminated in an extraordinary season and run in the NCAA tournament my senior year (2013). Your triumphs feel so much greater when you’ve worked together with your best friends to accomplish them. In addition to the lasting friendships with my “Ramily,” Coach Brent Brase ’90 has always been a wonderful mentor, both on and off the court. The values he instills in his team and the environment he creates are truly special. He is still an important friend and mentor in my life to this day!
Kat Schilling ’13
Reflecting on my four years at Cornell, the involvement of basketball made my college experience truly unforgettable. What is most memorable is the incredible cohesion we had as a team. The team chemistry was fun and lighthearted, but it also had many moments of hard work and discipline. Having these strong women as teammates helped me gain confidence and grow as a friend, student, and athlete. With strong team chemistry and relationships being built, I was comfortable to extend myself by joining a sorority and involving myself in as many on campus activities as possible. Although the Cornell athletic experience enriched my on-campus involvement, what was truly remarkable was the off-campus connections I made. Through Coach Brent Brase ’90, we were heavily involved in the youth community of Mount Vernon. It was through this outreach that I realized how important team chemistry and connections are. Seeing the impact our team had in the community empowered me to go into education at Cornell. I am confident in saying that the Cornell athletic experience and the cohesion of our team created from Coach Brase, set me up for success in a multitude of ways and for that I am endlessly grateful.
The 2020s
George Pewu Ziama ’20
You know what’s crazy, it’s not even the [football & lacrosse] games I remember; they’re all a blur. It’s the early morning and late night bus rides you remember. From singing Bus Karaoke and hearing guys trying to sing at the top of their lungs, to trying to feed Coach Z [Zierten] bananas when he’s asleep. Or the tough games when it’s so silent you can hear a pin drop and multiple guys saying sorry to one another wishing they could’ve done this or that. Or the locker room where a person you have never met before becomes your lifelong friend. Those are the times I remember because in the end the game is temporary but these relationships I made with my brothers will last a lifetime. I would never have that if I never decided to live on the Hilltop.
John Marsh ’21
I apologize for the profanity but here is the unfiltered story, the way I think it should be told.
I had a great high school wrestling career with very few losses, so starting my freshman year of college going 2-12 was kind of a shock. On top of that I tore my labrum and had to undergo surgery (the entire second half of my sophomore season I competed with that torn shoulder, yes it was excruciating). And to add insult to injury my coach, Mike Duroe, passed away the summer before my sophomore year after a gruesome battle with cancer my whole team witnessed. I came into my sophomore year ready to bounce back and could not get my feet underneath me so to speak. I claimed it was my shoulder but really it was my mentality that caused me to start my season going 0-6. After losing out of the first day at a tournament for one of the first times in my life, I had a complete breakdown. This tournament was in Florida and following our return to the team hotel, I took off alone to the beach without telling anyone. I wasn’t gone for two minutes before the head assistant coach at the time Kenny Anderson chased after me. I had become very close with Kenny during my time at Cornell so naturally he seemed to feel as devastated as I was (even though I didn’t see it that way). I was in the process of sending a text to my coach and my parents telling them I’m quitting the sport I had been competing in since I was 8 years old. I likely would have had Kenny not spoken to me.
The conversation started off with him taking my mind off of the results of the day, a seemingly impossible task considering the dark place my head was in. What he brought up was a movie he and I had watched that I claimed was my favorite, “Pulp Fiction.” What the conversation transitioned to was one of the character’s wallet, specifically what was written on it: Bad Mother F****r. Or as he referred to it, BMF. He started to tell me about his own experience with injuries and how in his mind the only thing that helped him was to not care about the result, just be a BMF on the mat. It was such a simple thing to think during a match, but it made all the difference.
I had fallen into a consolation bracket the next day of the tournament that was single elimination, and to win that bracket you needed to win five matches. Before my first match of the day Kenny paced around me repeating BMF, BMF, BMF. I won the match by technical fall, (essentially a win by mercy rule because of a 15-point deficit). The next four matches Kenny repeated the ritual. I went 5-0 on the day, more than double the wins of my college career at that point in a day. In fact prior to that day I was 2-21 in college. In my career following I went 42-20, a record I’m proud of, including an undefeated senior season up to the quarterfinals at the national tournament.
The rest of the time Kenny was at Cornell, he was always in my corner, and before each match he reminded me to be a BMF. To us this was to not care about the result, wrestle as hard as you can, make your opponent so tired they never want to face you again, and win or lose keep your head high because you’re the toughest man in the arena.
My junior year I got a phone call and heard that Kenny had passed away. That night I was talking to my Dad on the phone and told him this story. As a way of remembering Kenny, my Dad bought me a replica wallet from the movie with BMF written on it. I carry this wallet around with me 100% of the time. Occasionally I’ll get a question or comment like, “Bad Mother F****r huh?” Or, “Why do you have that?” To which I reply, “Because I’m a bad mother f****r!”
There are lots of great things I remember about athletics at Cornell, however, that moment on the beach is what defined the rest of my career and me as a man today. Rest in peace Kenny, my brother for life, we all miss you, I know the baddest MF of them all is looking down proud.
