David Lynn among OC Hall of Fame honorees

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Six top athletes, past and present, from across the United States and Australia are to be inducted into the Oklahoma Christian University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Five alumni, Rhein Gibson of men’s golf, Matt Clark of men’s soccer, Eric Wiens of men’s basketball and track and field, Amy Vanderpool of softball, Luke Anderson of men’s track and field, and Head Men’s Golf Coach David Lynn will be inducted at the Jan. 24 dinner.

ESPN college football analyst Chris Spielman will speak at the dinner.

A mixture of Oklahoma Christian athletic department administrators, current university coaches and faculty and staff members, who are not a part of the athletic department, chose the inductees.

Lynn has been a men’s golf coach for 13 years, and serves as the director of golf at Oklahoma Christian.

“Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is very flattering,” Lynn said. “I hold the coaches and athletes in the Hall of Fame in very high regard, and it’s an honor to be given the chance to join them. It feels very satisfying to be recognized for all of my efforts trying to have high-quality golf teams at OC for the past 13 years.”

Lynn states his biggest accomplishment as the head coach is the expectation of success set. As a head coach of any sport, Lynn said, he believes it is very difficult to be consistently good year in and year out.

“Our 15 straight seasons of top-four finishes in national tournaments, including three national championships and five runners-up, has set the bar very high,” Lynn said. “I am very proud of our consistency through the years and our ability to overcome all kinds of obstacles and still be successful.”

According to Lynn his first year as head coach, when the Eagles finished third at the national tournament, stands as his favorite memory.

“Nobody expected a high finish from our team; we had never been ranked inside the top 15 and had never finished high at nationals before,” Lynn said. “That feeling was pretty amazing.”

Lynn also pointed to the Eagles’ participation in the 2011 National Championship.

“We dominated that week, winning by 23 shots, and it was an incredible feeling to share with the guys, my family and OC,” Lynn said.

Lynn emphasized that coaching at the university taught him some powerful lessons.

“It has taught me to take advantage of every moment in life, because you never know if you will get another opportunity,” Lynn said. “It’s taught me to really focus on what’s important because success on the course, field or court, is only in the moment. True success is doing your best, keeping a great attitude, and doing for others. That’s what makes great team chemistry and defines the true success of what we do as coaches.”

According to junior and Eagles golf squad member Taylor Williams, Lynn’s induction into the Hall of Fame was almost only a matter of time.

“I know how hard he works, and how much he loves his job, and he deserves this honor,” Williams said. “If you look at the history of the golf program, the results have gotten better every year. That is the sign of a great coach. He is also a great role model for the Christian community.”

Sophomore Sam Johnston, another member of the Eagles squad, expanded on Lynn’s drive to improve the team.

“David Lynn is an excellent golf coach,” Johnston said. “He has always been supportive, yet he still manages to challenge us as players to reach our potential. That’s a tricky balancing act, and he does it well. … He is an extremely deserving candidate given his dedication to the program and his excellence in building one of the strongest programs in the country.”

A former player of Lynn’s, Rhein Gibson, will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“It’s extremely satisfying to see one of your players inducted into the Hall of Fame,” Lynn said. “ I know the work firsthand that Rhein put into his academics and his golf while at Oklahoma Christian, and to see him being recognized this way is wonderful. It’s astonishing as I look back on Rhein’s development as a player both physically and mentally.”

Williams agreed, noting that Gibson has helped him with his game in the past.

“He’s probably the best ball striker I’ve ever met,” Williams said.

Along with the other inductees, Anderson, from Edmond, Okla., was a four-time NAIA All-America honoree in the indoor 55-meter hurdles in 2000 and 2001, the outdoor 110-meter high hurdles in 2001 and the indoor 4×400-meter relay in 2000.

Clark, from Midwest City, Okla., was the only four-time All-America selection in Oklahoma Christian men’s soccer history, earning honorable mentions from the NAIA in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006. He holds school records for goals in a season (23), career (71) and for points in a career (162).

Vanderpool, an outfielder from Farmington, N.M., was a three-time NAIA All-America pick (first team in 2000, second team in 1998 and 2001) and a four-time NAIA All-Region selection.

Wiens earned NAIA All-American honors in track and basketball.