It’s a great day to be a Baylor Bear! As I reflect on the progress of Baylor Football this season, I am reminded of a quote from former “B” Association President Rick Hawkins who once told me, “When the momentum is going in your direction, do everything within your power to keep it.” Two weeks ago, the Bears captured the momentum and achieved something very important – a Homecoming victory over Oklahoma State, which advanced them to five wins AND one win away from a potential Bowl game invitation. Although the team came up short in Ames last Saturday, the momentum is still in favor of the Bears going into this weekend’s contest against TCU.
General Douglas MacArthur once said, “There is no security on this earth; there is only opportunity.” As letterwinners, there are three enormous opportunities that await us at McLane Stadium on Saturday. Of course, we can’t join the players on the field and participate in the battle against the Horn Frogs, but we can play an important role in getting a win. We have the opportunity to fill the stadium, get loud, and cheer the Bears on to a victory. That’s our challenge. Let’s do it!
Football isn’t the only sports program well on the road to success this fall. Coach Ryan McGuyre and Baylor Volleyball are currently 18-7 overall and 10-4 in conference play. The team has won their last six Big 12 matches. Also, nine players from their team were named to the 2018 Academic All-Big 12 Team. Baylor Soccer is currently ranked 11th nationally, boasting an 18-5-0 season record. The Big 12 Champion Lady Bears rolled through the opening round of the NCAA Soccer Championship tournament with an impressive 2-0 victory over ACU last week in Waco. Entering the tournament as a No. 2 national seed, the Lady Bears maintained their perfect record at home in 2018, improving their program record home standing to 11-0. In Cross Country, Baylor finished in seventh place as a team in the women’s 6,000-meter race, and the men’s team finished 20th in the 10,000-meter race at the 2018 NCAA South Central Region Championship.
Finally, I want to mention something about our amazing “B” Association members. The more time I spend around this special family of letterwinners, the more impressed I am with their passion, commitment and genuine love for Baylor University, our sports programs, and our current students. Recently, I had the opportunity to witness that passion and commitment from several former athletes who returned to campus to volunteer their time to help others. Baylor letterwinners Todd Harbour, Mike Ford, LaKadron Ivery, Cody Carlson, Andrew Melontree, Joe Johnson, Sune Agbuke, Dr. Robert Anderson, Katie Staiger, Jennifer Washington, Ken Buckley, Mike Johnson, Jeff Cunningham, Chen-Wen Lee, and JJ Joe all volunteered to prepare student-athletes for life after college (Bears in the Workforce career event) and feed elementary children in the Waco community (Breakfast with the Bears). Of all the great things, often unseen, Baylor letterwinners do every single day, these efforts warmed my heart.
Proud to be a Baylor Bear,
Walter Abercrombie
Executive Director, Baylor “B” Association
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