OWU Lacrosse 50th Anniversary Celebration

The following is an essay reflecting on the 50th Anniversary of Men’s Lacrosse, written by Bill Ackerman ’58:

You hosted and carried out a great event. I had not been back to OWU in almost 50 years, and my wife had never seen the campus. An additional plus was that we got to have lunch with Professor Reed (my Report Writing teacher) and her husband John, who was the librarian at OWU for many years. They were very involved with SAE, whose members formed the majority of our early lacrosse teams. The weekend there was an intense but satisfying experience.

Looking over the 50-year history, seeing the fame and recognition that came from such a humble beginning, and realizing what the OWU lacrosse program has become today is quite impressive. I was a mediocre player, one who had never played the sport before, and had little confidence in my abilities. I may have not gone out had it not been for three fraternity brothers from the east who were on the team and encouraged me to do so. I was fortunate that the first year as a varsity sport for lacrosse happened to be my senior year.

As I listened to those narrating the OWU lacrosse history of, I believe, over 450 victories, my thoughts drifted back to that first varsity season. Akron, which had tried two years and decided to give up, left us as the league doormat for a nine-game season. Indeed, we took our lumps, often getting beat by double-figure margins (Thorpe Mitchell probably still has the bruises on his body). The fifth game of the year we lost to Denison, 13-5. Four games later, we lined up against them in the season finale, sporting an 0-8 record.

Then something happened—we started scoring! By the second half, our spirits surged. I still remember lining up for a faceoff in the waning minutes. The Big Red guy across from me said “I don't think anybody could beat you guys today.” Quite a compliment from a traditional rival. But the game turned out to be more than that. In a way, that initial victory began the legacy of OWU lacrosse. Players, coaches, and the university saw something there that has been built into the product you have today.

That doesn’t mean, despite the immense talent that obviously exists on the current team, that there are not challenges to be faced. With the passing of time, a lot of Division III schools who cannot emphasize many sports have picked lacrosse as the one to put them on the sports map, and the competition is fierce. Three times OWU has come within a heartbeat of the coveted prize; it is still there for the taking. The “pioneers” of bygone days will continue to watch, hope, and support. Our hope will be that some day, hopefully within our lifetimes, that humble beginning will manifest itself in a national championship. When it does, rest assured wherever we are we will be with you, enjoying vicariously the thrill of your triumph, proud to have been a building block on the journey you have brought to the ultimate success.

OWU!